Natural Horse NZ

17/12/2024

Safe Hay Needed in Kaikōura/ Marlborough Area:

One of our clients with a recovering laminitic horse is desperate for some safe hay, so if anybody’s has any in that area would you let us know, please.

Hopefully someone will have some.

Thankyou ☺️

16/12/2024

16/12/2024

**Bella's Story**

With permission from Claire, Bella's owner, we share this story to inspire others and help prevent suffering from laminitis.

Bella was a spirited chestnut mare who enjoyed a full and happy life alongside her best friend, Finn, under the loving care of her owner, Claire.

As spring arrived, Claire faced a difficult decision. She wanted Bella and Finn to enjoy the freedom of the lush grass but wrestled with the thought, “Should I limit their access?” Guided by love, she allowed them to graze freely, reluctant to restrict her horses.

For a while, Bella enjoyed her life in Claire's summer paddocks. However, everything changed in an instant when Claire woke up to find Bella limping, clearly in pain and struggling to walk. Claire rushed to her side, her heart heavy as she recognized the unmistakable signs of laminitis.

Panic and guilt washed over her and she chastised herself, asking, “How could she have let this happen? I should have been more careful,” and "I am such a bad owner", "Bella deserves better" and more. 😞

An expensive call out to the vet confirmed her worst fears: Bella had laminitis, likely caused by the rich grass.

"You acted out of love, but it’s crucial to be cautious with their diet," the veterinarian advised and it was made clear that Claire understood that any chance of Bella healing would require a strong commitment to a strict diet and for her to have a hard heart towards keeping Bella off the grass for the next 12 weeks for a full and final recovery to take place.

In the days that followed, Claire devoted herself to Bella’s recovery. She removed Bella and Finn from the pasture, bought padded hoof boots, and provided a diet primarily consisting of low-sugar meadow hay and fresh water. Claire stayed by Bella's side, silently promising brighter days and giving her horse unwavering support.

As time passed, through Claire's commitment to follow our recovery plan, Bella began to heal and Claire’s guilt transformed into determination as she immersed herself in learning about laminitis—its causes, symptoms, and prevention. She became an advocate, sharing her insights with friends and other horse owners, igniting a spirit of awareness and care.

Bella’s recovery became a profound journey for both her and her owner. With patience, a deeper understanding of equine needs and lots of love, Bella returned to the paddocks, now living on a track with Finn under Claire’s vigilant eye.

Committed to never putting her horses at risk again, Claire ensured that Bella and Finn continued to enjoy safer grazing practices, treasuring the lessons learned from their experience. They now flourish together, with Bella emerging as a symbol of resilience and hope.

This chapter of Bella's life is an inspiring testament to growth, love, and unwavering commitment. It transformed Bella’s fate and touched the heart of her devoted owner, Claire, and many other horses that Claire now helps.

Bella had a lucky escape and, thankfully, recovered well.

We hope Bella’s journey reminds us of the importance of caring for our beloved animals with a species-appropriate lifestyle to prevent pasture-induced laminitis.

We were very happy to be able to help Claire and Bella and are pleased it turned into a happy outcome; however, for many horses, it doesn’t, so please be aware of the dangers of laminitis and implement a good grass management plan for your horse before it becomes too much for them.

To learn how to help your horse recover, please see this page https://www.naturalhorse.co.nz/laminitis-recovery-info

15/12/2024

Horse Worms: sadly there’s still so much misinformation out there that can cause unnecessary loss of life in equines due to using wormers.

Check out our article to learn about the risks, without any of the marketing BS:

Worming Information for horses, ponies and donkeys. Which is the best wormer and why? Know the risk of using ineffectual wormers on your horse. Natural wormers, Worm counts -do they work and why?

14/12/2024

Easy, Scrumpteous, Whole-Food Vitamin E Boosters For Horses

13/12/2024

“Omg, the instant I sat into this saddle, it felt like coming home, and my horse felt it too; he hasn’t bucked once since!”

“I was amazed by how effortlessly my horse collected in this saddle. I didn’t even ask for it-he just did it in his own!”

