Posts Tagged With: horses

Beast of Burden

Posted on December 18, 2025 by stablewomen

I saw a line of dozens of Yaks carrying three big, full bags each on their backs, trekking around a mountain in the Himalayas. The photo stayed with me, like pictures of donkeys carrying bricks or pulling carts with five people in them. Animals carry our burdens – and not just physically. Equines, especially, hold the form for humanity and always have.

And not just the animals in the photos haunt me; there are humans struggling, like the miners in tunnels with ponies (or even full-size horses), sharing the burden of hard work, shortened lives and injuries. What has been given (or taken) to build the world we now live in is a debt we owe. The modern world owes the animals and ancestors for the lack of struggle we now experience. Of course, much of this world is still building, struggling, pushing its way for simple existence. The disparity can be mind boggling.

The horses, mules and donkeys (as well as other species) silently conform. When they are well cared for and cherished, their humans stand beside them and there is gratitude. When they are disrespected and “disposable”, the humans show no thanks and offer no comfort for them. Am I speaking only of the horses plowing fields, carrying loads, fighting wars… Nope.

There are equines in competitions, riding schools, racing stables, dude ranches… all living either lives of care and appreciation or lives of exploitation. We see it all in the intakes to Sanctuary. An equine’s needs are pretty basic, for good health and longevity. Meeting those basics is the least a human can do and ensuring other needs (companionship, enrichment, comfort and happiness) is the debt we owe.

I have carried burdens (we all have), physical, emotional, mental burdens. Some by choice and others were imposed upon me. Horses never have a choice. Wild horses (& donkeys) can make choices. Their lives are free from our meddling but are not free from dire circumstances. Every living thing faces the consequences of a finite body and the fluctuations of climate and terrain.

Human beings can offer the equine a safe refuge… it’s what we do here, and hundreds of other rescues and sanctuaries do around the country – around the world. For a horse whose life has been stark, oppressive, even cruel, finding sanctuary is a light at the end of a seemingly endless tunnel. The two horses and one mule we took in this past year from a cruelty seizure were beaten, starved, bloody and oozing infection when taken from the monster who used them as “trail mounts”… until a customer recognized the abuse and reported him.

Beasts of burden. Carrying the burdens of humans. It does not have to be cruel. From working in the fields to carrying a rider in competition, the priorities of the human determine the life of the animal and the extent of their suffering or the degree of their pleasure. Horses try to please us. Only when pushed to the point of unbearable pain or confusion do they lash out in self-defense.

How do we change a mindset of “using animals” to an awareness of stewardship? We set examples. We refer to animals as “he” and “she”, not it. We openly speak of their needs and their sovereignty as sentient beings. We take responsibility for our own and keep them to the end of their lives, compassionately letting them go when their quality of life cannot be restored. And we do that humanely.

And how do we connect more deeply with our horses (or dogs, or Yaks…)? We look into their eyes. The three equines I spoke of (who were brutalized) had dull, half-closed eyes with no life behind them. After receiving proper care and being loved, they became new beings. Their eyes were bigger, their sparkle returned and there was life behind them. All it took was kindness wrapped in nutrition and Veterinary care, the very things they were owed from the very beginning. Love is simple. Healing can be simple. We humans just have to provide for the animals the simplicity of compassion.

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Equines Assisting

Posted on March 12, 2025 by stablewomen

I’ve been thinking a lot about “using” horses lately. Back in 2003, my four horses and I helped to establish an equine assisted therapies program locally. While the program had a theme that I did not agree with, the founders agreed that I was in control of my own horses (or I would not have done it!). My decision to participate was based upon helping youth and adults find the peace that I had lived with all my life in the presence of horses. And we did a lot of good.

I had seen some inappropriate horses (temperament-wise) brought into the program before I came on board. And the methodology (leaving clients with a halter and no explanation, to try to put it on a horse or leaving a group of non-horse people to try to move a horse around a paddock) worried me. I worried about humans getting hurt physically and the horses being injured emotionally.

At one point, with a blind-in-one-eye mare and an off the track Thoroughbred, the stable owner had insisted that these two horses were to be led about with a chain end lead rope (they easily spooked and bolted). When a woman came to evaluate the horses for the program being established, I was asked to help out. When I went to get the OTTB mare, the evaluator got right up in my face, took the chain and held it against my throat! She said, “how would you feel if I used this chain on you?”. I leaned into it, stared her in the eyes and said, “I’d figure I needed it if I was knocking people down and running over them”. She left. I was shaking. The husband of the barn owner asked me if I needed a glass of wine!

Later that day, with the evaluator’s daughters working the horses (chasing them) in a round pen, I sat nearby to watch. The lady sat beside me and told me that her daughters were champion barrel racers. I asked her what kind of bridles they used in competition. “Hackamores”, she said. “Mechanical hackamores?”, I asked. She nodded. “Don’t they have curb chains and possibly covered chain noses?”, I asked. She left.

I wasn’t happy with anything I was observing. The program was leasing space at that stable and trying to get “free horses”, volunteer helpers and, as a lifelong horsewoman, I realized that those involved knew little about equines. Fast forward – I ended up helping them.

While I was committed to helping the human clients, I was more dedicated to keeping the horses (especially my own) safe, sane and respected – rather than just being used as tools. To do that, I ran every client session when horses were involved. And I showed them how to halter a horse, then let then practice on my elder gelding. We groomed the horses, bathed the horses, free lunged them gently using communication and compassion. I lunged (slowly) clients mounted on my horses. We did a nighttime group session with the mothers of youth clients, and, with interns, we got every mom on my steady-as-a-rock TWH mare. A lot of good stuff happened.

We had a little girl who would run under my mare, no matter what you told her, how you explained it, the girl ran back and forth under the mare. I decided to make a fake horse with a sawhorse, papier mâché, blankets and cardboard… when the girl came again, I explained that she had to work with “Old Blue” until we could trust her with a real horse. She “groomed” Blue, put a halter on and off. I even found a little saddle and secured it on Blue so she could mount and dismount. She did end up with enough self-control to be with the “real” horses safely.

I have SO many stories from the years I spent, living with my horses, at the place we created for the Program. It continued after my horses and I left, and my hope was that we made an impression… that not all horses are suitable for therapy work, that horses are sentient and have feelings, that horses deserve respect. I was talking with friends today about how a horse knows what he knows – if he has never been tied, he won’t understand being tied. If a horse was never mounted from the off side (it’s important to do both equally), he might be confused or startled by it. Never been in a trailer/float – don’t expect him to hop in!

We humans can “use” horses in so many ways, discounting their needs, feelings and perspectives. We can also build a relationship with a horse based upon recognition of past experiences (for both parties), awareness of species specific and individual attributes and needs while thinking about what we are doing. It can take mere seconds to undo confidence and training in a horse, requiring years to repair – if it can be repaired. While I see so many owners/riders looking for methods and ideas to connect and find harmony with their horse(s), there are equally fervent horse owners obsessed with gimmicks and “quick fixes” to bend their horses to their will.

Those of us who grew up taking care of our horses ourselves, genuinely loving them and learning from them have a different way of approaching all aspects of our relationships with them. Our societies were built upon the backs of horses (and mules and donkeys), and we owe them our gratitude and compassion. Horses were used by humans to build, haul, travel, support and save us in ways we no longer require. So, we do not need to see equines through the eyes of objectification or glorification of ourselves. And even the realization of the innate gentleness and tendency to cooperate with us that equines possess does not mean that exploitation in areas of “healing” us is necessarily an honorable thing.

I’ve found myself deep in introspection through the decades of morphing into a Sanctuary. Here, we see horses (and mules) coming from one extreme to the other of care and handling. Some come from hoarding situations where a well-intentioned person got in over their head trying to save more than they could feed. Some were dumped in the desert to die. Some were beloved companions, and their human died. Some were cruelty seizures… yet these equines were able to forgive humans, given time and large doses of pure love.

In my early life as a Dressage and combined training rider, trainer and instructor, I was not in high demand (until my methods and holistic healing practices could turn a situation around) because I was “on the horse’s side”. Don’t get me wrong, I had many clients who wanted exactly that, but they were not competitive in a way that would “advance” my career and we were, none of us, prepared to sacrifice the wellbeing of a horse for competitive goals.

