Last updated on October 8, 2024
Meet Liz Steffes of Rise and Ride Ranch
Liz Steffes, owner of Rise and Ride Ranch in southwest Michigan, knows firsthand the healing powers of a horse. Although she grew up on a farm, horses weren’t part of her daily life. She rode her neighbor’s horses occasionally and eventually got the horse fever. As Liz’s equestrian love grew, she found every possible way to be involved with horses: from volunteering to just sticking around at horse barns and events as long as possible.
After leaving a very dangerous relationship, Liz threw herself into working with horses, realizing how therapeutic they were. Eventually, she bought her first horse, a Clydesdale with a rough start and a lot of fear. As she dove into horse rehabilitation and helped him overcome his past, Liz noticed he was also helping her heal from her past. And thus, the concept of Rise and Ride Ranch was born.
Horse Rehabilitation Starts from the Inside Out
Now Liz, her husband, her sister, and brother-in-law, have run the rescue & ride ranch since 2020, and currently own 19 horses. The first step to horse rehabilitation is getting the horse’s nutrition under control, and that’s where Animal Element comes in. Liz and her team feed every horse Foundation Daily Detox & NuTrack Digestive Support once they come to the ranch, and add on other supplements like Cissus Quadrangularis, and Bovine Colostrum depending on their needs. “I want their bodies to feel better on the inside before we start working on everything else,” Liz says.
They have a whole care team of a trusted veterinarian, equine chiropractor, massage therapist, and a farrier who is also an osteopath. Each horse is assessed individually during their 2-week quarantine when they first arrive, and a care plan is tailored to their physical, nutritional, and neurological needs.
While the horse is in quarantine, Liz spends time with them daily, getting to know their personalities and past traumas. She gets them familiar and comfortable around people and begins to build a bond with them. Once all that has been established, the groundwork begins!
The Story of Story the Horse
One of Liz’s favorite “before & after” stories is an Appendix Quarter Horse aptly named Story. Liz first bought the gelding from a lady who had rescued Story from a kill pen in Louisiana. After only having him for a month, Story’s owner decided that he had too many health and behavioral issues around mares for her to handle. When Liz brought him to Rise and Ride, he was very sweet and settled in well. He did have a few quirks and health issues to work around, and though Liz tried her best, she ended up selling him to a local family.
As luck would have it, Story’s owner was leaving for college a few years later, and he needed another new family. Liz happily bought him back, this time armed with Animal Element supplements that she didn’t have before. When he arrived back at Rise and Ride in December of 2023, Story was in little bit of rough shape. Though well loved and taken care of, he was now getting up there in years, and not receiving the extra nutrition that geriatric horses often need.
27 Going on 10!
His hooves sported large cracks, and his coat was thick and dull. He had loose, oddly colored stools, which told Liz his gut was in need of some extra help. So she put him on FDD and NuTrack straight away and was amazed at the changes that occurred. Now Story’s hooves are much stronger, he walks with no pain, and the cracks have almost grown out. His coat is sleek, shiny, and darker than it’s ever been. But even more noticeable are his energy levels! Now, at 27 years old, Story “doesn’t know he’s 27,” Liz laughs, “he acts like he’s 10!” He is happy, energetic, and ready to work! And yes, he has healthy, normal poops now.
Dolly’s Second Chance at Rise & Ride
Story isn’t the only horse who has improved drastically on Animal Element supplements. Liz recalls Dolly, who was one of the first horse rehabilitation cases she put on Animal Element. Rescued from a life of hard work pulling heavy equipment despite foundering, then “retired” into the life of a broodmare, Dolly came to Liz’s care in dire condition. She was severely foundered in both back feet, and could barely walk. Once on FDD, NuTrack, and Cissus, Dolly began to gain weight, walk without pain, and her bone degeneration slowed down.
Despite the improvement to her condition, Dolly had foundered for so long prior to Liz’s care, that she began to abscess into the vascular system. The team at Rise and Ride made the merciful decision to euthanize Dolly before her condition worsened. Despite having to say goodbye, Liz credits Animal Element for allowing Dolly to live the last bit of her life healthy, happy, and pain-free.
Animal Element Adds a Health Boost to Horse Rehabilitation
Foundation Daily Detox and NuTrack Digestive Support work wonderfully together to help support a horse’s physical and mental needs from the inside out. No matter their age, breed, fitness level, or competition event, every horse can benefit greatly from these supplements.
To learn more about how FDD and NuTrack work together to benefit your horse, read this blog….and this one too! And maybe this one for good measure.
FDD flushes the body of toxin buildup, improving organ function, lowering inflammation, and supporting joint, hoof, and coat health. NuTrack then comes in to support the digestive system by supplying amino acids that aid in digestion and nutrient absorption. So when all the internal systems work how they’re supposed to, inflammation is kept at bay, and the gut is happy, OF COURSE your horse is going to look and feel amazing! We believe in this pairing so much, we’ve got a great bundle deal going on right now! Call Mark at 509-301-1798 to get the details. Your horses (and wallet) will thank you.
Proudly written for Animal Element by the team at FaithHanan.com.