The Equine Care Clinic

19/08/2024

🐴 Horses rely on us for their care and well-being.
Building a strong bond with your horse through proper care and respect will ensure a happy and fulfilling relationship for both of you.
It's also a lot of fun!
Each horse has his or her own quirks.
And there is always one that loves to take you hat 😅

12/08/2024

🐎 Research shows that building a strong connection with horses can reduce stress, improve mental well-being, and foster a sense of trust and empathy. Horses have a unique way of helping us find balance and peace in our lives.
See, it's a scientific fact.
Horses are good for us!

05/08/2024

😍 It's been a tough year by anyone's standards
Horses are a lot of work and a huge commitment.
When people ask why I do it it's because life is just
better with horses!
Would there be anything you would trade it for?❤️‍🔥

02/08/2024

🌾🐴 Forage is an essential Colic prevention strategy in horses! 🌿🚫🤢Horses need a steady supply of clean, quality forage to maintain gut health and prevent colic.

Aim for at least 1 to 2% of their body weight in forage daily to keep their digestive system functioning smoothly.

🥕🍃Forage provides the necessary fiber to support healthy gut microbes and helps push out excess gas, reducing the risk of colic.

Feed slowly and consistently to avoid sudden diet changes. 🐎💚

02/08/2024

I love the ability of comedians, particularly Jimmy Rees, to reflect back to us our normalised yet strange or inappropriate behaviours.

https://www.facebook.com/share/3auaDNNsidUFXYDP/?mibextid=xfxF2i

29/07/2024

🏇 🏇 High withered horse? This hack is for you! 🏇 🏇
A huge, elderly TB came into our care and needed rugging to keep weight on.
Problem was he had a wither sore and no matter what rug was used it made things worse.
I used a couple of stocking legs and filled them full of socks (you know the ones without partners)
I sewed these either side of the sheepskin protector inside a satin bib.
The bolsters rested either side of the withers
This spread the pressure more broadly and kept the rug away from the wound.
Whilst he looked like the hunchback from Notre Dame it worked a treat.
Follow for more tips and practical Horse First Aid and Horse Health information.
www.equineecare.com

29/07/2024

Social media is such a powerful, wonderful tool.
Great for connecting people you might not otherwise be able to see and talk to.
Great for information sharing.
Last week we saw that power showed shadow side and the darkness of it.
I spend a lot of time on social media to help me understand what my audience wants/needs to know.
And I both love and hate it.
The judgement by social media literally hurts my soul.
It seems just because someone did the wrong thing or something wrong by our standards (opening ceremony) that gives people the courage to be rude, mean, nasty and bullies.
Polar views, self righteousness leading to what felt like a feeding frenzy.
I had to take a 3 day break. It was totally negging me out.
I can't change others but I can choose how I show up and how I respond to people I might not agree with or who's views I might not like.
I am all about horse welfare...it's why I do what I do. There are ways and ways of bringing people on the journey. If we have been around horses it is likely we all have things we wish we had done differently. I'll definitely put my hand up.
My aim is education with kindness and compassion. I'm just going to keep trying to live by this both in the real world and the virtual one.
I hope you come along for the ride.
$horsesandpeople

24/07/2024

🆘 Get the reassurance you need when your horse has a nasty wound.❤️‍🩹
Our Virtual Horse Wound Care Consultancy helps you sleep at night! 🛌

For just $150 AUD, you will receive a personalized wound care plan with links to recommended products and information.

Plus, you'll have access to regular advice through phone, message, or video conference during each dressing change throughout your horse's healing journey.

Let us help you provide the best care for your horse's wounds and give you peace of mind 😍 ☮️

23/07/2024

🐎💧 Hydration is key to preventing colic in horses 🚱➡️🤢

Did you know? Horses need 16 to 40 litres (5-10 gallons) of fresh water daily to stay healthy and avoid dehydration. 🚰🌊

During transport or exercise, horses can lose up to 5 litres or 1 gallon of water per hour through sweat! 💦🏋️‍♀️🚛

Keep your horses well hydrated to maintain gut health and prevent painful colic episodes. Remember: a hydrated horse is a happy, healthy horse! 😊🐴

22/07/2024

🌟 Why do so many woman have horses in their lives? I think it's because horses empower us to achieve what we never thought possible. Horsewomen are resourceful, practical, and tough. Not many people can work harmoniously with 500kg animals, cart hay, tow live animals in trailers, and gallop along the way. We also know how to have fun! Next time you're feeling low, remember you are more powerful than you realize. You've got the spirit of a horsewoman within you! 🐴💪

10/07/2024

This is exactly what we were talking about the other day at our Horse First Aid live Q & A. Your new horse was probably not drugged and the old owner was probably not lying to you. Horses dont like change. Changing their environment, their friends and their feed has a much bigger impact than we realise. The post below explains this beautifully. Worth the read. 😊

"New Home Syndrome"🤓

I am coining this term to bring recognition, respect, and understanding to what happens to horses when they move homes. This situation involves removing them from an environment and set of routines they have become familiar with, and placing them somewhere completely different with new people and different ways of doing things.

