| According to Chinese Medicine, there is no ailment that | | | | When it comes to horse health care, there's always |
| cannot be cured. | | | | hope. My list of horses kind of looks like a cast of |
| I believe that aphorism to be true, whether applied to | | | | characters from a freak show: |
| humans or horses. At least, when it comes to horse | | | | Valentine: mustang mare who had a golf-ball sized |
| health care, I believe that any condition can be | | | | tumor under her jaw and choked frequently |
| improved, made healthier, and made more harmonious. | | | | Reyacita: mustang mare with COPD, or heaves, when |
| Fezzywig: A Bodywork Example of Horse Health | | | | stressed and eating hay |
| Care | | | | Walker: quarter horse gelding with poor feet and ulcers |
| A prime example of this is my new Holsteiner warm | | | | Samantha: mustang mare with an overly long back |
| blood gelding Fezzywig. He came to me with a | | | | and a pulled groin muscle |
| severely roached back, meaning he has a hump in his | | | | Fezzywig: warmblood gelding with a roached back |
| back where several vertebrae stick up and out of his | | | | Frightening isn't it? And yet, with the help of daily doses |
| spine in his lumbar region. His roach back had been | | | | of my homemade "horse goo," regular bodywork, |
| getting worse over time, and his former owner did not | | | | occasional help from a local vet, and a lot of help from |
| know how to help him. Hence, he came to me. | | | | Holistic Horsekeeping, these horses have achieved the |
| Fezzywig has been with us for a while now, and he | | | | incredible: |
| receives bodywork every single day. I do "Bowen" | | | | Valentine: Jumper Champion and Jumper Horse of the |
| type bodywork as well as passive stretches, | | | | Year |
| acupressure, and network chiropractic on him. The | | | | Reyacita: eats hay, team sorts, and learning to be a |
| improvement in less than 3 weeks is noticeable to me, | | | | rope horse |
| even if not to the casual observer. | | | | Walker: recovered from ulcers with probiotics, algae, |
| While he definitely still has a hump in his back, to me his | | | | and enzymes, beginner rope horse, gentle enough for |
| whole body structure looks more relaxed. In addition, | | | | an infant to ride |
| his top and bottom lines look more harmonious. He | | | | Samantha: Hunter Champion |
| looked "pot bellied" and seriously hunched over in his | | | | Fezzywig: vast improvement in his roached back |
| earlier pictures. Now he has more tone to his belly and | | | | Your Participation in Horse Health Care |
| his withers have risen up so they are closer in height | | | | Obviously, each horse lover is going to be different |
| to his rear. | | | | when it comes to how much "hands on" work they do |
| What's the Point? Horse Health Care and Hope | | | | for horse health care, and how much work is done by |
| The point of this article isn't to talk about specific | | | | professional veterinarians, farriers, equine dentists, and |
| bodywork conditions, but to point out that there is | | | | bodyworkers. However, the more active a role you |
| always hope for every horse ailment out there, be it | | | | take in learning about horse health care, the better |
| ulcers, roached backs, or lameness issues. Maybe not | | | | your horse's health will be, regardlesss of whether you |
| every horse can be made perfect, but the quality of | | | | do "hands on" work on not. |
| every horse's life can be improved. | | | | In this day and age, when money is tight and horse |
| More importantly, I believe that horse owners can be | | | | health care is expensive, I encourage every horse |
| totally active participants in the horse health care | | | | lover out there to learn to do as much "hands on" |
| process. Nine years ago I learned some basic | | | | health care as possible. It's ultimately less expensive, |
| bodywork techniques, which I have used every week | | | | empowers you to help your horses immediately, and |
| since and continue to refine. Nine years ago I also | | | | helps you make better decision about your horse's |
| learned to trim my own horse's feet. I couldn't quite | | | | management. A good place to start, with many free |
| figure out how to learn to do horse dental work (that's | | | | resources as well as ebooks and products, is the |
| beyond my capabilities), but I do just about everything | | | | Holistic Horsekeeping website. Enjoy! |
| else. | | | | |