“My Freeform saddle has undeniably made me a better rider. The deep seat and gel inner offer me the most secure seat I’ve ever experienced.”

“I can’t believe I can easily put this on my high-withered pony and then ride my Clydesdale in it too, but I can and it fits both horses beautifully. It’s absolutely fabulous in every way!”

“After struggling for five years to find a saddle that fit my high-withered horse, it was a revelation to see him respond so positively to the Freeform from the very first step. His movement is so much freer in this saddle.”

“This saddle aligned me perfectly from the moment I first sat in it, and I’ve loved it ever since.”

“I used to be hard on myself, thinking I was a poor rider. But after using Freeform saddles, I realized my previous saddles were the issue! Everything changed for the better once I began riding in my Freeform.”

“This saddle is so comfortable that I could ride in it all day long.”

“I was truly impressed by the quality. While they look similar to other saddles in pictures, the build quality is astonishing up close.”

“Without a doubt, this is the most comfortable saddle I’ve ever ridden in. My horse has become much more elastic and can move freely in his Freeform!”

“I absolutely love these saddles! They are the best thing I’ve ever put my arse in -lol!”

“I now question why I ever thought I needed a saddle fitter. I use my Freeform on five differently shaped horses without issue, and they all perform so much better in it.”

“I thought treeless saddles were just a gimmick until I tried a Freeform saddle. Now I have to eat my words—it’s hands down the best saddle I’ve ever ridden in!”

The feedback we've received about our Freeform Treeless saddles speaks volumes, and having used them myself for two decades, I can wholeheartedly confirm its the truth.

They really are absolutely fabulous saddles.

The Freeform models not only offer flexibility and freedom for your horse to move naturally—without any restrictions at the shoulders and scapula, which traditional saddles can impede—but they also position you perfectly to optimize your horse’s performance.

Sadly many riders believe they lack skill when, in reality, it’s often the ill-fitting or inflexible saddles that hinder their ability.

If you’re looking for a saddle that enhances your riding while ensuring your horse's comfort, check out our saddle listings:

Non Invasive, Horse Approved Saddlery Tack. Treeless Saddles, Bitless Bridles., Tie Blockers, Ba****ck Pads, Airmesh Breathable, Anti Slip Saddle Pads, Lightweight Premium Composite Stirrups and more

13/12/2024

A little Cleo love on a Saturday morning. We adore this big girl. ❤️🐴

13/12/2024

There is so much more to horses than riding; if we take the time to listen, we can learn incredible lessons from them.

12/12/2024

New-Ready To Ship Range of Our Handmade Tack is Now Available:

We have a great new range of Natural Rider ready-made items being loaded onto our website as I write this.

So, for anyone wanting some of our stunning rope tack quickly or for a Christmas gift, please check out our expanding range on this link or flick us a message to make a purchase directly for fast shipping today.

12/12/2024

**Special Treeless Saddle Prices + Free Treeless Saddle Pad with Selected Models**

Did you know you can solve many of your saddle fitting issues with one of our premium Treeless Saddles?

We frequently receive feedback from customers who tell us how much more willing and responsive their horses have become after switching to our amazing Freeform or Sensation Treeless Saddles.

Not only do these saddles look stunning, but they also position you perfectly for your horse to comfortably carry you all day, whether you're on the trail, happy hacking, doing arena work, participating in endurance events, practicing dressage, and more.

Check them out on the saddlery pages of our Natural Horse website.

Feel free to ask us any questions you may have or request a free online saddle fitting consultation:

https://www.naturalhorse.co.nz/saddlery-items

10/12/2024

****Lady Kate Update:**

We are thrilled to celebrate Kate's one-year adoption anniversary!

Here she is showing off one of our halters- isn't she just gorgeous.

When Kate first arrived, it was heartbreaking to see her in distress, struggling with a severely swollen back leg due to chronic progressive lymphoedema (CPL). The skin around her leg had thickened and hardened, making it painful for her to move, and she was in poor body condition since her energy was consumed by the effort to heal her leg.

