Rocking Horse Therapy

Northern Wyoming facility gives horses a competitive edge

Ensuring horses are in top shape for work or competition is important for success in the arena, as well as avoiding injury. With over 40 years of horse experience, Rocking Horse Therapy and Rehabilitation strives to provide individualized plans to each equine athlete who comes to their facility.

Owner Jennifer Lewis shares the facility features top-of-the-line technologies for conditioning horses for seasonal competition or rehabilitation following an injury.

Built on dreams

For years, Jennifer worked in the medical field, but knew it wasn’t exactly what her heart wanted to do. In fact, she had been dreaming of building a horse therapy facility. When the opportunity arose, Jennifer started building Rocking Horse

Rehabilitation and Therapy from the ground up.

Today, the business has been hard at work tending to horses for almost four years.

“When we first began building, I started to think we were a little crazy and wondered who would bring their horses to Meeteetse,” she says. “But, it all came together, and as we were building, I was watching my dreams come true.”

While Jennifer will tell visitors it may not be the fanciest facility –featuring several runs, a barn and a large outside walker – Rocking Horse Therapy and Rehabilitation is home to some of the highest quality and superior horse therapy services.

“It was built with care, purpose and functionality,” she says.

Light therapy – Infrared heat therapy increases the metabolic activity of cells, which in turn increases blood flow. Rocking Horse Therapy and Rehabilitation helps horses recover more quickly from an injury or relieve sore muscles.

Horse therapy

Whether horses come to Jennifer for conditioning before a rodeo or roping season or for rehabilitation following an injury, they are all assessed for the best mode of treatment.

Rocking Horse Therapy and Rehabilitation offers Solarium Light Therapy, Pegasus Laser Therapy, an Equivibe vibrating platform as well as Ice-Vibe tendon boots and Sportz-Vibe blankets, an Equiband, a large outdoor Priefert Walker and an above-ground treadmill.

Jennifer notes increasing lung capacity and building muscle are key to conditioning horses.

“The water resistance of the Aquatred helps horses build strength in their legs, increases muscle tone, strengthens their top line and increases their range of motion without impaction on the lower limbs,” she explains.

In addition, conditioning helps to improve speed, endurance, agility and balance.

During conditioning or rehabilitation, Jennifer may utilize Solarium Light Therapy or the Sportz-Vibe in combination to relieve sore muscles and decrease recovery time. Both of these technologies can also help to strengthen the horses’ immune systems and increase blood and oxygen circulation.

“I love seeing the change in horses over their time with us,” Jennifer notes. “It amazes me how quickly they can heal or get into shape.”

Care is priority

While at the northern Wyoming facility, care is top priority for Jennifer and her team.

“We want horses’ days to remain as similar to their life at home when they come to us,” Jennifer shares. “Our first priority is caring for horses and making sure they get the best treatment and conditioning plan. We monitor horses very carefully, especially during the first days at our facility, to ensure they settle in comfortably.”

Jennifer treats each horse as her own and is proud of the progress they make in Meeteetsee, as well as in the arena.

For more information, contact Jennifer at rockinghorse.404@ gmail.com or 307-272-7630.

Averi Reynolds is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.

Race Day Events 2023

JUNE 4 CHUGWATER CHILI DAY

Wyoming State Champion Chili

JUNE

JUNE 11

DAY AT THE RACES

Featuring the Governor’s Cup Race, also hosting for the 1st Lady’s Wyoming Hunger Initiative food drive

JUNE 17-18 INTERCOLLEGIATE RACING EXPERIENCE

Intern course for college students, go to

JUNE 18 UW DAY AT THE RACES

Special guests to host Father’s Day Stick Horse Race

JUNE 24 WYOMING DOWNS SPIRITS & BREW FEST

Separate fee to attend. 1 PM-5 PM

JUNE 25 CELEBRATION OF UINTA COUNTY

Local area businesses and elected officials

JULY 1 JOCKEY STAKES

Supporting {PDJF} Premanently Disabled Jockey’s Fund

JULY 2 FREEDOM RALLY

Honoring current or former military and first responders. Featuring Evanston area VFW Post 4280 and American Legion Post 41

Hamblen Hats

Northern Colorado hat company takes pride in Western heritage values

When talking to a cowboy about his hat, one might learn more about his personality than expected. Hats are often what a cowboy is identified by and what makes him who he is, shares Hatmaker Travis Hamblen.

