We live on about 3 acres of rocky limestone hillsides loaded with cedar trees and roots! While it’s not what one would think of as an ideal horse environment, it is actually a far better choice of living space, especially if your horse has metabolic challenges.
At the beginning of my horse journey, I was introduced to the benefits of creating a track system for my horses’ living environment. It benefitted their hooves, their digestion, in general their overall wellness. It was easy for me to see this was what I wanted for my horses. In addition, the concept fit extremely well with our small acreage and varied terrain. We even have access to an old road to utilize which has a great hard packed base for a trail.
As fate would have it, I acquired a couple of foundered horses (from my trimming practice) as well as a Morgan horse (a hardy breed that does not need rich feed to maintain weight and good health). Our track system has proved to be the ideal living set up for horses with metabolic issues, hoof troubles and for avoiding the problems with spring and fall grasses.
Our track contains no lush grass. It does offer a variety of plants, shrubs and trees that our horses browse as they move around the different paths on the track system. We have the benefit of monitoring our horses’ grass intake by allowing them to roam the rest of the property at strategic times to benefit them. We choose times when the sugars are lowest in the grass. When the sun is out, plants are producing their sugars for energy through photosynthesis. This is high sugar content time and should be avoided. It is at night when the grasses use up their sugar stores from the day, so the very early morning is the safest time for the lowest sugar levels.
Once the fall comes and the temperatures drop at night, grass begins to hold onto their sugar stores for its growth. This “stressed” grass is now very high in sugar. Any stressed grass will have increased sugar levels so be aware, especially for your at risk horses. Some other ways that grass gets stressed are by over-grazing, drought and frost. Even the brown grass late in the fall when it’s still warm during the day will have sugar filled green sprouts that your horse would love to snack on!
Waiting for the temperature swings to stop and the grasses to go dormant is a safe option for your horse.
Other safe options…
- Consider setting up a track system or at least elements of it for your horse. Creating a forage based, movement centered space will do wonders for them!
- Create a dry lot for your horse and encourage movement within the space through the placement of hay bags or hay piles.
- Use a muzzle and monitor their time of day out as well as the amount of time out.
- Consider a probiotic to benefit their gut health. This is a key component to overall health. Life 9 is the probiotic I love and use for my herd.
If you’re curious to learn more about setting up your own track system, take a look at Guide 3 in my community The Hearts of Horses; Empowering Through Holistic Care. You’ll find videos with information on how to create your own track system.
May you and your horses enjoy this fall season in good health...
Marta
A recent post that I shared in my Hearts of Horses group about the importance of salt for our horses especially in hot weather, opened a discussion on the use of Himalayan salt. It got me wondering…so I did a little research.
The only mineral which a horse has a taste for is salt. In situations where an animal is deprived or deficient, they will seek it out readily. As caregivers for our horses, it is critical that we provide some form of salt, as many functions of the body depend upon it.
Some of these critical functions are…
- Heart contraction
- Intestinal movement and fluid balance
- Absorption of nutrients in the gut
- Muscle contraction
- Nerve function
- PH balance
- Keeping the body hydrated
- An averaged size horse, in cool weather, needs a minimum of 1 oz per day of salt. 2-4 oz for that same horse in hot weather.
Legend has it that the salt beds of Pakistan were discovered by Alexander the Great’s horse, Bucephalus, who stopped to paw and have a lick! Side note: Bucephalus died in battle in that area and a town was later named after him.
Much of the Himalayan salt we purchase originates from an area of hills in Pakistan known as the “salt range” which is hundreds of miles away from the Himalayan Mountains. The hills are a remnant of a lagoon that existed 600 million years ago.
This Himalayan salt does contain minerals, but only in very minute amounts. Such minerals as magnesium, zinc, calcium and even iron. Again, they contain only very minute amounts that would not be enough to consider as a supplement for your horse.
The fact that Himalayan salt is very hard, in chunk form, your horse would not be able to bite it. Even with steady licking, they would not be able to consume the minimum needed on a daily basis especially in hot weather! However, the salt chunk is resistant to rain so hanging it for your horse, in or out of the stall/barn area would be a great relief and/or distraction during a confinement situation.
The fact that it is salt, means that it does encourage your horse to drink more water. This is always a good thing as approximately 70% the body is water and many body functions also require it!
There is one very important mineral that you cannot get from Himalayan salt though and that is iodine. Iodine is necessary for healthy thyroid function. The thyroid regulates hormones and is easily thrown out of balance by deficiency and/or toxins that are in many horse care products. Granulated iodized white salt covers your bases on this one. Or if you feed a kelp product your horse is probably already receiving their necessary amount of iodine.
While the benefits and popularity of the Himalayan salt make it seem terrific for your horse, the bottom line is… it is safe and ok for your horse. It can even be included in the salt/mineral area of your track set up. It would also be beneficial as a relief and distraction for a confined horse.
The big question you want to ask yourself is… are my horses getting their minimum daily requirements for salt? The easiest way for them to get this is by providing a granulated salt, either in their feed or free choice in their living space as they generally cannot take in enough by licking a block.
Are you interested in more helpful information for caring for your horses? Join the community I mentioned, The Hearts of Horses; Empowering Through Holistic Care and be sure to look through the GUIDE section at the top of the page for all kinds of helpful holistic care topics!
All the Best,
Marta
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
Early on, when I got started with horses, I learned traditional ways to care for them. This involved chemical fly sprays, ointments that contained potential carcinogens and other questionable chemicals in a variety of products including their food.
Along the way, as I was learning, I was drawn to more holistic ways of caring for my horses. Following my heart, with regard to these ways, has led me on a path of discovery, healing and much healthier horses!
When I first got Calli, every year she would get bit up by the little No-see-ums that come out in May at our wooded home. They would bite her on her underside and she would end up having a crusty line of gunk from her chin to her udders! Definitely gross and I'm sure uncomfortable for her.
Things started looking up when I started using a plant based cleaner on these areas of her body. The crusty stuff started disappearing and there was not as much of it covering her underside. I was super happy about that! I had been learning about these new holistic care options and part of that process was removing the products that had toxic chemicals in them. The fact that I was reducing the amount of toxins in her world was making a difference for her and helping to keep these bugs at bay.
Adding an essential oil to her daily feed was another thing I did. It served to improve her immune system. It is such a huge benefit at a very small price! Adding the oil along with the spray (which also helps to improve her immune system) really made a huge difference for this "seasonal" problem.
Another piece of this puzzle that was beneficial, because it removed toxins and sugar, was getting rid of the processed grains that we had been feeding. Processed grains have chemicals and toxins added to them along with a significant amount of sugar (which causes inflammation). All of our horses are on an anti-inflammatory diet. It is better for joints, over all wellness and, I believe, makes them less tasty to the bugs too!
As we are now into another May, I am happy to say that its been quite a few years since we've had to deal with the crusty underside! And there are few and far between reactions to bug bites now that we have addressed removing toxins and improved immune systems.
If you're interested in knowing what products I used, check out this brief video...
If you're interested in more holistic care information for your horses, join our community...
For many, spring and fall shots are a ritual. The change into these seasons prompts a call to your vet to come out and vaccinate your horses. Have you ever considered the effects on your horses’ health from this rigorous schedule? Do you pay attention to how your horses’ feel on the days following the shots? Is there a pattern of regular signs of discomfort every time? As your horses’ caregiver, these signs and patterns are so important to recognize!
Before you jump on the phone to schedule your horses’ spring shots, consider asking yourself these questions…
- Have my horses’ received shots regularly over the last few years? Did you know that vaccines stay active within the body for many years? When tested, an animal can show anti-bodies for as many as 15-20 years after the shot. This means that the animal is protected from the threat due to these anti-bodies. It has immunity!
There is a simple test called a TITER. This is a blood test that checks for anti-bodies. If your horses have the anti-bodies, then they are protected and do not need another shot. If they are given repeated shots, there is a build-up of adjuvants which are the additives in vaccines. These are heavy metals and other toxins that cause the harmful side effects. When the build-up becomes too much for the animal’s system, it may experience VACCINOSIS.
- Do my horses live at home, perhaps older, and rarely come in contact with other horses? This situation most likely eliminates the need for vaccinations. Providing plenty of good forage, balanced minerals, fresh water and movement will do more for preserving the health of your horses than anything!
- Do any of my horses have an existing health condition? It is NOT recommended to give a vaccine to an animal that is health compromised in any way. This includes horses prone to laminitis, any metabolic disorders, fever, etc.
One experience I recall, was helping a friend to learn to trim her horses. I’d visit periodically to check in and see the progress. Through our conversation about her mini, I suggested she consider skipping the vaccines that spring. In the past, he had suffered from laminitis after every vaccine. This time for the first time, without the shots, there was no episode of laminitis in the spring!
Think back to the patterns that have occurred for your horses. Are there reactions at the shot location? Do any of your horses have a fever after the shot? Are there movement changes? Or behavior changes? These are all red flags and reasons to reconsider giving your horses their spring (or fall) shots. Instead, consider the TITER test mentioned above.
For those who are required to have shots for a boarding situation, help your horses by giving them a Rain Drop session. This is a technique utilizing Young Living Essential Oils and application techniques (there’s more information on this technique in The Hearts Of Horses; Empowering Through Holistic Care Facebook group). This application helps to clear the body of the heavy metals and other toxins and allows the body to heal itself.
If you’d like to hear more, from a holistic veterinarian, I had a conversation with Dr. Barb Fox DVM on this topic. Visit the Guide Section in The Hearts of Horses; Empowering Through Holistic Care to hear our conversation.
