Posts Tagged ‘horse owners’

According to Chinese Medicine, there is no ailment that cannot be cured.

I believe that aphorism to be true, whether applied to humans or horses. At least, when it comes to horse health care, I believe that any condition can be improved, made healthier, and made more harmonious.

Fezzywig: A Bodywork Example of Horse Health Care

A prime example of this is my new Holsteiner warm blood gelding Fezzywig. He came to me with a severely roached back, meaning he has a hump in his back where several vertebrae stick up and out of his spine in his lumbar region. His roach back had been getting worse over time, and his former owner did not know how to help him. Hence, he came to me.

Fezzywig has been with us for a while now, and he receives bodywork every single day. I do “Bowen” type bodywork as well as passive stretches, acupressure, and network chiropractic on him. The improvement in less than 3 weeks is noticeable to me, even if not to the casual observer.

While he definitely still has a hump in his back, to me his whole body structure looks more relaxed. In addition, his top and bottom lines look more harmonious. He looked “pot bellied” and seriously hunched over in his earlier pictures. Now he has more tone to his belly and his withers have risen up so they are closer in height to his rear.

What’s the Point? Horse Health Care and Hope

The point of this article isn’t to talk about specific bodywork conditions, but to point out that there is always hope for every horse ailment out there, be it ulcers, roached backs, or lameness issues. Maybe not every horse can be made perfect, but the quality of every horse’s life can be improved.

More importantly, I believe that horse owners can be totally active participants in the horse health care process. Nine years ago I learned some basic bodywork techniques, which I have used every week since and continue to refine. Nine years ago I also learned to trim my own horse’s feet. I couldn’t quite figure out how to learn to do horse dental work (that’s beyond my capabilities), but I do just about everything else.

When it comes to horse health care, there’s always hope. My list of horses kind of looks like a cast of characters from a freak show:

Valentine: mustang mare who had a golf-ball sized tumor under her jaw and choked frequently
Reyacita: mustang mare with COPD, or heaves, when stressed and eating hay
Walker: quarter horse gelding with poor feet and ulcers
Samantha: mustang mare with an overly long back and a pulled groin muscle
Fezzywig: warmblood gelding with a roached back

Frightening isn’t it? And yet, with the help of daily doses of my homemade “horse goo,” regular bodywork, occasional help from a local vet, and a lot of help from Holistic Horsekeeping, these horses have achieved the incredible:

Valentine: Jumper Champion and Jumper Horse of the Year
Reyacita: eats hay, team sorts, and learning to be a rope horse
Walker: recovered from ulcers with probiotics, algae, and enzymes, beginner rope horse, gentle enough for an infant to ride
Samantha: Hunter Champion
Fezzywig: vast improvement in his roached back

Your Participation in Horse Health Care

Obviously, each horse lover is going to be different when it comes to how much “hands on” work they do for horse health care, and how much work is done by professional veterinarians, farriers, equine dentists, and bodyworkers. However, the more active a role you take in learning about horse health care, the better your horse’s health will be, regardlesss of whether you do “hands on” work on not.

In this day and age, when money is tight and horse health care is expensive, I encourage every horse lover out there to learn to do as much “hands on” health care as possible. It’s ultimately less expensive, empowers you to help your horses immediately, and helps you make better decision about your horse’s management. A good place to start, with many free resources as well as ebooks and products, is the Holistic Horsekeeping website. Enjoy!

Stephanie Yeh is a zen cowgirl obsessed about horses, healing, natural remedies, herbs, magic, MLM, and more. Check out natural horse care tips, ways to fund your horse obsession, natural health products, and more on her blog ( http://zencowgirl.blogspot.com ). Get her free ebook for wacky horses and humans, and order XanGo mangosteen products on her website ( http://www.mangosteengood.com ).

Author: Stephanie H. Yeh
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Many of our horses live a much different life than they used to. Horses once lived on the plains traveling in herds and grazing all day. This was what they were intended to do by nature. Today, however, we like to show our horses and we like to keep them in the barn for easy access. Our horses have begun to live in stalls or small pens most of their lives and because of this they have had to adjust. Many horses have adapted to this type of lifestyle, but it has not been without any healthy effects. Colic is one of the most common health issues that horse owners have to worry about today.

