Feeding horses optimally and Supplementation

Healthy from the inside out!

I would like to offer some ideas about nutrition and supplementation as people seem to have a hard time navigating this subject with their horses. As someone who feeds myself well, it makes common sense to me to use similar guidelines in food choices for my horses. I eat as much unprocessed whole food as I can and that's how I feed my horses and dogs.

What is whole unprocessed food? It is food that has literally been unprocessed or minimally processed. An Apple or Carrot raw is an unprocessed food. So is a steam crimped, rolled or whole oat. A hay pellet or Alfalfa pellet has been processed into meal and pressed into pellets so there is some processing but you are getting a relatively pure product in Alfalfa pellets. With Hay pellets you need to be label savvy to make sure your not getting a lot of uneccesary ingredients especially if your feeding them to Cushings or Insulin Resistent horses as they can have high molasses content. Chopped Dengie and other brands of bagged hay often have molasses added as well and you need to be aware of that if your horse needs to avoid it. Molasses in itself is not the worst thing but it is not a necessary ingredient and is over used as sugar is in human food.

Diets should be clean and simple not too fancy. If supplementation is needed for balancing vitamin and minerals, a free choice set up is nice so horses can pick what they want and in what amounts as they would in nature. For specific supplementation issues, such as Joints, Real mineral deficiencies, Probiotics, and specified health issues (allergies, respiratory, immune weakness, hoof) you want to pick high quality hand crafted mixes that cater to your horses needs. Most big name supplements have a lot of leeway in how much they put of actual therapeutic amounts for their dosing. I will repeat be a SAVVY label reader. Do the math. How much per scoop not per bucket of the so called active ingredient is in the supplement. Also, what kind of other fillers and artificial flavors are in there. Make sure the dosing is to the weight of your horse not just a scoop AM and PM. You may have a Mini or a Draft and the amounts will vary a huge amount. I find that you get what you pay for a lot in supplements so you may say "wow that supplement is expensive!" And buy the cheaper one. I can almost guarantee the cheaper one is of lower active ingredients and quality. Again check labels against price. It goes up as active ingredient amounts go up which is what makes them effective. You could be wasting you money on the cheaper one.

To close I am going to give you some recommendations on some resources and feeds that are in my program. Also remember to consult with your vets before making changes in feeds and make any changes very gradually.

Typically I feed:

Free choice high quality hay is the main source in my horses diets and or grazing
Whole oats, crimped or rolled oats
Alfalfa Pellets (if my hay has no alfalfa mixed in it)
Hay Pellets
Ground Flax seed
Kelp or Seaweed powder or pellets
Free choice Minerals
Whole Apples, Carrots
Treats made from good ingredients

The Supplements or companies I swear by from experience are:

GlC: I give my young sport horses as a preventative and for maintenance in arthritic or "sticky" horses. It just plain works and it is very pure. Horses after 30 days are moving much more freely and with more elasticity. I also use higher doses for rehabing soft tissue injuries as it helps repair and regenerate.

Gem Country Equine: Owned by my friend Angela Morlan who is a supplement genius at making custom supplements for your horse and their needs. She goes by weight and uses organic and pure ingredients no fillers. Her prices are incredibly competitive for a superior product. You tell her the problem, she'll make it for you. Also if you want a blend for a couple of issues you can get that too. Totally custom! How cool is that. Her email is gemcountryequine@gmail.com

Advanced Biological Concepts: For free choice supplements and feeders. They also have and extensive line of quality products.
http://www.a-b-c-plus.com/index.html

Happy Natural Horse: Hyland's Big Sky free choice minerals http://www.happynaturalhorse.com/shop.html

Standlee Hay company: Huge selection of pure hay pellets of all varietys and mixes http://www.standleehay.com/ViewProduct.aspx?type=sh&id=ogp

Keeping Training and Practice Fun and Joyful

Mercury learned to smile from me teaching him how to take oral medicine. How useful is that! And he thinks he's so cool he walks around smiling all the time. Especially for the camera! Big ham...

As a young riding student, I learned a fairly traditional approach to horses and riding. This was niether good nor bad. It was what it was. I was taught all the basic things you are taught as a young student and I soaked it up like a sponge never questioning any of my instructors. As I got older and morphed into a trainer and teacher myself, my thirst for knowledge never ceased and is still there. I was starting to expand out of the box of traditional Horsemanship and branch into some other ideas of approaching horses and training.

