Tag: horse care

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Breaking Through Emotional Patterns

Equine Emotions

It doesn't have to been known to be recognized and heard

Just like every person has a story… so does every horse.

It may be that you raised your horse from a foal, or at least know most of their story. Or maybe for some of the horses' in your life or herd their story remains unknown, but that doesn't mean you don't experience the past or see signs of what it might have been like.

Most of my equine career has been spent with rehab horses and rescues, many of them I didn't know the before story and it was my goal to bring a new hope and “after” story for them.

My current herd is about half and half… 2 horses I know a lot about their history and 2 not so much.

For this post I would like to introduce you to my mustang Lonan. He was rounded up from the Jackson Mountains in Neveda, in early July of 2012 according to his papers. Believed to be born in 2011, adopted by his first adopters in late 2016 with not much (positive) human interaction before being transferred to me a year later.

Although he may not have spent much time in the wild, his instincts and innate behavior still ring very true at heart. I recently saw footage of a round up that happened just prior to Lonan's round up and it broke my heart. I knew he had likely be through a lot but to be honest the video really shocked me! You can click here to watch it, but fair warning it is hard to see…

Much of his behavior upon his arrival to my home, told me there were things in his past that skewed his view on people and really life in general. He was aggressive to me, my other horses, and managed to take down multiple fences. To see the side of him that is emerging now, I could not be more humbled and relieved. As I feared that the hope of him accepting and adapting to domestic life might not be possible…

Spotting Emotional Patterns

Maybe your horse didn't have a traumatic past… or maybe you don't know their history at all, but if you find your horse having undesirable behaviors over and over again it's possible they are rooted in an emotional pattern or cycle.

Essential oils and body work in combination are my favorite way to pattern interrupt and clear both physical and emotional memory, allowing breakthrough for your horse to get back to the calm, connected, and collected horse they desire to be. My favorite essential oil options for negative emotion barriers are Trauma Life essential oil blend and Inner Child essential oil blend.

You can check out the video below and see more updates like this in our private Equine Wellness Facebook – click here to join now. It might not look like much… but if you could see where he came from, you would know that Lonan experiences a completely different world than he did when he first arrived. He is like a brand new horse.

The essential oil blends I mentioned and 60 days of ForeCalm Powder to help break his fear cycle and he is ready to move forward being a willing, engaged, ready to learn, equine partner.

Don't Unknowingly Let Dangerous Digestive Problems Linger-

A common question I receive in relation to the topic of emotional patterns, is “how do I know if the behavior is linked to emotions or to physical concerns?”

That is a very important question that needs to be explored, because often times is can be both… and each needs addressed for the possiblity of the horse to return to being their true vibrant, exuberant self! I want to share with you the top 10 signs I have seen for a horse showing signs of health problems…

In fact, my mare struggled with #3 on the list for many years and I was told it was a behavior and training issue. I created a free pdf guide that shares 10 Tell Tale Signs Your Horse May Be Suffering From Dangerous Digestive Problems. Click Here to download your copy today.

I hope you found value in this post. Please share via your favorite social media page to help us on our mission to promote horse health and wellness. You will find share buttons at the bottom of the post.

Life is better when you're horsin’ around!

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How Even A Beginner Can Balance The Water Element

Does your horse's health concern fit the following…

  • The horse's symptoms progressed or became present with old age
  • Increased or became stronger in the cold, winter months
  • Deep aching or concern with skeletal and bone health
  • The horse's fear has increased with the current health issue
  • The horse's health concerns include their ears and/or genital areas
  • The horse is conserving their energy more and more in conjunction with additional factors from the list above

If you horse is experiencing some of these issues, it's possible that their Water Element is off balance and could benefit from additional support.

My mare Pokey has had a long health journey and is responsible for most of what I have learned in the horse health field up to this point…

Helping her recover after having multiple vets recommend euthanasia back in 2011, is what led me to Equine Naturopathy, use of essential oils, and now my latest journey – Equine Acupressure.

Pokey aligns with 5 of the factors shared in that list, and at a recent clinic I attended I consulted with Dr. Madalyn Ward about her thoughts on what I could do to further Pokey's health and vitality. Her suggestion was to balance her Water Element.

What the beginner needs to know to get results.

Now to be clear I am in the beginning stages of working through an Equine Acupressure Practitioner Course… and yet with a simple app on my phone and my favorite reference guide (you can easily order and utilize too)… I went to work opening the possibilities of health and balance for my horse.

This post is not about getting into the details of the Five Element Theory or Traditional Chinese Medicine…

My goal is to share with you the fact that any horse owner can bring benefit to their horse with the use of some reference tools, essential oils, and the willingness to get uncomfortable or feel slightly incompetent for awhile 🙂

Your horse's Water Element is governed by their Kidney Meridian and their Bladder Meridian. For Pokey's first acupressure session with me, I chose to focus on the Kidney Meridian while utilizing the benefits of Juniper Essential Oil.

