Beautiful night ponderings.

Another absolutely GORGEOUS night!! I LOVE this time of year! Upon getting home at a quarter to dark o'clock, I sat outside while my horses ate and listened to the sounds of them chewing. The frogs are pretty silent, as are the crickets, which is odd for so warm an evening. Everything is so "still" outside. After Kopper Top finished, he did his usual (hang out wherever I am-which in this case was on a mounting block outside the fence). There is absolutely NOTHING in this world like the love and affection of an Arabian horse. After wuffling and mussing my hair (which is a favorite thing for him to do to me), he gave me sweet, horsey kisses. Honestly, I absolutely ADORE the love and "in your pocket" trait of the Arabian. I was telling someone earlier today that I am a complete sucker for an affectionate horse. And how grateful and fortunate am I to have the love of two?? Arabians ROCK!! There is so much about them that I admire and cherish! ((I also noticed that I have a nice 11-piece luggage set under my eyes! Moon madness catching up! Perhaps I should get to sleep "early")).

With thoughts of joyous sunshine and rest,

Inez

TRUST- I strive to be worthy.

"To force a horse when it does not understand is like training a dancer by whipping and spurring" —- The Art Of Horsemanship by Xenophon – Greek General – 365B.C.

FANTASTIC blog post and highly suggested reading! I LOVE synchronicity and this came across my page as I was pondering this same exact subject! I was thinking about  the thousands of years of evolution and instinct that is the horse (prey) and how often we (predator) are constantly asking him to override that instinct and trust us. I had literally just explained that to a person today, talking about the equines natural claustrophobia and comparing trailers and other such things to the watering hole and place where the predator (lion) jumps the horse (prey) and the horse then becomes "food." Thousands of years of survival instinct that we ask, not force(in my case), the horse to override. I was telling this person how wonderful and worthy of treasuring that type of trust warrants and how such trust and belief in me is deeply humbling and takes time, patience, and gentle persistence. I strive to be worthy of such trust~**Inez

What are your thoughts on this? How does this article resonate with you??

http://www.hayesisforhorses.com/blog/?p=264

With thoughts of joyful sunshine and trust,

~**Inez

I am such a LUCKY girl!!

Met with one of my favorite clients last night. Most of his concerns are emotional which then becomes physical. When I first met this horse he was extremely high headed, worried, and tense (I have posted about him at least one time previously); aside from him being an "emotional" horse, physically he is built with a high neck set (which I believe also contributes to his tendency to be "in his head"). I have had the pleasure of seeing him change with each visit from me, he is losing his "worried" look. His human tells me that he seems to prepare and "wait" for me to arrive on our scheduled days, I believe this to be true. He is also a kind and sensitive horse. I allow each animal (human and otherwise) to choose how their session with me will go and they "choose" which of the modalities I offer will best serve them. For our first few sessions he benefited most from energy work and aromatherapy. This is likely because most of what we treated were his emotional concerns. This boy LOVES the YL Essential Oils and we have incorporated the oil(s) he has called for and chosen into each session (always Valor, and then usually 3-4 others). As he mentally has become more balanced I am incorporating and closing with more of the physical/musculoskeletal work and have often done a combination, again, depending on his particular needs. Last night we switched it up a bit. I had just received an YLEO new to me, Trauma Life, which I intuited he would like and choose (which he did). He also chose Valor (who doesn't LOVE Valor). He literally lapped it up. Something else that was different about last night's session is he did not call much for the energy work, instead we went right into the musculoskeletal work. This is a 180 from how previous sessions would go. I am so HAPPY with the progress that is being made with this boy and so very grateful that he and I have crossed paths. He never fails to both greet me and to thank me and honestly, that is thanks enough.. I seriously LOVE this healing work that I am blessed to do and am grateful for all of the teachers that continue to show me the way (to me I have learned most from the animals I tend).

With thoughts of joyous sunshine and gratitude~**Inez

**Who have been some of your greatest animal teachers?? We'd love to hear from you! Please comment, post, and share.

Izzy's Love Equine Rescue!!

Saturday I spent some time at Izzy's Love Equine Rescue (www.izzysloveequinerescue.org -the website is still "under construction"). I had my friend, Holly with me and we did some healing work with Bubba (a recent return and the big beautiful chestnut pictured on the left). Some of what he received was aromatherapy, HTA, energywork/Reiki, and bodywork.  Holly shared some HTA (and energy work) with him, seeking to balance his chakras and I did a bit of aromatherapy, Reiki/energy work, and bodywork (massage/acupressure), he also got a bit of therapy from my cold laser pad.  Going into the session, Bubba was a bit high headed and distracted (understandably so given the recent changes in his life). He was a bit blocked from the heart chakra (shoulder/withers) on back (and showed pain during palpation along his withers to his lower lumbar with the most tension and stress points held in his withers and scapula). By the time we finished he had released his tension and was very accepting and relaxed, he was also no longer showing discomfort upon palpation.  Bubba is a REALLY nice horse and I hope that he lands somewhere soft.  In the meantime, he's in good hands at Izzy's Love with the support and love that both Debbie and Russ provide.  Let it be known that if a horse I work on is adopted, I will donate/give one free healing session included in his adoption.  This may be bodywork, energywork, or aromatherapy,(and potentially a combination of what I have to offer in my "healing" toolkit) depending on the individual animal's personal needs. This applies solely to those I have worked on.