So, I plugged along writing (articles in Dressage & CT like “You have to listen, too” and “There is no aid for “oops”, on and on), teaching clinics, judging competitions (watching the horses and favoring those whose riders possessed compassion) and coaching my clients and their horses by recognizing effort and supporting their humane progress. As we all felt the deep connection and uplifting effects of our contact with horses, we realized that this whole experience was healing us.

We need to reciprocate. We need to heal them. Cherish them. And we need to teach those within our reach how to heal and cherish horses. While so much in this world is polarized, mankind’s relationship with the horse should not be. “Use them”/”Love them”… Our choice is so clear. Love is the honorable path. Would I use a chain end lead shank on a horse again? I’d prefer not to. I would prefer to connect with and slowly show a horse that I can be trusted (by being trustworthy) through my own behavior – rather than just needing to “get it done” or to placate a human’s needs… those things take time and patience. And love.

A mentor of mine, Mr. Charles deKunffy, taught me that “Love is the active promotion of the wellbeing of the love object”. Let’s choose that kind of love.

Categories: healing, Saving Horses | Tags: , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Change isn’t easy for horses

Posted on September 30, 2024 by stablewomen

Horses are “creatures of habit”. With all of the wildfires, floods and rescue efforts in the news lately, a serious fact of equine nature is being announced across the internet – horses that must be turned loose to escape disasters must be locked out of their barns or they will return to them. Horse people have long known that, in a barn fire, one must blindfold and lead a horse to safety and then secure them elsewhere so they will not return to the burning structure. With frightening storms and flooding, horses must be allowed to find high ground, if possible.

Horses are comforted by familiarity. Just as a human can return to a brutal relationship because it is what they know; horses can find solace in strange situations for the same reasons. Home is safety, home is comfort. And this becomes foremost on my mind when we have a new intake here at the sanctuary.

We rarely know anything about the background on a new horse or mule. Often an estray has been dumped in the desert and if they were once loved, they feel betrayed and confused. All we can do is make them comfortable and start from scratch, making this their home. If we know details from their past, we use that information to make changes gradually.

If you buy a new equine, find out all you can about that horse’s care, training, feeding and preferences. You might be planning to greatly improve aspects of his or her life, but to change things suddenly (even for the better) can be alarming to the horse. Try to maintain some of the familiar routines, especially what has been fed, and make changes gradually for the good health physically and mentally of your horse. They say it takes at least ten days for the horse’s digestive system to adjust to a new item in his or her feed. You want to add the new food in a small amount the first day then slowly add more of it while reducing the familiar feed until the complete change is made. This is especially important when going from dry feed like hay to the richer pasture.

If you plan to dramatically change the style in which your new horse is ridden, spend a few days with the type of equipment he or she has been used to so that your communication makes sense. Then you can change one aspect at a time to allow adjustments in the horse’s perceptions, understanding and how it all feels physically. Do a little bit often. Sometimes working with the horse 3 times a day for 15 minutes does more good for the adjustment period than one 45 minute session.

Think about the type of facility this horse has been used to – if he has never touched an electric fence wire, he may become panicked when he is first shocked on your electric fence! Think about the visibility of your fences. The smaller a fenced area is for a horse, the sturdier the fences and gates must be. The larger the fenced area, the more visible they must be. Tie white rags on fences to make them more visible.

If you want your new horse to become comfortable in his new home, establish a routine that you can maintain and soon, your methods will be the familiar ones that bring confidence and calm to his life. You do not have to have strict, unyielding times for meals, times to ride, turn out times. You do need to maintain consistency in the way you warm up, ride and cool down. You need consistency in the number of meals per day and should keep them within an hour or two of a regular time. I recommend doing turn outs in the day time during winter and the night time during summer if it is safe and convenient to do so.

Keep your horse’s perspective in mind and you can build a great relationship.

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We know what we know and learning as we go…

Posted on March 29, 2024 by stablewomen

Pasture grass is dangerous for horses. Pasture is the best food for horses.

