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Posts Tagged ‘Natural Horsemanship’

The Do’s & Don’ts of Laminitis (Part 1)

This is a very interesting and informative article by Marijke van de Water, Equine Health & Nutrition Specialist, Homeopathic Practitioner, and Medical Intuitive & Healer, which outlines a few “do’s and don’ts” for ensuring the optimal health of a laminitic horse. This is Part 1 – stay tuned for Part 2!

First, let’s start with the “don’ts”:

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The Don’ts

Don’t put a laminitic horse on pasture – fresh grass is very high in sugar, especially in the spring, summer and the hottest part of the day.

Don’t feed oats, barley, corn, COB, grains or any other commercial grain feeds including extruded feeds – these (as well as grass) are all high in sugar and non-structural carbohydrates which increase blood sugar, insulin levels and cecal acids and toxins – all major causes of lamina inflammation.

Don’t feed high fat feeds or added oils. While current popular opinion promotes feeding horses poor quality fats for “cool” energy and for lowering the glycemic index of forage and grain, fats and oils congest the liver and lymph system, slow down digestive transit time, impede nutrient absorption, contribute to leaky gut, have no nutritional value and increase cortisol levels which elevates blood sugar.

Don’t feed alfalfa. While the high protein levels in alfalfa will lower the glycemic index and stabilize blood sugar in SOME horses, excess alfalfa will exacerbate laminitic symptoms in most horses by contributing to a leaky gut and/or by increasing the deposition of acids into the hoof joints.

Don’t soak your hay for longer than two to three weeks – any longer than that could increase hunger and stress levels as the sugar and/or protein levels may become deficient. Any hay that needs to be soaked long-term to maintain weight or soundness is not the right hay.

Don’t starve the overweight laminitic/metabolic horse – this creates stress causing unbalanced insulin levels, increased cortisol production, poor immunity and an increase in hoof inflammation. Feed small amounts of forage frequently by using slow feeders.

Stay Tuned for Part 2
In Part 2, we will share Marijke’s words on a few more “do’s and don’ts” to ensure the optimal health of a laminitic horse.

More from Marijke van de Water:
Website: http://www.rivasremedies.com
Twitter: @rivasremedies
Facebook: facebook.com/rivasremedies1

AUGUST- Long summer days to spend for our horses…

This month we don’t have any one particular theme. Instead, I would like to celebrate & discuss all the reasons we love our horses, what they mean to us and the things we love to do with them.

Today I’d like to start by sharing a few poems & quotes written by horsemen & women around the world that express a little of the magic that our horses bring to our lives…

 

Where in this wide world can man find nobility without pride,
Friendship without envy,
Or beauty without vanity?
Here, where grace is served with muscle
And strength by gentleness confined
He serves without servility; he has fought without enmity.
There is nothing so powerful Read the rest of this entry »

The Tellington TTouch® – “the touch that teaches”

The Tellington TTouch® is a kind and respectful way of working with animals to help them overcome a variety of health and behavioural issues.  It was developed over 30 years ago by Linda Tellington-Jones and is now widely used around the world by trainers, sports and pleasure riders, veterinarians and vet-techs.
               

Tellington TTouch® recognises an inextricable link between posture and behaviour and uses Read the rest of this entry »

ACUPRESSURE- Alternative/Natural Therapy for Horses

“FIT TO CONTINUE”

(an article about an Alternative & Natural Therapy for Horses)

By Amy Snow & Nancy Zidonis,

authors of Equine Acupressure: A Working Manual

 

It is dark and downright cold.  The ride starts at 5:00 a.m. and it is 3:30 a.m.  Too cold to sleep and Samson, my 8-year-old gelding, is probably just as cold and stiff as I am.  He’s been able to move around in a pen to keep his blood circulating, but I’ve got to do something to help him warm-up and prepare for the many miles ahead…. Read the rest of this entry »

Yoga with Horses- Yet another side to Natural Horsemanship…Part 3

A note from Faye:

Natural Horsemanship is not just about riding without a bit…it is far bigger than that…Natural Horsemanship is a mindset, it is a new way of being with horses. It is developing a more natural & closer relationship with your horse. It also means exploring alternative therapies that can improve your horse’s quality of life…

Here is Part 3 of ‘Yoga with Horses’ written by Linda Guanti

Developing yoga with horses was really hard for me at first. Like I said, yoga with horses was something I created from necessity, not something that was put together intentionally. I had many different opinions about what I wanted it to become. I finally decided that a set routine was the best idea. I had been doing Bikram yoga for years. Bikram yoga is a series of 27 poses done in a heated room. It’s the same 27 postures every time. It may seem surprising but it never ever felt like the same class. I bet anyone who does it will attest to this. Each time you do the class your body and mind are in a different place and thus your class always has different challenges and successes. I felt that this would be the same. Especially because in this case, it’s not just your body and mind but your horses as well.

