It's here! Bug season!
The noseeums are out in full force here in VT and I have stocked up with my favorite things to keep my horses protected. Having a variety of safe options for my horses is a priority for me at this time of year. There are multiple ways I attack this, let me share with you what I use to keep my horses happy and protected from a variety of pests.
One of the things I've been doing for awhile, and attacks the problem from the inside, is feeding garlic. I started feeding it seasonally but after learning all the benefits of garlic (read about that in my blog here ), I decided I to feed it daily, year round. I think it makes a huge difference in keeping the bugs from biting my horses! I like and use the SpringTime Bug Off Granules. They are freeze-dried with just garlic as the ingredient. I feed about a tablespoon per day to each horse. Because it is so strong, this is something you really need to start off with very small amounts to introduce to your horses. Gradually you can increase the amounts as they accept the garlic. Mine have no trouble with it but I also add a couple of essential oils that may help the taste as well. SpringTime even offers a great buy 2 get 1 free option, when purchasing, along with free shipping at a certain level of dollars spent.
For the face, ears, throat and undersides ( belly and back legs especially) I have had great success with using Young Living Insect Repellent. It comes in a 6 oz container. I can use it straight from the bottle as very concentrated as it is or cut it with some ACV and add it to an aerosol spray bottle. These aerosol bottles are great for putting out a fine mist that works well on their underside area.
The Insect Repellent also comes in the form of wipes. These are especially effective and easy to use on the face, ears and neck area. I also have reused the wipes by adding more of the repellent from the bottle! They are so handy to throw in a saddle bag, keep with grooming tools or toss in the Holistic Care Equine Emergency Kit.
Last year I discovered the following recipe from a friend and have found it very effective. I'm not sure if it's the catnip tea, the essential oils or the combination of all of the ingredients but I do like how well it works. And using the Cleaner, Dish Soap and so many oils for everyday life just makes it easy to whip this up! I make and keep plenty available so that my spray bottles never run out!
Spray Recipe from Cherie Ross
1. Steep 1/2 cup catnip in 1/2 gallon of water, cover and cool to room temp. Then strain. A coffee filters works great for final straining.
2. Add catnip tea to a jug.
3. Add 1 TBSP Thieves Household Cleaner , 1 TBSP Thieves Dish Soap , 1.5 TBSP neem oil.
4. Add 20 drops each Citronella, Lemongrass, Kunzea (known as tick bush where it grows native), Basil
5. Add 10 drops each Hinoki, Copaiba, Peppermint, R.C.
Shake to mix and shake before each use.
Pour into a 28-30 oz. spray bottle. Keep out of sun.
As needed, I also use the Animal Scents Ointment on areas of the skin that may be open but I need to keep the bugs off. A finger full of this ointment, whipped up, and it soothes the area while keeping pests away. I have even slathered it on lower legs when the bugs seemed very bad and were bothering Saxon. It was amazing how well it protected him!
Perhaps this is not what you want to hear but giving your horses a place to roll in a sandy or even muddy area allows them to get relief from the bugs as well. Having areas like this to indulge in offers them more of the natural lifestyle features that promote balanced horses. When horses are able to live like horses they tend to be happier with fewer of the problems we see in traditional horse care.
Looking for more information on holistic care for your horses? Join our community The Hearts Of Horses, Empowering Through Holistic Care and learn more about supporting your horse's wellness!
All the best,
Marta
If you're like me and your horse has had a reaction to a spring or fall shot, then you may already be in this frame of mind or way of thinking...
It is not normal for our horses to be sick after getting their shots.
This should be a huge, waving red flag to horse owners. Repeating the same vaccines year after year horse owners must realize that this indiscriminate vaccine schedule, that is recommended to them, is not really about protecting their horses. There are side effects like swelling, fever, hives, colic symptoms, disorientation, lethargy and more! The overabundance of these vaccines builds up in the body causing a vaccinosis. It just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to create a variety of health issues, some permanent, just to avoid the potential of a problem. Problems that can be avoided through good health and horse keeping.
I can remember talking with a client about their pony who had bouts of laminitis every spring. It was always after the traditional spring shots had been administered. I suggested she skip the shots from now on and see how her pony does. It was no surprise to me that the pony had no problems with laminitis that spring. He was turned out with a grazing muzzle and spent his time happily with the herd!
