Build Your Horse's Immune System...to get rid of the itching!

Build Your Horse's Immune System...to get rid of the itching!

Early on when my horse Calli came to me, I noticed that she was rubbing her tail a lot…on posts, trees and inside the run in area. In May, when the Noseeums come out, she would get bit up all on her underside from her chest down past her belly.  There were oozing, crusty clumps all along her midline.  It wasn’t until we started doing a few things differently that the itching stopped.  Soon Calli was no longer bothered by any of these earlier problems.  Don’t get me wrong, she will still run for cover when the bugs are around but her body no longer reacts to them as they did in the past.  Without realizing it, the steps I took served to lay a foundation for building her immune system and making it less likely for her to have these problems!

It was during this time that I was learning about plant based products and using essential oils.  I began trading out a lot of the “traditional” products that I had learned to use and started using cleaner options.  The first one I started with was Thieves Household Cleaner.  A capful mixed up with water in a 28 oz spray bottle went a long way for a small amount of money and seemed to soothe Calli’s itching right away.  All I did was spray her tail head area and her midline daily.  I continued to use it throughout the nice weather. There are many other products that I traded out and shared in a video. You can watch it HERE.

I was also learning about how important diet and nutrition is to the hooves and overall health of horses.  Are you aware that about 80% of the immune system is in the gut?  So it’s a good bet that feeding your horse clean, nourishing food is going to help support their immune system.  As part of my nutrition education, I realized just how difficult processed feeds are on the body.  Whether it’s the processing or the ingredients, these processed grains actually cause more damage to the gut (when combined with a confinement lifestyle)and subsequently the immune system.  

I started feeding my horses flax as their base “grain” and added oils and oil infused supplements to that.  Offering  a whole food like flax and feeding them in a fashion more conducive to their nature (movement for their forage) is a huge benefit to their overall gut health and  immune system.  

Another powerhouse I use is NingXia Red.  This juice is made up from the wolf berry, and other fruits and essential oils, and is considered to be a super food! It contains 15% protein, 21 essential minerals, 18 amino acids, is loaded with B vitamins and a high amount of Vitamin C!  Adding this to the daily feed of a horse needing an immune boost works every time.  And they like the taste!

If you’re looking for a solid foundation on nutrition to get started with your horses, here’s my FREE GUIDE.

As I was learning how to use my essential oils, Thieves Essential Oil became an instant favorite.  Using it for myself in a daily tea to support my own immune system, I also turn to it for my horses.  I add drops to their feed as needed or use a roll on to run over their body.  Both ways help to get these powerful oils into their system to help provide balance and support to the immune system.  My horses also like citrus oils added to their water in the warm summer months.  Citrus oils are a great support to the immune system!

A very important piece of the wellness puzzle that had been missing, was supporting the energy healing of my horses.  I finally started learning about Healing Touch for Animals®.  I am currently practicing in Level 2 of the program and am so happy to be able to offer this key healing piece to my horses.  The benefits of energy healing are many…it helps to regulate the immune system by offering a variety of physiological responses.  Such responses as relaxation, release of endorphins, increased circulation, elevates oxygen, absorbs nutrients, influences every cell of the body, builds enzymes, regulates hormones, releases toxins, promotes healthy cell growth and promotes healing.  If you’d like to learn more about HTA, watch HERE.

Working alongside these other areas of healing I’ve talked about, I also use light therapy. It has been so helpful to supporting my horses’ immune systems.   The light therapy protocol called the Immune Boost is a way to proactively support your horse. The red light helps to stimulate the immune system and to regulate all meridian systems.  Using the light on the 13 points for about 30 -60 seconds (each point) every other day for a few weeks sets up your horse for increased balance and wellness.  Interested in light therapy? Here’s the one I use, Photonic Health.

Focusing your attention on supporting your horse’s immune system is key to their wellness.  So many of the “problems” that horses have with skin, allergies, etc. just seem to go away when there is a healthy, well balanced immune system in place.  I hope you’ll get started cleaning out your horse feed and products too as a first step on the way to a balanced immune system.

All the best,

Marta


Things to do with your horse when its too cold... or you don't have a lot of time!

Things to do with your horse when its too cold... or you don't have a lot of time!


The winter can be tough to spend time playing with or riding your horse, especially if you don’t have access to an indoor or good footing.  But don’t fret, there are loads of things you can to with your horse!  These activities will help to develop your relationship as well as improve your horse’s mental, emotional and physical wellness.

