Tips p to REDUCE
VACCINATION SIDE EFFECTS
Winter
HOOF
Essential oils for the
ANXIOUS OUS H HORSE O
EQUINE
UVEITIS
HEALTH
What to watch for
Training
nutritious HORSE ORSE TREATS S
THE ROLE OF CURIOSITY IN
MASSAGE THERAPY
for ARTHRITIS VOLUME 12 ISSUE 1
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February/March 2017
HOW TO SELECT
Last Chance RANCH
Clarissa’s tale of survival is a heartwarming testament to the spectacular efforts of this equine rescue ranch.
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Conte Cont 10
FEATURES 10 WINTER HOOF CARE AND HORSE HEALTH
The onset of winter often means changes in horsekeeping practices. These changes can have both positive and negative effects on your horse’s hoof quality – and on his overall health and well-being.
14 HELP YOUR HORSE
HANDLE VACCINATIONS
There are times when you will need to vaccinate your horse. Knowing how to support him and his immune system will help prevent side effects.
20 TRAINING YOUR HORSE
28 SELECTING (OR BAKING!) NUTRITIOUS HORSE TREATS There are hundreds of horse treats out there to choose from, but many commercial products just aren’t good for him. Here are some tips to keep in mind when searching for or making the perfect treats for your horse.
32 ESSENTIAL OILS FOR THE ANXIOUS HORSE Essential oils are a natural, effective way to help alleviate stress and anxiety in our equine friends.
– HOW CURIOSITY PLAYS A PART
36 ACUPUNCTURE FOR
An attitude of curiosity is of vital importance to your horse’s trainability and willingness to learn. Let’s take a look at how you can nurture this trait in your horse, and yourself!
A sore back is a common complaint in horses, and can occur for a variety of reasons. Acupuncture can be a helpful therapy for the cold-backed horse.
24 LAST CHANCE RANCH Clarissa’s tale of survival is a heartwarming testament to the spectacular efforts of this equine rescue ranch.
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Equine Wellness
THE COLD-BACKED HORSE
40 EQUINE UVEITIS Uveitis in horses can be difficult to diagnose, but early detection is important in order to preserve your horse’s eyesight.
44 OVERSEEDING PASTURES The thought of seeding pastures may seem preposterous – after all, grass just grows! But for stressed or overgrazed pastures, overseeding may be just what the doctor ordered.
46 MASSAGE THERAPY FOR THE ARTHRITIC HORSE Arthritis doesn’t just affect your horse’s joints. Because he compensates in other areas of his body as well, pain and discomfort can occur there too. Here is how massage therapy can help.
58 HANDLING COMMON HERD DYNAMICS Developing herds for domesticated horses can come with its own set of unique challenges. Let’s take a look at the factors that can affect herd dynamics, and how to create the ideal herd situation.
nts 24 DEPARTMENTS COLUMNS 8 Neighborhood news
6 Editorial 34 Business profile: Razerhorse
17 Herb blurb
39 Product picks
18 Acupressure at-a-glance
48 Heads up
49 Green acres
51 Social media corner
50 Minute horsemanship
52 Equine Wellness resource guide
54 Holistic veterinary Q&A
60 Marketplace
56 To the rescue
61 Classifieds 61 Book review 62 Events
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Photo courtesy of Dana Rasmussen
N
urturing curiosity in your horse is the quickest way to build confidence, dissolve frustration, and solve problems in training. This is true for you, too, as the one training and working with your horse.
even trying? If you assume you already know what is going to happen, you become “committed to the inevitable�, and so it is difficult to change behavior and outcomes. This almost guarantees that the problem will persist.
Why is curiosity important?
Asking high quality questions
A curious mind is a mind that is asking questions. The brain loves to be right, so when you ask it a question, or encourage it to ask questions, it will find an answer. The key is to ask high quality questions of yourself and your horse.
This downward spiral can be changed in an instant if you can shift to a state of curiosity by asking high quality questions. For example:
The opposite of curiosity is mental disengagement, apathy and indifference. In that state it is impossible to solve a problem, and this leads to frustration, boredom or assumption. If you are sure that things will never change or improve, why bother 20
Equine Wellness
Recall a time when you were really frustrated by a problem you were having with your horse. Chances are your brain was saying some version of: This is impossible, I am terrible at this! or He never picks up the correct lead! But what if you instead asked a high quality question such as: What is one thing I could do a little
better today? or What else could I try to help him pick up that lead? I guarantee your brain will come up with an answer! This is why curiosity and confidence go together. If you train yourself to become curious, you will become more confident. When you ask yourself a question, it is implied that you are the one with the answer! And as you become more confident, you will become even more curious. That will put you on an upward spiral of success.
Making curiosity a habit Form the habit of asking high quality questions. Here are some questions I make a habit of asking in order to happily move through difficult moments:
QUESTIONS I ASK MYSELF: ✓ What’s one thing I could improve right now? ✓ How could I be clearer? ✓ What’s working well? QUESTIONS I ASK MY HORSE:
When a horse is feeling safer and calmer he will start to investigate what he was afraid of, until he ultimately touches it with his nose. That is when he begins the process of trying to answer the question: What is that? Often, a horse will put his nose on a scary thing, give it a sniff, and then go completely calm as if saying: Oh, it’s just a dumb chair, I knew that. It is important to allow this process. This is what helps the horse gain confidence. Horses are often reprimanded for putting their noses on things or investigating their surroundings. I met a horse that was very nervous in the barn. I observed him pawing anxiously while on crossties. I took him off the crossties and he immediately went to sniff at the wall beside him, where some equipment was hanging. But the owner reflexively blocked and reprimanded him. “The bridle is expensive!” she exclaimed. I suggested she just watch for a moment, and added that if he went to chew on the bridle we would take it away. He sniffed it, then turned around. As I followed him, he spent about five minutes sniffing and investigating everything on the wall behind him, then he turned back around and sighed. I dropped the lead rope and he stood quietly where just minutes ago he had been anxious. His owner had not allowed him to answer the question: What is that? Continued on page 22.
✓ How can I help you with this? ✓ What do you need to know?
Photo courtesy of Pawel Siwek
✓ What else could you try?
Horses are curious by nature, and they really do want to figure out what we are asking of them. Unfortunately, if we don’t make a point of nurturing their curiosity, it is possible to train it right out of them. We do this by not allowing them to ask and explore questions of their own.
QUESTIONS YOU WANT YOUR HORSE TO BE ASKING: ✓ What is that? ✓ Where are you? ✓ What are we doing? ✓ How about this?
When a horse is frustrated or afraid of something he will zone out, freak out, or act out. In those states he is not mentally engaged. Control may temporarily get you through a difficult moment, but triggering curiosity is what will solve the problem. Equine Wellness
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