Colic is a fairly broad term, but essentially it is a stomachache. The horse’s digestive system is very unique and they’re stomachs are incredibly small of their size. They are designed to eat multiple small meals per day, but we have adjusted that to fit our daily schedules and many horses get two rather large meals per day. The horse also does not have the constant flow of fiber that he once had when he was able to roam the range. Instead, they also receive two rather large flakes of hay per day. There are some horses that are lucky enough to have constant access to hay via round bales, but many horses receive their forage with their meal. This means that a horse may be shocking his system because he is receiving so much food at one time. Horses are unable to tell when they are “full” and this means that they will continue to eat whether they need to or not.

A horse is unable to digest a large amount of feed in such a small amount of time. As the horse eats too much he is overloading his stomach and killing off the helpful bacteria that live in the hindgut of the horse. Because there are no bacteria to help ferment and digest the feed, the feed sits there in the hindgut and causes a toxic problem that produces founder to occur. The toxins begin to build up in the horse’s blood stream and eventually the horse begins to not only show signs of colic but founder as well.

The horse may begin to roll continuously. The horse will get up and lie down and roll over and over. The horse may also develop a fever and begin to sweat. Some horses will act as though they can barely stand up. In severe cases of colic a horse will sit back on his hind feet to avoid putting pressure on his front feet. These are the signs of founder beginning to set into the horse’s feet. When a horse is found colicking, a veterinarian should be alerted as soon as possible and the horse should be walked until the veterinarian arrives. Horses who are allowed to roll may twist a gut and cause more severe internal problems.

Jo loves horses and everything related to horses including merry go rounds

Author: Jo Thompson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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In the care and keeping of horses, it is necessary to have a variety of standard horse supplies at the ready in order to responsibly fulfill our duties as horse owners or caregivers.

While fundamental needs such as quality food, adequate water, and comfortable shelter are obvious, there are additional supplies that are absolutely essential to the health and functionality of the horse in question and they are classified by the physical care for the horse and utilization of the horse’s abilities.

Included in physical care are those horse supplies that feature the materials used for grooming the animal. Frequent horse grooming is imperative for the comfort and appearance of the horse.

The supplies most often used in grooming include a curry comb – used to loosen dirt in the horse’s coat, a dandy brush which removes the dirt, a body brush which grooms the coat, a mane comb which does the same for the horse’s mane, a hoof pick/brush which cleans the hoofs, and a polishing towel used to give the horse a healthy sheen at the end of brushing.

As important as grooming in the physical care for a horse is medical care. Just as we keep a first aid kit in our homes should anyone require assistance, we must also keep a horse first aid kit as a part of your standard horse supplies.

Of course, in the event of illness or injury it is imperative that a veterinarian be called immediately; but in the meantime, a first aid kit can help you keep your horse comfortable – and out of immediate danger – until the doctor can arrive. Such items that should be included in first aid kit for horses include:

*antiseptics

*wound dressings

*bandages

*splints

*tweezers

*thermometer

There are, of course, those horse supplies that are associated with the utilization of the horse. For example, in order to ride your horse, you must have a variety of horse supplies on hand for riding.

The equipment used in this case is referred to as tack and includes:

Saddles – The “seat” in which the rider sits.

Stirrups – Which act as a support for the rider’s feet.

Bridles and Halters – Which slip over the horse’s head and are used to control the movement of the horse.

Reins – The ropes that run from the bit to the rider’s hands.

Bit – Which fits in the mouth of the horse.

Ultimately, there is a variety of equipment that is used for different styles of riding, racing, or showing a horse. The type of supplies used differs in each particular situation.

Owning a horse requires a significant amount of responsibility. As owners, we are committed to the physical and emotional care for the animals that have been entrusted to us.

Proper medical attention, healthy nutrition and hydration, frequent and loving grooming, and a dedication to having proper horse supplies on hand at all times are all a part of taking comprehensive care of our horses.

For more information on horses, try visiting http://www.interestinghorses.com – a website that specializes in providing horse related tips, advice and resources including information on horse supplies.