Check out the video below to see how Pokey and I explore the Kidney Meridian together, we ran out of light before I got to address her Bladder Meridian (at least with acupressure), but she had great releases during our session and I saw noticeable effects in her mood, stools, and posture the next day and positively maintained a few days after that before I went out of town…

Reveal More About What The Kidney Meridian Can Do For Your Horse…

Are you ready to unlock the health potential of your horse? If so I've got you covered! To empower you in how to utilize “The Root of Life”, I have designed a free PDF Guide to get you started on the right track to supporting your horse's wellness and vitality. Click Here or the image below to grab you copy now!

I hope you found value in this post. Please share via your favorite social media page to help us on our mission to promote horse health and wellness. You will find share buttons at the bottom of the post.

The Journey To Your Horse's Health Begins Here & Now!

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Is Your Horse The 1 out of 3?

equine digestion

Maybe it's because we hear statistics all the time that it's possible to read that on average 1 in 3 horses suffers from gastric ulcers and still not realize the “1” could be our horse!

Just curious how many horses do you have?

How many horses are at the barn where you keep your horse?

For me I own 4 horses currently… so it's possible that 1 out of my 4 horses is suffering from gastric ulcers right now…

Reducing The Risk of Digestive Concerns

To be honest equine gastric ulcers is just one concern of many that your horse could be experiencing when it comes to their digestion. By raising your awareness, I in no way mean to increase your fear or worry… because that will not serve you or your horse in any way!

But it is often in these times of discomfort and tension that we are open to changing our patterns and taking action to achieve a new and better result…

That is the outcome I desire for you and your horse 🙂

Now that you know that your horse's digestive health could be at risk, here are some tips to drastically reduce the concern!

  • Maintain consistent annual or biannual dental exams
  • Reduce the fasting periods your horse experiences
  • Check your supplement ingredients for synthetics, fillers, and chemicals that cause inflammation and intestinal irritation
  • Choose a natural digestive health supplement and be sure to feed or focus on your horse's digestion at least every 3 months

An Immune Boost of 70%?!?

When we stop and remind ourselves that over 70% of the immune system resides in the GI tract, it only further solidifies the fact that our horses digestive health is crucial to their overall wellness. You can explore more tips on supporting equine digestive health below, starting with one of my new favorite digestive supplements shared in the video… just be sure to take immediate action and use what is shared here to move forward to improving your horse's health and digestion today!

Don't Unknowingly Let Dangerous Digestive Problems Linger-

What most horse owners don't realize is that their horse IS trying to tell them that there are health problems lurking below the surface! Your horse could be too…

My mare struggled with #3 on the list for many years and I was told it was a behavior and training issue. I created a free pdf guide that shares 10 Tell Tale Signs Your Horse May Be Suffering From Dangerous Digestive Problems. Click Here to download your copy today.

I hope you found value in this post. Please share via your favorite social media page to help us on our mission to promote horse health and wellness. You will find share buttons at the bottom of the post.

Life is better when you're horsin’ around!

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How To Avoid Sticky Stifles And Add Longevity To Your Horse’s Mobility

4 Vital Steps To Evading Stifle Struggles

The horses stifle is comparable to the human knee. It is a complex network of 4 bones, 3 joints, 14 ligaments, and 2 cartilage menisci. The stifle allows for your horse to flex and extend their hind leg and is designed to help absorb shock as your horse is in motion. Commonly most people think of performance horses when it comes to injury or concern of the stifle…

What is important to understand is that conformation, genetics, and fitness/conditioning plays a role in the health of your horse's stifle. Which means that even recreation and leisure horses can experience concern if the right supportive measures are not implemented with the horses care and lifestyle to promote the proper function of this intricate system of your horse's body.

