Secret Sauce

I have the “secret sauce” recipe for a happy, healthy, problem-free horse. If you follow this recipe, your horse will never overreact, misbehave, come up lame on the right hind (or maybe it’s the left front?) He will never succumb to viruses, colic, have diarrhea or allergies. And there won’t be unexplained bumps, lumps, or fungus.

Pretty amazing “sauce” isn’t it? And all yours for the price of…

 Ok, well…there isn’t a sauce, secret or otherwise. It doesn’t exist. We, as horse people, are going to encounter one or likely most of these problems along the way. It’s part of what we sign up for, and if we don’t want them… well, a tennis racket, heck even a golf club can provide us a less complicated hobby! I know, I know – tennis players and golfers might disagree.

I guess the real “secret sauce” is to try and prevent these problems before they are problems.

Equine massage practitioners have an interesting window into horse health. When you have your hands on a horse’s body you notice a few things. The most obvious being where they hold tension or exhibit pain.

But wait! There’s more. We can also get a sense of their general state of mind and wellness. How do they receive the bodywork, are they over reactive and jumpy or settle into it? Do they present with a runny nose or rashes/bumps that could be representative of a deeper health issue? Are they reactive behind their shoulder, girth area, or stomach – that could be a sign of digestive distress? Are there marks or hair color differences in the saddle area which might indicate saddle fit issues (or past issues)? And a big one, do they have a few more pounds than might be necessary? Any, or all, of these can be signs or causes of stress or inflammatory responses or both. So, is the horse who is already stressed by not living in the wild, grazing a gazillion hours a day on natural grasses and herbs, experiencing even more stress and inflammation? The answer is often, yes.

What can be done? Well, back to the need for the secret sauce which as noted, I don’t have. What I can offer are ingredients that most certainly would be included in a secret sauce:

Ingredient #1: Scheduling a preventative care/wellness appointment with your vet. It could be around the time when your horse is vaccinated or has an annual dental exam. During this appointment, consider having the vet run a basic blood panel.  It is a valuable reference. While we can’t call our vet for every lump and bump, my guess is that our vets might be pretty darned pleased if we scheduled them to discuss wellness versus “how fast can you get out here.” Vets are masters at connecting the dots (and so are you), so your observations coupled with their analysis can often rule out (or sometimes in) conditions that can be remedied before they become serious. Just imagine the thousands of dollars saved if your EMS (Equine Metabolic Syndrome) horse was diagnosed early, or never! We spend a zillion dollars on colorful halters, horse toys, and treats, yet cringe when we have to call the vet out because of the cost. My two cents, preventative care is worth every penny.

If you are lucky enough to find a vet who has additional knowledge in health building modalities like nutrition, acupuncture, and chiropractic then you’ve hit the jackpot. These vets can offer additional care and suggestions for evidence-based supplements and drug alternatives. They can also recommend expanded blood and fecal tests that help in diagnosing issues. I once had a horse who spewed diarrhea and after determining he had some distinct allergies and a bacteria, I was able to change his diet and give medication to zap the bacteria. His gut health improved immeasurably and might I add, his attitude as well.

Ingredient #2: Hay and grain and supplements…oh my! Volumes could be written on this, and it is where the help of a nutritionist can be invaluable. This is an interesting article about some general health conditions and diet.  https://thehorse.com/197843/using-diet-to-deter-equine-diseases/?utm_medium=Nutrition+enews&utm_source=Newsletter

A few key nutrition and horse care “ingredients” that I have found particularly enlightening include:

a.     Forage – Horses’ digestive systems were “designed” to constantly graze on smaller quantities of forage. The “standard” feeding schedule of flake or two of hay in the morning and evening is the least optimal for digestive health and general body stress. Horses who are city dwellers and don’t have the benefit of pasture time can really be impacted by this. Some hacks like slow feeders or more frequent, smaller meals are helpful. There are a few interesting videos on this topic by anatomist Gillian Higgins on her Horses Inside Out website. She has some free materials through her Academy.  https://www.horsesinsideout.com/academy . And an online seminar at https://www.horsesinsideout.com/digestive-seminar  

b.     Supplements, ration balancers, and grains. Many of us use some form of this and finding the right balance is an art form and quite individual to each horse. Here is a universal truth that I found interesting. Horses, like us, should be eating unprocessed, organic, non-GMO feed. If your horse is eating bags of feed which most ingredients you can’t pronounce or are grown in a pesticide sprayed corn or soy field…it might be good for a diet review. I have found some helpful blogs and articles on this topic from two whole-food supplement companies. https://blog.biostarus.com/

And https://nouvelleresearch.com/index.php/equine-articles. Some research articles can be found at https://nouvelleresearch.com/index.php/research-science-articles 

Ingredient #3: It goes without saying, proper hoof care is, well…everything. What I appreciate about farriers is that most are eager to share knowledge and their approach to caring for your horse’s hooves (whether barefoot or with shoes). I used to be afraid to ask my farrier questions, now I talk his ear off.  Poor guy!

Ingredient #4: If there was a secret sauce, I PROMISE, it would include a consistent massage and body care program (every 4-6 weeks). Equine massage can help release tension and enhance blood flow and lymph function. Trust me, you don’t want knots and tension to build up. A good resource to find certified equine massage therapist in your area are https://iaamb.org/directory/  or https://equinologyinstitute.com/find-body-worker/. If you are in Southern or Central California, by all means call/text us 949.274.3243 or book through ://www.keahorses.com/contact

In addition to massage, consistent chiropractic and/or osteopathic care would be important ingredients. They don’t replace the meat of veterinary and farrier care or a whole foods diet, but they add to the delicious flavor that makes a sauce. For more information on the benefits of bodywork check out https://thehorse.com/198248/complementary-therapies-for-horses-2/. If you are looking for practitioners, your vet, trainer, or barn mates may have recommendations.  If not, one good starting point for a chiropractor is https://www.animalchiropractic.org/find-a-doctor/.

Ingredient #5: Movement – This probably should be the first ingredient. Horses were built to move. There are so many valuable training methods, philosophies, and programs to enhance the wellbeing and fitness of your horse. Pick the program that resonates with you and your horse. The movement “ingredient” that deserves a big shout out is walking! Simple, right? Whether it be on trail, in-hand around the barn, or just a few extra laps around the ring. Walking is good – it allows you and your horse to take some extra breaths and expand time in movement. I use that extra time to remind my horse how much I appreciate him.

When you think about it, holding a spirit of gratitude for these great partners, with whom we are entrusted, is probably the most important and not-so-secret ingredient for our sauce:-)