Author: Riley Hendersen
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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What can we do to get more people involved in horse sports, and educate the public? It saddens me that especially in America people are losing common horse sense.

My pet peeve/most hated stereotype is that horses are elitist and only the rich can participate.
EDIT: Another pet peeve I have is liability. HOW on earth can we educate and involve more people with the ridiculous liability laws we have? This is what bugs me so much about the loss of horse sense. Horses require common sense, the insurance, contracts, liability laws and litigious culture are NOT helping the industry. We need to make horses MORE accessible to open more doors to ownership, protect green ways not just for horse riders but for EVERYBODY, and protect horse owners so that they CAN feel comfortable having the neighborhood kids come over and learn horsemanship.

And Michelle, what crack are you smoking? Come spend a week with my pony on the trails and see how "unhappy" he is. I guess the reason he lets me ride him with no bridle or saddle, or plays tag with me is because I beat the crap out of him.
Michelle C. Thanks for telling it like it is. Don’t you just hate it when you beat and starve your ponies and they still greet you with whinnies and hay bellies?

Just to clarify for the humourless out there, my pony is well loved and taken care of. Sarcasm = the gap between humour and those who don’t get it.

Unfortunately lameness in horses is part and parcel of horse ownership, at some point in the horse’s life he or she will, most probably, be lame. As part of good horse care, horse owners and riders should familiarise themselves with the signs and symptoms of equine lameness and be able to decide whether the lameness is likely to be hoof or leg related, or could be attributed to the horse’s back. Any lame horse should always be seen by a Veterinary Surgeon in the first instance, as some limb lamenesses can manifest themselves as a back problem and vice versa. Although the attending Veterinary Surgeon should consider all the signs and symptoms, diagnose the problem and prescribe the correct treatment, the horse owner should know when the horse is lame, however slightly, so as not to make matters worse by keeping the horse in work.

Signs and Symptoms

Obvious signs and symptoms of lameness include wounds, tendon and ligament injuries, heat and swelling or other noticeable injuries to a leg or hoof which will make the horse lame. However sometimes the horse is only slightly lame and it is not easy to tell which leg is affected. In this case you have to look for signs which may be quite subtle.

When a horse is lame in a front leg or a front foot, the following signs may be seen:

• The horse will be reluctant to put its weight on the lame leg.
• On moving, the horse will raise its head as it puts the lame leg to the ground in order to keep as much weight as possible off this leg.
• When it puts the sound leg to the ground it will put extra weight on it and drop its head down as a result.
• This will be more evident when the horse is trotting and may vary from a slight head nod to a pronounced movement up and down of the head and neck.
• So if a horse nods its head when the right foreleg hits the ground it will probably be lame in the left foreleg.
• The horse may take a slightly shorter stride with one foreleg.
• The horse may not place a front foot normally.

When a horse is lame in a hind leg or hind foot the following signs may be seen:

• The horse may rest the lame leg and not want to take the weight onto it.
• When watched from behind, particularly in trot, the horse will raise the hip of the lame leg higher than the hip of the sound leg.
• The horse’s hip will appear to dip when the sound leg hits the ground.
• The horse may take a shorter stride with one hind leg.
• Limb or foot placement may not be normal.
• The horse may catch or drag a hind toe.

Hind limb lameness is more difficult to see so an additional test may be required, such as:

• Turning the horse in tight circles to both the left and the right will show whether the horse is reluctant to take his weight on a particular hind leg.

Differential diagnosis

It is said that a large proportion of all equine lameness is in the foot. Indeed most Vets will start at the hooves and work their way up the leg when investigating any lameness in horses.

However, when the most pronounced symptom is a shortening of the stride length with one foreleg it is not easy to tell whether the lameness is lower leg or not, and, horse owners often mistakenly believe this to be shoulder lameness. In the absence of a head nod, and particularly when riding, a shortened stride can feel like the shoulder is stiff and not swinging forwards freely. But, shoulder lameness in horses is quite rare so the hoof and leg should always be investigated first.

When it comes to hind legs it is even harder to tell as four legged animals are very good at disguising hind limb lameness.

