Natural Horse Therapies

What Every Horse Owner Should Know About Laminitis ….

I was recently asked by a client who was fearful her horse might be close to foundering to describe a little more detail on Laminitis.

I am going to dedicate this blog to Laminitis as I believe it is a good topic for all horse owners to be familiar with.

Understanding Laminitis is essential for all horse owners as ALL horses can potentially get laminitis, and the affects can be catastrophic and fatal. Laminitis can affect any horse, of any age or breed, at any time of the year. It can be triggered by a variety of metabolic or physical causes. The best way to combat laminitis is to know about it and to prevent it occurring wherever possible.

Laminitis is defined as a condition of the foot, where the sensitive laminae of the foot becomes painful and inflamed. The end result of laminitis, commonly defined as Founder, is defined as either a rotation of the coffin bone downward or a general sinking of the coffin bone downward. A horse may not necessarily suffer founder as a result of an acute laminitis attack, although steps must be taken to ensure this does not occur. Read the rest of this entry

Holistic Herbal Medicine for Horses …

Herbal Medicine uses remedies derived from plants to treat common illnesses. These herbs are dietary supplements that you can give to your horse in its raw form or dried, through teas (infusions), extracts, tinctures and oils or as part of a combined remedy. Herbal Medicine aims to not only treat the symptoms but to introduce improvements to your horse’s lifestyle and wellbeing.

Herbs have been used on people and animals for thousands of years across a range of cultures. Shamans, Medicine men and women, pharaohs, kings and field workers all knew the benefits of herbs on their people and animals. Some of the more common cultures to have used herbs on their horses were the native american indian tribes, the ancient greeks and the romany gypsies of Europe. Horses also have instinctively foraged on medicinal plants native to their grasslands gaining the necessary nutrition to heal and prevent illness. Read the rest of this entry

Cellular Nutrition

As an equine therapist, one of the things I get asked a lot about is nutrition. Is my horse getting everything he needs in his diet? What can I do to support my horse – when he is unwell? How can I make sure my horse is getting the correct balance of minerals in his diet?

I thought I’d spend today talking about tissue salts and their role in equine health. Minerals are an important aspect of a good healthy body. Good quality blood and well balanced cellular health will naturally lead to a body that is vibrant and alive. As is always the case, the macrocosm is a reflection of the microcosm. Or in other words, the greater whole can only be as healthy as the smaller components within it. What I’m really talking about here is good cellular health. When the cells of our body are supported with ample nutrition, adequate mineral balance and clean cellular hydration, the body is able to function smoothly and effortlessly. When our cells are starved of nutrition, dehydrated or deficient in essential nutrients, their ability to function is impaired and the body suffers. Read the rest of this entry

As an equine owner it is useful to have an understanding of Homeopathy.

Homeopathy is a fantastic modality that works holistically and enables you to treat your horse naturally without the use of drugs or potentially damaging substances.

Homeopathy is said to stimulate and strengthen your horse’s immune system and will not mask symptoms. When used correctly homeopathy is safe, inexpensive and easy to give to your horse.

In today’s blog I am going to give a brief overview of what homeopathy is, and the basic principles and uses of homeopathy for horses.

Homeopathy is a branch of medicine, which states that any substance that can cause symptoms of illness in man or animal can also be used in the treatment of any condition showing similar symptoms.  The principle of likeness between a ‘disease condition’ and its remedy is pivotal in the development of Homeopathy. The closer these two components, the greater the likelihood of success in treatment.

Homeopathy is a system of medicine that treats each person or animal as a whole. Read the rest of this entry

Improving your Horse’s Digestive Function

Diet and Nutrition play a crucial role in our horse’s health, more than most of us give credit to.

In today’s modern world, it is a sad but important fact that we cannot always rely on a products label to inform us of its nutritional strength. Commercial feed companies are very skilled in marketing their feed products to their consumers as the “healthiest and best available”, with “everything your horse requires”. However every horse is different in their requirements as so too are their body type, size, breeding, work demand, soil and pasture quality, personality and health status. Feeds mixed to obtain profit and set formulas rarely cater to this variance.

