About us

Silver Snaffle Stables in Richmond, Vermont is a great place to start riding. It is also a quiet place to bond with your first horse. June Banks has been working with horses since 1978. In the 4-H horse program in Massachusetts, she learned about hard work, commitment, follow-through, record-keeping and leadership. Since 1993, she has lead the 4-H Trail Trotters horse club in Richmond, teaching the next generation these values as well as a love of horses and the joy of just being around them. She married her husband, David Banks, in 1990 and they had a son, Travis, born in 1995. Though they have lived in Richmond since 1993, the barn wasn't built until 2005. Karmel moved with them from Massachusetts. He was June's second horse, purchased as a two-year old in 1983. He is still giving lessons and taking adventures with June.

For some people, horses are what they do. For me, it's a part of me and who I am.

Green Horsekeeping

Many horse owners are thrifty, frugal and mothers of invention. Silver Snaffle Stables does their part to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Reduce - erosion by having sacrifice areas so pastures do not get overgrazed, water runoff from barn goes into pastures to keep them green; water consumption by not overflowing buckets and tubs, letting tubs get low before dumping and scrubbing out, using water from buckets to water plants; gas by getting grain on same errand as weekly shopping, and grazing on lawn.

Reuse - grain bags into trash bags; supplement tubs into meal portions; baling twine into temporary fencing and lead ropes; large supplement bucket for water buckets and grooming equipment storage; some rubber mats came from a former barn; deck railings into saddle racks; refridgerator shelves used as drying racks; paddock manure is composted, neighbors take away and is used around plants and bare areas to grow grass; stall manure is taken away for composting; downed trees are used as deer barriers and small wildlife cover, larger logs used as firewood; rocks from paddocks put around gardens and in run-off ditches.

Recycle - a recycle bucket separate from trash bucket; paper shavings bags are recycled; an incinerating toilet; horses shoes into craft projects.

See center photo:

• grain bag - trash bag
• popcorn tin - harness hook
• back of wipe-off calendar - feeding chart
• supplement tubs - meal buckets
• food containers - treat containers
• coffee cans - grain scoops

Let us know if you have any hints or need manure.