Here is a list of a few things I like to do with my horses when its cold or I’m short on time…

Just be with them. Put your hands on them and breathe.  Let your breathing and hearts get in sync.  Talk quietly with your horse.  Tell them your secrets…

Do stretches.  Lifting the front leg with a little stretch forward is great for their shoulders. Tickling the belly with your finger tips is great for getting them to lift their top line.  A hind leg, cross in front hold is great for the hind end and balance (there’s a great video of this in Guide 9 of the Hearts Of Horses group).

Ask for yields.  Using the lightest of touches, or maybe even just a thought.  Ask your horse to move their hindquarters or crossover their front feet moving away from you.  Have them back up or move sideways away from you.  A challenge…ask them to move sideways toward you!

Pick up their feet and check them.  Do a quick clean out and inspect each foot to make sure all is well.  A quick spray with Thieves Cleaner goes a long way for keeping the frogs healthy too!

Assess their energy centers to see if all are open and flowing.  Not sure how to do this? Watch this video and learn to use a pendulum.

Use energy healing techniques from Healing Touch for Animals to clear away congested energy and blockages from their system.  To me this is the most overlooked part of our care for our animals.  If you'd like to learn more about energy and vibration tools read my recent blog here.

Use light therapy (red, green and blue).  Apply the light to wellness points on your horse for a preventive approach to their care.  Use the light on the carotid for 10 minutes to cleanse their blood!

Apply essential oils. Do a RainDrop Kit session to promote relaxation, cleansing and immune system stimulation.  Spend a month applying the Feelings Kit daily and you’ll be amazed at how much more harmonious you and your horse will be together!  It will bring your partnership to a whole new level!

If some of these things are new to you, or you’ve never heard of them but are interested in learning more, I encourage you to check out the Guide section at the top of the page in our community, The Hearts of Horses, Empowering Through Holistic Care.

Stay warm and enjoy your time with your horses,

Marta

5 Easy Things to do to Avoid Colic this Winter... (really anytime!)

5 Easy Things to do to Avoid Colic this Winter... (really anytime!)

My girl, Calli, came to me with a predisposition toward showing signs of colic when the barometric pressure changed.  With any storm coming, she was giving the usual signs of a curled lip and looking at her sides.  This was in the early days of my learning about horses and how best to care for them.  It was a crash course!

I’ve learned so much over the years and we no longer deal with those bouts of stomach upset. It’s been pretty smooth sailing for all my horses simply by keeping these 5 habits as part of their healthy, holistic lifestyle...


  • First and foremost, allow your horses the freedom of movement!  The more they can move and forage for their food, whether it’s on the ground or in hay bags, the better their digestive system functions.  A track system is ideal, but if you’re not there yet at least spread the hay out in their space to encourage them to move to new areas.
  • Make sure your horses are drinking plenty of water.   In the cold temperatures adding a heat source to keep the water drinkable is necessary.  Even making the water more enticing by adding a favorite oil flavor like lemon or Citrus Fresh would help them to drink but would also support their immune system function.
  • Free choice granulated salt or adding it directly to their food is necessary for many body functions but will also encourage drinking more water.  The average horse needs at least 1 oz of salt per day in the winter.  It is responsible for such things as intestinal movement and fluid balance, absorbing nutrients and muscle and nerve function.
  • Get rid of the processed grains!  They are often loaded with sugars and ingredients that are hard on the gut.  Go to forage-based feeds and whole foods like flax, chia and hemp to add to your horse’s nutrition regimen.  Adding water is a benefit year-round but adding a bit more, and making it warm, for the extra cold weather is a good thing.  If you have a hard keeper, of course splitting meals into more and smaller proportions is the safer thing to do for them.
  • Adding the essential oil blend of Digize, from Young Living, has been the saving grace for us.  I use it daily in their feed, year-round.  I believe this is a big part of why Calli no longer has stomach discomfort.   The blend of oils serves to help the gut to achieve a homeostasis or balance.  We are never without it!

Wishing you a safe and healthy winter with your horses. And if you’re looking for more holistic care information to help you care for your horses, join us in our community in the fb group The Hearts of Horses, Empowering Through Holistic Care.

All the best, 
Marta

Are You Using Vibration/Energy Tools for Your Horses Yet?