The “hip hike” or dropping of one hip is almost always confused with a back or pelvic problem, as is a shortened stride or dragging of the hind toes. But these symptoms can equally be attributed to problems in the hock, stifle, hind suspensory ligaments and others structures, as well as being related to the horse’s back. So the first port of call should always be your Vet.

As a very general rule of thumb, a back problem usually causes an alteration in gait patterns or stride length, or a behavioural or equitation problem rather than a limp – however slight. If your horse is limping or head nodding it is probably hoof or leg related.

Find out more information on how to assess your horse’s movement: see – looking after your horse’s back.

Jill Firth is a lecturer in Animal and Equine Science and a qualified and experienced McTimoney Animal Therapist working with many of the Vets throughout Yorkshire. Visit Jill’s Back In Balance website.

Author: Jill Firth
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Owning a horse is a great opportunity and one that comes with a hefty weight of responsibility. Unfortunately many owners don’t think before they leap into purchasing a horse, resulting in a negative experience for both the horse and the owner. Even owners that have experience with the privilege of horse ownership may sometimes find it is a bit overwhelming.

The following are some basic strategies and tips for horse owners and especially potential horse owners to consider to make the experience positive and healthy. By avoiding these common pitfalls your relationship with your horse will be much better both short and long term.

The Right Horse for the Job.

Many horse owners make the mistake of buying a horse out of emotion. Perhaps it is that beautifully marked yearling or the grand champion that has just come on the market that becomes your “must have” horse. While both of these horses may be a good choice, they both may also be horrible choices as well. It is essential to have someone that knows horses with you to make a purchase and consider what you want the horse for before becoming an owner.

Horses have natural abilities and things that they aren’t so good at. While breeding does definitely factor in, there are going to be some horses that just aren’t suited for the type of riding you want to do regardless of their lineage, breed characteristics or how their dam or sire performed. Taking an honest look at the level of skill required to ride the horse or provide training in relation to your skill as a rider is a very important step. Never take on a horse that is more horse than you can handle or that you feel comfortable in riding. This almost always results in a horse for sale or a horse left out in the pasture with no interaction at all.

Priorities: Is The Horse At The Top?

If you aren’t committed to making your relationship with your horse a priority in your life then horse ownership is not a good idea. The owner has to make the effort, every day, to interact with the horse. This can include cleaning stalls, grooming, feeding and of course riding. Training that includes the basics as well as more advanced levels if you want to enhance your skills requires practice, a bond of trust with your horse and a development of a team mentality.

Specific types of training such as horse gymnastics training can be used to help develop these skills and this teamwork. However, the owner must be prepared to learn as well, you can’t have someone else train your horse, you have to be the one to work with the horse and learn the aids and riding techniques.

Long Term Commitment

Owning a horse is not a short term commitment. Horses can live to be twenty plus years, and will need to stay active, engaged and cared for throughout their entire life. Knowing that you are willing and able to commit to these magnificent animals as both a rider and an owner for their entire life is essential before bringing one home.

Keeping your horse health with the correct food, shelter, exercise and routine vet care is also important. Not only does the ownership experience include your commitment physically and mentally to the horse, it will also require significant financial support as well. If you can make this commitment you won’t be disappointed and your horse ownership experience will be positive and one you certainly wouldn’t trade for anything.

Cathy Barrea is an award winning trainer and creator of Gymnastics for Horses. Her career spans over 35 years, during which time she has traveled the United States and Canada showing, training and teaching students and horses.

Author: Cathy Barrea
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Deciding to own a horse is a major decision and a big commitment. Not just financial, but there is the time commitment to consider as a horse needs caring for 365 days a year. Among other things, there is the concern of where to keep it and who will look after it when you’re on holiday, ill, working late etc. Horses are not like having a cat or a dog, as most people will happily feed and walk a dog while you are on holiday but a horse?! Most people would run a mile, not because they don’t like horses, but because they are harder to look after, take more time and are generally more expensive to fix if something goes wrong.

The first decision that needs to be made once you have decided to have a horse is where to keep it. Some of us don’t have the option to keep our horses by our house and therefore livery yards offer a solution. Some liveries offer a ‘full’ livery service others a ‘part’ or ‘DIY’ (Do It Yourself) service. Choosing a livery yard suitable for you and your horse might depend on the type of service best suited to your needs, where your friends are or just simply down to location. Other people might be fortunate enough to keep their horse at their own property.

