Natural Horse NZ

22/01/2025

THERE IS WAY MORE TO HORSES THAN RIDING:

Here is our beautiful (and unusually clean) Casper. 😊

Cas is a complicated little fella who loves rolling in the dirt, and is normally covered in mud or dust, bless him, which he does for many reasons, including protecting his skin from the sun and parasites, and for the sheer joy of it.

He is part Arab, so he’s very thin-skinned and very smart.

Sadly, poor Cas had been severely abused in his past and suffers from a condition called hypervigilance, which means that his brain structure has been changed by the trauma that he has endured.

So, his behaviour in his first few years with us could be extremely elevated, and he used to come across as being hysterical, panicking, and terrified.

Casper did the rounds for homes, as often happens with horses like this, and was passed from pillar to post, eventually landing with a kind and lovely lady who saw that he desperately needed help. So she passed him on to us, and he’s been with us so far for eight years.

He will never be ridden as he associates it with trauma, so he stays here at our sanctuary, where he receives love and care and the security and safety of being in his herd.

It’s been a slow road to turn this horse's emotions around, but he's come around nicely after receiving lots of patience and by us asking nothing of him.

He’s such a treasure, especially to the other members of our herd, and he’s been such a lovely horse for new horses to bond with. We call him Mr Meet and Greet, as he has shown such care and a deep understanding of what the new horses that arrive at our centre over the years are going through, and he shows them around and is the first to bond with them.

I always think this is because he knows how it feels to be worried and scared, and he’s showing empathy to them.

He is a very sensitive soul with such a kind heart and its so sad to think he has been hurt for it in his past.

Thankfully there are people out there helping horses like Cas to have happy lives with kind and nurturing owners.

Just because Casper is never ridden will never make him any less to us than any other riding horse, as we love this smart little fella to bits, and being able to offer him a good home is all we need so he has a home here with us for life . ###

There are many horses out there like Casper who would benefit from being loved by somebody, so please don’t ever think you have to have a horse just to ride. As there is way more great benefits of having a horse in your life than being in the saddle. ❤️🐴

21/01/2025

Create a simple, cost-effective sun shade or shelter for your horses and other animals. With temperatures soaring here in New Zealand, it’s crucial to provide protection from harmful UV rays. Taking the time to set up a safe shaded area can safeguard your animals from heat-related health risks and ensure their well-being during these intense conditions.

HOW TO BUILD A SHADE SHELTER

Unfortunately, I see heaps of horses all summer long stuck in hot paddocks without any shelter, and this really worries me, as the risk of melanoma for our equines is equally as big an issue as it is for us humans...and there are no uv resistant rugs available as yet! (This was written in 2013)

It's important to protect horses from sun damage, including skin cancer. One effective way to do this is by providing them with UV-resistant shelter. If you're interested in making a cheap but effective shade shelter like the one shown here, it's totally doable. The structure is even removable, so your landlord for anyone who is grazing shouldn't have any objections. It will likely cost less than a new rug and will provide your horses with quantifiable UV protection for many years to come, without making them too hot.

You will need......

4 x 100mm x 100mm thick square shaped h4 treated posts-these are the most affordable and are available from any good timber merchant who will also often deliver them............. Buy these at a height to suit your horse's needs. We have big horses here, so ours are 3.6m high....plus another option you can consider in order to make your shelter even cheaper is you use just 2 posts as a lean too against an existing structure like a shed, garage, barn, etc.....as shown here with our sleepout....

1 x square or rectangular shade sail with D rings on each corner -a minimum recommended size would be 3m x 3.6m, but bigger is better-trademe does some great prices for these at around $70

A bag of Postcrete for each post hole-about $9-12 per bag

We advise you to place the whole structure facing towards the mid-day sun, with the front of the shade being slightly lower than the back, in order to maximise sun protection......

Dig your holes so your posts go into the ground at about 600mm deep-place them squarely in the holes and add postcrete mix all around them, which is a dry powder form of cement that sets as solid concrete once water is poured onto it. Hence, there is no mixing or mess. Make sure not to move the posts until totally dry, or they will be baggy in the holes. 24 hours normally does the trick.

Then fix on your shade sail securely so it's safe in high winds, and there you go for a very effective yet affordable, easy shelter.....and say goodbye to all that messing about of summer rugging-feed your horses hay at the shelter in order to encourage them into it so they can get used to it. Our herd hide under ours a lot, so it's well worth it......

21/01/2025

🤣

20/01/2025

Here's what we've been up to when we aren't busy with horse-related activities: we spent the weekend working on the renovation of our horse van. We're almost finished! The cabinets, gas hob, and sink are now installed.

We are so excited for it to be completed!

20/01/2025

19/01/2025

I hate seeing stuff like this as it's very misleading.

For example, the insert with the horse's ears pinned back states that the horse is upset… but what if the horse is simply listening to something behind them?

Body language in horses should be read as a series of gestures, such as if the horse is genuinely upset, where is the horse's head - is it low or high, are their torso muscles soft or tight, what is the expression on the face, do they have any veins stricken out of their face or on the belly, to name but a few of the accompanying cues.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg – so please don’t fall for these generic body language pictures as I would hate to see a horse getting into trouble by an owner or handler for misreading signals that aren’t always there.

18/01/2025

What a good girl

17/01/2025

Just the horse that is missing from this drawing

They come to her. They find her instinctively ... the strays, the abandoned, the traumatized, the lost and the wounded.
It isn't because of the sign on her door, but the love in her heart. She's a rescuer, a friend to animals and people.
It's her calling from above to make it safe and love them whole. And she does.
Jody Doty
©2024
🎨Kat Fedora
Bless the nurturers and fosterers who come to the rescue.
You sent

17/01/2025

OUCH! I fell off our quad bike on Wednesday. I definitely won't be doing that again any time soon.

