Natural Horse NZ

07/02/2025

How amazing are horses ❤️🐴❤️🐴

06/02/2025

**Grumbling Rights Are Over on This Site!**

We've noticed a significant increase in activity on our page recently, along with many new members joining our community.

If you’re here because you love horses and want to connect with others who share your passion, explore our articles, and enjoy some light-hearted fun along the way, then we welcome you with open arms. ☺️

However, we will not tolerate baiting, attacks, or grievances towards anyone in our community, especially by those who seem to enjoy winding people up or those looking for the slightest thing to be offended about.

Healthy discussion-YES-✔️, civilised debate-YES-✔️, but arguments, and attacking -NO! ❌

Simply put, our goal is to maintain a positive atmosphere. We aim to promote kindness, cooperation, and camaraderie, rather than criticism, hostility, or judgment, while enjoying our shared love for horses.

I hope that clarifies our position so that we can all continue to enjoy our page.

Thanks for listening 🙂

Photo credit is Charlie Mackesy

05/02/2025

Ever thought about riding Bitless?

The good news is if you can already lead your horse nicely in a halter you are already half way there.

Whilst we sympathise with how nerve racking it may seem to go without a bit for those that haven't tried it, we can confirm after helping hundreds of owners to go Bitless, that if the correct training is used, which is easy and generally takes around 20 minutes to get started, then its normally a non event.

However, what a Bitless bridle won't do is turn a poorly trained, upset or traumatised horse into a great riding buddy, though going Bitless will often help to get that same horse into a better emotional state to begin training.

I went bitless 20 years ago with all of my horses and to witness the improvements in their willingness was the best thing that I’ve ever done – my relationship is better with my horses for it, I feel more connected, the horse is happier without metal in their mouth and our bond is much, much stronger.

Plus there’s nothing that we can’t do bitless that we couldn’t do before with a bit. With the exception of competing in some disciplines.

Having a happy horse is our top priority here at Natural Horse NZ – it’s part of our ethos, and I can happily say that a bitless horse is generally on the whole a much happier riding experience for both rider and 99.9% of their horses.

So, I would actively encourage you to give it a try – and if you want some help on how to do that correctly flick me a message as I’m always happy to help, and I don’t charge for my assistance either as its all about the horse for me, which is why I do it for free ❤️🐴 ☺️

Tracy @ Natural Horse NZ

The photos show a selection of the bitless options that we offer on our website at Natural Horse NZ

See the comments for more inf at our Bitless website section:

04/02/2025

What a great idea to help the non horsey motorists understand about our precious cargo in our horses.

03/02/2025

Today, Emma is gone!

I walk outside like any other morning, greeting the horses and notice a grey shape lying unusually on the floor.

I rush over, my heart sinking as I realise it is our beloved donkey, Emma.

A wave of devastation washes over me, and I cry out in disbelief as the reality of the situation sinks in.

She had passed away. No, this can't be - she was only there last night having scratches and cuddles with me.

How could this have happened?

My heart aches as I struggle to comprehend the loss of such a precious friend, and my brain races with all the whys. Tears stream down my face as I start to mourn the absence of our sweet girl.

I call for my daughter, Alana, who arrives in a wave of shock and sorrow herself. She is also devastated to see Emma’s body so still lying on the floor.

I find myself on my knees, overwhelmed by the depth of my grief and the sadness of coming to the immediate terms of saying such an unexpected goodbye to Emma.

As my befuddled brain starts to process this devastation, my first thought is Blossom, our other donkey, and to check if she’s okay, as Emma is Blossom’s long-term companion.

Blossom is quiet and withdrawn as I put my arms around her neck and cuddle her while sobbing and telling her how sorry I am.

I hug Emma and tell her how much she was loved, and then I realise that the loss is not just mine and that I need to let the herd in to see Emma’s body so they can say their goodbyes.

Cleo, our big Percheron girl, is the bravest and goes to Emma's body, looking back at me to check in whilst being unsure but curious. Despite her fears, she won't leave her -she is scared, but I see the change in her body as it softens as she tries to understand why Emma isnt moving.