Wherever you keep your horse, there will be times when you need help from someone to care for you’re your horse. Whether it’s just to feed him 1 night or to do everything for 2 weeks, at some point you will need a hand and whom will you ask? For those using a full livery service this shouldn’t be a problem but for the rest of us finding help can be tricky, especially help that is competent and reliable.

Some people might temporally move their horse to a livery yard that offers a full livery service. However getting a stable on a yard when you need it might not be that easy, so travelling even further away from home might be necessary. This option can be stressful for your horse, especially if he doesn’t settle well or is a bit nervy. Others might relay on friends or other horse owners but what happens if something goes wrong? What if that person can’t make it and if the horse is injured who pays for the vet bill? This option can lead to favours been owed or friendship frayed.

So what’s the solution?

A professional mobile livery service.

Leave your horse where it is. No stress for your horse, no stress for you. Have a Mobile Livery come to care for your horse.

A Mobile Livery Service brings the services of a typical full livery to you and your horse so the horse doesn’t move and you don’t keep risking friendships or replying on family. Mobile liveries are operated by freelance grooms or horse sitters and are a professional horse care service. Whenever you are going away or are tied up with life commitments a mobile livery will come to your horse and provide all the care he needs. You won’t have the hassle of finding a livery yard with a spare stable or the inconvenience of transporting and your horse won’t get stressed by changing his routine. You can leave your horse exactly where he is and nothing will change for him. He won’t even know your not there!

Mobile livery, freelance grooms and horse sitters are all horse care professionals, caring for all types of horses and yards is what they have been trained to do. They will have equine qualifications and should be CRB checked, but most importantly will have *insurance so if something does go wrong everyone, including your horse should be protected.

Remember to always find out about the person you are leaving your horse with read more advice on what to look for at http://www.kirstyshorses.com/blog/ or locate someone to care for your horse at http://www.kirstyshorses.com

So when life gets busy or you’re going away and you need someone to care for your horse, think of the easiest solution and that’s leave your horse where it is and have a professional mobile livery come to you. Hassle free, worry free, SIMPLE.

*insurance covers my change from company to company, you should always check what the person you are using is insured for.

Author: Kirsty Rickett
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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In today’s society about 20% of families in the United States own more than one horse.

Thousands of other families living in urban or suburban communities with small acres of land and some with no land at all would like to own a horse or two. Many of these families have very little to no knowledge in owning horses in the suburbs or urban horse keeping.

Owning horses or a horse can be a very enjoyable, exciting, educational experience, for the young and old. Or it can also be a dangerous unpleasant experience if the proper knowledge of horse keeping in the suburbs is not pursued previous to buying a horse.

To many people, horses are simply beautiful creatures. But prospective horse owners should look beyond the appearances and know that there are many differences to horses many different responsibilities to owning a horse in urban areas as opposed to rural & agricultural areas.

-You need to learn about buying and how to buy a horse.
- Horse care & handling
- You also need knowledge of horse equipment.

You must also have the proper facility or accommodations for your horse if you have a small piece of land. You’re going to need a proper horse barn or shed, proper turnout area or run, also how are you gonna keep your horse or horses exercised?

There are many other things to consider, such as how many horses does your community permit per acre? How are your neighbors going to react to you having a horse or horses? Are they going to be comfortable with it and the possible smell of urine & horse poop, depending on how close or far you are from their property? Another thing to think about is what are you going to do with the muck after you clean the stall or paddock? Do you have the room to compost it or are you going to need a company or someone to pick it up? Where are you going to store hay and feed? Where will you store your horse trailer if you decide you want show with your horse or do some trail riding? Lastly consider what will be the cost to keep your horse at home, for feeding and maintenance etc…?

If owning a horse in the suburbs you may want to consider boarding your horse at a local horse boarding facility so you need to consider how much that will cost you as well.

See more Ideas Information & Tips at:
Horsekeeping Maintenance & Horse Grooming

God’s Horsemanship

Author: Gary Houston
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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