Equine Ulcers: 3 Ways to Avoid Them!
Horses are a herd animal meant to live and roam with their “family”.  This offers safety, emotional comfort and a feeling of belonging within the “family”.   When we put them in living situations that are very different from their instinctual norm, we are immediately setting them up for problems.  How much, what and even when we feed our horses has a huge impact on their stress level, gut health and even their emotional well-being.  At the heart of all dis-ease is stress in the body.   There is no greater culprit than emotional stress for wreaking havoc in the body.  Soothe the animal, set up their life as nature designed for them and release the stress…

Let’s look at how we keep our horses.  Horses are built and wired to move and eat continually on a daily basis.  In the wild, it is normal for a herd to cover around 25 miles in a day.  They browse on a variety of grasses, tree bark and plants while moving over a variety of terrain that proves beneficial for their hooves as well as the rest of their being.  When its rest time they hang as a group, with a few of the mares standing watch over the herd.  The track system lends to this lifestyle, mimicking how horses live in the wild.

Does your horse’s daily routine look like this?  If it does, congratulations to you!  Your horses are likely ulcer free and happy in their herd!  Getting horses out of the long days and nights in a stall and getting them moving with the herd will increase their feelings of safety and trust.  It will allow them to tap into the energy of their herd dynamics and serve to settle them within their group, relieving stress.

Browsing for food!  Allow your horse to move about to access their food.  Standing in one spot to eat hour after hour does not help their gut or the rest of their body!  Offering a variety of whole foods is your best bet for keeping your horses gut balance.   Avoiding things like processed grains and instead substituting foods like flax, chia seeds, Timothy/alfalfa cubes will go a long way for providing the nutrients needed while avoiding the stomach upset.

  Adding in enzymes like Allerzyme and Essentialzyme has been a game changer for one of my guys!  Clearly his gut balance was off and he was acting like a grumpy old man.  He is now back to his gregarious, silly self (that’s him in the photo)!   Other items like pre and probiotics, Life 9, are beneficial to keeping the gut balanced and have a place in our horse care.  There are also products like aloe vera juice or bentonite clay that can offer a soothing solution to the problem gut.

By incorporating some of the things I’ve talked about above, chances are your horse is already feeling better.  If there are still troubles, checking in on their emotions by evaluating their energy centers is a helpful thing to do.   When the solar plexus is blocked there is a connection with feelings of not belonging, fear of abandonment, defensiveness, feeling trapped, anxiety and even feeling tired.  With this knowledge, you can utilize a selection of essential oils to support your horse emotionally.  I have a great chart and mini course that outlines how to identify the emotions based on the body and suggested oils to use.  Grab it HERE.

If you suspect your horse does have ulcers and would like to confirm that, there is a non-invasive test that can be done.  It uses fresh fecal matter to check antibodies to detect two equine specific  blood components.  It's called Succeed.  Positive results for this test confirm the presence and potentially location of inflammation, lesions and/or ulcers.  It is necessary to use fecal material within 30 minutes of it leaving the body.  Results show as quickly as 5 minutes but not longer than 15 minutes.  It is only available to veterinarians, so contact your vet to access this product.

I would also incorporate Healing Touch For Animals techniques  to help clear the energy. There are other holistic tools that can be used as well.  Tools like red light therapy, PEMF and more!

Interested in learning more about some of these areas I’ve touched on?  There’s loads of information in the Guides section of my group The Hearts of Horses; Empowering Through Holistic Care.

Join our community HERE and feel empowered as you care for your horses!
 
All the best,
Marta  

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Get Strong, Vibrant and Intentional

 
Do you ever hit that energy slump at 2:00 or 3:00 o'clock in the afternoon?  DO you lack the ambition to carry on throughout the day, like you feel there is nothing left in your tank and you're just running on fumes? 
  
That used to be me...Every. Single. Day.

It got so frustrating not being able to get done all the things I needed to each day.  It was the simple things too, like fixing supper for my family.  At the time, being a farrier for horses meant heavy lifting and hard, repetitive movements hour after hour and by 2:00 o'clock in the afternoon I was feeling wiped.  My arms felt heavy, I was dragging my feet and I was cranky and moody.  It didn't take much for me to snap at someone who tried to talk to me.

But then, I was given the opportunity to try a special juice for a 30 day period.  I purchased two bottles and proceeded to drink the juice daily.  Within the first week I felt better!  I had more energy, felt happier and enjoyed working into the afternoon.  On really busy days (trimming 8-10 horses) I would have some juice with lunch too.  I noticed it made me feel more full and focused!  As I went through the month drinking the juice, I felt strong, energized, grounded and able to happily go through my day.  It wasn't until the month was over, and the juice was gone, that within a couple of days I was feeling like my old, dragged out self.  I knew then that I needed to add this drink to my life. Permanently!

I've since learned to use this juice, along with other strategies, to benefit the wellness of my animals.  It is now my great joy in life to empower others to care for their animals in an holistic way in order to benefit them mentally, emotionally and physically.

Are you ready to live your best life with your animals?  
   Where you can both be strong, vibrant, and intentional... together!

Join me on this journey...


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