Never feed alfalfa to horses. Alfalfa is the best hay for horses.

Riding bitless is the kinder choice. The nerves in the horse’s face can be damaged by bitless bridles. Using a snaffle bit is milder than a curb bit. The curb bit can convey signals in a softer way.

Never feed treats to horses. Use treats with a signal to mark behavior and train with kindness. “Show the horse who’s boss”. A horse can feel a human heartbeat.

Never hard tie a horse. Horses need to know how to stand tied… getting the picture here?

Horse people have hard-wired opinions from their experiences with a horse/horses and it will always be backed by what did or did not happen when they were gaining that experience. The magnitude of opinions and studies and shifting perspectives can become a confusing mess for anyone starting out (even for those of us with long time experience) in the horse world.

We “old-timers” try to stay open and flexible to new ideas/studies, while holding tight to what we really do know is best for our horses. And that is the key – our horses. Each horse is an individual with specific needs, metabolisms, experiences (that “well of positive and negative experiences”) and personalities. And to be honest, sometimes what heals one horse might damage another.

So how do we navigate the horse world, now filled to bursting with internet sites, social media and Veterinary studies at our fingertips? We can take things at face value or with “a grain of salt” while keeping a discerning open mind, not only about the source, but the applicability to our own circumstances – and that of our horse(s). But that is not easy for the new horse person. No source is going to diminish their own credibility with disclaimers or other opinions contrary to their own. And the reality is, they are drawing from what worked for them from their individual experiences.

Now the good thing here is that there are many paths to the “truth” and sometimes another person’s path is something we can glean insight from, even revelation, from reading or watching. My Mantra is, “if it helps a horse, it’s good; if it harms a horse, it’s bad”. And extremes are often questionable on any front.

The “Middle Way”, a Buddhist principle (I’m Buddhist, that Dharmahorse thing is a clue) is a very good measure of anything presented as a training, feeding, handling or healing methodology. At the Sanctuary, we do not feed composite horse feeds (with fillers and sugar and animal fats and such) – but we have fed Senior Feeds when a horse would not or could not eat anything else… a compromise, I admit, yet necessary sometimes because horses need to eat something. When the herbs we use just have not helped with pain or infection, we use pharmaceuticals – we have to be humane. It isn’t forsaking our protocols, it is taking the middle way to do what helps a horse. Same thing with “training” because we intake horses with such a plethora of experiences – good ones and bad ones.

It is the decades of experience that helps us choose a path for an individual horse. Gaining that experience meant knowing (and loving) thousands of horses. That is not often a possibility for a horse person (that taking decades part!), so vicarious experience through videos and reading can fill a big gap. I believe the real key here is to practice discernment and keep your own horse’s needs in mind. If a teacher/presenter is derogative towards the horse or to people, walk away. Attitude will tell all. There are so many other possible sources of information. Find someone who edifies the horse and the relationship with them.

Just because someone is very vocal or has a huge following does not mean they are “the gospel” in the horse world. Keeping things simple can be the foundation for a good life with our horses and being an advocate for our own horse(s) will always pull us in the right direction.

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Object Permanence and Horses

Posted on August 14, 2019 by stablewomen

A friend explained this concept to me a few weeks ago as I described to him how one of our horses in Sanctuary gets confused when a rider gets on him and “disappears” from sight. A light bulb turned on in me. Diamond is not being obstinate, not obtuse, he genuinely does not understand what has happened to the person who mounts him.

DSCN0157

While that may seem hard to fathom, after years now of working to heal his lameness, we had not been as connected to him as a riding horse. When soundness returned, we were careful to move gradually with him under saddle, making certain the footing for him was cushioned and that he only walked (for months). With another horse in the arena or with me walking along watching him and coaching a rider,  he seemed confident enough and willing to engage. I remained dedicated to getting and keeping him physically sound, without realizing that he had big gaps in his education and perception.

As students tried to take him out on the rail in the arena, away from me or another horse, he would worry. The rein and leg aids seemed to have little meaning to him. I knew he had been at a camp in the mountains, doing trail rides with children before he came to us. Thinking about this, I began to figure out that Diamond was comfortable as a “follower” and he likely only walked down the trails with his nose at another horse’s bum. He did not conceptualize a person sitting in the saddle giving him signals… he followed the other horses.

