Natural Horse Care
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At Yemaya Horse Retreat we've been trying to
embrace natural horse care as much as possible to promote health,
longevity, and emotional wellbeing in our horses.
Not everyone can give the horse totally natural living conditions, from the
required 20 kilometers a day and free flowing streams to a "chemical free" zone,
but the more
natural environment we can give them, the healthier and stronger our horses will
become. Some of you may be familar with the lifespan of ranch horses versus
stable horses. It is not uncommon for the average ranch horse to live into
their mid thirties, sometimes more, while the average stable horse is lucky to
make it into their mid twenties. Do the living conditions make THAT much of a
difference? Apparently so.
Natural Living Conditions
You may have heard the saying several times before, that we've bred the health or hooves out of our horses. But how is it, that a wild mustang can end up with the same issues as our domesticated horses, when subjected to similar living conditions?
Can we recreate the living conditions that our horses are meant to survive in? Can we provide them with enough movement, miles, and companionship that they will outlast the average stable horse?
The biggest part: Moment. The horse, a four legged athlete was made to cover 20 kilometers a day on all sorts of terrain. Though most of us don't have the land for horses to cover that much ground per day, we do have saddles, places to go and things to do. So get out there and get riding. Whoever thought a horse care program could involve such fun!
Barefoot
Going barefoot may seem daunting , if not impossible to many, but the horse is built to be barefoot. For millions of years nature has selected the fittest horses, and the fittest hooves to survive today.
And maybe not all horses can go barefoot soundly. If they've had a poor "childhood" with neglected feet, injuries, or illnesses, then it is possible that the horse will never be sound without shoes. But having said that, be aware of the damage that shoes do to your horses hooves, legs and joints. Hitting metal on hard surfaces is enough to send a vibration up my arm. After a while that vibration will turn into numbness, a sign of decreased circulation. Awareness is the first step. (And boots could be the second)
What is a healthy hoof?
A smooth, tough sole. An expanding hoof mechanism. Glossy calluses. A wide,
leathery frog, and thick walls. But if the horse is sound and working barefoot,
that is the perfect definition a healthy hoof.
You will find there are many different ways to trim a hoof; if you can follow the information that the hoof is "telling you," you can't go wrong.
For the interpretation of "hoof talk," visit the website's below.
Pete Ramey explains how to achieve a
healthy hoof through a series of articles on his website, his book
"Making Natural Hoof Care Work For You," and shows you the guidelines a hoof
is giving you before you pick up the knife.
www.hoofrehab.com
Iron Free Hoof shows you how to start your own
trimming, and though slightly different from Pete Ramey, the guidelines are
still respected and therefore produce the best possible results for each horse.
www.ironfreehoof.com
At Tribe Equus see what "wild" hooves look like.
Why are they shaped the way they are? If it looks foreign to you, read up on it.
Study it until it starts to make sense. Nature has so much to teach us
about hooves.
www.tribeequus.com/wildfeet.html
Herbal Dewormers
First off, there are a LOT of opinions out there. Be aware that if you are looking for more facts on deworming, there is a lot of information that supports both traditional and natural methods, and some that try to prove one another wrong. Try to find both sides to the story rather than discounting one or the other.
Wormy facts:
Worm cycles are more prevalent in the spring
and fall than in the dead of winter or heat of summer.
Fecal exams are the best indicator of what
type of wormer you should be using, and if they need to be dewormed at all.
You may be putting a horse at risk by
deworming it if it is not healthy and in good condition.
Firstly, the effective, traditional, and “chemical”,dewormers. We know they work. It’s tested, tried, and true. There are many brand names, but only a few active ingredients (Ivermectin, moxidectin, pyrantel pamoate, and a few others) in all the chemical dewormers out there. You want to rotate the active ingredient as per the parasites and season you encounter. Some say to deworm every 6 to 8 weeks, others say every 3 months. Find out what is best suits your horses needs.
If traditional wormers work so well, why mess with a good thing?
Well, there’s the mysterious colicing with the sensitive horses…somewhere just after a worming time, having to keep the dogs out of the “toxic” manure piles for a couple days… and the unknown damage that is going on inside our horses every time we use wormers on them.
The chemical dewormers are said to be hard on a horse’s kidneys and liver, as well as killing the micro flora or probiotics (friendly bacteria), which is why many people are trying to find alternative ways to deworm their horses.
There are many combinations of natural ingredients from garlic, and pumpkin seeds, to Diatomaceous Earth that made to deworm horses and other animals. There is much controversy and little facts publicized over just how well these products work.
