Updates from Marta Merrick

5 Ways to Calm Your Horse...Holistically

Nov 29, 2020 10:27 AM Central
Marta Merrick
calm horses, essential oils, feeding horses, Healing Touch For Animals, holistic care, track system, training
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Before I discuss the five ways to help calm your horse holistically, I’d like to give you two key characteristics to keep in mind that are necessary for raising kids, training animals or running a business--- Honesty and Consistency. With these two qualities you will surely have success, especially with your horses. Animals are honest…they know no other way. It is one of the reasons they are so good for us. They help us to become better for ourselves and for them. The consistency part can be difficult for us. It means doing the same thing, in sequence, repeatedly. It also means offering the same (non-emotional) response to undesired behavior. Horses learn patterns 7 times faster than humans. So be sure to pay attention to what you are doing BEFORE, because they’re already 7 steps ahead!

Now let’s talk about the 5 ways to calm your horse, holistically…

1. Get your horse out of the stall and moving! Horses are herd animals who live in small bands that cover approximately 25 miles a day in their wild setting. Their range revolves around the water hole. There are also a variety of “events” within the range that keep the horses moving to the next one! Knowing what these are and incorporating them into your horse’s environment will contribute to a more balanced emotional state. There are “events” like the water hole, the bathing/grooming area, a resting area, a salt/minerals lick and more. The “vices” that come into play with horses in stalls, become virtually non-existent when they are allowed to move as a herd.

2. Play with your horse! Get to know them on the ground and learn to have a conversation with them. Allow them to have a choice and a say in what you are doing. Remember you are developing a friendship/partnership where you each have responsibilities. Can you imagine hanging out with a friend who is always telling you what to do and never asks what you like or want?!

Asking your horse to change directions gets them into their thinking (left) side of their brain instead of the emotional (right) side of the brain. So if your horse is getting all wound up and excited, AVOID the lunging circle! Get your back to a fence and get them changing direction. They’ll soon come off their adrenaline high and begin thinking again. Asking your horse to move backwards and sideways also requires using the thinking side of the brain. These two movements are definitely a great thing to incorporate into your regular routine with your horse!

3. Feed your horse like a horse! It’s so easy to want to give our horses all the things. Admit it, it makes us feel better. The fact is most grains and treats are loaded with sugars and can be deadly to our horses. Horses are browsers. Browsing for small amounts of plants while moving all-day-long. Setting up the environment so they can eat this way will reduce many of the “problems” we see with traditional horse keeping. It could be as simple as spreading the hay into many piles (instead of one or two) so that horses can push their herd mates to the next pile. There should always be more piles than horses!

Another key part of nutrition are the minerals. This is often overlooked and one of the key pieces of their overall emotional wellness. Magnesium plays a large role here too! Get your hay tested to find out the minerals you will need to supplement. For more information on providing a good foundation of nutrition for your horse, get this guide.

4. Use essential oil blends and singles daily for your horse’s emotional fitness! A few of my favorites are Peace and Calming, Valor and Stress Away. They were instrumental in my hoof trimming business for helping to settle an unsettled horse (and owner too)! I could offer a drop in my hand to the horse and depending upon their need; they may sniff it, lick it from my hand or sometimes they’d grab the whole bottle! That seemed to happen a lot with Stress Away. There are a few other oils used in protocols that I have found to offer incredible emotional releases and help to balance the horse’s energy. These are the Feelings Kit, Freedom Sleep and Freedom Release Collection.

5. Lastly, incorporating Healing Touch for Animals has forever changed my animal care for the better. I can help my animals to be calm and release experiences that are causing them to feel or behave in unwanted ways. Learning the techniques from the Level 1 online course have allowed me to not only help my horses (dogs and cats too) live better… I have been able to help other people’s horses to feel relief from traumatic events, to release traumas they have carried and to get their energy open and flowing again. If you have horses (or any animal) the Level 1 is a wonderful addition to your holistic care tool box. Click here for more information about the Healing Touch for Animals Level 1 online course.

Having a calm horse is something virtually anyone can achieve. By taking the time to understand the things that motivate a horse (and are innate in them), you can begin to put each facet in place in their environment as you care for and interact with them. For me, each of these has contributed to the emotional balance of my horses as, over the years, I learned and incorporated them into my life with horses. I am forever grateful to have learned these holistic care ways. I hope you take the opportunity to incorporate some of them too!

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The Hearts Of Horses; Empowering Through Holistic Care

How To Conquer Bugs For Your Animals...Without Using Insecticides

Sep 30, 2020 10:51 AM Central
Marta Merrick
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How To Conquer Bugs For your Animals… Without Using Insecticides

Admit it... we all hate bugs, right?!

From the nasty biting flies, gnats and mosquitos to ticks, fleas and giardia! These pests can be aggravating to our animals and a health risk to both us and them.

If you’re like me, applying a topical spot on treatment, collar or spray containing an insecticide/pesticide is NOT an option for my horses, dogs or cats! I love them too much to poison them with those kinds of treatments. They are my family.

The natural food additive I discovered, that fits in with my holistic care lifestyle and works for us, is garlic.

Now you may have heard or read about the dangers of feeding garlic to your animals based upon a single study out of Japan. It seems dogs were forced to ingest excessive amounts of raw garlic with adverse reactions resulting. The fact that people do this kind of thing to animals makes me sick, but aside from that, when you feed an excess of anything…it will have negative, even life threatening effects!

Horse care takers pay special attention to feed the air-dried garlic granules. Raw garlic when crushed or chewed creates the compound allicin. This is problematic for horses causing anemic reactions. The allicin is minimized in the drying process leaving it safe for horses. So to avoid health risks, use an air dried source of garlic granules. I use the Springtime Bug Off granules.

Garlic has been in use since the beginning of recorded history. From Egypt to Greece to India applications of its use have been written about in medical journals. In Greece, garlic was given to the athletes of the early Olympics to increase muscular strength and endurance. Hippocrates, the "Father of Medicine" used garlic for many applications in his work. Garlic has also long been used for its insect repelling properties against bugs on listed above. Garlic also contains sulfur which is known for its support of joint, skin and hair health as well as being an insect repellent.

I’ve been using a granulated garlic that works well for all of my animals. They get a bit added to their morning meal every day. The key is to start with very small amounts and increase over time. Acquiring and accepting the taste must be done gradually for most animals. For the many benefits listed above, I now feed garlic as part of my animals’ healthy year round wellness regimen.

Some of the added health benefits your animals will experience while taking garlic daily are…

Boosts their immune system. This is the number one thing to focus on for the health of your animals.
Digestive support. Horses have about 100 feet of digestive system that are prone to upset. It only makes sense to give them all the extra help they need in this area!
Combats allergies. Garlic offers antiviral and anti-inflammatory help to combat seasonal issues. Building the immune system also helps here!
Fights fungal infections. From thrush to ringworm garlic supports the body when dealing with these types of issues.
Improves brain function. Antioxidants in garlic boost brain health and protect the body from oxidative stress, thereby slowing the aging process.
Detoxifies heavy metals. The sulfur compounds in garlic help to protect organs against heavy metal damage by reducing levels within the blood.

Want to learn more?

Click Here for my Free Guide about helping your animals to live a longer more vibrant life!

Click Here to join my Free Facebook group to learn more about holistic care for your horses.

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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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Updates from Marta Merrick

5 Ways to Calm Your Horse...Holistically

How To Conquer Bugs For Your Animals...Without Using Insecticides

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