Pure Joy Horse Haven

09/03/2026

Hi of Pure Joy Horse Haven!!

I have a question for you. Here's why...

I have 3 pages - my personal page (Dale Rudin), my "business" page, Pure Joy Horsemanship, and this page.

My original plan was to post Haven news, updates, and welfare-centered horse-related information on this page. What's actually happened is that I post on one of the 3 pages, then share the same post on all three. So, all three pages are the same.

Here's what I'm thinking....

I retire this page, Pure Joy Horse Haven, and use either my personal page or the Pure Joy Horsemanship page to share horse-related info, whether it's Haven related or horse care and training stuff.

Back to my question. Actually, I have two questions.

1. Which page should I combine with Pure Joy Horse Haven?
2. Would you be willing to switch over to that page?

I won't make any changes for 30 days. I want to make sure I don't leave any followers behind. I also want to maximize the number of horse people I reach.

By the way, I haven't been on Facebook for a year and a half, but I'm back and eager to be more effective in spreading the word about equine welfare.

Thanks! I look forward to your feedback! 😃

08/30/2026

Hi Everyone!

I want you all to meet Flora! 💖

She's one of our beloved Haven Horses. She came to us because she was exhibiting very aggressive behavior towards humans.

Why? Because she had humans make her feel threatened and create physical pain. As a result, she is a quiet and reserved girl.

What Flora has taught me is how sensitive and smart a horse can be even if they don't show it outwardly.

I was shifting between hosing bet of and filing the water trough on one of our hot days. She put her muzzle in the trough but didn't drink. Then she put her muzzle over the big salt block that's sitting next to the trough and started licking it.

I didn't realize what was happening until I saw her repeat this behavior several times.
Mouth in trough to get water in it, then do the water into the block to make the salt easier to lick off!

BRILLIANT!

Salt blocks are truly too hard for horses. Their tongues are soft, unlike bovine tongues which are more rough.

Moistening the pressed block made access easier so she could get what she needed on a hot day.

Bravo, Flora!

08/26/2026

Welcome to The Elevated Equine!

Join the conversation as my dear friend, Ashley Nemec, and I talk about horses and humans who love them, like us! 😄

Our perspective is personal, heartfelt, and centered around behavioral science and live experience.

We look forward to sharing our journey to be better for our horses and ourselves with you. 🥰

www.theelevatedequine.com

08/24/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1PEaXMs7qg/

Tap to view!

08/22/2026

** UPDATE **

Which Horse of the Two In the Photos is Exhibiting Stress??

Knowing the answer is a really valuable skill to possess as a horse owner and/or for anyone who works with or spends time with horses.

The SECOND horse is not relaxed.

She is not feeling safe, confident, or comfortable.

I know this because she's has a peak in the skin of her upper eyelid. The muscles along her cheek, the thin skinned area between her muzzle and jowl, are drawn in and rippled. Her nostrils are somewhat flared into a round vs a more ovoid shape. Her chin . He head is elevated too.

All of the above is a result of the effects of muscle tension which is activated by the part of her brain that controls the sympathetic nervous system, the regulator of the flight, fight, freeze response.

The first horse's expression is alert without showing the tension that the second has. Her eye is softer - no peak or wrinkles. Her facial muscles are relaxed. Her face is intent, reflecting interest in something in her environment, but without the anxiety that the other horses is feeling.

**************************************

What is Equine Welfare?

Equine welfare begins with an intention to do right by the horse in our care as an individual and per requirements of the species.

It's being in a state of mind that is striving to provide what a horse needs to live a safe, comfortable, healthy, and fulfilling life. It's making sure all needs are being met, including but not limited to social interaction, adequate space to move, a proper diet, fresh water, and shelter.

Emotional security is a valuable gift we can give our horse, too. Offering choice instead of being Insistent is an amazing way to help our horse feel confident and empowered.

Being aware of how what we ask of and do with our horse affects their body is another tremendously impactful part of welfare as well.

The most profound way we can support our horse's emotional and physical well-being is to recognize when our horse is showing signs of diminished welfare. The awareness of our horses being in a less than ideal state is sadly lacking due to antiquated ideas and assumptions about how horses should be handled and managed.

General knowledge about what a healthy equine body and mind actually look like isn't common knowledge either.

Take for example the photos in this post. Are either of these horses stressed? 🤔

What we know or don't know directly affects our horse's life.

Join me on a a journey to improve the lives of horses, as well as the people who love them.

More to come....

Purejoyhorsehaven.org
Purejoyhorsemanship.com

08/21/2026

What I see when I see "Horse for Sale" adds.

At first I see what everyone sees, a pretty horse standing at liberty adorned with clean matching tack.

Then I see the horse's stance is uneven. I see hypertension in some muscle groups and hyper-development in others. I see a distorted pelvis. I see long heeled hooves with displaced hoof capsules. I see tension and worry in the horse's face.

The odds of coming across a horse that lives a life free of compensation, maladaptive patterns of movement, imbalance, and signs of discomfort is rare to say the very least.

These horses have had experiences with humans who don't know how to interact with the horses in their lives without causing harm.

There can be many reasons why this happens but the most likely cause is lack of understanding and being misinformed.

Ignorance isn't bliss for our horses. We can always do better.

Purejoyhorsemanship.com
Purejoyhorsehaven.org

08/21/2026

Intrepid Hoof-Care Followers!

Here's the after pic of the hoof I posted a couple days ago. As you can see it cleaned up pretty well.

This was the first time I met and trimmed this horse. The post-trim dynamics were much improved. The trim set these feet up for improved development of the back of the hoof and overall comfort, which continued to get better with subsequent trims.

Hooves are a very complex system that have a whole lot of mechanical marvels occurring at once. simple

The cool thing about hooves is that the parameters are always the same, no matter what the hoof looks like when you start working on it.

Thanks to everyone who shared their thoughts and questions in the "before" post. Keep those questions and comments coming. Being knowledgeable greatly increases our ability to support our horses' wellbeing.

Purejoyhorsemanship.com
Purejoyhorsehaven.org

08/19/2026

Has anyone else noticed that the face flies aren't bad this year? I have hardly put masks on except for the beginning of the season. Is it because of the excessive heat?

08/19/2026

Hi All! How about we look at some feet! I'm going to post before and after pics of hooves. The afters week either be right after a trim or sometime down the road, but I'll let you know.

In my opinion, access accurate hoof education is one of the major deficits we experience in the equine world. I fell victim to it, and so did the horses in my care.

Poor hoof function and balance is a HUGE welfare issue for horses. Huge!

It's taken me years to find information that's beneficial to horses' hoof health and overall well-being, and I'm still learning. Honestly it to years to realize that horses were suffering and how to recognize it.

The good news is we can do better for them and improve the quality of their lives! Yay! 👏😁

Take a look at the picture. Wear do you see? This is an opportunity to learn. This is not a test. ☺️.

This is a chance to gather information that you may be able to apply to you own horse or horses.

I will answer all your questions. I am happy to comment on your horse's feet if you post photos.

I will delete any comment or question that negatively refers to the care of the horse or hoof in the photos or is argumentative in nature. This is a safe space - a space to learn.

Let's help our horses live their best lives.

Purejoyhorsemanship.com
Purejoyhorsehaven.org