A good argument is that if the natural wormers don’t work as well as the traditional wormers, they are at least keeping the horse’s intestines free of toxins and their immune system boosted to prevent diseases.
Which route you choose to go is up to you, whether it be active chemical ingredients, active herbal ingredients, or a combination thereof. What is very important is the fecal exams. You can find out what is working and what isn’t, when you actually NEED to deworm your horses, and when they have no signs of parasites. If they have no parasites, why deworm them at all?
One argument I ran into was that there is a reason why the horses on natural products have fecal tests come back clean. Many of the people trying these “natural methods” are attempting to give their horses the best possible living conditions and therefore have good pasture management and control over parasite numbers.
When it comes to pasture management there are a few factors that lead to healthy horses.
· The less manure your horses are in, the less they will become infected. Whether you clean the corrals once a week or twice a day is up to you, but keep your horse’s health in mind.
· Keep feed away from manure piles
· Give pasture a few months to rest if you can, harrow only in dry conditions, and leave the pasture unoccupied for six weeks.
· Pull any bots off “manually”
· Get fecal exams done regularly
Some natural deworming products are:
Riva’s Remedies:
www.rivasremedies.com
Para + Plus
–“Parasites & Bacteria”
(natural dewormer)
Pro-Colon
(Probiotics or “friendly flora” that
helps keep the gut healthy, especially after using chemical dewormers)
The Natural Pet Vet: www.thenaturalpetvet.net.com In the “Horse Products” section: “Worm Check” is a natural herbal paste formula.
Verm-X:
www.verm-x.com
Powder for Horses
(natural dewormer)
Don’t forget to check
out their “Press Releases.” Verm-X is also looking for a distributor in Canada.
Jeffers Equine : www.jeffersequine.com Carries a natural dewormer.
“Fly Predators” which keep the fly population down and interrupt the cycle of parasite breeding . Check out Spalding Laboratories at www.636.spalding-labs.com for more information.
For more information, feel free to check out
www.horsemenslab.com –Dedicated to Effective Worm Control-
Practical Horseman: “Target: Worms”
Allopathic Vaccinations versus Natural Methods?
Just like the natural dewormers, there are many opinions expressed that are not based on factual information. If you choose to find more information, please use your discretion.
Many people are turning to the alternate methods in order to protect their horses against common dis-eases. The general influence is the small reactions, such as stiff necks, heat and swelling, lethargy, etc. Some of the more serious side effects that can occur are laminitis, colic, and even cancerous growths. Another issue is the concern for the unexplained recommendation for the annual (or more often) vaccinations.
Allopathic nosodes are a simple homeopathic concept where small doses of the virus discharge is administered orally to horses to build up an immunity to the virus. It is given in several doses, usually daily for the first few days, and then weekly or monthly. It is very similar to a vaccination, except it is given in smaller doses, orally instead of intramuscularly, and with fewer side effects.
It may be more inconvenient than the one time injections, but may be an option if your horses suffer adverse reactions to intramuscular vaccinations.
The most common nosodes that are on the market are Eastern Western/Tetanus (EWT), Potomac Horse, Lepto, Strangles, Rabies (Lyssin), Rhinopneumonitis and Flu (ERIV), and Lyme disease.
If you choose to vaccinate your horses intramuscularly, NEVER vaccinate an unhealthy horse (this includes cancer, allergies, metabolic disorders, and skin conditions), and assess the risks per vaccination. For example, influenza is one of the more stressful vaccinations on a horse’s system, where the virus is still easily treatable, and something like rabies, a life threatening disease and vaccination is very effective and comes with few reactions.
One common mistake that is made, is if a horse is brought to the vet, the horse is vaccinated “since you’re there anyways.” A word of caution. Chances are pretty good your horse is already under mental and physical stress. If your horse is stressed, there is a better chance they will not be able to start creating antibodies to “fight” the injection.
Also, be aware the combination shots may be more harmful to your horse, as you are injecting them with multiple vaccinations at a time. If your horse reacts, you may want to try injecting them a week apart with single shots…
And as for how often… The level of risk is a factor. For example, strangles is a highly contagious disease, but you need only be concerned if there are cases reported in your area. The length of time your horse has immunity from the vaccination is also a determining factor of how often to vaccinate. Some vaccinations provide immunity for less than a year, some more. “Titers” are available for some vaccinations, which will tell a person how much immunity a horse has from the previous injection.
Before making any changes to your vaccination program, consult your horse care professional.
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