What is your Yang Ming horse trying to tell you with that weird jaw thingy he does? Long before I studied horse temperament typing I remember wondering why some horses would twist through the jaw for no obvious physical reason. By twist through the jaw I mean stretch out the neck and turn the head … Continue Reading »
When spring springs forth, do you enjoy the beautiful flowers or do you wonder, “What causes allergy?” because you are so tired of all the sneezing, runny eyes, runny nose …? If those symptoms match what happens to you every spring, then you suffer from seasonal allergies, what is commonly called “hay fever.” If you … Continue Reading »
Do you have voices in your head when you ride that remind you of lessons past? I do and I am so thankful for them. When I get focused on a task and forget about my horse I hear Linda Hoover saying “release, release”. When I give my horse an unclear signal I hear Tom … Continue Reading »
Chia seeds were in short supply last fall and I made the huge mistake of letting my Metal horse temperament gelding go without them. Remi had been doing so well with his shoes and fill in pad material that I thought he would be OK without the chia seeds. Not the case. Within 8 weeks … Continue Reading »
For those of us who like a holistic horse care program the idea of limiting the use of drugs in competitive horses sounds like a great idea, but is it? Limiting the access to drugs such as bronchodilators, diuretics and non steroidal anti inflammatory agents can cause unnecessary suffering for horses that truly need them. … Continue Reading »
If you ask most horses they will tell you that alfalfa is a wonderful horse feed. Most horses love this leafy, green hay. Experts in horse nutrition recognize alfalfa as a high protein, mineral rich forage but few look at the energetic properties of this hay for horses. Alfalfa has a neutral thermal nature which … Continue Reading »
Did you know that more than 60% of Americans report having problems sleeping (according to the Sleep Foundation)? Add to that the fact that at least 25% of people in the US take some form of sleep medication, and most still don’t get enough sleep (6 hours or less). All of these problems sleeping are … Continue Reading »
Wood is a symbol of life. We use wood for the structure of our homes and the furniture inside them. Wood is strong yet flexible. Wood can be carved into beautiful sculptures. Wood creates heat to warm us. When wood forests are cleared of heavy underbrush they make wonderful shaded homesites. If Woods are left … Continue Reading »
Your horse is lame and the vet says the problem is in the hoof but there is no reaction to hoof testers. If this is the case with your horse then you may want to consider a horse problem called sheer heel. When one side of the horse’s hoof grows faster than the other side … Continue Reading »
If you haven’t thought about your immune system this year, you might want to. Why? Because the U.S. is being hit hard by the flu this year according to the Centers for Disease Control (http://on.webmd.com/WgniPB). As of the first week of January, 47 states reported widespread flu activity, and Northeastern states have seen a flood … Continue Reading »
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 »
Laminitis in horses is a devastating condition once it takes hold. With a holistic horse care program you can significantly lower the risk of laminitis in horses but you still must stay alert for early signs of the condition. There is no vaccine against laminitis in horses, so diet and management are your best defenses. … 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 »
Is your skin not participating in your program for graceful aging? Is it perhaps aging faster than the rest of you? Few things are more demoralizing than looking in the mirror and realizing that your skin makes you look older than your actual age! The good news is this: just as it is never too … Continue Reading »
I have come to believe that often a horse knows when he will die. As a vet I have put down hundreds of horses and with only a few exceptions the horse seemed prepared and accepting. In most cases, the horses I put down were old but a few also had life threatening injuries or … Continue Reading »
It is so important to always look for the underlying cause of horse symptoms. For example, did you know that most horses with hives do not get them from coming in contact with something in their environment. Yes, insect stings or allergic reactions to bedding can cause hives in horses but they are more commonly … Continue Reading »
Tired of being sick and tired? Want to know how to strengthen your immune system? You are NOT alone! For some reason it seems like more people have been sicker more frequently this winter season than in seasons past. No doubt we have been living in times of high stress, which is why knowing how … Continue Reading »
Horse symptoms come in 2 categories, acute and chronic. We tend to get more worried about the acute symptoms such as severe lameness, colic in horses or fever. These horse symptoms are all red flags that something major is wrong that may need immediate, aggressive intervention. Acute horse symptoms often come on quickly, are intense … 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 »
Fat fighters … that’s what this blog is all about today, and it’s a topic that is hot on everyone’s mind. The holidays are over, New Year’s Resolutions have been made … and guess what? The most common resolution is to LOSE WEIGHT! No big surprise there. Here is a big surprise: only 8% of … Continue Reading »