My routine combines Read the rest of this entry »

Yoga with Horses- Yet another side to Natural Horsemanship…Part 2

A note from Faye:

Natural Horsemanship is not just about riding without a bit…it is far bigger than that…Natural Horsemanship is a mindset, it is a new way of being with horses. It is developing a more natural & closer relationship with your horse. It also means exploring alternative therapies that can improve your horse’s quality of life…

Here is part 2 of ‘Yoga with Horses’ written by Linda Guanti

Now you might be thinking the same thing I was at this point. How can I possible have time to stretch myself, stretch my horse and groom and ride and do barn chores and…? Some details started to get left out…but some started to combine!

Time to pick the horse’s hoof out? Why not throw in a forward bend. That makes 4 forward bends if you do it for each hoof! How about brushing the legs? Why not side lung to the front, then to the back. That’s 2 of each when you go to each side of the horse. Girth’s all done up? Now time to stretch the horse’s legs forward. It’s a stretch in addition to smoothing the skin under the girth area! Want to give you horse a treat? Make him stretch his head to each side to reach it, or down to his chest or between his front legs. This also helps to prevent or deter bad manners. The horse learns Read the rest of this entry »

Yoga with Horses- Yet another side to Natural Horsemanship…Part 1

A note from Faye:

Natural Horsemanship is not just about riding without a bit…it is far bigger than that…Natural Horsmanship is a mindset, it is a new way of being with horses. It is developing a  more natural & closer relationship with your horse. It also means exploring alternative therapies that can imporove your horse’s quality of life…

“Yoga with Horses” written by Linda Guanti

Necessity is the mother of invention so They say. Who are They? I don’t know but I must agree in this case. Yoga with horses developed as more of a necessity then an inspiration. It grew in small and very gradual stages.  Firstly I was doing yoga regularly for my own benefit. Stretching, breathing, meditating, strengthening my own body, mind and soul. A chronic back injury was finally being tamed with a combination of Physiotherapy and Yoga. It not only helped my riding but many other aspects of my life too. As my riding abilities improved the athletic demands on my horse increased. My ongoing concern for his well-being made me wonder what I could do to help his body with the stresses of my demands. I realized that Read the rest of this entry »

Finding your feel

 By Christa Miramadi

*Note from Faye- I really enjoyed this article from Christa and thought I would share it with everyone. Enjoy!*

A Personal Connection …

Developing a feel is not something that happens overnight.  It’s not something that you can read about in a book and “get” and it’s not something that you can pay someone to find for you.  It’s a personal connection between you and the horse you’re riding and developing this feel takes patience, practice and dedication but in no way is it some impossible aspiration.  Anyone can develop a feel if they try.

What is a feel anyway? Read the rest of this entry »

CREATING CONFIDENCE- The Practical Side of Natural Horsemanship

By Christa Miremadi

Develop more confidence in your horsemanship… with a few practical tips!

How is it that most of the trainers and clinicians out there can make horsemanship look so easy?  Why is it that re-enacting some of the apparently simple exercises is never quite as simple as it looks?  How can you develop the easy-going, quiet, confidence of the pros?

If you’ve ever asked yourself (or anyone else) any of those questions, I have a tip for you.  This could very well be the most important tip you could get and if you take it seriously, I guarantee you, you won’t just come across with more confidence, you’ll be more confident!

Get to know your gear!!

And I mean really get to know it.  Your lead rope, your halter, your carrot stick, whatever it is you use, get to know it like it’s part of you.

There are very specific ways to use your equipment and if used improperly, anything is capable of hurting your horse. Read the rest of this entry »

FINDING SOFTNESS & BALANCE- Through Natural Horsemanship

By Christa Miremadi

Most of us who are pursuing a gentle, respectful way of being with our horses like to refer to our ways as soft.  We like to look at how we work with

Natural Horsemanship- Softness & Balance

 our horses as being balanced and gentle and we hope that others who watch us working with our horses will notice how soft and balanced we are too.

Horses are gentle, quiet creatures with big hearts and a bold spirit.  For centuries humans dominated, abused and used these animals against their will, relying on muscle and strength, ropes, chains and restraints in order to “break” their spirit and “bridle” their power and skills.  Using horses for transportation of goods, people, supplies, working cattle, sport and pleasure, hunting and war, horses served people and provided mankind with progress of all sorts. 

Somewhere along the way, a few cowboys realized that horses would likely be willing to do the same job, possibly with more heart, if they were given the ability to learn it in a gentler manner.  Read the rest of this entry »