Have you ever felt intimidated, overlooked or even minimized when it comes to working with your horse's health care professionals?
Interactions like this can leave you feeling helpless, frustrated and even angry. Especially if you, as the caregiver, have some reservations about what is happening or just plain disagree! Early on I readily accepted the information from my professionals. After all, I was new to horses and was learning! But as time passed and I dove into a variety of aspects of caring for my horses, especially hoof care, there were many things I had been doing that just didn't feel right. I now had options for new, different and what I believed were better things to do. Things that felt better to me and were more closely in line with what I have for ideas on how I choose to care for my horses.
As I learned more, it became easier for me to speak up and ask questions and even disagree with what I may have been told by my professionals, who I had chosen. At some point, we must realize when and if things may not be working with that professional and seek out another who is more in alignment with our beliefs. Remember, you are the horse owner who hires the professional. You get the last word.
It is important for caregivers to realize that they are the decision makers for their horses.
Knowing we are the decision maker for our horse and actually speaking up and standing our ground, so to speak, are two very different things. For some it comes easier to speak up while others may need some help and encouragement.
Luckily, there ARE things we can do to BUILD OUR CONFIDENCE so that we feel empowered when talking with our horse's healthcare professional. The first thing to do is learn more about the various areas of our horse's care. Dive into books, watch videos, read blogs, go to seminars and webinars and learn from as many sources as you can. I can remember when I first got started I was grabbing every book and dvd collection I could get my hands on, for nutrition and hoof care! Luckily I had a great barefoot trimmer who was willing and happy to share her knowledge and resources with me.
Just having more knowledge gives us a more solid foundation from which to ask questions and feel more secure about having a conversation with a professional. Whether the topic is nutrition, hoof care, vaccinations or parasite protocols it is beneficial for you to learn that there are a variety of ways to deal with and promote good health. And you get to choose what you feel are the best ways to handle these for your horses.
The next thing to do is find and surround yourself with people who feel the same way that you do! Whether it is the barn community you choose or an online community, finding groups who align with our beliefs goes a long way to helping us feel confident in the decisions we are making. It gives us a sense that we are not alone, or crazy, for thinking and feeling the way we do. Just because it's a bit different than the "norm", doesn't make it bad or wrong. I have created an online community for exactly this kind of support and empowerment. It's called The Hearts of Horses; Empowering Through Holistic Care. Join us there if you're ready to feel empowered!
Now get started on these two tasks and see where your confidence journey takes you! I bet even your horses will notice a difference in your demeanor and energy...😉
All the best,
Marta
If you're like me and your horse has had a reaction to a spring or fall shot, then you may already be in this frame of mind or way of thinking...
It is not normal for our horses to be sick after getting their shots.
This should be a huge, waving red flag to horse owners. Repeating the same vaccines year after year horse owners must realize that this indiscriminate vaccine schedule, that is recommended to them, is not really about protecting their horses. There are side effects like swelling, fever, hives, colic symptoms, disorientation, lethargy and more! The overabundance of these vaccines builds up in the body causing a vaccinosis. It just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to create a variety of health issues, some permanent, just to avoid the potential of a problem. Problems that can be avoided through good health and horse keeping.
I can remember talking with a client about their pony who had bouts of laminitis every spring. It was always after the traditional spring shots had been administered. I suggested she skip the shots from now on and see how her pony does. It was no surprise to me that the pony had no problems with laminitis that spring. He was turned out with a grazing muzzle and spent his time happily with the herd!
Did you know you can get a titer? Titers are a way to learn the protection status of your horse. This is valuable if you have a horse and have no knowledge of his background and previous care. Titers are a blood test to measure the antibodies for specific antigens which develop from previous exposure or previous vaccine against a disease. A positive titer means the horse is sufficiently protected and remains that way for a number of years. So titers can be spread out over a few years. It seems to me that this is a much safer option for the horse. When you know what the horse is already sufficiently protected from, then you don't need to vaccinate again.
Instead of staying in the same pattern of shots every spring and fall, take a look at your horse's lifestyle. There are things to consider to determine if your horses are at risk and the diseases that may be threatening in your area. Do your horses stay at home all the time? Do they travel and go to events? Does your horse have any pre-existing health conditions? This is a big one right here! Horses with compromised health of any kind should not be vaccinated (it says it on the vaccine data sheet)! Unfortunately, it happens more often than I care to know.
As your horse's caregiver, it is up to you to become educated on this and other care topics. Once you learn more, you will then be able to make an informed decision for the health of your horse. A short while back I did an interview with holistic veterinarian Dr. Barb Fox in my holistic care community The Hearts Of Horses, Empowering Through Holistic Care. She offers a great holistic care perspective on this topic along with important lifestyle features to consider when deciding on vaccines for your horse. If you'd like to watch the interview, you can see it here.
Once you become more knowledgeable on topics like vaccines, it makes it easier to ask questions of our professionals. Having the confidence to ask questions can be difficult, but when it's our horse's care at stake... it is our responsibility to do the best we can for them. Take the time to ask questions with your veterinarian, have a conversation. Hopefully, they will be open to answering your questions. If not, and they are not willing to work with you, know that you can seek out new professionals (vet, dentist, hoof care etc.) who are in line with how you feel about your horse's care.
Remember, you are the decision maker for your horse's care. You hire the professionals to work with you and for you and your horses. No one knows your horses as well as you do. The decisions are yours. Learn more and empower yourself to be the best care giver that you can be.
Join our Hearts of Horses community and learn even more about supporting the health and wellness of your horses.
All the best,
Marta
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.