Why call it a syndrome?

Well, really it is! A syndrome is a term used to describe a set of symptoms that consistently occur together and can be tied to certain factors such as infections, genetic predispositions, conditions, or environmental influences. It is also used when the exact cause of the symptoms is not fully understood or when it is not connected with a well-defined disease. In this case, "New Home Syndrome" is connected to a horse being placed in a new home where its entire world changes, leading to psychological and physiological impacts. While it might be transient, the ramifications can be significant for both the horse and anyone handling or riding it.

Let me explain...

Think about how good it feels to get home after a busy day. How comfortable your favourite clothes are, how well you sleep in your own bed compared to a strange bed, and how you can really relax at home. This is because home is safe and familiar. At home, the part of you that keeps an eye out for potential danger turns down to a low setting. It does this because home is your safe place (and if it is not, this blog will also explain why a lack of a safe place is detrimental).

Therefore, the first symptom of horses experiencing "New Home Syndrome" is being unsettled, prone to anxiety, or difficult behaviour. If you have owned them before you moved them, you struggle to recognise your horse, feeling as if your horse has been replaced by a frustrating version. If the horse is new to you, you might wonder if you were conned, if the horse was drugged when you rode it, or if you were lied to about the horse's true nature.

A horse with "New Home Syndrome" will be a stressed version of itself, on high alert, with a drastically reduced ability to cope. Horses don't handle change like humans do. If you appreciate the comfort of your own home and how you can relax there, you should be able to understand what the horse is experiencing.

Respecting that horses interpret and process their environments differently from us helps in understanding why your horse is being frustrating and recognising that there is a good chance you were not lied to or that the horse was not drugged.

Horses have survived through evolution by being highly aware of their environments. Change is a significant challenge for them because they notice the slightest differences, not just visually but also through sound, smell, feel, and other senses. Humans generalise and categorise, making it easy for us to navigate familiar environments like shopping centres. Horses do not generalise in the same way; everything new is different to them, and they need proof of safety before they can habituate and feel secure. When their entire world changes, it is deeply stressful.

They struggle to sleep until they feel safe, leading to sleep deprivation and increased difficulty.

But there is more...

Not only do you find comfort in your home environment and your nervous system downregulates, but you also find comfort in routines. Routines are habits, and habits are easy. When a routine changes or something has to be navigated differently, things get difficult. For example, my local supermarket is undergoing renovations. After four years of shopping there, it is extremely frustrating to have to work out where everything is now. Every day it gets moved due to the store being refitted section by section. This annoyance is shared by other shoppers and even the staff.

So, consider the horse. Not only are they confronted with the challenge of figuring out whether they are safe in all aspects of their new home while being sleep deprived, but every single routine and encounter is different. Then, their owner or new owner starts getting critical and concerned because the horse suddenly seems untrained or difficult. The horse they thought they owned or bought is not meeting their expectations, leading to conflict, resistance, explosiveness, hypersensitivity, and frustration.

The horse acts as if it knows little because it is stressed and because the routines and habits it has learned have disappeared. If you are a new human for the horse, you feel, move, and communicate differently from what it is used to. The way you hold the reins, your body movements in the saddle, the position of your leg – every single routine of communication between horse and person is now different. I explain to people that when you get a new horse, you have to imprint yourself and your way of communicating onto the horse. You have to introduce yourself and take the time to spell out your cues so that they get to know you.

Therefore, when you move a horse to a new home or get a new horse, your horse will go through a phase called "New Home Syndrome," and it will be significant for them. Appreciating this helps them get through it because they are incredible and can succeed. The more you understand and help the horse learn it is safe in its new environment and navigate the new routines and habits you introduce, the faster "New Home Syndrome" will pass.
"New Home Syndrome" will be prevalent in a horse’s life until they have learned to trust the safety of the environment (and all that entails) and the humans they meet and interact with. With strategic and understanding approaches, this may take weeks, and their nervous systems will start downgrading their high alert status. However, for some horses, it can take a couple of years to fully feel at ease in their new home.