Are You Using Vibration/Energy Tools for Your Horses Yet?
Are you not sure what that even means?

That’s ok.  I wasn’t either until a few years back…

Everything carries energy and vibration… plants, rocks, animals and people.  The higher the vibration, the greater your health.  Generally, a healthy body enjoys a frequency range measured in Megahertz of 62-78 MHz, while disease or illness begins at 57 MHz.  Clearing old negative energy away and adding new increased energy to ourselves and horses improves wellness. Below are a few of the ways I have incorporated vibration and energy work into the care of my horses… and myself!

I have always loved plants.  The first things I did when I bought my first house was to plant a big vegetable garden and create herb/flower beds.  Years later, when my daughter was in high school (we were homeschooling and purchased a home study course), I began studying and learning more about the medicinal nature of plants.  I began using herbs regularly, even including them in the care of my horses.   I loved mixing herbs for teas, learned to make tinctures and salves and still have a favorite lotion recipe that my husband enjoys. 

It wasn’t until I got into horses and my trimming practice that I was introduced to Young Living Essential Oils.  The emotional impact that blends of oils had on horses was incredible and undeniable!  I began using them daily for my horses and the more I learned, the more I was using them.  I soon was using them in their feed and trading out all the usual horse products I had for these essential oils.  If you're looking for the highest of quality essential oils and oil infused products, check out the ones I use here, Young Living Essential Oils.

Along my journey of beginning with horses, there were signs and introductions to such things as dowsing (using a pendulum) and muscle testing. I had the opportunity to observe people using these techniques at a friend's barn.  To me it was fascinating, but I wasn’t quite ready at that time to investigate those areas.

I needed more work on cleansing myself and my environment.  As I made changes in my daily life in these areas (reading food labels, eating cleaner food, using products without harmful toxins), my vibration increased (low vibration = sickness and disease) as did my intuition.
With this raised vibration from cleansing, my fascination with crystals started to blossom.

 I had a very old necklace that was my great grandmother’s.  It had been hanging on a picture, over my dresser, that I walked by every morning and evening.  It is a beautiful, tear drop shaped stone of Lapis Lazuli, on an antique chain.  When I’d pass by it, I found myself stopping and touching it.  I eventually started wearing it.  Lapis is a stone that promotes your intuition.  It is also known for harmonizing the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of a being. Lapis also brings objectivity and clarity. 

 From this beginning, my love of crystals grew… learning more, collecting and carrying them.   I am now starting to incorporate them into my Healing Touch for Animals work.  I was so excited to have had a conversation/interview in my horse community about using crystals with the founder of the HTA program, Carol Komitor. If you’d like to watch that, you can find the video in the Guides section of my Hearts of Horses, Empowering Through Holistic Care community.

I learned about a new crystal application tool this past fall, when I attended an online Animal Conference that included a variety of speakers.  Through one of the presentations, I learned about these crystal mats and their healing abilities.  The crystals raise your vibration and can increase circulation and reduce inflammation.  There are mats you can lay on as well as wraps to apply to the body.  I can see many uses for this for myself as well as my animals.   I am excited to delve more into learning about this tool in the coming new year!

Light therapy is another tool I use with regularity and see a multitude of benefits.  I use it proactively, as in promoting the immune system as well as for emergency situations.  You can hold the light on your carotid artery for about 10 minutes and thoroughly cleanse your blood! 
My red light came in pretty darn handy when my dog, Zeke, got hit by a car a few years back.   It’s also great for the cuts and scrapes the horses get on occasion.  The light therapy also offers green and blue along with the red with each having its own unique health benefits.  I love the one I have as the company offers such great support and education around using the tools and resources. Check them out if you'd like to see what they offer...Photonic Health.

The next thing I found was incredibly powerful to me.  A few years back I was fortunate to have attended the Animal Conference at Young Living’s Mona, Utah Farm.  There were many terrific demonstrations and information about using essential oils, but the one that captivated me the most was the demonstration with Carol Komitor and Kate Brown on Healing Touch for Animals.  I was drawn to everything about it, including the use of the oils, but the desire to know more about influencing the energy of an animal to promote faster healing was so exciting.  I had made up my mind right there that I would learn more by taking the Level 1 online course!  I have since completed that along with an in-person Level 2 course. If you're interested in learning more, have a look here at Healing Touch for Animals.
 
Introducing each of these vibration/energy tools into my daily use has been a process over time.  Each has proven to be an incredible addition to provide wellness to my family and animals.  I am excited to keep learning about more ways to help my animals.  If you’re ready to learn more about these energy healing modalities I've talked about above, be sure to find the information on each in the guide section in the Hearts of Horses, Empowering Through Holistic Care community.  I'd also be happy to talk with you personally, so feel free to reach out and contact me!

Happy New Year and see you in the Hearts of Horses community...

Marta


 
 
 
 

Chronic Abscesses... What You Need to Know!

Chronic Abscesses... What You Need to Know!
There were many times during my full-time trimming days that I felt like a broken record, saying the same thing over and over to clients when it came to taking care of their horses’ hooves…

Often when something is happening to our horses, we just want to make them feel better.  So doing something quick, easy and topically is the norm.  But there is usually more going on and if we just look a little deeper, we can get at the cause of the problem. Then take steps to remedy it.

Before we get into the solutions, let’s take a look at what is happening in the hoof in terms of an abscess.  The connection between the hoof wall and internal structures is made up of laminae. These are finger-like protrusions that when healthy, have a very strong bond and hold the outer wall tight to its internal structures.

When we look at a healthy hoof, we can see smooth, tight hoof wall growing down from the top at the coronary band.  When the hoof is fed well with adequate minerals it is a work of art!  It is when imbalances occur that inflammation can result causing the laminae to become weak and lose their strong connection.  In this weakened state, it is easy for an overgrown hoof to work as a lever to pry the wall away from the sole at ground level.  When this happens, it is easy for dirt and debris to make its way up into the hoof.  

If you’re a little fuzzy on some of this and would like to know and see more, check out the free workshop in my The Hearts of Horses: Empowering Through Holistic Care community.   There are videos that introduce you to the parts of the hoof as well as the internal structures as shown on a mustang cadaver hoof.
 
In order to get at the source of the abscess issue, we must deal with the inflammation first and remove the cause of it.  The number one thing, that many do not realize, is the amount of sugar in our horses' lives have everything to do with their hoof health.  Finding the sugars in their hay, grass, grains, supplements, trees containing sugar in their bark within their living space, treats… and removing them will stop the inflammation.  Each horse will be different in their thresholds but as their caregiver, it is up to you to figure out their specific needs.
Once the sugar has been removed, make sure your mineral levels are good.  Test your hay to see what may be low or missing in your area.  Feeding a good supplement is helpful (we cover this in the holistic care community too!).  Feeding the hoof is everything!

Another helpful piece to this abscess puzzle is movement.  A key part of helping a horse to move out of the discomfort of an abscess is to allow them to move (vs. stall rest).  The more the movement, the more the blood flow, the quicker it resolves.  Generally, an abscess will last 7-10 days.  Set up your horse’s environment so that he is allowed to move yet protected from harm from the other horses.   

A third, key piece to this puzzle is their trimming schedule.  Getting your horse trimmed based upon their rate of growth and how much they self-trim is beneficial to them.  Knowing when the hoof needs to be trimmed is something you must learn to recognize (check the free workshop for help here too!).  This will help you to know the appropriate time frame for trimming your horse.

 Learning more about the hoof so that you can have a conversation with your hoof care professional will be a huge benefit.  You see your horse daily, do all their care and can recognize subtle changes in them.   Being able to have a conversation with your hoof care provider about any changes will be most helpful to them for your horse’s care. 

If you’re interested in learning more or would like to learn to trim your own horses, grab my course here. It will give you all the tools and information you need for you to learn to trim your own horses’ hooves. When you use the code 50off you can purchase at half price. 

Finally, soaking the hoof that is experiencing an abscess.  I have found soaker boots extremely helpful and easy to use.  As a former EasyCare dealer, I started with the Easy Soaker and really like it. I also use an Rx boot when I need to keep things clean and covered up.

 A few of the items I have found most helpful in the soaking process are Epsom Salt, Thieves Household Cleaner, an essential oil blend called Melrose for cleansing and Wintergreen to help with the discomfort.  Just a ¼ cup of the salt, half a capful of the Thieves Cleaner, 4-8 drops or so of Melrose and the same for Wintergreen. Add warm water (about a quart) and pour into the boot (which is already on the foot!).  I let them soak for 20-30 minutes. 

I hope this has been helpful for you and if you haven't already, I hope you will join us in our holistic care community.

Marta
 

 
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