  1. Proper Digestion- There are many resources that teach on proper nutrition to ensure the health of your horse's musculoskeletal system, but if the delivery vehicle for that nutrition is not functioning at its best. It is likely that the nutrition will go in one end and out the other… leaving your horse still at risk and your hard earned money in supplements in a steaming pile of poo. A great start is to support with the 3 Amigos of Equine Digestion, click here to read more.
  2. Species Appropriate & Individualized Nutrition- The resources I mentioned sharing nutritional advice… not only fail to address the delivery vehicle being operational (big deal if you want results…) but they also preach on cookie cutter, ratio, lab created synthetics that will most certainly fall short of the long term health and benefits you desire for your horse. Do you think that you and I have the exact same nutritional needs, what about compared to your spouse, kids, or your friend who goes to the gym for an hour everyday?? Is blanket nutrition really what you want to trust your horses's vibrant health to?  Once you have cleaned the nutrition of synthetics, chemicals, and toxins… look to add a natural amino acid supplement or check out our favorite joint health hack by clicking here.
  3. Fitness & Conditioning- Proper warm up, cool down, and overall fitness have a huge impact on the health of your horse's stifles. Did you know that the quadriceps and stifle area of your horse is the last place to build and strengthen from your conditioning routine? That means it will also be the first to weaken if you lack consistency or if the horse is on stall rest or inactive over a period of time. Remember that strength training is best done with slow work, consistency, and patience. Working with a sports trainer or qualified professional with slight incline hill work, trotting poles, lateral suppling exercises, and serpentines are great ways to build fitness and condition over time.
  4. Recovery & Therapy- Supporting your horse with bodywork, natural liniments, and nutritional support and remedies known to reduce oxidative stress, and aid in cellular reproduction, repair, and function can be the small difference that puts the icing on the cake to your additional efforts.

Simple Exercises You Can Do Now With Your Horse To Support Hindquarter & Topline Health

When you don't know where to start…

It can be overwhelming and confusing to know how to best care for your horse. It seems there are so many opinions, facts, and conflicting information out there! We want to help empower you to individualize your horse's care with confidence and peace of mind… we designed a FREE PDF guide to get you started right now.

Get our 10 Tell Tale Signs Your Horse May Be Suffering From Dangerous Digestive Problems guide sent to your inbox right away. Click Here to download your copy today.

I hope you found value in this post. Please share via your favorite social media page to help us on our mission to promote horse health and wellness. You will find share buttons at the bottom of the post.

Life is better when you're horsin’ around!

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Do You Respond or React To Horse Health Concerns?

Whether You Respond Or React… Will Impact Your Horse's Health

We have all been there where a sudden illness or problem arises with our horse and an internal panic ensues… but did you know that your stress, worry, and anxiety has the potential to make your horse's health concerns worse?

On top of that the market is full of tactics that take advantage of your concern, promising solutions with their products that often mask, treat, or suppress the problems your horse has…

Driving them deeper into the body and setting your horse up for additional, more severe health problems! Soon you feel lost not sure where to turn or how your horse got here in the first place.

Somehow, the experts and marketers get you to take comfort in the fact that it is “normal” for your horse to be experiencing health concerns as the trends reveal there are more horses that are sick or diagnosed with health concern, then those who remain healthy and sound.

You may be wondering then… What am I to do??

You must begin with YOU! Your mindset, knowledge, belief, and confidence in caring for your horse is something completely within your power.

An empowered horse owner stands prepared and ready should health challenges arise for their horse, but the best part is that they also have the skills and tools necessary to reduce their horse's risk of many of the problems a majority of horses are facing.

The worst place you can be in regards to your horse's health is in your head. One of the best questions you can ask yourself is, are you all in? Are you truly committed to doing what it takes to get the result and desired outcome you want for your horse?

You will face opposition.

People will tell you that you're wrong, crazy, and some may even call you ignorant.

There will be times it seems like it isn't working, it might look like it is getting worse, and it will take investment of both time and money…

My mentor often makes the statement that if you argue for your limitations you get to keep them. Are you arguing for either your personal limitations or maybe what you perceive to be your horse's limitations?

You are your horse's headlights and they can only see and make it as far as you are willing to go. That means that you must let go not only of the limiting beliefs that you have, but those that have been “given” to you be your friends, vet, farrier, trainer, etc.

Draw a line in the sand of what you are determined to achieve for your horse, regardless of if you know how to get there or not! For more suggestions and tips on how to respond vs react check out the audio below.

You Have To Decide & Then You MUST Take Action

With my mare Pokey I had 3 different opinions with “tests” to back why each was right and the others were wrong…

Although each professional had a different label of what Pokey suffered from, there was a shared consensus of euthanasia as the only option. I was disheartened, confused, and not sure what to do.

I decided that I would not accept this fate for Pokey and set out to change and improve her health with no earthly idea how I would do it. All my mentors and peers thought I had lost my mind and nothing good would come from my false sense of hope and determination…

If you know our story… that was back in 2001 and she is still here with me today. I make it my mission to have the tools and information available to those open and looking for a better way to care for their horses.

One of the very first steps is to spot the overlooked signs of health concern, that your horse could be sharing with you right now… My mare struggled with #3 on the list for many years and I was told it was a behavior and training issue. I created a free pdf guide that shares 10 Tell Tale Signs Your Horse May Be Suffering From Dangerous Digestive Problems. Click Here to download your copy today.

I hope you found value in this post. Please share via your favorite social media page to help us on our mission to promote horse health and wellness. You will find share buttons at the bottom of the post.

Life is better when you're horsin’ around!