So, next time you move your horse or acquire a new horse and it starts behaving erratically or being difficult, it is not being "stupid", you might not have been lied to or the horse "drugged" - your horse is just experiencing an episode of understandable "New Home Syndrome." And you can help this.❤

I would be grateful if you could please share, this reality for horses needs to be better appreciated ❤
‼️When I say SHARE that does not mean plagiarise my work…it is seriously not cool to copy and paste these words and make out you have written it yourself‼️

19/06/2024

👍 Greasy heel? Thrush? Laminitis?
It's Winter in Australia and these very annoying conditions pop up with greater frequency in our horses.
Did you know Greasy heel is the same bacteria as Rain Scald? It just seems quite a bit harder to get rid of it on their fetlocks.
This is due to decreased circulation and greater exposure to ongoing moisture.
Thrush is a mixed bacterial/fungal infection created by localised colonies of these microscopic baddies. That's why there is no wonder product to fix it. It will really depend what you have in your area.

18/06/2024

🏇 Who knew that horses actually prefer to travel facing the rear?!
I interviewed the wonderful Dr. Barbara Padolino for our Podcast and this is what her study showed.
""The frequency of behaviours relating to stress and balance increased during transport, and horses transported in a rear-facing position and in a wider bay size showed fewer balance-related behaviours. Balance behaviours, particularly loss of balance, were positively associated with the severity of gastric ulceration after transportation and elevated muscle enzymes, while increased stress behaviours correlated with decreased gastrointestinal sounds. Heart rate and re**al temperature after transportation were positively associated with balance and stress behaviours, and with squamous gastric ulcer scores. Transportation was associated with expected increases in cortisol and muscle enzymes, but positioning and space allowance had minimal effects on these analytes. Findings suggest that transportation in a rear-facing position and in wider bays might reduce the impact of transport on horse health and welfare, and monitoring behaviour in transit and physiological measurements after transportation should be recommended ""

So there you go!
Having said this, unless your trailer is set up for the horse to safely travel rear facing I don't recommend you do so.
Horses jumping out the back of horse trailers is also listed as one of the top 10 insurance claims 😮
Follow us for more fabulous factoids like this one 😜

08/06/2024

🏇 Horse wounds can be big and nasty.
Having someone to give advice and support is a Godsend. 🆘
That's why I started the Virtual Horse Wound Consultancy.
Clients tell me it takes the worry out of the whole unhappy experience.☮️
And saves them a heap of time and money.💶
So if your horse has a wound.❤️‍🩹
Get in touch
https://bitly/virtualhorsewoundcare

06/06/2024

The horse’s digestive system is designed for an animal that grazes over large tracts of land and ingests a broad range of fibrous material including grasses.

Horses are very efficient at turning fibrous material into energy. Their primary source of energy is fibre.

Humans turn Carbs, Protein and Fat into energy and many horse owners apply the same logic to their horses providing concentrated, pelleted feeds.

Marketing does a good job at promoting these feeds.

Owners can promote good gut health in horses by providing a high fibre diet with minimal grain and/or mixed pasture.

Apply the KISS priniciple - Keep it Simple!

buff.ly/4d5s9Q6

05/06/2024

🏇 🏇 High withered horse? This hack is for you! 🏇 🏇
A huge, elderly TB came into our care and needed rugging to keep weight on.
Problem was he had a wither sore and no matter what rug was used it made things worse.
I used a couple of stocking legs and filled them full of socks (you know the ones without partners)
I sewed these either side of the sheepskin protector inside a satin bib.
The bolsters rested either side of the withers
This spread the pressure more broadly and kept the rug away from the wound.
Whilst he looked like the hunchback from Notre Dame it worked a treat.
Follow for more tips and practical Horse First Aid and Horse Health information.
buff.ly/4d5s9Q6

27/05/2024

☝️ Shock in horses is a life threatening emergency. 🆘
Early recognition is critical.
Symptoms include anxiety, agitation, low or no urine output, diarrhea,
rapid but weak pulse, shallow and fast breathing,
profuse sweating, confusion, high temperature,
pale or blue gums, and slow capillary refill time.
Let's hope you are never in this position. 🤞
If you see these symptoms call a Vet immediately
Learn what to do in every horse emergency at buff.ly/4d5s9Q6
🐎

27/05/2024

Ride strong🏇
Live passionately, ❤️‍🔥
Never underestimate your strength. 🐎💪

26/05/2024

Are you a horse owner seeking evidence based information about your horse's health?
Then we are your people.
Don't miss out on our horse first aid course.
This is not just a course, it's a treasure trove of value for you.
With loads of personalized support and high-quality, accredited content, we ensure you're equipped with the right knowledge, skills and confidence to look after your horse when the chips are down.
Don't just take our word for it. Head over to buff.ly/4d5s9Q6 and see what other's have said.

