Horse Health
First of all, horses need companionship. It is cruel to keep a horse separated from others of his own kind. Horses need and deserve to be loved and respected for who they are. They are living, thinking beings which should not be expected to perform like robots. Horses thrive with 24/7 turnout. Horses are designed by Mother Nature to cover 10-15 miles per day in their daily activities and search for forage. This movement is also needed for healthy hoof development and circulation. A shed or open barn should be available for them to seek shelter away from the sun or inclement weather. “Paddock Paradise”, by Jaime Jackson, describes ways you can duplicate a natural environment for your horse. You can also provide toys to keep them mentally stimulated, such as these great inflatable balls http://www.equi-spirit-toys.com
Hoof Care
Horses do not need shoes. In fact, shoes damage their feet, joints and circulation. There is a revolution in hoof care occurring around the world. Studies done by Jaime Jackson (USA) and Hildrud Strasser (German Veterinarian) prove that a barefoot horse is healthier and happier. Natural Trims create a beautiful, functional hoof similar to the hoof of a wild horse. Barefoot horses may wear hoof boots (many brands and varieties available now) while transitioning from shod to barefoot. Booted barefoot horses are competing and winning in barrel racing, endurance, reining, jumping and even dressage. Houston Texas mounted police ride barefooted horses. Our favorite site for information is www.hoofrehab.com. We also subscribe to “The Horse’s Hoof” magazine (www.thehorseshoof.com). We get our Hoof Boots from Easycare. For soaking and treating hoof infections, we use boots generously donated to us by Davis Manufacturing. http://www.davismanufacturing.com/products.php
Here is proof that traditional hoof care (shoeing)is wrong and injurious to horses.
We now make our own hoof remedy for fighting thrush. I add 1/2 oz. Nutribiotic grapefruit seed extract, 1/2 oz. tea tree oil, 1 oz. oregano oil an 1 oz. goldenseal extract to a quart spray bottle and fill it with cheap vodka (40% grain alcohol). Combined with frequent natural trimming and thorough hoof cleaning with a hoof pick and wire brush, it is working well:
http://www.vitacost.com/NSI-GoldenSeal-Root
http://www.vitacost.com/NutriBiotic-GSE-Liquid-Concentrate-Grapefruit-Seed-Extract
http://www.vitacost.com/NSI-Oregano-Oil
http://www.vitacost.com/NSI-100-Pure-Tea-Tree-Oil
Feeding
Horses do best on grass hay or pasture, with a sugar content of less than 10%. Feeds can be tested (we have used A&L Western Labs, Inc. 209-529-4080). Sweet feeds and alfalfa are too rich and alfalfa fed alone is too high in protein and has a very unbalanced mineral content which can lead to DOD (developmental orthopedic disease) in growing horses. A 12:12 mineral supplement should be available to balance and supplement hay and pasture. Clean water is essential. I have seen horses being forced to drink out of rusty, algae infested troughs. Don’t expect your horse to thrive on water you would not drink yourself
Fencing
We use Horse Guard Fencing here at the ranch. It is economical, attractive, safe and very effective at containing the mustangs and burros. Ours was installed in spring of 2006 and is still beautiful. We have three strands of the 1 1/2 inch white electrified tape. It also comes in green and brown. Ours has withstood 70 mph winds, desert sun, even snow and ice. We hope to install more in order to be able to rescue additional horses. (www.horseguardfence.com).
We use rope halters and the Bitless Bridle. When riding, we always wear a helmet, donated by Troxel Riding Helmets
Natural Care
We try to use as many natural, non chemical products as possible, getting many from KV Vet Supply and GP Direct. We use Purina’s Free Balance 12:12 mineral supplement (www.purinamills.com). We also love to use flower essences from Blackwing Farms for calming horses which have been traumatized in the past.
We have had excellent results using JERNIGAN herbal remedies to treat our animals-equine and canine.
Another amazing detoxifier is Zeolite Pure. http://www.zeohealth.com/?CR12356 It removes heavy metals and also many bacterial, mold and environmental toxins. It is FDA approved and has had a lot of research done on it. Platinum Performance makes a zeolite powder for horse’s bone health, but we use it as a detoxifier, too.
Our two favorite wound treatments are EMT Gel and Vetericyn. Both are non-toxic. EMT Gel is a collagen that protect wounds and speeds healing and Vetericyn is a new form of safe chlorine which kills even resistant strains of bacteria, yeasts and viruses.
A new (to us) product we are about to try is Fungus Free , an all-natural product containing essential oils and olive oil that has been very successful in treating hoof infections, skin infections and even Phycomycosis Pythium which is becoming a serious problem in the S.E. United States.
Books
- THE NATURAL HORSE
- HORSE OWNERS GUIDE TO NATURAL HOOF CARE, and
- PADDOCK PARADISE by Jaime Jackson.
- MAKING NATURAL HOOFCARE WORK FOR YOU, by Pete Ramey.
- A LIFETIME OF SOUNDNESS, by Hildrud Strasser
- Magazines- Natural Horse, The Horse’s Hoof, Equine Wellness
- Natural Horse Talk
- Down To Earth Natural Horse Care
Other Websites
FLY CONTROL
We do not use dangerous pesticides at JERAS. We have very few flies in the dry desert climate, but we recommend fly masks and fly sheets as a safe alternative to toxic chemicals. Please check out these products. If you buy a fly mask, mention us and we will receive $1.00 for every mask.
Made In the Shade Equine Sun Products
http://msequineproducts.webs.com/
.Another great idea :Horse socks that keep legs warm in the Winter & protect legs from biting flies in the Summer. Stay-put protection and comfort for your horse. http://www.whinnywarmers.com/
If you find any of this information helpful, please consider making a donation to help us care for our animals.
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