By Marikje van de Water, B.Sc., DHMS.

The equine digestive system¸ as with that of all mammals¸ is efficient and functional and normally services an animal with good health throughout a lifetime. All of the digestive organs are perfectly designed and calibrated to work together to sustain life by breaking down food¸ extracting nutrients and eliminating waste. Like all body systems, breakdown in function is almost always precipitated by external factors.

I am therefore puzzled by the mainstream belief system within the world of medical science that seems to accept the hypothesis that the breakdown of tissues and organs and subsequently of general health¸ is not random event¸ but one over which we have no control…

In order to understand just how much control we really do have over our horse’s health¬- and ours too for that matter- we need to understand WHAT, WHY and HOW things go wrong.

So what goes wrong?

PEOPLE GO WRONG! We overfeed; we underfeed; we feed imbalanced proportions of proteins and sugars; we “fatten them up” with rancid fats and oils; we spray their feed with pesticides and herbicides ; and we feed processed, commercial feeds without ever knowing what they contain (remember the animals by-products that started showing up in equine feeds in the late 1990’s?). We feed our horses grass and hay that is grown on depleted soils, regularly spread with chemical fertilizers. We also grow and feed nutritionally potent grass mixes that we actually developed for increasing production of milk and beef in our cows, but which are difficult for our horses to digest.

We over medicate them with chemical de-wormers, vaccination, anti-inflammatories, antibiotics and steroids, all of which negatively affect both the gastrointestinal tract and the immune system.

We confine our horses to small area where they can’t exercise, browse, graze, find diet variety, seek out their own medicines or play with their friends.  Some horse wear cloths, some of them endure hormone altering night lights, some of them literally die of boredom and many have hooves shaped into unnatural angles.

Yet- and I can’t believe it either- in spite of it all, our beautiful loyal friends, these horses entrusted to our care do for the most part, adapt to these unnatural conditions.

Don’t you think we owe it to these horses to give them the most natural healthy lifestyle we can??

In the next few weeks we will outline the Do’s and Don’ts of how and what to feed your horses.
Stay tuned for some amazing information & advice from Marikje van de Water, B.Sc., DHMS.

ABOUT MARIJKE…
Marijke van de Water, B.Sc., DHMS
•  Equine Health & Nutrition Specialist
•  Homeopathic Practitioner
•  Medical Intuitive/Healer
•  Seminar & Retreat Facilitator
“Helping Horses & Their People”
 
Marijke has been a Natural Health Practitioner and Energy Healer for nearly two decades. She is a gifted and widely respected healer who uses a blend of exceptional knowledge, modern science, ancient wisdom and medical intuition giving her an uncanny ability to track the underlying causes of unwellness. She uses a variety of modalities to help horses (and their people) including diet, clinical and therapeutic nutrition, homeopathic medicines, energy testing and energy healing.
Marijke is from Armstrong, B.C. where she manages a natural health clinic. She works with horses all over North America formulating wellness programs for a variety of health conditions through the use of feeding programs, nutritional supplements, herbs and homeopathic remedies. She is considered one of the foremost experts in therapeutic nutrition and equine natural medicine with a special interest in digestive disorders, immunity, laminitis, metabolic syndrome and emotional and spiritual wellness. In late 2008 she published her first book, “Healing Horses – Their Way!”, a comprehensive and highly informative book on holistic equine health and horse-keeping.
Marijke has extensive teaching experience and is a popular speaker and clinician at equine conferences and expos. She conducts seminars and classes in equine natural medicine, kinesiology, and animal communication. She also facilitates healing retreats for people. Her continuing research, expert knowledge, and exceptional communication skills have put her in high demand across North America for her informative lectures and successful health practices with horses and people. She also offers individual consultations locally and by long-distance.
Marijke lives with two quarter horse mares, one black and white paint gelding, a Shetland pony who taught her everything she knows, and a miniature cross donkey who loves to be loved. She rides English, Western and bareback and enjoys interacting with her horses through fun-filled horsemanship, good food, intuitive communications, healing and a sharing of the spirit.