Did you know you can get a titer? Titers are a way to learn the protection status of your horse. This is valuable if you have a horse and have no knowledge of his background and previous care. Titers are a blood test to measure the antibodies for specific antigens which develop from previous exposure or previous vaccine against a disease. A positive titer means the horse is sufficiently protected and remains that way for a number of years. So titers can be spread out over a few years. It seems to me that this is a much safer option for the horse. When you know what the horse is already sufficiently protected from, then you don't need to vaccinate again.
Instead of staying in the same pattern of shots every spring and fall, take a look at your horse's lifestyle. There are things to consider to determine if your horses are at risk and the diseases that may be threatening in your area. Do your horses stay at home all the time? Do they travel and go to events? Does your horse have any pre-existing health conditions? This is a big one right here! Horses with compromised health of any kind should not be vaccinated (it says it on the vaccine data sheet)! Unfortunately, it happens more often than I care to know.
As your horse's caregiver, it is up to you to become educated on this and other care topics. Once you learn more, you will then be able to make an informed decision for the health of your horse. A short while back I did an interview with holistic veterinarian Dr. Barb Fox in my holistic care community The Hearts Of Horses, Empowering Through Holistic Care. She offers a great holistic care perspective on this topic along with important lifestyle features to consider when deciding on vaccines for your horse. If you'd like to watch the interview, you can see it here.
Once you become more knowledgeable on topics like vaccines, it makes it easier to ask questions of our professionals. Having the confidence to ask questions can be difficult, but when it's our horse's care at stake... it is our responsibility to do the best we can for them. Take the time to ask questions with your veterinarian, have a conversation. Hopefully, they will be open to answering your questions. If not, and they are not willing to work with you, know that you can seek out new professionals (vet, dentist, hoof care etc.) who are in line with how you feel about your horse's care.
Remember, you are the decision maker for your horse's care. You hire the professionals to work with you and for you and your horses. No one knows your horses as well as you do. The decisions are yours. Learn more and empower yourself to be the best care giver that you can be.
Join our Hearts of Horses community and learn even more about supporting the health and wellness of your horses.
All the best,
Marta
With the passing of every winter comes the excitement and joy of spring…warmer weather, trees budding, plants coming up in their bright green colors and time spent getting our horses shed out and cleaned up. There are a few items that have made my life a heck of a lot easier and helped to improve the health of my horses! Let me share these with you…
Let’s take a look at cleaning up the outside first. Sooo much hair to remove and hooves to check…
The first item is one that I discovered while in my trimming practice. It became a staple of my business and I used it on all client’s hooves. I used it for its effectiveness at cleaning hooves and for promoting the healthy growth of the frogs. The fact that I could make up a 28 oz bottle for a little over a dollar was a big deal too! This spray is not only effective for cleaning hooves but it did wonders for the skin and coat of my horses. It is one of the main things to help my horse Calli get over her springtime itching situation that I would deal with every year when I first got her. This Thieves Household Cleaner has become a part of everything I clean in the barn and my home. It’s toxin free ingredients and ability to promote wellness make it a perfect option for those looking for holistic care.
With spring comes exuberant horses and with that comes minor injuries. This next item, while not so much on the cleaning side of things, it certainly goes hand in hand with them and does wonders on these injuries. It’s the thing that I turn to for any cuts, scrapes, nicks or dings on my horses. First they get the Thieves Cleaner spray, maybe an oil or two depending upon what has happened and then a finger full of the Animal Scents Ointment. It goes on easy, almost melts into the skin and provides a protective barrier. It contains powerful essential oils like Myrrh and Tea Tree, along with moisturizing base oils that make a dry, cracked frog feel better. I shared a great hack on making the Ointment more user friendly in my holistic care fb community,The Hearts Of Horses, Empowering Through Holistic Care . This is another of my must-have horse care tools and is always on hand!
