KENSINGTON RIDGE FARMS INC.
BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA

The Kensington Ridge Farms story: A lifelong love affair When Eddie retired, and just prior to, he was a lovely trail horse. It was his evolution that helped my transition as well. I decided to take formal riding lessons. I started with jumping lessons and that did not go well and then I went on to try my luck with dressage. I took some lessons and it certainly peaked my interest, but I felt I needed to find a horse of my own. I asked around and several people told me about Spanish Horses (first, I was told about Andalusians). I was not aware they were also called PRE’s. I looked and asked around and I was unable to find any. Then I was told about Lusitano’s which I was told were very similar. After we left, I called Ingred and asked her if I could buy Oceano. I told her I understood that he was promised to someone else but I really liked the horse. She was very polite and professional, but she said “No”. She would not sell the horse “out from under” the other women because someone had already done that to her and Oceano was the horse that was going to replace the previous horse. I was heartbroken but impressed by here ethics and morals. Ingred had her work cut out for her I knew nothing about formal riding. We worked hard every day. She would ride, I’d have my lesson and we would just talk about the breed, her horses or anything related to Spanish Horses and riding. As time went on my riding improved thanks to Ingred and Oceano. Ingred imported Lusitano’s and she had this beautiful black stallion about 6 years old. She wanted me to ride him. Still having a fear of other horses I did not want to. She was trying to help me get over my fear. The same thing happened with this young Lusitano I went to get on my heart was pounding and the moment I sat down I was totally calm. I had a fantastic, fun ride. I began to wonder, “Is it the breed?” It happened again with her Competitive Grand Pix Stallion Quemacho. She just wanted me to sit on him while she worked on piaffe from the ground. The moment I sat down heart stopped racing. This continued to happen over the years when I would get on horses and the only time my heart stopped racing immediately was on a Spanish Horse, it stops immediately on an Andalusian – PRE. (It takes longer on a Warmblood and sometimes it does not stop at all) as well. Years went by and it was time to find another stallion like Oceano. I could not find a horse that could even come close. I was looking for a Lusitano and I thought lets go back to the original plan of an Andalusian – PRE and this time I had much more experience. Part of the reason for the switch back to a Andalusian – PRE was the Import regulations. Spain and the US have an agreement if you import a PRE virgin mare or stallion they quarantine for 4 weeks in Spain and there is no live cover involved for stallions. I had already purchased a few horses. Had all the knowledge Ingred instilled in me, been taken advantage of by another Lusitano seller and another trainer and also had a good experience with trainer who looked out for me on a purchase and stopped me from making a purchase mistake. I developed a great relationship with a breeder in Spain. I had a solid support system here and I purchased my first PRE. I told myself if this goes well in a year I am going to start importing Andalusians – PRE’s and follow in Ingred’s footsteps. And here we are. So you see it is as much about the influence of a strong, independent larger than life woman, as it is the Spanish horses. When the import rules change about Lusitano’s I hope to import them from Portugal. For now we offer Andalusian’s and PRE ’s– Both breeds have their own special attributes. You would have to own both to determine what you like about each one. I have one of each myself, and am about to have a few more PRE’s soon! When Kensington Ridge Farms competes our first PRE Dressage Horse, our Mare, I sure hope that rider is myself, I will be waring my good luck charm from Ingred. It is a great feeling to have someone believe in you. ​- Shelly Swetnam, Founder and President of Kensington Ridge Farms. In some areas of the country, alfalfa is a regular part of life. It’s readily available and commonly fed, so it’s a logical foundation for many horses’ diets. In other areas, it is a delicacy of sorts, shipped in from different regions and bought a bale at a time on a vet’s recommendation to help certain horses that need nutritional support. For some types of horses—in either of those areas—-alfalfa simply isn’t a great choice. And, so, that fragrant green bale comes loaded with nutrients and, for some horse owners, a multitude of misconceptions. Some grass hays are also too high in sugar for these horses, and this is where a legume diet or mixed legume/grass diet can help lower total sugar intake. For instance, a horse that’s overweight and insulin resistant needs a lower-sugar hay (the alfalfa), says Martinson, but not the additional calories, “So we often end up doing a mix where those horses receive some legume and search for a low-sugar grass hay to mix with it.” , because the extra calcium acts as a buffer against stomach acid. You might offer performance horses alfalfa an hour or two before work or competition, during which acid can splash up into the nonglandular part of the stomach (where the cells of the lining do not produce protective mucus). The simple act of chewing creates more saliva, which also helps buffer stomach acid, says Lea. Owners might also offer the legume to horses needing to develop more muscle, particularly along the topline. Stephen Duren, PhD, equine nutritionist and founder of Performance Horse Nutrition, in Weiser, Idaho, says this is because alfalfa provides amino acids needed for muscle regeneration. “We see this practice more in the East where a lot of marginal grass hay is fed.” “Alfalfa producers who market hay for horses are aware of the issue of blister beetles,” he says. “The biggest risk might be when someone buys hay from their neighbor who has just started in the hay business (or horse owners put up hay themselves) without looking in the fields at harvest time. Always follow the recommendations in your state regarding scouting for and controlling blister beetles.”