So, when we do a lesson on him, our success in getting him away from me and listening to his rider came with having his rider talk her directions to him continuously. If he is hearing her verbal signals, he stays connected enough to feel at ease and go where she wishes. If she is silent, he shuts down as if he has dropped an anchor and his confidence evaporates!

I then began thinking about the trainers who bring a young horse’s head and neck around to the saddle as they mount and stand during those first rides. It does effectively keep the horse from bolting, rearing or bucking, especially if one is starting the youngster without assistance – but now, I realize that the horse really sees where the rider has gone!

Oh yes, horses have great peripheral vision and can certainly see that something is there on their sides, but to know that a person is up there… I’m just not sure it comes by default.

We are working with Diamond. Filling in gaps, substituting the leg and rein aids for verbal aids. As time passes, I see him becoming more confident. I like him a lot and I want him to be able to comprehend what is going on, not just act as an automaton from being flooded and losing his desire to live. That’s not the way we operate here.

 

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Something to depend on…

Posted on February 28, 2019 by stablewomen

That’s what the horse’s gut requires. Right now, in New Mexico, we are having some struggles with getting hay, affording hay, the quality of hay…

Since we base all the horses’ diets here on roughage and there is no pasture on this high desert, hay is our most vital component for health, for nourishment. Changing the equine diet suddenly is detrimental to gut health. The only way to avoid digestive disturbance is to have at least one consistent food given every day, religiously.

For us that was Bermuda hay. As a base it is a good choice here. It does not have to be trucked in from a great distance like Timothy and other (nicer) grass hays. It can be in front of the horses “free choice” because they will not over eat Bermuda hay. Up until recently, the quality had been outstanding, each bale the same as another with sweet aroma, soft strands of tender dry grass… our experience for several years.

Lately, we have been lucky to get bales with sticks and clods of dirt in them. We were buying our alfalfa through friends who brought it over from Arizona. The advantage to it over locally produced alfalfa hay was/is the hay is grown all year ’round and there isn’t a rush of nutrients as happens here for the first cutting in spring. Yesterday, I had to purchase 4 bales of local alfalfa for $88.00 to grind for Vega. He is worth it. But, we pulled out some pieces of plastic and I had to examine a couple of beetles (they were not blister beetles) from it. It can drive you bonkers.

We got through a relatively harsh winter on beautiful grass hay donated by loving friends! We had some giant bales (one ton bales) also partly donated, partly purchased by us. It spoiled us! The struggle to unload such big bales and to chainsaw them in to manageable “flakes” was well worth it because the quality was so high.

Of course, all of that has been fed… used up by the first of this month.

My beautiful picture

My beautiful picture

So, now I search for a source of the beardless wheat hay I bought last spring that sustained the horses’ good health all by itself. It looks like, come May, there will some affordable beardless (touch wood). Last year, the monthly hay cost was between $1,000 and $1,200. To be able to buy enough hay for 6 months would be a wise and wonderful thing… to gather $7,000 in donations to do so has not been our reality – we’ve been excited to get enough donations on a month by month basis!

Then there is bran, linseed meal, herbs, salt, etc. etc. Not to mention the stress financially of needing X rays or dental work on one of the horses…

So, something we depend on is a grass hay that we can base the horses’ rations upon consistently, day in, day out. We depend upon donors who provide the funds to buy the hay. We depend upon each other to drive to get the feed, unload it, secure it from the weather, feed it… so far, Mark and I pay for all the petrol to do these things. Dharmahorse does not have enough money to cover it and while we barely do, we believe in this Sanctuary.

So, something we depend on, above all else is each other. And that makes everything else possible.

Categories: Life, Saving Horses, struggle | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Yes and No

Posted on February 15, 2018 by stablewomen

When you run a Sanctuary for horses, every day is unique… sometimes every hour! When you live in harmony with Nature (especially in the high desert), you have to cultivate an attitude of flexibility when it comes to weather, finances, social interactions, relationships and goal setting.

