A very warm welcome to our newest arrival, Seymor-Arran, a magnificently beautiful 15hh tobiano gelding who came to us in September in need of a loving home.

After a traumatic journey from Wales, he arrived shaken & bruised

with some sores on his head, which healed up quickly with some green-clay powder, which also protected the sores from flies. He was given some

barley-grass powder & rosehips to self select, to support his immune system, some warm water with electrolytes to replenish those lost through sweat, & plenty of apples to help hydrate him.

After an hour of enjoying his own space in the paddock to settle, having enjoyed some Reiki & quiet time, he strode along the fence-line, finally showing an interest in the eagerly awaiting herd. I took this as a good sign that dear Seymor was ready to explore his new home & greet his new family.

As soon as I opened his access to the main field, the once shakey, bruised Seymor eagerly strode out into the main field, confidently taking in his new

surroundings. The horses sensed that he had been through an ordeal, &

gave him space while he explored the field, without the usual excited greetings that we normally have when a new rescue arrives. I was thankful of the respectful attidue of the horses, that the balanced herd prioritised Seymor's need of a gentle introduction.

Seymor-Arran settled in very quickly & gently, and within 2 weeks he had become the leader of the herd. Shanook, our already resident cob gelding

who had been the dominant male prior to his arrival, did not engage in

fighting Seymor & once he had acclimatized to the new herd hierarchy, openned to the new friendship & found some relief in letting go of the responsability of being alpha.

Seymor-Arran is a brave, gentle soul who has already enganged freely with several of our visitors, helping them to build confidence in horsemanship & connect deeply with his expansive, open heart.

Monday 1st December 2014, 22.47pm

• Lethargy: Minimal movement, lack of enthusiasm, low concentration span
• Skin: dull coat, sweet itch, mud fever, rainscald, strong reaction to insect bites, mites & lice.
• Eye or Nasal discharge: sign of accumulated toxins, compromised lymph, kidneys, blood, liver.
• Hooves: Cracked, brittle hooves, thrush, poor hoof wall growth
• Head Shaking / Allergies: indicating a stressed immune system
• Swellings: Edema indicates a sluggish lymph system & compromised kidneys as seen in swollen legs
• Laminitis: Indicative of over-toxicity, lymph unable to remove toxins
• Hard, Cresty Neck: Over-toxicity, reduced lymph, kidney & liver function
• Digestion: Acidic gut, colic, over consumption of grains, haylage & medications cause over-acidity.
• Flies: Some horses attract more flies than others. This is due to these horses showing more of an over-burdened immune & eliminative system, where toxins have accumulated & the body is in a more acidic state. Grains, medications, chemical wormers, proceed feeds with mollases & polluted grazing near roadsides or pylons can all add to the stress of toxicity which can be healed with the following natural supplements:

   

  Nature's Best Whole-Food Supplements & Their Benefits

  Providing the following can bring your horse an array of health benefits which offer a holistic approach to improving health, improved immunity & boosting the elimination organs of the body. These are best offered to your horse for self selection, so that they are able to choose what they need & the quantity required:

• Barley Grass Powder: A rich source of vitamins & minerals, high in chlorophyll which helps alkalise the body, cleanse the blood, feeds the nervous system & aids the body in detoxification.
• Seaweed: Nature's richest food source of vitamins & minerals, also benefits from iodine to support the endocrine system.
• Rosehips: Great source of Vitamin C to boost the immune system, rich in Biotin for healthy hooves, skin & coat. B-spectrum vitamins.
• Dandelion: Fresh or dried, the roots & leaves of this herb offer one of nature's richest source of vitamins & minerals. Being a bitter plant, dandelion improves digestion & liver function. A gentle diuretic, helpingthe body to flush out toxins whilst supporting the urinary tract & a great alkaliser.
• Nettle: Fresh or dried, nettles are a great blood cleanser, support a healthy urinary tract & provide essential vitamins & minerals. Diuretic to help the body eliminate toxins safely.
• Cleavers: Nature's best lymphatic herb, found in abundance in the summer or bought as a dried herb, cleavers helps the body detoxify & boosts the immune system.

   

  Whole Food vs Isolated Supplements

  Most horse supplements are artificial, isolated sources of vitamins & minerals which are less bio-available to the horse's body, are not easily absorbed or utilised, & are harder for the body to eliminate which can lead to toxicity. Whole food supplements are far superior, offering a broader range of benefits that support holistic health & wellbeing, with their nutrients being easily bio-available for instant absorption & easy elimination of any compounds not needed.

  Self selection enables the horse to self-medicate & provides essential nutrients the way nature intended.

   

  Website for Nature's Whole Food Suplements

  http://www.naturallyanimals.com/ Offering all of the above high-quality supplements at the most reasonable price. Also Neem Powder & Insect Repellants for naturally repelling mites, lice & fleaswhich are safe for all animals.

