The Earth horse temperament seems to have the most trouble with assimilation of nutrients. Many Earth horses tend to get overweight, so owners compensate by underfeeding these horses. It is important to feed the Earth horse nutrient-dense foods, but not feed more than 1.5% of their body weight daily. Feeding a horse larger amounts of … Continue Reading »
The Small Intestine is one of two organs associated with the Fire element, and this organ needs extra support. Fire horses are emotional and suffer from very sensitive digestion and are affected by stress and diet changes. Fire horses also tend toward an acidic pH in their digestive tract. To support the Small Intestine, the … Continue Reading »
Water horses need safety and a trustworthy rider. They can be brilliant show horses but panic easily. They perform well in events that call for animation and excitement, and are motivated by cheering crowds. The Water horse possesses a strong digestive system, but because of his high-spirited nature he burns through calories quickly. The challenge … Continue Reading »
The Metal horse temperament is the prototypical hard-working ranch horse. He enjoys order and control, and can stand up to some of the toughest working conditions. Metal horses do their jobs perfectly but otherwise desire very little interaction. Unlike the Earth horse, the Metal horse assimilates nutrients very easily. And unlike the Fire horse, the … Continue Reading »
Earth horse temperament types love two things: Appreciation and food. They are solid citizens who want to be acknowledged for the good work they do, and food treats often go a long way toward keeping them happy. They make perfect school horses and work well with children. They develop bad habits when their daily routine … Continue Reading »
Although many horse owners and trainers are now beginning to acknowledge the differences between the horse personality types when it comes to training and management, few acknowledge the need for feeding a horse based on type. Yet, if each type needs to be handled and trained differently, why should all the types be fed in … Continue Reading »
How is this for frustrating when it comes to horse feed: you have a horse that has fatty deposits on his neck and back as well as a hay belly, but still has ribs showing and very little top line? It’s enough to drive any horse owner crazy …and believe me, I have seen quite … Continue Reading »
I remember the first time I saw Louie, a grey, barrel-racing quarter horse gelding. He had been running inconsistently, which was not his usual performance. When I approached Louie he tensed up and held his head high and rigid. This posture made it hard to evaluate his soreness so I decided to go ahead and … Continue Reading »
I trimmed Remi’s front feet this morning and I am fairly happy so far with his progress. The cracks at his toes are almost grown off on both feet but I am still having trouble with him growing tough wall. He wears off the wall faster than he grows it and then he starts wearing … Continue Reading »
I have been studying some of my Traditional Chinese Medicine notes about joint stiffness and pain. I am working on getting a list of products to use for each of the Five Element types. Ever since I started looking at the Five Element horse temperaments I have wanted to find the best ways to make … Continue Reading »
Spring has sprung so inevitably it’s time to talk about laminitis and founder! Spring grasses can cause many horses to tip over into founder. Because every horse is different it can sometimes be difficult to apply general information about holistic care to your horse. To make it a little easier for you, I’m going to … Continue Reading »
Cerise, my Fire horse, is a very finicky eater and she is even more so when I take her away from home. Last weekend I took her to a 4 day clinic and she ate almost nothing for the first 3 days. She even turned her nose up at alfalfa. I was not too worried … Continue Reading »
Cerise is my Fire horse temperament and she often suffers with Liver Qi stagnation. Her symptoms include tightness and pain in her ribcage, loss of appetite and loose manure. She does not have strong heats but she does have a tendency to get ovarian cysts which cause her major discomfort. When she is suffering from … Continue Reading »
I am continuing to study the energetics of food and I did not realize I was taking on a project similar to learning homeopathy. Foods are much more complicated than initially meets the eye. Of course foods do not act as deeply as homeopathic remedies because they are not made more potent by the act … Continue Reading »
The Sour Flavor Properties: The sour flavor has a yin, cooling effect and although yin is usually considered to be moistening the sour flavor has a drying or astringent action on the tissues. Think of the way your mouth feels when you suck on a lemon or lime. Uses: Horses that sweat excessively or have … Continue Reading »
Salty Properties: The salty flavor moves energy down and in to help center it deep within the the body. The salty flavor moistens dryness, softens hardened lumps and loosens stiffness. It supports digestion and and helps to detoxify the horse’s body. Uses: The salty flavor is great to help soften hardened lymph nodes, glands and … Continue Reading »
Pungent(includes acrid, spicy, hot and aromatic flavors) Properties: The pungent flavor stimulates circulation of energy and blood and moves energy upwards and outwards to the periphery of the body. Uses: This flavor stimulates digestion and disperses mucus and specifically: 1. clears mucus out of the lungs but should be used with caution if heat is … Continue Reading »
Sweet Properties: Sweet is the a Yang flavor that can be important in feed for horses if it is not overdone. The full sweet flavor that is found in most grains can strengthen tissues and empty sweet found more in fruits has a cleansing and cooling effect. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, sweet is a … Continue Reading »
Most people think of food from only its nutritional value which they consider the same for every horse but when viewed energetically foods have different effects on different horses depending on their Five Element type. In addition to looking at foods from a standpoint of different types we should also look at what we feed … Continue Reading »