holistic care

Thrush… How to Avoid It and How to Deal With It!

Thrush… How to Avoid It and How to Deal With It!

As horse care givers we know the damage that thrush can do.  Or do we?  There are so many horses out there who have back foot pain.  It could be that slit up the back of the frog into the heel bulbs, maybe it’s the gooey, smelly junk in the collateral grooves, or perhaps it’s just a small frog that does not seem to grow. This pain causes the horse to land on the toes first creating all kinds of tearing and trouble for the hoof. 

Much of the time this lameness is due to untreated bacterial and fungal infection.  If let go, unnoticed for a long period, it creeps deeper into the hoof causing pain and more damage.

Needless to say, thrush is a big deal and we, as horse caregivers, need to be aware of it!

Because I am a huge proponent of a prevention philosophy when it comes to the care of my horses, I’m going to share the one big thing that you can do to help your horses to avoid thrush!  The one thing that has the biggest impact on PREVENTING THRUSH is MOVEMENT!  

Getting your horse out and moving on a track system is ideal for the health of their hooves.  It offers stimulation to the hoof for growth, the ability to clean itself out and helps to wear the foot depending upon the terrain.  If you’ve never heard of a track system or would like to learn more, I invite you to check in with our The Hearts of Horses, Empowering Through Holistic Care community.  Guide 2 is all about the benefits and features of a track system.

You can get started helping your horse to move simply by giving them multiple places to eat hay, whether its from piles of hay or hay bags.  They will move from one area to another.  Setting up other features such as their water and salt in other areas will encourage even more movement.  With a little bit of creativity and imagination, its easy to set it up for the horses’ benefit!

Another key piece in the prevention of thrush puzzle is the importance of nutrition.  Sugars are food for the bacteria so removing the sugar from the diet will benefit the health of the foot.  If you’ve had a stubborn case of thrush, look to changing this piece and see what happens!  Sugars will be in hay, grains, supplements, mineral licks and more!  Take a look at the suggestions in this guide to get your horse started off with a good nutrition foundation.

Alongside the nutrition piece comes adequate minerals. They are key to hoof growth and quality. Minerals like zinc, copper and selenium are necessary for healthy growth.  You’ll want to make sure your horse’s diet contains these.  I have seen tremendous growth with my own horses hooves and hair when I started them on a supplement !  The supplement, Sulfurzyme, contains sulfur which is loaded with the vitamins and minerals needed for hair and hoof growth.  I started giving it for joint support to my older guy, but needless to say I was pretty happy with the hair and healthy hoof growth as well!

Another piece you’ll want to be aware of, is making sure there is no added iron in your horses diet.  This can come from a variety of places including hay, water and feeds.  There are barns who have discovered high iron in their water sources when they couldn’t get rid of the thrush (and other hoof troubles) issue for the majority of horses at the barn.   It’s easy enough to have your water tested to figure this out.  You’ll also want to check your feed labels for the word ferrous (and another word after it).  These are iron related and will add to the problem.

One of the most valuable products I learned about when I had my trimming practice was Thieves Household Cleaner.  I started carrying it when trimming and used it to spray every clients hooves when I finished trimming.  It is a great way to keep the hooves in great shape as it promotes healthy growth while keeping trouble at bay.  

If you’re dealing with thrush and working toward removing it, put these other factors that I wrote about above into place. Then, use the Thieves Cleaner as a soak in a soaker boot.  Mixed with an essential oil like Melrose, it does a terrific job of clearing things up!  For the really bad feet that have that painful crack in the back of the foot, I have found Animal Scents Ointment to be incredibly soothing and helpful in making the horse more comfortable.  

And isn’t that really what it’s all about…?  Making them more comfortable so they can heal faster. That is definitely my goal!

Thanks for reading and I hope this information is helpful to you.

All the best,

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

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
 

Apple Cider Vinegar For Your Horses

Apple Cider Vinegar For Your Horses
There’s probably a good reason that someone made up that old saying of “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”.  My guess is because apples are loaded with all kinds of good nutrients for your body… like enzymes, minerals, trace minerals and potassium.  And after all, our horses love them too!  These important life building nutrients are all contained in Apple Cider Vinegar.

Quite a few years back I changed how I was eating due to the physical discomfort in my body.  I did a fast (3 days without food!) and learned to gradually reintroduce certain healthful foods back into my diet.

As part of my new regimen, I learned about the many health benefits of and started using Apple Cider Vinegar, the good stuff with the “mother” in it!  It contains an enzyme that “eats up” the toxic waste in the body.

Some of the amazing benefits I’ve learned about ACV include…
  • Detoxifies the blood stream and organs
  • Helps to achieve and more balanced pH
  • Assists kidneys, bladder and liver
  • Promotes circulation
  • Supports digestion   
Also for animals (including the above)…
 
  • Deters fleas, ticks and mosquitos
  • Relives skin and ear problems
  • Promotes a healthy, shiny coat
I started drinking ACV in a tea first thing in the morning.  One of the things it does is jumpstart my digestive system.  All I know is that I am feeling so much better by starting my day with ACV/Thieves tea with honey!

At some point along the way I decided that it was doing so much good for me that I should give it to my horses too!  I was already using it topically for their hooves for thrush by soaking and spraying.  The ACV can be added to their water for drinking, but for me, I just add it to their daily feed.  I add about a third of a cup of ACV to a liter bottle and fill the rest with water.  Then I mix some into their milled flax and supplements.

Potassium is one of the key constituents offered in ACV.   Did you know 75% of the body’s potassium is found in skeletal muscle and is necessary for function?   Horses are able to excrete excess potassium through urine or sweating but when there is a deficiency in the body, there can be some pretty detrimental effects.

A horse with low potassium will exhibit…
  • Muscle weakness
  • Fatigue
  • Reluctance to exercise
  • Decreased water and food intake
  • Restlessness
  • Spookiness
Offering your horse a lifestyle with unlimited forage will help to avoid low potassium issues.  It’s always good to test your hay to know what the levels of minerals are contained within it.  From there you have a clearer picture on what to supplement.
 
An excerpt from the book, Apple Cider Vinegar; Miracle Health System by Paul Bragg ND PhD and Patrice Bragg ND PhD…
 
Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, in 400 B.C. treated his patients with amazing raw Apple Cider Vinegar because he recognized its powerful cleansing and healing qualities.  It is a naturally occurring antibiotic and antiseptic that fights germs and bacteria in the body.
 
I have found that adding Apple Cider Vinegar to my horse’s daily routine has been a great boost to their health.  It has added another beneficial layer to their holistic lifestyle!

Give it a try and see how your horses like it.

Marta
 
 
 
 

Beware Fall Grass... especially for your at risk horse!

Beware Fall Grass... especially for your at risk horse!
 
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

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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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