25/05/2024

🐴🩹 Without proper padding underneath outer bandages there is a risk of discomfort or further injury to your horse's leg creating problems in addition to the original wound. These dressage pads are an easy, reusable option for padding and helps to distribute pressure evenly to prevent rubbing or irritation. 🌟 Make sure to always use at least 0.5-1cm padding on legs to safely bandage during recovery. 🐎💕

21/05/2024

🫷So many times in life we are told we can't.🫸
Horse women are different. 💪
We say ''I can"
All power to you ladies :)
You are capable of achieving anything you set your mind to.
Keep pushing forward with confidence and determination.
Embrace your strength and uniqueness.
You have the power within you to overcome any challenge that comes your way.
Keep believing in yourself and never underestimate your strength.
You are unstoppable.💕

20/05/2024

Someone once asked me why I rode horses.
They saw it as a dangerous activity.
In my explanation I said it felt powerful.
They mistook that to mean I liked to dominate and hold power over the horse.
I laughed and said no, it's more like we are powerful together, that my horse makes me feel more powerful, less afraid and able to do hard things.
Does this make sense to you? Or is it just me?

19/05/2024

🏃Hurry and enroll in our virtual horse first aid course before it closes on May 21st, 2024💨
Priced at $299, this course will pay for itself in no time. 💰
🐴With 20 hours of video lessons, case studies, tools, and templates, you'll learn how to measure, record, and monitor your horse's vital signs, recognize and respond to emergencies like Colic and Laminitis, Wounds, Infectious illness, snake bite and more. 🏇
Unlike many online courses you will be supported every step of the way with real horse people and accredited content.🧑‍🎓
By completing the course, you'll receive a certificate and gain the confidence to handle any situation with your horse. 🛟🏆
Perfect for horse owners both beginners and experienced who want to make sure they know what to do in a horse emergency.🚑
If your horse is your life, then this is for you.

17/05/2024

🐎 It is important to be aware of the proper usage of Iodine in the Equestrian world. While it may have its benefits in certain situations, it is crucial to understand that it may not always be the best solution for wound care.❤️‍🩹 By enrolling in our horse first aid program, you can learn how to effectively address various horse health emergencies and issues and choose the right products for your horse's well-being. 📖 👩‍🏫

16/05/2024

16/05/2024

Penetrating hoof injury? A couple of key tips to avoid permanent damage. Enjoy!

14/05/2024

🐴👣 Let's talk hooves - because we all know, "No hoof, no horse," right? Yet, despite this reality, many horse owners lack a clear understanding of what's normal and what's not when it comes to hooves.

Proper care, maintenance, and early recognition of common hoof complaints are crucial for optimal horse health. 🌟 That's where we come in! 👣🐴

Join our Horse First Aid community and get all the key information you need to understand and quickly recognise problems as well as up to date practices for addressing them..

With expert guidance and valuable resources, you'll have the knowledge and skills needed to keep your horse's hooves happy and healthy.

Don't let hoof issues hold your horse back - visit https://buff.ly/3Q0W3uH to join our community today! 🐎

13/05/2024

*photo credit Snowy Brumby Adventures with Ian and Michelle*

The epitome of cognitive dissonance...protecting and promoting animal welfare then authorising the aerial culling of horses and the use of 1080 bait to kill foxes.

Being labelled a 'feral' animal in Australia apparently means it's ok to cruelly and painfully kill an animal.

For anyone who has seen an animal die in this way will tell you it ain''t clean and it ain't nice.

Currently in NSW parts of the National Park are closed to enable the killing of the brumbies in this way.

Despite a count conducted showing very different numbers to the counts (which are calculated, not witnessed) by the DPI.

Surely, at the very least, the brumbies deserve a proper, independent, witnessed count AND the option of rehoming?

Other countries with wild horses do this very differently. Why will our authorities not consider alternative options.

My heart is sad for this. Please make yourself aware of the current situation and write to the relevant Ministers. They are elected officials and must listen to us. Even if you feel you are only a drop in the Ocean, remember that many drops make a river.

A bit different to my usual posts but I think people should know before our history dies on the mountains.