You can laugh as I am ok, as although I slammed down pretty hard onto a stoney area as I hisided off it, thankfully after having motorbikes and horses for all my life, I made sure to get away from the machine itself, which mostly does all the damage to the human body, so, I managed to get away with just some bumps, sprains and bruises from hitting the floor.

After the “I’m still alive adrenaline moment wore off” I hobbled in to the house, and broke out our Natural Horse Equine Remedies to treat my bruised knee and other areas (my butt and tailbone ouch - lol) with our Equi-Heal product….and wow, what an amazing difference it has made.

Even though I fell on the hard standing, this wonderful natural remedy, made from botanical plant extracts of Witch Hazel, Calendular and Aloe Vera has reduced the swelling and minimised the bruising amainzingly, allowing me to stand upright again, as well as sit down without any more wincing from my bruised tailbone.

I knew the Equi-Heal was good stuff as I've used it successfully on horses for twenty years, but I’m stunned at just how good it is when using it on my own body.

So, if you want something in your first aid kit for you and your horse that's all natural and chemical free, to help to manage cuts, wounds, grazes, bruises, sprain, strains, muscle soreness, stings, insect bites, eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, skin allergies, thrush, rainscald, mud fever, that also helps to reduce swelling and all manner of other skin issues, I can highly recommend Equi-Heal by Natural Horse NZ.

Check out the comments for a link to our page to purchase this item and any of our other Natural equine remedies 

15/01/2025

**LAMINITIS MYTH BUSTING #433**
**Do Not Walk a Horse with Laminitis**

Let me be blunt: asking a horse with acute laminitis to walk is like breaking all of your toes and foot bones with a hammer and then expecting you to walk!

When a horse has inflamed hooves, as happens with laminitis, and is experiencing severe soreness and pain, they should be left to rest and heal, with pain relief and hoof cushioning, such as padded hoof boots.

Please don’t confuse this with laminitis prevention. In that case, exercise and walking can be very beneficial for the horse to burn more calories and keep the horse fitter.

Similarly, during laminitis recovery, once the horse is no longer lame, gentle walking can be highly beneficial for improving circulation and providing other health benefits.

However, when a horse is suffering from active laminitis, they should not be walked at all!

Once they are well into the recovery stage, let the horse guide you on how much they can manage to walk, but never push a sore horse to walk, as its not ethical to make them suffer and apart from the pain to the poor horse, you will ruin any internal repairs within the hoof itself, which will bring you back to the beginning of the recovery process all over again. And once the damage to the Laminae becomes too severe, the chances of recovery severely reduce.

For more info on laminitis recovery please see our health and diet section in the comments below
Natural Horse NZ

15/01/2025

What a fantastic attitude.

To the owner whose horse is stabled - you work so hard to ensure your horses needs are met so they can live in comfort, thank you for your dedication!

To the owner whose horse lives out - your horse is fortunate to have an owner that can provide them the space to roam and graze as nature intended!

To the owner who rugs their horse - they will be so warm and cozy under their blanket, and less grooming means more time to ride!

To the owner of the unrugged horse - their coats are fascinating how they adapt to the weather, aren’t they?!

To the rider who wears cheap riding leggings and rubber boots – good for you…. you know that your horse couldn’t care less what you are wearing!

To the ‘all the gear and no idea’ rider - wow! You look incredible, your horse has everything it could ever wish for! You don’t have to be a grand prix rider to wear matchy-matchy. Go, you!

To the rider who rides once in a while – brilliant! It is so difficult to fit horses in around the rest of our lives. It’s great that you make the time to do the most that you can with your horse!

To the rider who never rides their horse – no problem. How lovely for your horse to spend its life being cuddled, groomed and grazing in the fields, you must have a wonderful relationship!

To the rider who rides everyday – go for it! Your dedication is admirable and your horse is benefiting from training and fitness. Well done!

To the happy hackers - you are living the dream of millions! What an honour to share such adventures with such extraordinary animals!

To the barefoot fanatic – I admire your passion. Barefoot is the best option for many horses. It is wonderful that you are trying to improve your horse’s comfort and foot health!

To the owner of the traditionally shod horse – fantastic! Shoes are the best option for many horses. It’s great to know that your horse’s feet are protected from the surfaces that we ask them to work on!

To the rider who trains with every professional and expert going – brilliant. What a wealth of knowledge and expertise you have access to!

To the self-taught rider – you must be so proud. What an achievement!

To the professional rider – you inspire me. Your results and rosettes are impressive. They are not won without hard work, commitment, sacrifice and talent. You deserve your success!

To the rider who has never won anything – who cares?! Your horse doesn’t! The passion you have for your sport is worth so much more than any material!

If you want to win and have not had any luck – keep going. You will get there eventually. The hardest won successes are the sweetest!

To the owner who keeps their horse spotlessly clean, neatly trimmed and pulled – marvellous! I applaud your attention to detail. Your horse looks beautiful!

To the owner whose horse is caked in mud and has dread locks – I laugh with you! You know that horses love to roll and if you were to bath your horse today, you would find them in exactly the same mucky state again tomorrow!

As long as your horse is happy and healthy, what you do with your horse is nobody else’s business. The only time anybody should interfere is if there is a genuine equine welfare issue, a safety issue, or if you have specifically asked for advice or help. Otherwise, please let’s not judge others.

‘Each to their own,’ and if it’s good for your horse then ‘good for you!’ 🐴❤️

15/01/2025

Never a truer word has been spoken when it comes to horses.

15/01/2025

Does anyone else have a mare like this 🤣