Open any horse supply catalog and you will find upwards of 40 pages of different horse supplements. The reason there are so many supplements has to do with the poor quality of many of our horse foods and hay. This is not the fault of the horse food companies but a reflection of the general … Continue Reading »
I took Remi, my Yang Ming(Metal/Earth), horse temperament, gelding, to a ranch sorting last weekend. We both had a blast. Remi has had some bad experiences in the past and he can get very tense when going to new places. I want him to be able to overcome his learned behaviors of holding his breath … Continue Reading »
Water is essential for life. Our bodies are composed of mostly water and the majority of our planet is covered with water. We can live for weeks without food but only days without water. Water allows our life energy to flow. It is in our blood, lymph, cerebral spinal fluid and in our individual cells. … Continue Reading »
The Metal horse temperament is generally strong and tough but their achilles heel is – their heels. The Metal horse has a tendency to contracted, sore heels. Confirmation can play a part as many Metal horses have short, upright pasterns and boxy hooves. This naturally upright hoof can become contracted when shoes are applied early … Continue Reading »
Welcome to the second in a series of articles on the essence of each temperament type horse. These articles are meant to offer a different perspective on each temperament type based on that type’s elemental basis. If you have felt somewhat confused by horse temperament typing, hopefully this series of articles will help you “feel” … Continue Reading »
Anhydrosis is a life threatening condition in which a horse is unable to sweat during hot, humid weather. The horse depends heavily on sweating to cool his body so any decrease in his ability to evaporate sweat will result in an elevated body temperature. Anhydrosis can present in a similar way in different horse temperaments … Continue Reading »
If there is such a thing as a perfect clinic then Remi and I just experienced one. Remi is a Yang Ming horse temperament and he has been in my life for 5 years. During that time we have worked to get his horrible feet better and help him trust that he was not going … Continue Reading »
The Earth horse temperament does not enjoy strenuous work but when healthy he is not lazy. Some of the most successful performance horses I have known have been the Earth horse temperament. Not to mention the consistent lesson horses that work for hours each day without complaint. The Earth horse temperament can appear lazy because … Continue Reading »
Fear is the emotion that goes with the Water horse temperament. When a Water horse is out of balance they can become fearful to the point of being dangerous. A Water horse is very high energy and when this energy is combined with fear explosive outbursts can occur. Signs of fear in the Water horse … Continue Reading »
I like to say , if your mare is mean then give her green. Green foods, that is, in the form of chlorophyl rich foods and herbs that will balance and support the liver. I have noticed my Fire horse temperament mare, Cerise, has been more irritable this year during our extreme drought. I have … Continue Reading »
Horse temperament plays a part in how horses age. Tess, my 30 year old, Jue Yin mule has been limping lately. I know exactly why this is happening. After enduring a miserable, record breaking drought and temperatures over 100 for 90 days the weather has cooled off. When the weather was so hot the horses … Continue Reading »
Punkin is progressing at a steady pace despite the fact that Kim and I have not been able to work with him every day. As a Jue Yin(Wood/Fire) horse temperament, Punkin does not really need a daily work routine. He is quite happy when he gets attention and just as happy when he is left … Continue Reading »
Had an interesting session yesterday with my Fire horse temperament mare, Cerise. Cerise had been working very well over the last few months and her attitude was very good. Up until a few weeks ago I was riding her and then my 71 year old friend was riding her some after we finished our training. … Continue Reading »
Boy, has this been a dry winter/spring in Central Texas. It is only April and we are regularly in the nineties with single digit humidity. The Metal horse temperament is the most at risk for colic under these conditions. The Metal horse temperament often has challenges with the lung and large intestine so a Metal … Continue Reading »
Do you ever wonder what your horse is really thinking? Is he happy, sad, frustrated, or angry? Or are suppressed emotions affecting him in a negative way? It is often at that moment in training when we feel we have finally convinced our horse to see things our way that the real problems start … Continue Reading »
It may sound ridiculous to say that your horse needs a chef, but it’s true. Sadly, many much-loved horses suffer from poor nutrition, even at the hands at dedicated and truly affectionate owners. Why does this happen? Because not every horse can thrive on the same diet. The best feeding program for your horse depends … Continue Reading »
The weakness of the Metal horse temperament is his digestive tract, specifically the large intestine, and excessive dryness will damage this organ. Impaction colic in horses can be the result of dryness in the large intestine so monitoring water consumption is very important. Metal horses also have an extremely high pain tolerance, which can allow … Continue Reading »
It has been a month since I started feeding a horse di magnesium malate supplement my horses. What a difference! Remi, my Yang Ming horse temperament gelding, had been on magnesium oxide for over a year so he did not show a big change but both Tess and Cerise are different creatures. When my hoof … Continue Reading »
Earth horses tend to need support for their muscles rather than their joints, and high-quality protein helps the Earth horse temperament develop strong, supple muscles. The goal in feeding the Earth horse is to offer foods or supplements that contain high-quality protein without excess calories. Alfalfa, for instance, is a rich source of protein, but … Continue Reading »
The weakness of the Metal horse’s digestive tract is the large intestine, and excessive dryness will damage this organ. Impaction colic is the result of dryness in the large intestine so monitoring water consumption is very important. Metal horses also have an extremely high pain tolerance, which can allow a mild impaction to advance to … Continue Reading »