With the warmer weather we can finally give a bath! While I do not go overboard on this, it is still important to me to have something that will not harm my horses’ skin and immune system, but instead supports them. I’ve been using the Animal Scents Shampoo for quite a few years now for both my horses and dog, and the occasional cat. It is a deterrent to lice, ticks and other insects so that is a big gold star in my book, especially since my horses live in the woods! This is very concentrated and only a small amount is needed. I use one of my old Thieves Dish Soap bottles and add a bit to it then fill with hot water to mix it up. This makes application and spreading it around a lot easier. Their hair comes out smelling so clean as well as looking and feeling so soft and healthy.
This next item is one that I discovered works great as a mane and tail detangler! It’s the Insect Repellent. So while I’m untangling manes and tails, my horses are getting a treatment with Vitamin E and bug (mosquito, flea and tick)repelling properties from pure essential oils like Citronella, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Geranium, Spearmint, Thyme and Clove oil. Sesame oil works on the tangles! Double duty on one product makes this one a must have with my spring readiness.
Now let’s take a look at how we can “clean up” our horses’ insides…
When we talk about cleaning up our horse’s insides, it has everything to do with their digestive system health and their nutrition. For awhile now I’ve used garlic granules for my horses. First, I began just giving it to them in their feed seasonally as a bug deterrent but after writing a blog about the benefits of garlic, I decided to feed it year round. From digestive support to fighting fungal infections to detoxifying heavy metals… garlic really helps to clean and maintain internal function.
Adding a potent probiotic will benefit the intestinal system and support proper bowel function. The bowels are so important to immune system health and without their proper function, the body is susceptible to a variety of illnesses. Probiotics are necessary to rid the body of the harmful bacteria and yeast. From personal experience with our oldest gelding Saxon, the Life 9 probiotics have been a saving grace. Saxon was experiencing very loose stools and even liquid dripping marks on his back side. Once I incorporated the Life 9 into his daily regimen, he was back on track! He gets one per day and that seems to work well for him.
The last “inside cleaning” item I will share are enzymes. Enzymes are necessary for proper digestion, nutrient utilization and waste elimination. They can help to combat such things as gas, allergies, lethargy and even behavior changes. This last thing is what caused me to try Allerzyme with Saxon. He was really acting out of sorts and being down right grumpy, which is not his usual demeanor. As soon as I started him on Allerzyme, he went back to his old, happy self. I am currently using Essentialzymes for him now with the same good results. He may even like them better as they have a peppermint coated bilayer for dual time release during digestion.
Wishing you all the best as we kick off spring!
Marta
In recent years, there has been more and more information reported about the ineffectiveness of traditional paste wormers. Parasites have become resistant to the traditional deworming drugs. This fact combined with the fact that paste wormers are not well received by horses and are a royal pain in the butt to administer(because horses don’t like them!), makes it a perfect time to consider the alternative ways to deworm your horse.
Parasites are present in all horses. It becomes a problem when there are too many! Too many parasites leads to damage in the gut, damage to blood vessels, problems with circulation and often colic.
Some of the things you might see in your horses appearance or behavior when there is a heavy parasite burden are…
- Loss of weight
- Poor appetite
- Diarrhea
- Anemia
As with anything related to health… PREVENTION is the key! Keeping horses healthy means they are less likely to become susceptible to such things as disease and parasites. It’s all about keeping those vibrations high! After all disease and poor health enters the body at around 58 MHz.
A few factors that will help you to keep your horse as happy and healthy as possible are…
- Allowing your horse the ability to move about as much as possible. Get them out of the stall and onto a track. Moving as a herd plays into their sense of safety and less stressed life. Emotional stability plays a huge role in their wellness.
- Keep a clean environment. Removing manure will help to insure good health and reduce parasite problems.
- Feed a good forage based diet to your horses with plenty of minerals and fresh water.
- Have fecal checks done periodically on your horses. Your veterinarian can do this or you can get a microscope and do it yourself!
Early on when we got started with horses, we were also homeschooling and learning all about the benefits of plants. Incorporating herbs and plants into my horses’ lifestyle was an easy path to follow from there. This was also how I met our “plant sage”, herbalist neighbor Rosemary Gladstar (there’s a pretty funny story there too…!).