   

  Friday 5th September 2014, 10.44am

Natural Diet

Contrary to popular belief horses are not designed to eat any sort of grain, which is highly undigestable for them. This includes many ingredients found in all of the main trusted brands, and can lead to a variety of unhealthy conditions, so it's best to avoid all grains including oats, barley & wheat.

Because the adrenals are responsible for sugar metabolism when it comes to complex carbohydrates (starchy foods like grains), they can be overworked & over time this can lead to cushings disease. Also the undigested grains can ferment in the gut & lead to congestion & toxicity, potentially causing laminitis, colic & allergies, all of which are a common experience for many unfortunate horse owners, causing immense & unecessary stress for horses as well as stressful vet bills.

It also also worth avoiding all feeds which contain corn & soya, as these are both undigestale foods which are used as a cheap filler whilst offering no nutritional benefit to our horses. Corn & soya are often Genetically Modified (GM) which are potentially toxic & are laden with pollutants like chemical pesticides.

The healthiest horse feed currently on the market is Simple Systems, which is grain, GM & molasses free. They use pure, natural & raw ingredients: grass & alfalfa, which are both highly nutritious, easy to digest & form a natural, alkaline diet for our horses. They also offer natural hay or alfalfa chaff, grass pellets to suit varying levels of work, alfalfa pellets & natural feed balancers.

Horses may need additional fibre, especially in the colder winter months when ad-lib, high quality hay or haylage should be provided. Hay is at it's best when it's finer & greener, indicating it was cut when the grass was still full of nutrition. Haylage is partially-fermented grass, being richer & more nutritious than hay, so ideal if your horse needs extra support in keeping weight & condition. Haylage can be too acidic for some horses, causing acid build-up in the stomach, so it's best to mix with hay or supply hay on the side which will absorb & neutralise excess acids.

Because the bacteria which digest the long-stem fibre in the gut generate heat, hay & haylage act as a natural heat generator for horses & is essential for horses in the colder weather. Those wishing to transition their horses to living out without a rug will find that the horses easily maintain their weight when provided with ad-lib hay or haylage.

Natural Health

All animals will forage for specific herbs to self medicate. Often these herbs are natural detoxifiers & provide a broad range of health benefits as well as nutrients. We can forage for seasonal herbs to provide our horses with fresh additions to their grazing, such as Cleavers (an abundant summer plant which is easily identifiable as it's sticky & it's round seeds often stick to our clothing or our pets fur), Nettles (which horses love once they wilt after being cut, nettles are a natural diuretic so benefit the blood & kidneys, as well as offering an array of vitamins), Dandelion is the most nutritious green & is also a natural cleanser, Rosehips are incredibly nutritious & boost the immune system, Comfrey aids in wound healing.

Hilton Herbs & Global Herbs both offer an array of herbal tinctures which provide the most potent benefits of herbs, including a general detox tincture as well as tinctures for specific health requirements. I feed my herd the Hilton Herbs Detox tincture 2-3 times each year (they do a 5 litre bottle which is very economic), alongside Global Herbs Restore tincture which provide a gentle detox & support for internal health.

Natural Worming

Nature really does have all the answers in providing all that we need to maintain health, including an array of natural anti-parasitics which are free from the health risks of chemical wormers & are even more reliable as they do not lead to worm-resistance nor do they compromise our horse's health.

The best natural wormer is Diatomite (Diatomaceous Earth), a finely ground powder comprised of microscopic diatoms which can be safely ingested to safely kill all parasites or applied topically to eradicate mites & lice. Ingested, it not only kills all intestinal worms but due to it's absorbency it soaks up the dead parasites which would otherwise cause a toxic die-off in the gut. It's also a powerful detoxifier, absorbing other chemicals, heavy metals & toxins from the gut, providing a beneficial colon cleanse whilst not absorbing any nutrients as it only attracts positively charged toxic substances, leaving all beneficial bacteria intact.

'Diaguard' offer food-grade diatomite in 2kg, 5kg & 10kg tubs & it's a very affordable way of worming, much cheaper than chemical wormers (& available via Amazon). I feed approximately 1 cup 2xday for my cobs, & double this amount for the Shires, for 7 days ever 12 weeks. You'll see improvements in coat condition & overall health thanks to diatomite clay.

Natural wormers also include potentially toxic plants like ferns & wormwood, which horses will eat if they feel the need to de-worm themselves. Do not be alarmed if your horse wishes to eat ferns, they only eat the amount they need without risk of their health.

By incorporating a more natural health regime for your horses, you will enjoy learning more about the benefits of natural health vs chemical drugs, & see your horse blossom & improve in overall health & condition. Natural feed & herbs can go a long way in helping our horses overcome specific health issues & enjoy living a more balanced life. Always introduce new feeds gently & gradually, following product feeding guidelines, & contact manufacturers for further advice to ensure the best results.

Tues 10th December 2013, 13.57pm