The real revolution occurred with the idea that Practice and training of horses could actually be more like playing or a game and it could be fun not only for ME, but also for my HORSE. What a concept! As youngsters most of us were taught that riding was a fun activity, We LOVED horses with a passion and wanted them to love us back. But how many of us really thought about if our horse was having fun with our goals we had. Hunters, Jumpers. Eventing, Dressage, Western Pleasure, Reining etc. I'll tell you right now as someone who is still actively competing and coaching, I look into the eyes of some horses and they do not look like they are having fun. They are being obedient and performing but why can't it be fun for them too?

The first step to making it fun for your horse is to start by building a connection using a method such as Carolyn Resnick's Waterhole Rituals or something similar. This helps foster a horse who likes to be with you and wants to participate in the activities you may set up. The next thing is pick horses who have at least a little aptitude for the work you'd like them to do. This has nothing to do with breed or size. It has to do with raw materials. They don't have to be the next Olympic Reiner or Jumper but they will enjoy the exercises more if it is EASY for them to do them once they understand the question. The next step is relaxing agendas and being creative with exercises. Present them in little pieces, step by step. Not all horses learn the same way. Just like us. If they don't seem to get it one way, try another approach. Reward the slightest try and act like your horse is the smartest, coolest horse ever.Use the 10 second exercise between tries to allow your horse to come up with something. Don't judge what ever he comes up with. Go with it. Give treats at the right time as motivators. Horses like to know there is a food reward involved especially with hard exercises. The timing and giving of the treat is important to the "games' and "puzzles" you create. Some of my happiest training accidents have been when my horse was trying to invent a "New" exercise to offer me. You'll note that I said my horses will "Offer" or invent things on their own. If you let your work/play be like this then it is likely that your horse will invent things on his own and if you are open and flexible you might be knocked over by what your horse can do!  I encourage this experimenting and interaction. That is when it is the most fun (even magical seeming) for me AND my horse! Happy Training!

Winter Virtual Clinic Classes

I will be offering Online Integrative Horsemanship and Equine Wellness classes this winter and will be looking forward to getting input from my Blog readers for what you may be interested in learning more about. I have already had some requests for some introductions to Holistic remedies and Flower essences. Fearful riders also seems to be a popular topic. I would like to offer some virtual riding clinics as well so there should be something for everyone in every discipline. I will be using video and other media to support the classes so all you need is a computer, a phone, and the desire to learn to participate. Let me know your thoughts!

Colt starting contests, Mustang Makeovers, and Clinics...

Colts from a contest

This subject has been on my mind a lot lately because it seems to be getting more popular.
People ask me from time to time why I don't enter a colt starting contest. There is now some for women exclusively. My response is "Why what's in it for the horse?"


And though I would love to get a Mustang at some point, He will be started with an attention to his pace and comfort level and no need to be put on display in 90 days to do some amazing feat. I am not against the principle of the Mustang contests. These horses need homes and that is the goal, but I question the entertainment concept and putting them on show. Could there be a less stressfull way to do this? Absolutely. Would it be less glamorous? Probably.

I have watched from the side lines as a horse lover and a professional these colt starting contests. I have not been excited by what I saw. I see horses being started in record times and doing very complex tasks in absurd amounts of time. What impresses me the most? It is not the skill of the Clinician in the arena. As usual it is the huge heart of the horse. Their willingness to let us subject them to whatever our whim is. It is the same thing that awes me everyday I am around them. With that said, it is my personal feeling that I, as a human should not take advantage of the horses generous and willing nature. It is my responsibilty to respect it and handle it with care. They show me again and again their huge heart and desire for connection if only given the time to let it unfold.

My final thought is how Clinicians and horses are increasingly being put in a very tough position when horses are brought to them to be "fixed" in a few hours or one, two or three days. The pressure to deliver results is very high and again falls squarely on the horses nature.

We are obsessed as a culture with speed and how fast we can get things done. Just because I possess the skill to do something very fast does not mean it is the best way for me or the horse. Last time I checked, Horsemanship was not a race it was a skill that took the time to consider the horses well being at all stages no matter what our goals are. Competitve or not.

Just my two cents...
FDT

The 10 second exercise

Elsa taking a 10 second break in the hay pile...