Travis grew up with an affinity for hats, even recently finding out instead of carrying a blanket or a stuffed animal as a child, his prized black cowboy hat was his comfort.

Growing up, he worked several jobs, ranging from building fence to working for stock contractors and feedlots, and he even worked for another hatmaker for several years. Nearly four years ago, the opportunity for Travis to open his own hat store was presented – bringing forth Hamblen Hats.

“We started out in a mobile trailer, grew from there into a TuffShed, then a shop on family property, and we moved into this storefront about two years ago,” he explains.

Flying H logo

When Travis first opened his shop and started developing a logo for the brand, he was looking for something simple but representative of his values. Thus, the Flying H brand was born.

Continued

“I wanted a brand that no matter what we do, is iconic,” Travis says.

The Flying H brand is reminiscent of what his grandpa, who passed shortly after Travis opened the storefront in Ault, Colo. meant to him.

“The ‘H’ stands for heritage – there’s always someone who’s gone before you. It doesn’t matter if you’re a cowboy or a banker, someone laid the groundwork to help you get to where you are,” he explains.

Travis shares the “H” also stands for hope and history.

“When we first opened, we got our first full shipment of hats on Friday the 13th at the beginning of COVID-19 and had 90 days to pay for it. We all know COVID-19 impacted business, but God continued to open doors and take care of us,” he says. “Our history is what makes us all who we are today.”

The smile of the Flying H brand represents hard work, and the circle within the brand represents life.

“No matter where our heritage, hope or history lies, if we don’t get up every morning and work hard, we won’t get anywhere,” Travis says. “Life consists of all of these things.”

Community-based business

Travis’ maternal grandpa was a milkman at the Poudre Valley Creamery in Fort Collins, Colo. and had the reputation of knowing his customers well.

Growing up watching his family build relationships with customers in his parents’ family-owned gun shop, Travis understood from a young age businesses were more about the people than the product.

“We’ve made hats for professional athletes, we’ve had hats on entertainers at music festivals, and we have one on a movie set right now,” Travis says. “But, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if a person is going to the Super Bowl or if they’re an FFA kid from the local high school – to me, it’s all about the person under the hat.”

He continues, “We all share a bond of hope, heritage, history and hard work. It doesn’t matter if we’re on a big screen, a big

Continued on next page stage or a big ranch.”

Western individualism

The hat company builds custom hats, sells stock hats that can be custom fit or custom designed and offers cleaning and rebuilding of old, trusted hats.

Travis shares individual style and personality are put into each hat. In fact, his two sons are an example of how personality and individualism can be expressed by hats.

“My youngest boy is going to work for a reined cow horse trainer this year, and the other is a musician. They both have their own hat shape – one’s a little punchier, and the other likes a little more rock and roll,” Travis says, noting both boys have been involved in the business from its inception.

“We want to make sure everyone can afford the custom experience,” he says. “It is a privilege for me to clean one up, shape one or build one so when my customers look in the mirror, they smile.”

However, Travis notes there are two favorite hats he enjoys the most – the first and the last.

“The other day, a young cowboy was in the shop going to his first lead line show, and we fitted him with his first cowboy hat,” Travis shares. “And, we’ve got an old-timer who swings by to hang out and chat, and he mentioned while getting a hat, this would probably be his last. What happens between the first and the last is important, but it’s a privilege to build someone’s first and an honor to build someone’s last.”

For more information, visit hamblenhats.com.

Averi Reynolds is a corresponding writer for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@ wylr.net.

ABOVE: Family business – Travis and his two sons Braxton and Kasen Hamblen work together at the storefront. When they aren’t building or shaping hats, they enjoy roping and team penning as a family. Casey St. Blanc photo

LEFT: Destined to make hats –Rather than a blanket or stuffed animal, Travis Hamblen didn’t go anywhere without his favorite black hat. Cliff Hamblen, Travis’ dad, played an integral role in Travis’ business foundation. Courtesy photo