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Does your horse consistently win? Surpass your expectations?
Look forward to competition?
Does he do it, or can he do it, without drugs, medications
and painkillers?
Why medicate, mask and marginalize your horse’s performance
and actually put him at risk?
There is good news for the horse industry. There are other
ways to have that ultimate performance horse. Keep your
horse sound, effective, performing in ultimate condition
and keep him performing longer with shorter recovery rates
from the high levels of the physical challenges and stress
required of today’s performance horse.
Take a step back and become a vigilant observer. Listen
and watch horses, their owners and riders as they are asked
to perform. Do you see the difference in the horses that
are allowed to move freely and willingly in competition
and those that are robotic?
The horse is like a well-oiled, well-tuned machine when
in the hands of a caring, considerate and great operator.
This machine can also become ineffective when the wiring
and components break down. Each part of the machine must
be working in harmony to run efficiently. The fastest, mechanically
perfect car won’t go anywhere without gas; and without
oil, the engine is surely to blow. If your truck has a flat
tire and you use the new “spare tire” that comes
with it until you can get to a garage, you cannot continue
to run a mismatched tire, which is a different size than
the other 3. Your gas mileage will go down, turning and
braking becomes inefficient and even dangerous. Compare
that with the horse with a shoe that doesn’t fit right.
After all, we can change a tire or take off our shoes. The
horse is stuck with the ones we put on them. Over time performance
is compromised and the horse will start to show symptoms
of discomfort and can even suffer long-term damage. Too
often, these symptoms could be misinterpreted and covered
up with medication to inhibit pain during performance.
For those trainers and owners who understand the horse’s
mind and the psychology of the mind-body connection, the
horse has an ally. These individuals take a whole horse
approach to training, healthcare and building athletes that
can compete in demanding equine events. They understand
that drugs affect the relationship between the body and
mind and this knowledge enables them to recognize and prevent
physical and behavioral issues and act in the best interest
of the horse. They know that there is a source, cause and
symptomatic criteria for problems and they go to the source
before beginning any treatment or therapy. Find the source,
find the cause from the symptoms, and an appropriate treatment
plan can be put in place. Horses all have their own language
and by spending a few minutes reading the horse, their signs
can very often allow preventative measures before treatment
is necessary.
Drugs in the horse industry have always been accepted to
some extent, with each season bringing on a broader spectrum
of drug use. There are times when drugs are absolutely appropriate
and used under the right circumstances, humane. However,
broadening the scope of accepted drugs in the horse industry
to encompass drugs just to make a horse appear or perform
in a manner that is not natural is extremely dangerous.
It sits right up there with expanding drug use to school
children to keep them quiet and in a stupor because they
seem to be hyperactive. There are truly legitimate circumstances
when drugs are critical for treatment, but it is a sad day
when drugs are considered appropriate just to manipulate
the horse’s appearance, such as deadening tails. I
won’t even go into the disastrous consequences from
that ridiculous concept.
Are the competitors manipulating judges or is it just the
opposite? So, when does the integrity of the horse outweigh
the integrity (or lack of) of the competition? Is there
no barrier that cannot be breached if the judges or public
decide the “appearance” of the horse is more
important that the horse itself. Unnecessary drugging of
horses for no other reason than improper training, undue
stress factors on young horses not given adequate recovery
time, behavior and other excuses has gone too far. Many
abnormalities and even death can result in taking the high
road of constant drugs and the many medications that are
on the rise as accepted in the horse industry. Many underlying
health problems are caused directly by mismanagement.
This article does not address the positive and valuable
use of medications and drugs for horses. Your veterinarian
is the first line of defense for your horse and can give
you that information. A good veterinarian that has true
compassion for the horse and supports the integrity of horse
health is the horse’s strongest ally, as are the professional
therapists and support team (equine dentists, farriers,
etc.).
Because the word holistic, herbal, and natural seem to imply
safe, it is crucial that you work with a trained professional.
Most therapies have the ability to change the physical,
mental and emotional state, that is why they are so successful,
but it is an intelligent choice to work with a knowledgeable
and trained therapist. Individuals who attempt to treat
their horses often don’t know the complexities of
side-effects, yes, there may be some, and contraindications.
Therapeutic Massage, for example, is a wonderful adjunct
to any therapy, but there are conditions, which prevent
its use.
Holistic and conventional therapy is a critical combination
for preventative and maintenance healthcare for the horse.
Whether the horse is a top money winner and top competitor
or a little girl’s dream, the horse is a gift to mankind.