My beautiful picture

We are up with sun, we are online into the night, we are juggling bits of money to be spread across payments that grow exponentially. We see the shining stars every night with barn checks and we fall into bed having missed a bath or a shower 4 days in a row…

Then we wake to gentle rain and the scent of suppressed dust in the paddocks, soft nickers wanting breakfast and a stillness on the stable yard that gifts us a day of introspection and rest.

My beautiful picture

New volunteers often say they don’t know how we do it, day in, day out… old students remark about the changes in the past couple of years that leave us all spellbound. Visitors ask if this was what I had always wanted to do…

Yes… and no.

I had wanted to live in Australia when I was young. I had wanted to raise half Thoroughbred show ponies when I was a teenager. I had wanted to operate a school of gentle, classical horsemanship paired with dance when I was in my twenties. In my thirties, I wanted to write novels. All my life I wanted to grow my own medicines for my family… all my life I wanted to be cherished, just as all beings do.

This Sanctuary, here in the New Mexico high desert, in the middle of a winter rain, warm and drenching; this is a huge YES. The “no” part is that I did not realize in my youth how important this life would be.

A mentor of mine when I was young, Mr. Charles deKunffy, wrote a note to me decades ago. It said, “Kathy, out of great dedication grow fine things. YOU will contribute to the equestrian arts”. No kidding!! THAT motivated me to push on when I was exhausted or discouraged. THAT made me push on when my hand(s) couldn’t even lift a coffee cup. THAT made me push past the mental whiplash inflicted by an alcoholic father and the degradation of molestation. A simple declaration of one’s worth by an admired teacher can be the difference between life and not living.

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So, I contribute; in ways I hadn’t realized would be my destiny. I have my connection to Australia that I now realize was a deep song in my heart. I have taught thousands of students, owned hundreds of horses, schooled hundreds more and stood by another hundred as they passed over… knowing that someone loved them, even though it was only me. I have healed and nourished and held more horses than I can count. Charles was correct… I was and am dedicated. I care.

And the horses here, a jumbled up group of almost every breed and age and background that one can imagine, these horses are the story to be told. Their stories. Colliding with humans, dancing with humans, fearing and respecting and loving humans they know us on levels we don’t know ourselves. I hope they know that I love them. Totally.

Am I pleased with direction this life of mine has taken? Yes. Just yes.

 

 

Categories: healing, Horse Training, Relax, Saving Horses | Tags: , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Smelly Things

Posted on January 12, 2018 by stablewomen

equine eye

I have a notebook from the 99cent store that says on its cover, “REFINDLY MADE FOR THE SUCCESS OF YOUR OUTSTANDING CAUSE”, just like that all in caps and with two strawberries (I think they’re berries…) to the left. I found it the other day trying to reorganize the office. Three pages in, I had written “Smelly Things” and listed, with bullet points, things that smell.

And, just a couple of days ago, a friend had her dog at the Veterinarian. Her young dog had been vomiting and had loose bowels; the Tech asked her wait outside, that it might be Parvo (it was not).

Yesterday, we had the equine dentist here floating teeth. He stopped a few times to smell the saliva on his hands for infection (I do that, too). I’ve been smelling LungTa’s (the Irish Draft horse) hoof with the abscess and finding the exudate to stink less and less.

All of these things have pointed me toward writing something about odors and their markers, so I decided to do so here. Most of us probably do a lot of discernment through our olfactory observations. I find myself to be quite sensitive to aromas… except perhaps the glorious smell of horses that others comment upon when arriving at the stable yard! Or the scent of Patchouli oil that I use making my own deodorant (apparently, I’ve gone nose numb to patchouli and must be reminded by others when I start adding too much).

I had a wonderful Vet named Skip who was also a friend. He has retired, but he often diagnosed firstly by scent. He and I could definitely smell Paro Virus (I learned it from years of Teching at an animal hospital and then when raising English Setters). He knew that cancer had a scent (there are dogs who can smell cancer, they say). I learned that particular marker, unfortunately, through the decades of rehabilitating horses.