Mixing your own feed may well be more time consuming, but it offers you an opportunity to tailor make your horse’s feed to provide them with exactly what they require, in digestible form and with often a fraction of the cost. Read the rest of this entry

Getting to the Guts of it – Healthy Nutrition

As people feeding our horses, feeding appropriate to the equine digestive system is a vital consideration. And to do this requires we know exactly how our horses digestive systems functions.

Horses digest differently from people. In people the stomach, with its enzymes is a dominant part of digestion. Food passes into the stomach for processing and breaking down, into the small intestine for absorption and finally the large intestine for any last absorption requirements. Horses on the other hand, as herbivores, have a long gut to deal with cellulose, which is relatively hard to digest and therefore needs to be held in the digestive tract for a considerable time. They are considered to have a foregut (mouth, pharynx, oesophagus, stomach and small intestines) and a hind gut (caecum, large colon, small colon, rectum and anus).

The large intestine is the major site for the fermentation of fibre. As horses don’t need amino acids as much as people do, their intestines are considered to function completely differently from ours. Read the rest of this entry

Acupressure Massage

Today I would like to talk about a topic close to my heart. As a fully qualified Equine Shiatsu Therapist I am a full believer in the benefits of Acupressure Massage! I have seen the results time and time again, and it has completely convinced me of this simple, easy to apply art, that is pleasureable to give and pleasureable to receive!

As a follow on from my previous blog ‘Regular Touch for your Horse’ you can choose to assist your horse with some simple massage techniques.

Massage can be used to boost your horses energy in areas you have found to be deficient (cold, flat, empty in feeling), as well as relieving tight or blocked areas on the body (hard, tight, hot or rigid areas). Read the rest of this entry

Holistic Medicine for our Horses

For many of us, caring for our horses is of the upmost importance. Our beloved equine friends can be a major source of joy and inspiration in our lives, offering us heart-warming love, companionship and connection. It stands to reason then that we would want to provide for them in the best way we know how.

Is it enough to have our local veterinarian available when things go wrong? If you have had a horse with chronic health conditions, you may think not. It can be distressing for the horse and their owner to be given pharmaceutical options alone. In today’s busy world, although vets are able to provide a superb service for acute and emergency situations, they rarely have the time to explore underlying problems our horses may be experiencing. It is therefore up to us, as our animal’s closest friend and carer to educate ourselves on how to best nourish their wellbeing and health, and tend to them when imbalances occur. This however does not have to be an overwhelming or daunting task, and one does not need to feel alone in this. Read the rest of this entry

A daily Palpation Exercise…

Often I am asked when I am out and about in the field working with horses and their owners, what it is that people can do daily for their horse to promote good health. So in today’s blog I want to take up the topic of the value of touch.

We all need touch. As babies it is now scientifically proven that human touch is vital for growth and development. As social creatures we thrive on touch and connection. And so do our horses. Between horses, touch is used to bond, educate, discipline, communicate and caution. As herd animals, touch is vital for physical and emotional wellbeing. Daily grooming and itching, displaying affection, play and leisure and establishing hierarchy are just some of the ways horses use touch to maintain their health. Read the rest of this entry

Girth Galls and Saddle Sores ….

Hello friends. In today’s blog I thought I’d chat about girth galls and saddle sores, which I have to say are unfortunately common in greater or lessor degrees, amongst the horse community.

So first of all, what are they and how can one identify if my horse has one?

Generally girth and saddle sores are found on or around the rug, saddle and girth areas as pressure points, where weeping, sore and devitalised areas can be seen. These can become infected and painfully inflamed. They can sometimes appear like a large flat haematoma or blood blister – raised, hot and sensitive to touch. Your horse will be resistant to riding, saddling, girthing or any pressure whatsoever! Early signs of saddle sores are tender areas to the touch, areas of heat and pain, and white/grey patches reflecting uneven pressure and suppressed circulation.

Left untreated the area may swell, blister and develop pus. Read the rest of this entry