Wanted to give everyone an update on Remi since he got his shoes on. He continues to get more confidant about his feet and is moving well. There is no lameness at all and he is reaching out and moving his shoulders well. He still tends to drag back when I pony him and I … Continue Reading »
I am going to see a horse today that has been a real challenge to type in terms of her temperament or personality. Tess is a warmblood mare who as a baby was rejected by her dam. She was allowed to nurse briefly but got no real mothering and the mare would bite at her … Continue Reading »
I am sometimes asked by people why they should try to learn what temperament their horse is. Many people feel a horse should behave no matter what and you just train every horse the same and expect them to conform. Well there is some truth to that but what if that method is not working? … Continue Reading »
There are some critical questions to ask yourself when you have a laminitis horse. 1. Did this laminitis come on suddenly or develop over time? Has this horse had a short gait or episodes of unexplained foot soreness? Do you see evidence such as horizontal rings around the hoof wall that would suggest long term … Continue Reading »
Laminitis in horses is a challenging condition to treat because no two cases present the same way. The individual presentation of the laminitis horse makes this condition especially difficult for a busy equine practitioner who may not have the time to observe and research treatments for each case. Sometimes equine practitioners may not even be … Continue Reading »
Part of determining which Five Element horse temperaments are best for certain disciplines involves determining each types ability to handle pressure and stress. Selecting a horse temperament with low coping skills for a high pressure career will likely result in having a horse with many health issues even if the horse is able to perform. … Continue Reading »
I am sometimes asked the difference between horse temperament and horse personality. In many cases a horse’s temperament and personality are basically the same so it is not wrong to use the terms interchangeably but in some cases they can be very different. The temperament is what the horse is born with and this is … Continue Reading »
As I was feeding my horses last night I heard Jamie, one of my chickens, squawking outside the chicken house. At first I thought that maybe one of the other chickens was in her favorite roosting spot, but she continued to squawk even after she had gone to her roost. All the other chickens seemed … Continue Reading »
Knowing what horse temperament you are dealing with can help you understand where horse personality issues may come from. One of the ways to determine your horse’s five element temperament is too watch what he does in his idle time. For example, a Fire horse does not spend much idle time. They may rest for … Continue Reading »
It has been two and a half years since I got Remi and he has been mostly resting during that time. I have kept him as a barefoot horse to get some expansion on his feet. He has gone from a size 0 shoe to a size 1 so I feel he has gained a … Continue Reading »
Most people think of ulcers in horses as being large areas of damage in the stomach. Leaky gut is a condition that can occur if the lining of the intestines becomes irritated and develops small ulcers. Normally a healthy gut wall would prevent any toxins or undigested proteins from getting into the circulation but a … Continue Reading »
While watching the Dallas Cowboy football team implode yesterday I finally heard the commentators saying something I have been thinking for over a year. For about the last five years I, like many other Cowboy fans, have been disappointed when the team in the NFL with the most talent again underperforms. What the commentators finally … Continue Reading »
Horse temperament and personality are so important and after years of having some bad matches I have to say I have a good one now. I took Remi out today with a new friend here in Fischer and he sure showed what a difference a good horse temperament can make. Sharon’s coming 2 year old … Continue Reading »
Now that I am moved in I am determined to keep my house clean. Not an easy task with all the animals and dust. Anyone who has horses knows activities concerning them tend to generate larger than average amounts of dirt. After struggling with sweeping and regular vacuuming which seemed to just move the dirt … Continue Reading »
When I work with laminintis horses I always focus on educating the owner. In my experience an owner who is willing to learn more about laminitis in horses is much better able to meet the needs of these individuals. First thing you need to pay attention to is what your horse eats. So many cases … Continue Reading »
I have been treating laminitis horses for 28 years and they are by far the most challenging cases I see. Even with all the new knowledge of insulin resistance and Cushings I have yet to see anyone come up with a formula that works consistently. Diet and how you trim horses hooves is critical but … Continue Reading »
When I developed the Five Element Typing system I focused more on personality because I wanted this system to help people have better relationships with their horses. Unfortunately, it is not that simple. Like people, horse’s personalities can be very straight forward or very complicated. The underlying temperament, which is actually what the Five Element … Continue Reading »
I think that within limits any horse can do any job but you have to be realistic. For example, an Earth type draft horse is not a good candidate for grand prix jumping but they can hop over a 2 foot fence just fine. A racing bred Wood TB is not going to be great … Continue Reading »
I have never been a regular coffee drinker until I started my move to Fischer. I needed something to help keep me going with all the challenges of the move. I never understood why people bought fancy coffee machines that you program the night before. I get it now. I can’t tell you how many … Continue Reading »
This move was hard on some of my pets. My cat, Owl, disappeared about 2 weeks before the move so he was the first casualty. He was pretty frustrated with me and my busy schedule and he had been wandering more and more. I did not force him to stay in at night because he … Continue Reading »