Necrosis in wounds has a marker – the smell is probably familiar to most. And it is not host specific… people, dogs, cows, etc. as well as horses will have that similar stench when a wound goes septic.

My beautiful picture

That first whiff of stink can help us get to better treatment quickly, before the systemic infection sets in and the animal spikes a fever.

I am fully aware that this topic is not one to peruse over breakfast or share with a squeamish young daughter, but it is a subject worth noting because there are some life saving possibilities tied to the ability to denote subtle smells around us.

The horse’s poo can give us valuable insight into his health and the condition of his digestion. Beyond just the look and consistency (which, mind you, are vitally important), the odor from a bowel movement will have volumes to say. If the odor is sour and pungent, the horse likely needs probiotics. If it is a “meaty” smell, the diet should be checked and activated charcoal fed to detox the gut (there could be animal products in the feed or digestion is slowed or the gut has become permeable to the horse’s own blood). A sulfur smell can point to hind gut motility changes or simply come from sulfur rich herbs being fed (or MSM supplements).

Urine odor has its own story to tell. The stronger it smells, the more likely it is that the horse is not drinking enough water.

The horse’s sweat odor can have markers we should be attentive about. A stinky, urine-like smell can actually be tied to the kidneys not filtering properly. A sweet odor can be a warning about other organs and a foamy, thick sweat that smells like manure can signal dehydration’s arrival. This can indicate the need of electrolytes or even just salt deprivation (horses need free choice plain salt year round).

If the horse’s breath smells sweet and like a meadow, he probably has a healthy mouth. If there is any sour, foul or fermented smell; infection, improper mastication of food or injury could be present. These observations serve us, not so much as diagnostic tools, but as a pre-signal, a warning that we need to pursue a diagnosis. Catching a malady early can reduce damage, make treatment simpler and sometimes, save a life.

I have a whole detailed analysis of my own perspective about smells (with bullet points!). It is useful for me as a reminder to stay aware and I was so pleased to discover that I had not thrown it away. And the opportunity to chat on about the topic here just might help someone who is thinking, “Crikey, what’s that smell?” It is a message. Indeed it is.

 

Categories: healing, Saving Horses | Tags: , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Falling…

Posted on September 20, 2017 by stablewomen

We “fall” in love, we fall off of horses, we can “fall” into a situation, we are often falling for something that isn’t as it appears.

We are falling. (Tom Petty & “Free Falling” is now in my head!)

So falling has really good and really not so good implications. I recently had a student, who is a friend I care very much about, take a fall from one of the horses. It was no one’s fault. It was a series of circumstances that set the situation into motion too quickly. She was not harmed, but it hurt! And I know her confidence was shaken. It happens to each of us who ride horses. Sometimes we fall. But we hope fervently that those we instruct can be spared the experience. They cannot. And it isn’t fair to believe that not falling will build their confidence. Sometimes, it needs to happen to allow the student to move forward and let go of the dread – the wondering what it will be like. With helmets, safety stirrups and constant attention to the footing (soft place to land), I hope to set my students up for a protected ride and even a protected fall should it happen. That is common sense.

I know of horsemen and horsewomen who choose not to wear helmets when riding – I even used to be one! In the old days the “standard” was: riders under 18 years of age had to wear helmets, anyone jumping had to wear a helmet. I adhered to it in my schools. Now, no one rides at all at Dharmahorse without a proper helmet (all ages, all types of riding). Still there are gurus of horsemanship who even jump horses sans head protection and encourage others to choose that “freedom”. I don’t get it. When I see a precious student come off of a horse, I can at least know their brain is safe! There may be “road rash”, bruises, aches and pains – but a protected head means they will still be thinking and functioning – to be blunt.

Now, falling in love can be just as startling as falling off a horse! Loving another human is its own world – loving an animal, well, that is a gift and an honor that can expand into deep love for an entire species. I feel such love and admiration for each of these horses! They work so hard to help people and try so hard to understand the students who do not yet have control of their bodies and the signals they give! It is all a journey we take together. We just want to find rapport and be cherished – no matter our species.