From the time the first human sat astride the horse, a bond
has been forged that has crossed centuries and cultures.
The horse has been given into our care and it is our responsibility
to take that responsibility with honor and integrity. This
is not a free pass to put the horse in harm’s way
for our vanity and petty fads.
The REVOLUTION of which I speak is actually a change of
perspective. The horse is a valuable commodity, a competitor’s
ally, and some little girls dream. An educated, considerate
and caring horse owner is the horse’s very best friend.
The following is an article written by Stephanie Womack.
Stephanie is our barrel horse trainer here at Twin Kreek
Ranch in Marietta, OK. We breed, raise and train performance
horses. Our horses are bred for disposition, good minds,
athletic ability and versatility. Stephanie has been successfully
campaigning several of our horses and with only 15 runs
to his credit, one of the geldings is not only performing
great, but running right up there with the top competitors.
We are extremely proud of Stephanie, what she is doing with
our horses and the fact that all our horses are basically
on this same program as the one outlined below. As therapist,
Stephanie and I both agree that the making of a good horse
and the making of a great horse, depends on the horse, yes,
but also in this winning program. For more information about
Stephanie and an in-depth look at her program and the program
here at Twin Kreek Ranch, email us at petspeak@swbell.net
or STEPHWOMACK@peoplepc.com.
Success in the horse industry is not just related to how
your horse is bred, but also, to the way you take care of
your horse companion. In my opinion there are two types
of horses: Just a horse, and Wow! What a horse!! This does
not always note world champions, but it does note horses
that their owners take very good care of them and provide
the best for them to feel look and perform at their top
level. No! Not all horses are world champions, but they
will be more cooperative for you if this is how you treat
them. You will know that they give you 100% every time.
My program consists of a team that I work with, they are:
a veterinarian, a farrier, an equine dentist and the natural
therapies we practice. With my team and I, we work together
to help the horses reach their potential. One is as important
as the other and they all are experts in their field of
study. To properly care for your horse(s), you need to make
a team for yourself and become more knowledgeable in the
area of horsemanship.
In my program, I start addressing a horse’s ability
by looking at the things I can change to better their physical
and emotional lifestyle with the agreement of my team. My
program is one of prevention rather than fixing problems.
First item that I will look at is their nutritional intake.
I believe that the horse’s body and ours, too, were
made to live off of the land and not digest man-made preservatives
or additives. The horse’s digestive system works best
when they can easily breakdown their food and it can be
quickly turned to energy. The longer food takes to digest
and breakdown in the body, the longer the body has to wait
to receive the benefits. I personally feed an extruded feed
that is made to be more easily digestible and nutrients
are more readily available to the horse because of the extrusion
process.
I also like to
add a supplement that will increase joint and ligament support
and promote overall health. The supplement that I like to
use is half bee pollen and half joint protection formula.
The bee pollen is beneficial that it enhances immunity,
has healing properties, and decreases respiratory problems.
It, also, increases the power to concentrate and increases
brain function. Bee pollen is full of vitamins such as:
vitamin B and vitamin E and amino acids. The joint support
system includes glucosamine and powerful enzymes to maintain
normal joint health. In my feeding process, I like to have
all my horses on Apple Cider Vinegar. This product has proven
itself in many realms of the equine industry to be beneficial
in healing wounds, helping by relieving arthritic problems,
calming nerves, conditioning their coats and stimulates
digestion in colic situations.
After I get them on my preventive feeding program, I will
address their physical well being—such as: teeth,
feet, and body condition. The mouth and feet of a horse
are two areas that you never want to overlook. The mouth
should be ulcer free and teeth floated and smooth with no
sharp edges. The hinge of the jaw should glide smoothly
left and right and they should be able to open wide. An
equine dentist is a major player on the team of preventive
heath in my program. I recommend having an equine dentist
check your horse’s teeth every six months. If there
is an issue that needs addressing then they can fix it at
that time, before it becomes a problem.
This goes for the feet. You need to find a good farrier
that will trim or shoe your horse to his body angles. The
foot should be level right to left and front to back. The
foot is a very important part of the horse’s body.
If the foot is not level or does not have correct size shoes
on it; it can not handle the weight of the horse properly,
therefore causing the horse to overcompensate and a problem
forms. Lameness, unwillingness to perform, body structure
changes, and many more things occur when the mouth and feet
are overlooked.
The daily routine of my horses is very important to my program.