 

The cutey on the right is Cricket.  She has a beautiful face and I believe is a permanent resident due to some of the health concerns she holds (both physical and emotional).  I can say that Russ has a certain way with the "damaged" ones… they seem to gravitate towards his gentle and caring nature. 

 

If you're looking for a FANTASTIC rescue to support, please consider Izzy's Love Equine Rescue (www.facebook.com/izzysloveequinerrscue ). They are now a 501c3 and I will personally vouch for the love and tending that the residents receive from founder, Debbie, and her #1 helper, Russ.

~**Inez

Learning is FUN!!

I love learning new ideas, information and theories, then connecting the dots in my mind. 

This is one of the many "thoughts" that speak to me and stands out from the below posted article, there are so many TRUTHS to be found here:

" Quite obviously I interested Manchester since he rarely talks with his mouth full of hay. What I like with modern understanding of our vertebral column's muscular system is that it becomes quite obvious that only our central nervous system and in particular our brain, can efficiently coordinate such a complex mechanism. Perhaps, instead of annihilating our brain through dim obedience, our riders may realize than a true partnership would generate better performances while giving us a chance to remain sound.  Then he swallowed his last bite and dropped the head for another full mouth of hay. I was thinking that such was his last words but he raised his head again and asked, do you know that I am a "dumbblood." I looked at him incredulously and he added;this is the way they call us when we are not performing as they wish. The amusing side of the story is that they don't know that in our world, the dumb is the rider and the blood is the horse."

-Chazot's Thoughts, Science of Motion

http://www.scienceofmotion.com/i_thoughts_v_.html

A healing kinda' weekend!

This past weekend was a nice horsey and wellness treat! Per previous post, the dentist, Krystin of HorseFloss, came on Saturday for UDWTs herd (check her out! We LOVE Krystin Dennis~ www.horsefloss.com she also has a business facebook page and is always open to exchanging and sharing knowledge), then I headed to her farm for my own bit of tending(I will return at a later date to work on a few of her animals, this visit was all about me :oD )... while there for myself, I had Reflexology and a reading by Christine Price (another EXTREMELY gifted healer, @stardazer111 ).

Sunday morning we had Jan of Ark Acupuncture over for UDWTs, Gabriel, (Jan Novak~ www.arkacupuncture.com , is another one of our favorite healers and is also extremely gifted!) and later that afternoon you found me in Silver Run at Twin Forest Farm and the home of Ark Acupuncture, to work on and assess a couple of horses. While there we also had Jen of Sweet Retreat Equine Dentistry (We also love Jen Kolberg~ www.sweetretreatfarm.com and she too has a business fb page and is a great one to exchange ideas with). I then headed to my own farm ( www.UnicornDreamsFarm.com ) to work on and with a few members of my own herd and today, my herd will have their hooves trimmed by our super competent hoof care practitioner, Patty Lynch.

I guess the purpose of this post is four-fold. 1) to highlight professionals working together and in support of each other, 2) the importance to take time out for self-healing and to have someone tend the wellness needs of you, the practitioner, 3) to touch on 3 foundation principles of Postural Rehabilitation (PR) ~ teeth, feet, body/posture, and 4) to introduce and highlight the concept of having a healing team in place.

1) Professionals working together and in support of each other: It's always nice to surround yourself with energies that align with your own and have similar focus and intent. In this case, the wellness of the animals and each other. All of the professionals I listed I have deep respect and affection for. They are GREAT at what they do and are also great resources for further information, and education as well as communication. This comes into play at the exchange of ideas and thoughts. I love having the support of other professionals that I can bounce my ideas and observations off of. Having them around can help you navigate and validate or negate some of your own findings. They inspire further contemplation and thought into what is observed in the animal (or human) that is the client.
2) The importance of taking time out for self-healing: This is a message that comes back to me again and again. As a "healer" and practitioner taking time for self is imperative to fully realize and provide the work that we do. This is something that I am not practiced at doing, taking time for my own self healing, and know that is crucial for over-all wellness and not to deplete the stores of my energy.
3) With the dentist tending my horses Saturday, me doing bodywork on them Sunday, and the hoof care practitioner balancing them today, we have some of the key principles to PR. All 3 of these things are intrinsically related to the overall wellness and balance of your horse. This is something I often speak and post about. They go hand in hand (or rather hoof and teeth and body) with each other and are codependent.
4) Having a healing team in place: A healing team is also a passion of mine that I often post about. Know who you can call to support the needs of yourself and those who are in your care. This doesn't mean that you will be calling them constantly, or even always in need of their services. What this does mean is that you have a "team" of folks who are there when you need them. Knowing *who* to call and having their information ready and available will save you (and your animal companions) in the long run.

Thanks for reading! What are your thoughts and experiences with the 4 items I highlighted? I'd love to hear from you!! ~**Inez

Slow Hay Nets and......... Muzzles and........Dry Lots... OH MY!!! (Is there danger in that grass??)

Spring has come! Spring has come! And with spring we have birds singing, baby animals romping, trees budding, and green grass sprouting! How idyllic, right?? Well, sort of.. that is depending on the type of grass you have and how "easy" your horse is to keep. 

 

Did you know that spring grass can be too much of a good thing?  Grazing horses on spring (along with fall) grass may lead to laminitis, especially if you have an "easy keeper" who is also predisposed to IR (insulin resistance), EMS (equine metabolic disorder), PPID (pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction aka Cushings), etc.  

 

Laminitis= inflammation of the laminae; essentially, it is the inflammation of the connecting tissues between the hoof wall and the coffin bone. 

 

·         Horses are meant to eat forage right? Forage means pasture, right? So how can letting them chow down on fresh, lush, green grass be a bad thing?

o   2 reasons: digestive upset can occur from excess carbohydrates (sugars) in the grass. This overload is a common cause of laminitis. The grass may also contain high level of fructan (sugar). This is considered a non structural carbohydrate (NSC) and is often produced in higher quantities when a plant is stressed. Unlike starch, the horse in unable to break down fructans in the same way. This may then lead to a buildup of fructans in the large intestine which leads to multiplying of fructan digesting bacteria when then upsets normal gut flora and function, thus leading to laminitis.

·         What's the deal with fructan?

o   Fructan is dependent upon photosynthesis which is dependent upon sunlight. This means cloudy weather actually lowers the fructan in the grass. (as the day goes on and the sun rises, so does the sugar/starch. They are highest prior to sunset).

·         If my horse shows rib that means he's not susceptible, right?

o   Not necessarily true. An IR horse does not always present as overweight. Learn to identify signs of IR. These signs include a cresty neck, and "fat pockets" that are not evenly distributed. These may be found over the withers, behind the shoulder, at the tailhead, a "swollen" sheath, and "puffiness" over the pocket of the eyes (there should be an indent there).

·          So when is it the "safest" to turn out horses??

o   The safest time to turn out is late night and early mornings when the grass is not stressed by frost, drought, or in the flowering stage of growth. Be sure to introduce your horse to pasture gradually. This means start in small increments of time and build up.  This will allow his intestinal flora time to adjust.

·         What can I do to minimize this risk?

o   Dry lots~ having a dry lot to keep horses on during the critical times is ideal. You can more readily monitor what your horse is eating.

o   Grazing muzzles~are a great option for limiting grass intake and still allowing your horse to graze. The muzzle is a great option until you can get a dry lot in place.

o   Small mesh/hole hay nets and slow feeders~are a great option for keeping forage in front of your horse and slowing him down.

o   EXERCISE!~ keeping your horse in work and fit will also help to minimize the risk.

o   DIET!~ nutrition is the foundation to wellness and health. Be sure to feed your horse an appropriate diet that is forage based.

o   Know that not every horse has the same needs.  They are individuals and as such, have different requirements and approaches based upon their varying needs. These needs will be determined by their metabolism, activity level, breed, health, and age.

o   Monitor insulin/glucose levels and weight, and minimize/avoid over-vaccination and drugs.

 

Want to really dive in and stoke the inner nutritional and hoof geek? Here's a few websites for you:

 

(one of my favorites and an INVALUABLE resource about grass)

www.safergrass.org

http://www.safergrass.org/pdf/Managegrazing.pdf

 

Holistic Horsekeeping

http://www.holistichorsekeeping.com/resources/articles/laminitis_care.html

 

ECIR horse:

http://ecirhorse.org/

 

testing forage:

http://www.dairyone.com/Forage/FeedComp/disclaimer.asp

 

hoof rehab:

http://www.hoofrehab.com/hoof%20articles%20by%20Pete%20Ramey.htm

www.daisyhavenfarm.com

 

 

Further links from my website:

http://www.unicorndreamsfarm.com/links_and_resources/equine_links_and_resources