I wanted to share an exercise I came up with which helps you learn to slow down your responses, be clearer in your communication and thinking, relax you and you horse and ride better.
All you have to do is do all the same things you usually practice with the simple addition of a 10 second moment between each request you make. It doesn't matter if you are doing Liberty, Ground Work or Riding. It will be hard for some but what it will do is help you stay focused, clear, and relaxed and in turn this will mirror to your horse.
So for example if you make a request for your horse to do something like move or walk, you count to 10 before you request anything else. Whatever it may be. If you canter, wait 10 seconds before you make a change. If you horse does something, I want you to wait 10 seconds before you do something with it UNLESS there is a safety issue. I'd like to hear what people find leave me a comment on your experiences when you try it out!
FDT

Visualization and Intention Setting

Visualization and Intention Setting are two powerful and under utilized tools in our relationship and training of our horses. How many of you have uttered the phrase " I just thought it and he did it" while working with a horse? I bet some of you have.
It is in our mind but we cast it off as a unique incident or that the horse is really trained or super sensitive. Now those factors of course can be in play but what if we worked from this place all the time.
First let's break down Visualization and the different uses for it. I use Visualization in Riding, Training, and other times with my horses. The reason I put the two together is that when you Visualize you are starting to set your Intention. Visualization is when I clearly picture something in my head. It could be a particular movement as small as moving the horses body or leg a certain way, it could be a larger movement of leg yielding, it could be seeing the horse take the canter on the left lead etc. It could also be a calming visualization for me or the horse. I may see the horses posture in a more relaxed shape with the head lower and may mirror breathing calmly to the horse. I may see myself as softening and relaxing my body by visualizing something the triggers that in me. It is only your imagination that is the limit.
When it comes to Intention Setting. This can be a long and short term idea. I may say I want to do a Liberty Piaffe with my horse or I want jump four feet. So I have set my intention. By doing that, if we stay fluid and opened to the path to that goal it will most certainly happen. As soon as I set my intention, if I get out of the way, everything starts to move in that direction. Even training problems seem to fix themselves. Another good place for Intention setting is for a fearful rider. You may say "I want to walk out on the trails with my horse in 3 months and feel safe and calm" This helps you start on a positive path as opposed to this mind set of "I'm afraid to do this, I can't do this". Setting small achievable goals and knowing exactly when to push past yours or your horses comfort zone are keys to moving forward. Even so called backward steps are just reminders of readjusting your intentions or slowing down. If you listen to these little guides you will stay more fluid with yourself and your horse. Mistakes are only road signs to pay attention to. Read them and follow what they say and you'll get back on the path. The next time you go to your horse, try setting your Intention and then Visualizing what it is you want the horse to do. Let me know how it goes in the comments! Also write your Intentions down so you can start working toward them. Below you will see and example of my own Intention setting and Visualization. A long time ago, I never dreamed of riding without a bridle and doing dressage or jumping and then I saw people do it and I said "I can do that" and I saw myself doing it and I did it on a horse that was very difficult to ride it was a testament to what you can accomplish when you use these tools. See my first free ride in an open field I did last week and my first jumping video on only my second attempt at bridless riding in the videos below...
FDT

Relationship problem vs. Training Problem

What Connection,Trust, and a strong bond can do...Mercury and I riding bareback, bridless, cantering and about to jump

In my travels as a trainer, I have obviously come across many horse-human problems. I have been called in to help the human with the horse. They say the horse does "x" and I don't like it or it scares me. As a career problem solver, I have learned to put things into categories so I can facilitate the problem solving process for both parties. The first step is asking is this a Relationship problem or a Training Problem? Also there is another category. Technical Training versus Behavioral training but that is for another blog.

What are some things that fall into Relationship problems? Hard to catch would be one, Head shyness could be another. Refusing to go certain places, or anxiousness and tension. Some people would say these are respect and obedience problems but I look at things from the horses point of view.
If a horse doesn't want to be caught, they may not be looking forward to some things that happen after they are. That list could be a long one starting with hard work programs to just plain bad chemistry with their person, Poor fitting equipment, leaving friends etc. This is a Relationship problem because if the horse was bonded, connected and trusting the person who comes out, they will most likely happily come to you or at least allow you to walk up and halter them.
Another symptom of a Relationship problem would be a horse exhibiting tension while being ridden and spooking. Another symptom of Lack of trust and not having confidence in the leadership of the person handling them.
As someone who has built connection with some horses who really didn't want to work for anyone, I have seen first hand that they will give so much when you take the time to build Relationship with them. Often a lot of misunderstood horses can be worked with to gain a great partnership if only you are willing to take the time. I find far too many people just can't be bothered to work with a horse that is not absolutely simply and calm. These horses often have a lot of untapped talent and heart. But the problem is often how people relate to them and their not so easy behavior. Calling them stupid or bad or disrespectful.
The word Respect is thrown around horse training far too casually and it becomes the label for every problem behavior. Some Disrespectful behavior has developed from the persons disrespectful behavior to the horse. Respect is a two way street. This is how I explain it to a horse. I'm going to respect you and your feelings and I expect the same in return. Once these things are in place Technical Training becomes a pleasure and much easier for both horse and human. Think about your horse and how good your relationship is and if it could use some building or he's your best four legged friend!