I feed twice a day and I give good clean coastal hay with
their feed. I keep plenty of fresh water available. They
get exercise everyday, whether it be lounging, pleasure
riding or working on certain techniques that they need to
develop. Then they get to run free in the pasture and enjoy
the rest of the day as horses. I believe that free time
in the pasture, or a good sized lot, is a priority to keep
the mind of a horse free and full of life. They like to
run, play, enjoy the sunshine and roll in the dirt just
like we enjoy changing up our routine to do something pleasurable
for ourselves.
The more the mind is willing, the more our horse will help
us in reaching our goals. Also, I check their body’s
everyday to make sure there are no new scratches or bumps
that need to be addressed. I like to help keep my horses
feeling great with some massage, acupressure work and relevant
therapies. If I find a soreness or lameness issue, then
I do bodywork and some alternative therapies that will fix
the issue. By checking my horses daily, I decrease the chance
of missing one of these issues and therefore letting it
get in the way of their performance. Knowing the horse anatomy
and how their body should operate normally, are a must,
because knowledge gives you the upper hand on winning and
having your horse perform at the top of their game.
During competition, I also have a routine that I like to
follow. Sometimes time does not allow for this routine to
be completely followed every time. However I change it to
benefit the horse that I am working on and do what is necessary
to make them comfortable and do their best. In my competition
routine, I make sure I park where my horse will be safe
and not get hurt or hurt some one else. Depending on the
length of the drive, I like to stretch my horse’s
legs by hand walking them for a few minutes and then offering
them water. I make sure I know the order of events and decide
on how much time that I will need to get my horse properly
ready for their event. I like to saddle early and do a light
warm-up, then come back to the trailer and stretch and address
any soreness issues that would not work themselves out during
the warm-up. Depending on the horse, I will go back a do
a longer warm-up to help them focus and then get geared
up for our run. Not all horses need a long warm-up. It is
unnecessary to over warm-up your horse. You are wasting
them and not allowing them to perform their best. If, after
a proper warm-up, I have a horse that gets a little edgy
and is not able to stay calm, then I will give an herbal
calmer made of chamomile. This is not a drug. It is a flower
and works great in the body, because it is natural and easy
for the body to break down. The horse then goes out and
does there best for me. I cool them out by hand walking
and re-stretching their larger muscle groups and then I
water and feed and/or hay them. My horses are rewarded;
when we get home, with pasture time for a day or at least
24 hours, then we get back into our daily exercise routine.
I do not believe it is necessary to drug the horse to get
them to run their best with my program. They are getting
every thing that the body needs and there are no extras
that the body has to fight to break down and use. We think
drugging horses to make them run faster or stay calm is
beneficial, however it is proven that it only hurts the
horse in the long run. They will over work their body, therefore
causing strained ligaments or muscles or torn ligaments
or muscles. Also, their systems were not made to have drugs;
it is hard for a horse to digest them. Some drugs that are
used prevalently in the competition world are so touchy
that with just one dose; that you have done for hundreds
of runs, could cause detrimental problems in the body, such
as: founder, bleeding, heart attacks, strokes and, of course,
death. I do not want to take the chance on my Wow! What
a horse!!. I believe in them and they trust and believe
that I do all that I can for them without harming them.
My horses love their job, because they feel good inside
and out. I know they give me 100%, because I give them my
100% all of the time. Sometimes I know we run out of time
or money and we can get in a hurry to have a world champion;
so we get focused on us and forget the proper needs of our
horse(s). This is when we start cutting corners and our
program begins to fail our horses and us. We can not let
this happen; if we want the Wow! What a horse!
NOTE: Stephanie’s cover of her program is
really just the tip of the iceberg. And, Stephanie works
closely with her veterinarian. Although he practices Conventional
Veterinary Medicine, he is her trusted guide and resource
and plays a crucial role in the wellbeing and health of
her horses.
Jim Knorr, Trainer, Twin Kreek Ranch. Jim also has a very
good training program and his belief that reading the horse
is your most valuable resource. Each horse is different
and even though his training routine can be pretty basic,
his ability to individualize it for each horse has given
his horses the basic training they need to prepare them
for any equine event. It is imperative to NOT interpret
bad behavior and poor performance before going back to the
source and cause. Again, the equine dentist, farrier, veterinarian,
therapists are a team. X-rays and other lab work can only
be done by a veterinarian and can uncover existing problems
and make sure they are addressed. From a training aspect,
tack, travel and housing are all crucial parts of the equation.
Submited by:
Bennie Jean Kuehnle
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