Holistic Horse Care

Holistic Horse Care

Diet

Horses just like any other animal or human benefit from more natural care. The best place to start is the diet, as this is the main foundation of any natural health care system. Firstly, it is essential to avoid any artificial additives in the feed. The main ones to look out for are ethoxyquin, BHA and BHT, as well as artificial colorings and flavorings. Try and put the horse on a pasture which is organically grown and not treated with any chemicals such as artificial fertilizers and pesticides. All these chemicals act as toxins to the body and contribute to the formation of chronic disease and poor health. The best hay to feed is organic alfalfa as this provides more energy and nutrients than grass and timothy hay. Obviously make sure it is made naturally and is not dusty and full of weeds and molds. It should smell sweet and not musty or damp. A lot more farmers are turning to Organic farming and it is a lot safer and more productive.

As far as grains go it is far better to feed organic wholegrain feed, rather than synthetic pelleted diets, which are unnatural and highly processed. Synthetic vitamins added to commercial feeds are not well utilized by the body and natural enzymes are destroyed in the manufacturing process. Wholegrains are healthier, natural and more easily digested than pelleted food. The main grains to consider feeding are barley, oats and corn. The exact ratio's depend on the type of horse care, the work that they are expected to do and individual preferences. Some horses just do better on one particular type of grain. As with all dietary changes for horses it is best to do it gradually. Horses are so susceptible to colic if the food is suddenly changed so just start adding a little of the new food daily, and slowly increase the amounts, and decrease the old food over several days. Corn is a highly energizing food and is therefore concentrated nutrition, as well as being good for the digestion. Oats are digested rapidly in the stomach, are less energy forming and are warming in nature. Barley is more cooling and is in between corn and oats as far as the energy value.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture in animals has been used for thousands of years by the Chinese. Horses care respond well, just like cats and dogs and nowadays acupuncture is often used in performance horses in the USA. Most racetracks have veterinarians who regularly perform acupuncture on horses. Acupuncture balances the body and in highly competitive race horses this can often make a big difference in achieving peak performance. Even if your horse is not a racehorse acupuncture can help, especially with orthopedic problems and lameness of various types. Acupuncture in horses care is similar to that used in dogs and cats, which has been covered in a previous article in this website. Needles are inserted into various acupuncture points, depending on the problem that has been diagnosed. Sometimes in horses substances such as vitamin B 12 are actually injected into the acupuncture points to give a longer lasting effect, and this is often makes things easier to handle than having to wait for ten or twenty minutes while the needles remain in place. Acupuncture can treat many different conditions apart from lameness, such as dermatitis, liver or kidney problems and other miscellaneous diseases. Chronic lameness that has not responded to conventional treatment methods often responds well to acupuncture, and sometimes expensive and lengthy surgeries can even be prevented. As such acupuncture has become much more widely accepted for the treatment of horses, than it has for cats and dogs. It is now recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association as a valid treatment modality.

When observing your horse¡¯s feet there are some general notes on anatomy you must be aware of.

The single most important point is that you should realize that your pet horse¡¯s hooves are a result of a metabolic process in his body. This process is no different from your nail growth. Diet and the type of exercise your horse faces has a direct affect on the growth process of the body¡¯s horn producing times. If you or your horse become ill some signs of bodily stress can be noticed. For example, the skin, hair and horn will become dull in appearance and in extreme cases these tissues may deteriorate and "slough-off". It has been said that the horse¡¯s feet are its barometer and, as good horse owners, we should learn how to read it. Let¡¯s begin by defining what kind of stress can take place. Generally speaking there are two: metabolic and mechanical.

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