I learned about the many plants that are considered to have anthelmintic qualities and began using them with my horses. I sourced them from Mountain Rose Herbs having received the recommendation from Rosemary (she had started this company many years earlier). One of the plants that I found out has these qualities is cedar. How lucky that we live in cedar woods! Some other plants that are known for their anthelmintic qualities are…
- Aloe Wood Sorrel
- Marshmallow Thyme
- Pumpkin Garlic
- Senna Ferns
As time went on and I was introduced to Young Living’s Essential Oils, I began using these and their oil infused nutritional products to maintain balanced health. The first oil I chose and still rely on daily for my horses is Lemongrass. I add a few drops to their morning feed daily and they love it! It also is a great support to their immune system. I also include DiGize in their daily feed as well for its digestive support and cleansing abilities.
Other essential oils that have cleansing qualities are…
Singles;
- Peppermint Patchouli Orange
- Tarragon Copaiba
- Fennel Tea Tree
Blends;
- Thieves Immupower
- JuvaCleanse. Purification
- AromaEase Melrose
Other products that I have found extremely helpful are Life 9, ParaFree and ICP.
Life 9 contains 9 strains of beneficial bacteria that support normal immune, intestinal and metabolic function.
ParaFree soft gels contains a blend of powerful cleansing oils along with carrier oils of sesame seed and olive oil.
ICP offers a gentle intestinal cleanse by combining a mix of fibers as well as essential oils that improve nutrient absorption, decrease a build up of waste and promote a healthy heart.
Topical Applications
The best cleansing spray I’ve used in terms of effectiveness and safety for my animals is by far the Thieves Household Cleaner. You can super charge it with oils from some of the ones listed above to really cleanse. Just add 20 drops of Digize, Copaiba, Melrose, Purification and Orange or Lemongrass. Use this spray daily for best results. The Rain Drop Technique is also a recommended practice every couple of days.
Taking advantage of a full moon helps to expel parasites as they are most active during this time. Adding extra drops of oils before, during and after the full moon is most beneficial. Incorporating ICP, periodically on full moons, would be helpful as well.
Schedule with your vet or do your own fecal checks. We have a Worm Moon coming on March 18, 2022, so you can be ready to increase your applications if needed.
If you’re looking to try out any of the Young Living products I’ve talked about, use my link here.
All the best,
Marta
There’s a great saying from entrepreneur and motivational speaker Jim Rohn that has stuck with me since I first heard it… “For things to change, you must change. For things to be different, you must be different.”
This sentiment can be life changing when put into practice. And that means life changing for our horses too when we do change for the better!
Like so many of the things I have learned on my horse discovery journey, I have found most to be lessons that have expanded my understanding of myself. It was the Parelli program that first helped me to understand that being with our horses involves being a better version of ourselves. Our horses serve as our teachers and offer us a very distinct set of rules that we must learn and live up to. Without learning these ways of interacting with them, we cannot connect. What happens next is the horse is blamed, it needs to be “fixed” and when nothing changes, the horse is sold to make way for the new, better model.
If we look to ourselves to open our minds to new ways and new opportunities, the detrimental experiences that keep happening can now be replaced by positive new patterns!
Better solutions and improvements all come down to us doing and being better! Being open to new ideas, listening to others, learning new ways and trying new things. Remember what Jim said…“for things to change, you must change…”
Our horses require us to change and get better in order for us to be worthy leaders and partners. Now let’s take this one step further and incorporate it into their care…
What if we change the way we look at keeping our horses?
What if we took into consideration the nature of the horse?
When we look at these factors and know that horses are designed to live in a herd, to move many miles throughout the day, browse for their food, eating grasses, leaves, flowers herbs and a variety of other plants, then we can look to adapt these qualities to their lifestyle.
We can do things like…
Trade the stall for track life. Horses are movers!
Let them live and move as a herd. They are herd animals and get a great sense of purpose and security knowing their place in the herd.
Switch out the processed grain for a forage based diet with whole foods. Removing toxins from the diet goes a long way toward better physical and emotional health.
- Let ‘em go barefoot. Allow the increased movement to help develop and condition the feet to be their best.
The one thing to change, our minds! Let's be open to making changes that are with the horse’s benefit, comfort, safety and security at heart … and not just for the ease of the human!
If you'd like to learn more about these natural horse keeping ideas and more, check out the videos and posts in Guide 2, in our community... join The Hearts Of Horses, Empowering Through Holistic Care.
