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It is important to understand the proper maintenance of the leg, from the shoulder down to the hoof. I learned years ago, while working at the race track, how the shoulder can affect the tendons. If the shoulder is tight, it will be pulling on the tendons and cause stress that can cause serious damage. It is not something that we think about, but shoulder tension can be a root cause for many a bowed tendon. I would make it a part of your daily routine to check the limberness of the shoulder. Perhaps ask your massage therapist to report to you on the flexibility of the shoulder and set up an exercise routine that you can work with. You can help keep the shoulder limber with a good liniment and some magnet or laser therapy, as well. The angles of the hoof can affect the tendons and ligaments as well. If the heel is not set at a proper angle you may be asking the tendon to be longer than is natural for that horse. I would consult with your farrier to make sure that your horse's feet are shod in such a way as to support the tendons and not stress them. You can alleviate a lot of tendon and ligament injuries by knowing how to properly maintain the legs. Make sure the legs are properly bandaged to avoid any bandage bows. Think before turning your horse out or riding him in a muddy field. One slip in the mud could torque his tendon and do irreparable damage. Look into the best way to support the leg with exercise boots. The next time you are able to watch some horses moving -- whether being ridden by someone or running freely in the field -- stop and watch them. Take a close look at the leg and the dynamics of its movement. You can get an idea by looking at some of the veterinary, anatomy or kinesiology books out on the market. This will give you a greater understanding of the biomechanics of the tendons and ligaments and how they work. By keeping all the functions in perspective you will know how to support the health of the legs and how to work with them should they get injured. Stacey Small, Co-Editor The Holistic Horse
I think that it is great to have the option of using herbs to help in the maintenance of horses. I have a few books and have read different articles on herbs and horses but I still have not been able to answer a very important question that I have about using herbs as an alternative. I do competitive trail riding and am subject to random blood testing. The administering of any drugs that may alter a horse's performance or make a fair evaluation of the horse in comparison to the other competitors is prohibited; therefore, I need to know if the use of these herbs will show up as a no-no in blood tests. I have learned, for example, that the use of Devils Claw is a natural alternative to the use of BUTE. The use of BUTE in these competitive trail rides is grounds for disqualification. So, I need to know if Devils Claw would show up as BUTE in a blood test. I do competitive trail riding and am subject to random blood testing. The administering of any drugs that may alter a horse's performance or make a fair evaluation of the horse in comparison to the other competitors is prohibited; therefore, I need to know if the use of these herbs will show up as a no-no in blood tests. I have learned, for example, that the use of Devils Claw is a natural alternative to the use of BUTE. The use of BUTE in these competitive trail rides is grounds for disqualification. So, I need to know if Devils Claw would show up as BUTE in a blood test. If you could give me some guidance on the restrictions of using herbs in competitive horses I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you. Dear
Darlene, If you are very concerned, there are other options. You can look into Homeopathy as a way of working with your horse. Find a homeopathic practitioner and ask him or her about things like Arnica, Rhus Tox and Ruta Grav. See what advice is offered for your horse specifically.
From an external perspective, you can work with magnets or similar therapy equipment to increase the circulation to the area and help the body flush out stagnant fluids and toxins. First, you want to be absolutely certain that there are no clinical problems that you may be masking.
You can also work with a liniment called Sore No More. It was voted Product of the Year by the Horse Journal publication. It's wonderful for horses with sensitive skin, and great for animals being used for competition. It is safe to use with magnets ... it is a cooling liniment. You must NEVER use heating liniment with magnets. You can read more about Sore No More on the Equilite web site, www.equilite.com. (You can also read about a product called "Body Flex and Body Flex Plus" -- that might be what you are looking for. People in the States have been using it with no problems.) You can go to the Testimonial Section and see what people have to say about the Sore No More. It is available in Canada. If you are interested, we can put the distributor in touch with you.
Hope this has been of some help to you.
Regards,
Dear
Holistic Horse, Dear
Marie,
The way I have worked with scratches is a two-phase process. I will
try to kill the fungus and then heal the area. I start with a product
called The Sauce, which is the first herbal sugardine product on the
market. Sugardine is an old-time remedy used to kill infection, reduce
proud flesh and heal wounds. Since it has the iodine in it, it will
help to kill the fungus. The other ingredient in there is Sore No More,
which is an herbal liniment with ingredients that are also antibacterial.
The only caution is that if there is white pigmentation in the area
there may be sensitivity to the iodine and you may get a reaction like
a mild blister. I would test a small area first to see if there is a
reaction. Most horses will not have a reaction, but there are always
the ones who will. You can do this for anywhere from one to five days,
the average being three days. The second phase is to work with a Calendula
cream to help heal the area.
If
the animal tends to be prone to things like scratches, I would support
the immune system with a garlic product. Garlic is one of the few herbs
that is anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial all in one. The Garli+C
Blend made by Equilite, also has Vitamin C and Zinc in it to help with
the healing process. There are two additional Chinese herbs, Astragalus
and Schisandra blended in that help to support the immune system. These
two herbs tie into the lung meridian in Chinese Medicine, which is directly
correlated to the skin. So the formula makes sense to use from this
perspective as well. This is the way to be working holistically. You
will be covering all bases -- working from the inside out and the outside
in at the same time.
Stacey
Small Hi Karen,
I found
it very strange that your publication, which I subscribe to, should
run such an article as this: "Strasser Hoof Trim Method Far Too Risky
To Recommend, Says Guild President Henry Heymering" without any balancing
article whatsoever. As such, it appears that your magazine has taken
a stance in opposition to Dr. Strasser's method. I find this very curious
and confusing, such a case as a dog biting its own tail.
The people
who follow Dr. Strasser's methods, and other natural hoofcare/barefoot
methods are your exact target audience, holistic orientated, interested
in everything from homeopathy to acupuncture, and very ready to go against
the grain. Most "barefooters" are not interested in converting the world,
but rather sharing their own experiences with other holistic minded
people.
There is
very little generally known about Dr. Strasser's method in this country
-- the reason being that there are only 4 people certified by Dr. Strasser
who have been practicing for over a year (of which my husband is one).
This is in its infancy, and it was very odd that Mr. Heymering chose
to write his article without ever having witnessed one single Strasser
trimmed horse. I know because I invited him to come to Arizona and see
one of our 200 Strasser trimmed horses, but he turned us, and several
other invitations around the country, down.
Dr. Strasser's
method is about the holistic healing of the hoof, and it works, because
we have countless examples to show for it. It is not a method for every
person, as it is simply too difficult for some people to follow. It
is also not something that can be learned in a weekend seminar, or for
goodness sakes, over the internet. It can only be properly applied by
someone who has had at least one year of training with Dr. Strasser.
It should not be applied by horseowners while the hoof is still unhealthy.
I hope
you'll take my comments kindly. Dr. Strasser's method should be given
a fair shake, if not embraced by a publication such as yours.
Sincerely,
Dear
Ms. Welz,
Issue
31 was geared toward sound farrier practice, not toward any particular
method of hoof care. Our concern for the potential cause of soundness
problems in the horse was what we were striving to communicate to our
readers. The press release we published in the "In the News" section
of our publication was distributed by a reputable organization.
I
hope in the future the Strasser method will become more widely used
in my area so that I can witness its success firsthand.
We
live in exciting times with so much research and development that is
sure to focus on what's good for the horse.
Sincerely,
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Dear Holistic Horse: