equine Living naturally!
™
Inside:
WELLNESS
wellness resource guide
Your natural resource!
The
barefoot transition: what you need to know
Are laminitis and diabetes connected? When to use essential oils How to manage your horse’s
stress
Horse health checklist
8 Tips
to sound barefoot hooves
JAN/FEB. 2007 Display until Feb 17, 2007 $5.95 USA/Canada
VOLUME 2 ISSUE 1
www.EquineWellnessMagazine.com equine wellness
contents 28
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30
features 16 24
Managing stress How to recognize and help your horse cope with stress
Going from shoes to barefoot? Here’s what you need to know
28
Hoof care means more than just a trim Using a respectful approach
equine wellness
30
8 key factors in barefoot soundness Helpful tips from a pro
34 Embracing
the Elements Intro to the Five Elements of Chinese Medicine: which fits your horse?
42 Hair Mineral Analysis Another tool in your medicine kit
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Click on this icon to visit featured links
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Are laminitis and diabetes connected? Part 2 of our series
50
Inspirational women in the horse world
58 Essential oils
Why they’re nature’s gift to horses
64 How is your
horse feeling? Try this checklist
Linda Tellington-Jones
52
Are all hoof boots created equal? Our hoof boot review
equine wellness
Managing by Mary Ann Simonds
Stress
in your horse’s environment
People often think of stress as a human condition; the product of our harried lives. But in reality, stress, which contributes to both emotional and physical problems, is very common in our equine partner’s life, too. Understanding the nature of stress, what causes it, how horses cope, and what we can do to help is an integral part of whole horse care.
What is stress? All life is stressed to some degree. A little stress helps creatures and other life forms adapt, while too much of it causes species “distress”. Stress by one definition is the “body’s response to anything (stressors) that it considers as threatening” and it can be perceived on both physical and mental/emotional levels. Evolution has adapted all mammals to react quickly to dangerous threats which is one reason why both humans and horses are still here today. The high
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equine wellness
measure of energy in the muscles that comes as a result of stress increases the body’s ability to physically react, but at the same time lowers the ability to think. This reaction, often referred to as the “fight or flight” mechanism, has served both horse and human well throughout history, in fact, our very survivals depended on it. Today, humans and horses face more mental and emotional stress than threats to our lives. But humans have the ability to reason and understand what causes our anxiety, while horses do not. They
are still operating as they did thousands of years ago, and although horses have adapted well to domestication, their basic biology and ecology have not changed. Their bodies continue to manifest the fight or flight reactions, and these may show up as behaviorial issues that you can see or internal problems that you may not even associate with stress at first.
Recognize the signs of stress in your horse’s life Behaviorally stress can show up through gestures like head tossing, weaving, cribbing, or pawing from worry, boredom, or physical discomfort. Like humans, horses can store mental anxiety in their muscles, especially over the pole area, neck and shoulders. This “armor” can cause discomfort and soreness. The above signs are easy to recognize,
but what about the more subtle ones? Many domestic horses have the “I-wantto-please-syndrome” and will behave to fit in even at the possible loss of their own identity and comfort. Often they are labeled as “dead broke”, but instead can be a time bomb waiting to happen. They are horses who: Have shut down or are never calm. Will not make eye contact with you and have tight lips. Are unfriendly and have no friends. These horses need to communicate – talk and touch your horse daily. Ask how he or she feels today. As social mammals horses need to feel safe and belong. Internal conditions due to stress are harder to spot. It can affect the sympathetic nervous system, which stimulates involuntary action of the intestines, glands and heart and can show up as diarrhea or colic if the stress is high. It can also affect the neuroendocrine system by increasing energy flow (to allow the body to move quickly if necessary), which uses stored up fats, proteins and carbohydrates. This is why horses who worry a lot are “hard keepers” or often have ulcers and tense muscles. How horses perceive stress depends upon the horse’s temperament, experiences, activities, diet, lifestyle and environment.
Temperament and personality matter
upon by humans and these horses are often disciplined for their over sensitivity or keen sensory awareness rather than rewarded. This misunderstanding can cause worry, fear and even anger in some horses.
Hint
Horses need to communicate with fellow sociable creatures. If horses do not have a good friend or someone to whom they can clearly communicate their distress or concerns, they can become more stressed and act out in an effort to communicate.
Environment plays a major role in stress From nature’s perspective, horses are designed to live in free roaming social groups, eating all day long. The safety of the herd allows horses to eat and sleep without much worry, as they know that at least one or more horses in the group will react to danger if they are not paying attention. Living in a herd allows natural rhythms for eating, socializing and resting. Once leadership is established through spatial awareness and respect, the herd feels at peace and safe, knowing they are protected by the horses who can command the biggest spaces – the most aware and intelligent horses. Today, most horses live in small defined spaces without close friends, the safety of a herd or the ability to run from danger. From the human perspective, we believe our horses have much more
Hint
Horses release or hold stress depending on their personalities. “Externalizers” release stress through bucking, running, kicking, biting and other actions. “Internalizers” hold stress and often build up digestive and foot problems as well as pain caused from tight muscles.
Mares tend to internalize and worry more when they are separated because, in their natural state, they would rarely leave their social breeding group of friends.
In a herd, sensitive horses get “credit” and are usually honored because their skill protects the others from danger. Yet this same ability is looked down
security than those in a wild herd. But in reality, though we have removed the physical and mental stress of being attacked by wolves or mountain lions,
many horses feel even more stress from the psychological effects of separation and never belonging to a herd.
Eight most important things to a horse In committing to care for our equine partners, we take the role of both friend and leader, promising safety and comfort in exchange for loyalty and love. We can’t always prevent stress, but we can reduce some stressors and help our horses cope better. To do that, you must understand his instinctual and biological needs.
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Social bonds – Having friends is stronger than any other instinct in the horse. The need to belong to a herd or at least have friends for safety and comfort is paramount. If you don’t have another horse, provide a social mammal such as a goat, dog or cat for a friend.
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Photo: Mary Ann Simonds
Safety – Horses want to feel safe. As a prey species they react to many stimuli that humans are unaware of or do not sense as they do. Horses need “safe space” and, contrary to what many people think, a stall is not always considered a safe place to a horse. In nature, the herd and open spaces provide safety which is why turnout is best.
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Food/water – Horses eat a variety of plants, including grasses, herbs and equine wellness
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