Punkin, my Wood/Fire (Jue Yin) pony, is coming along great in his training. He has a very willing attitude and wants very much to please me and my friend, Kim. The Wood horse temperament is more likely to slow down and buck when he is upset and the Fire Horse temperament is more likely to … 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 »
With many parts of the country experiencing extreme and unusual weather this spring, it seems to be a good time to talk about the best types of horse feed and supplements to help horses cope with this kind of unexpected weather. Horses seem to be dealing either with hot dry weather or cold damp conditions. … Continue Reading »
When faced with an outbreak of a serious disease such as the equine herpes virus, you can take some comfort in knowing you have a holistic horse health program in place. I am not saying you should let your guard down or ignore the facts, but you can trust that you have tools to support … Continue Reading »
Details are so important in refined horsemanship including how to properly catch a horse. Punkin, my new welsh pony, did not want to be caught. He was easy to catch in the trailer when he was delivered, but once he was loose in a pen he was not so good. Punkin would wheel and take … Continue Reading »
Here’s a horse health care question: What does it mean when your horse is shaggy rather than shiny in the spring? Most horse owners expect to see their horses shed out their dull winter coats after the winter season is over, and emerge with a shiny spring bloom. A shiny horse is a healthy horse. … 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 »
No place is horsemanship more important than in the first few rides on a colt. I was riding with some friends this last weekend and one was on a colt for only his fifth ride. We were reviewing the importance of the one rein stop. The one rein stop is an important horsemanship skill to … Continue Reading »
I have known for many years that horsemanship is an important part of any holistic horse health program. I started my journey of understanding horsemanship about 25 years ago when I was introduced to Linda Tellington Jones. Following LTJ came my good friend Linda Hoover who introduced me to horsemanship icons such as Ray Hunt, … Continue Reading »
As a veterinarian I am often asked what people should feed their horses. Many people tell me that they simply feed their horses oats and grass hay, and their horses experience no problems. While this seems to work for some horses, it doesn’t often work well for most horses. The Truck Analogy To me, feeding … Continue Reading »
I have decided that horse feeding is very much like gardening. The secret of a thriving garden is in the soil. In the case of a successful holistic horse health program, the secret is the digestive tract. This fact came to me when I recently made a trip to my local, organic garden store. I … Continue Reading »
Remi has been doing so fantastic in his shoes with the fill in pads. I intend to get him barefoot again but with all the rain we had last summer he wore his feet off too fast. His hooves have been tough and without flair on his holistic horse health program of di magnesium malate, … Continue Reading »
Last week was sunny and warm which was quite a contrast from the previous week of sub freezing temps. Unfortunately, this is typical for Central Texas in February. On Monday night it was 80 degrees and by Tuesday morning it was 24 and we did not get above freezing for 3 days. We had multiple … Continue Reading »
Flower and herbal essences are liquid preparations that are made by infusing fresh flowers or herbs under very specific conditions to create a potentized essence. Distilled vinegar is used as a preservative. These essences are used to balance emotional and spiritual energy that can be the underlying cause of physical imbalances. To get the best … Continue Reading »
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could have an engagement process to determine a horse temperament before you made a purchase? I mean, people have the option of getting to know each other and learn each others patterns before jumping into a long term relationship but alas a person in search of a new horse … Continue Reading »
It’s not unusual for older performance horses to have joints that click, crack, or crunch, especially when you first warm them up. Although these “crunching” noises can sound a little alarming, there’s no need to panic. The noises are just a result of aging horse joints, and can be alleviated with some simple holistic horsekeeping … Continue Reading »
Bald spots, tails with mohawks, and assorted lumps and bumps … all of these symptoms can be signs of an itchy horse. Unfortunately, all the symptoms of horse itch are usually worse in the summer, when bugs, humidity, and heat all contribute to the problem. Does your horse itch? If so, then you know it … Continue Reading »
If buying gifts for the holidays has made you crazy, then shopping for all the “right” supplements for your horse can make you downright insane. Not only do you need to visit multiple stores to buy various products (whether you shop in brick-and-mortar or online stores), but many stores don’t carry holistic horse feeds and … Continue Reading »
With over 170,000 unwanted horses in the United States, according to the American Horse Council, the number of horses showing up at horse sales and horse rescues, or simply “turned loose on the range,” is increasing. As a result, the number of malnourished and skinny horses is also on the rise. Luckily, some of … Continue Reading »