Falling into a situation denotes something good has happened without effort or focus. I often find that, when people say “she just fell into that good fortune”, no one is aware of the work and attention that it took to “fall”! I firmly believe that the good stuff is attracted to us when we put our attention on it. It is a disciplined way of thinking and acting in life that creates the energy of the situation that manifests. Falling into it may happen, but the landing pad was likely being prepared well ahead of time.

And falling for something holds the image of being deceived or manipulated. “I can’t believe he fell for that!” is often the judgment leveled. We’ve all believed something we later found to be false or misrepresented – the best way to look at these experiences is as learning opportunities. And for me, a negative outcome strengthens my resolve – I hate the feeling of “I knew better” than to do something! No one ever gets me to agree to anything over the phone. I no longer give my power away to others to make them feel better.

So, falling asleep is good! Falling all over someone probably isn’t good. Falling through the cracks could go either way. Tonight, I’m thinking about all the beings I’ve fallen in love with so far in my life and I do not regret a single one. I’m thinking about all the falls I’ve had from horses… those I do regret to a degree, but I learned so much each time. And to all who read this, I strongly suggest that, if you ride horses, you wear a helmet. If you fall in love, I salute you! Love holds the world together, love heals us. My life is now more filled with love than it has ever been!

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At Dharmahorse tonight we are getting ready for sleep with little solar lights that look like stars sprinkled about the stable yard. Our weather has been odd, but this day was pleasant and I had the honor of bringing people and horses together to love and delight in each other. This is a good life. The love of my lives sits nearby, sharing this simple, joy filled time. I think I’m falling in love with this new, good life! “Free falling……….”

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Healthy “Neglect”

Posted on August 28, 2017 by stablewomen

That was something my Mum used to talk about a lot… She watched people over water their house plants, over water gardens, over feed pets and buy everything their children wanted. She always let me know I would have everything that I needed. She would support my dreams. But, she would not submit to whining, begging or tantrums when I felt “deprived”.

Now, neglecting any being’s basic needs or health requirements is criminal. Caving in on whims or trying to win over someone else with bribery and indulgence is just poor judgement. These things end up biting us back in the bum because there will never be an end to the demands!

Our own minds and emotions can lead us astray… I’ve done it. When a starved horse arrives, the temptation is to just pour out delicious food and comfort them (and ourselves) with abundance. We all know that’s wrong. To swing the pendulum to the opposite side is equally detrimental to health, especially for horses. But, I have watched health and “flesh” return over the proper months’ time and just not quite backed off early enough… ending up with a chubby equine.

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Now, that’s not dangerous in our barn because we feed only hays and pelleted hay. For a horse getting hard feeds, the consequences can be debilitating. The middle way best serves the equine metabolism!

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Hooves of horses are another realm where “less is more” when it comes to manipulation. The unshod hoof has the best potential for long-term health while an injured or badly wearing hoof could best be served by applying boots or shoes. The problem for horses is when “how the hoof looks” becomes a priority over how the horse feels. If it takes 2 or 3 weeks for the horse to recover from a hoof trimming, something’s not right! If all hooves are shaped to a static and singular standard, something is very wrong. I have always found that leaving the hooves to find their own best shape over a 3 to 4 week period can often change much for the better.

All things with horses are best changed or rearranged over a gradual, calculated period of time. That “healthy neglect” factor can temper intentions and emotions with the common sense of  actual well-being. Horses like to get dirty. They like to interact with each other. They like to be horses.

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I remember showing my Morgan and Arabian geldings Saddle Seat as a youngster. I knew a girl whose grooming of her mare was so important that she used “Nair” hair removal creme on her horse’s inner ears. She trimmed “split ends” on her main with a special razor… she shaved the mare’s muzzle and saved rain water to rinse away sweat (I’m not kidding!).

That mare lived in a box stall. She was beautiful, I’ll admit it. She was not happy, that was easy to perceive by all of us except for her owner/rider.

I want our horses to be happy as well as healthy and calm. I want the same things for them that I want for myself. We will never neglect a horse at Dharmahorse! We also will pause for thought in any situation where extremes are suggested, recommended or required. A little bit of restraint can be the difference between long-term damage and slowly correcting a situation. Patience is easy here.

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