However, over this past year, Kate has transformed into a gentle and affectionate soul, brightening our days. She has gained the necessary weight and improved her condition through being on our supplements and our healing whole food diet, whilst utilizing our Equi-Boost Plus to enhance her nutrient absorption, which has worked a treat and she is now a healthy 3 out of 5 body score, with a beautiful shiny coat and brightness in her eyes as shown here. We are also effectively managing her CPL, and it has been wonderful to see improved movement and elasticity in her lower leg thanks to our amazing Equibalm formula.

At our sanctuary, we witness not only the physical improvements in our horses but also recovery of deep seated traumas and emotional improvements. Kate's journey exemplifies this beautifully and she has changed from being shut down and sceptical into being curious and trusting—this is shown well by her asking for cuddles and enjoying her back scratches, and her ability to lean into those moments of connection. Despite her challenges, Kate's remarkable capacity for love serves as an inspiration to us all.

While we cannot reverse the hardening of her skin, which affects her walking, Kate embraces life to the fullest as part of a larger herd of four draft horses and an Arabian, who have become her family, and she has formed friendships with our miniature horses and donkeys, too. Watching her adapt and find her place among them is genuinely uplifting. She has bonded the most with Otto, who is our oldest resident draft horse who looks a lot like Kate, which has been lovely to see.

Kate enjoys her life here with us and her adoptive herd, and nothing gives us greater pleasure than providing her with this opportunity to thrive in a herd of other horses with their own special stories to tell. We promise to keep you updated on her ongoing journey, as her situation is one of hope and healing.

Thank you for being part of Kate's life with us and supporting our special-needs horse herd through your purchases on our Natural Horse website and our fundraisers. We sincerely appreciate it and couldn’t do this without you! ❤️🐴

09/12/2024

Happy 21st Birthday to Marcelus, who is one of our Natural Horse Team, shown here on the left at the weekend running our Xmas market stall.

We hope you have a fabulous day
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07/12/2024

We are always happy to help

05/12/2024

RELATIONSHIPS ARE EVERYTHING TO HORSES:

Equus is a herd animal, living for millions of years in small family groups called bands, often made up on average of between 2-6 horses.

Bands are very much like our own families....mostly consisting of a dad(stallion), mum(alpha mare), sisters, aunties and their offspring.

Due to this family orientated set up, horses have instincts that give them incredibly strong bonds to their family bands, and if we are accepted we can be recognised as part of our horses’ family too. ....

But only if the horse is happy.

Which can be achieved by giving them a species appropriate lifestyle, such as making sure they live with other horses with full time turn out, as this gives them peace of mind. Along with asking them rather than telling them, and how we behave towards the horse is nurturing and understanding, rather than being harsh or impatient.

Only once they are happy and all their needs are being met, will they do us the highest honour of bonding with us and treat us like their family too.

Like most people there is nothing I wouldn’t do for my family so if your horse sees you as their family there is nothing they wouldn’t do for you.

It is then that we see amazing feats that can be accomplished as a team, as are littered through history between humans and their horses.

Therefore trying to force horses into anything is a sure fire way to alienate any previous bonds you may have made, and remove yourself as far from being accepted into your horses family band as possible.

So, never do we need stronger tack, such as bigger bits, or the threat of a whip, or other items that force or restrict.....and you only have to think of how you would feel if one of your closest family members treated you with such harshness. As it’s all about the relationship with your horse for the horse, and your every action counts towards their view of you.

The effort you put in to forge the bonds to cement your horses’ ultimate trust in you is what makes him or her jump higher, or work harder etc.....rather than any tack or force.

We see at our centre that even with emotionally damaged horses, who sadly have previously been abused and traumatised, that we just need to be gentle and patient with them to get that much desired bond that is obvious to see in all good horse and human pairings, which can take time but is well worth the wait.

Only then will your horse do all you ask of them not because you made them but because they want to, with the added bonus of doing it because they love you too ❤️❤️❤️

04/12/2024

Which is your favourite breed?