Our other three draft horses and Casper, our Arab, aren’t brave enough to go see the body up close, but you can see that they’re all visibly shaken by the events unfolding in front of them.

Strangely, Blossom buries into the chest of our big Reuben, who is our big Clydesdale boss. He would normally be moving her off from this personal position, but he just stands there hovering over her. Head low with visible sadness and compassion for his herd mates' sad loss.

Meanwhile, I’m bent over double sobbing my heart out, my brain racing on why this could’ve happened.

Then the scientist in me kicks in whilst I manage to temporarily shelve my grief for a few minutes to check Emma over - there are no visible signs of any trauma. All the checks come back normal, but she has bit her lower lip, and there are some marks around her in the dirt, showing she has moved around –her body score is an excellent 3 out of 5, and no signs or symptoms are leading up to this and all the other checks prove negative, so it is a complete mystery on why this little girl has passed away.

I tell myself that I cannot cry as I have to keep it together for a little while longer and do the logistics of the situation, so I ring the Digger man, who agrees to come this evening to bury our beautiful girl.

I get off the phone and buckle at the knees as I start sobbing again, and my horse, Reuben, comes over, being very tender towards me. He won’t leave me – he hovers his huge mass over me, putting his head around my rib cage and dragging me into his body. Kate is standing nearby, picking my hair up tenderly, and Otto is on my other side, snuffling my shoulder; with Casper behind me, I can feel his breath on the back of my neck as we all grieve this tragic situation together.

The minis horses were Emma’s closest companions and Blossom and Oscar are now sniffing Emma’s body with Missy stood by in careful consideration.

As we all grieve Emma’s loss together.

I will never forget you - thank you for all you shared with me - run free now, our beautiful friend ###

02/02/2025

THANK YOU ❤️ I just wanted to say a huge thank you for all the kindness that everybody showed me yesterday. I was completely overwhelmed with thousands of messages of support and kindness that came in from all over the world. I received texts, calls, emails, and PMs, and connected with both old friends and many new ones too, who all showed me that there are some fantastic horse people in this world.

I tried to reply to as many people as possible to thank everybody for the lovely sentiments, but there were so many messages coming in that it was almost impossible, so I’m so sorry if I didn’t respond to you personally. I want to assure you that I read every message and was very moved by the collective support, not just for me, but for being kind to each other.

Thank you very much for showing me that despite the awful noise of some folks, the world is still full of such kind and genuinely decent people, who I sincerely appreciate ###
Tracy @ Natural Horse NZ

02/02/2025

01/02/2025

I’m feeling as flat as a pancake this morning and wrestling with the idea of calling it a day with Natural Horse NZ.

All I’ve ever wanted to do is help horses and the people that love them.

I don’t want to be publicly assassinated on social media on a regular basis – I don’t want to be told how ugly, fat, thin, tall, small, crap, useless, I am, or to see other people writing disparaging things about me that have never met me and don’t know me.

I want to sell good products that help horses and share my knowledge and make a living out of that passion.

I want to engage with people who love horses as much as I do and help them solve problems so they can have a better time with their horses and the horse can have a healthier life.

I am as tough as old boots, but I'm very tired of tolerating crap.

I’ll head off for a ride to clear my head and see how I feel afterwards.

I hope you all are having a better day.

Tracy @ NaturalHorseNZ

31/01/2025

A triumphant Blossom. Enjoying being on top of the shell rock pile. Haven't got the heart to take it away just yet but it will be going at the end of the month as we are having an arena made.

30/01/2025

Get your sunglasses ready for our lime green and black weave reins- this gorgeous colour is back in stock by special request.

Available now in rope reins, halters, bridles, lead ropes, neck ropes and more.

Check out our website for more info:

29/01/2025

Did you know that by making the switch to hoof boots, you could save an astonishing $750 every year compared to traditional metal shoes? This remarkable savings arises from the durability of hoof boots, which typically last around two years, along with significantly reduced trimming costs. Embracing this option not only prioritizes your horse's comfort but is also easier on the wallet —truly a win-win scenario!

At Natural Horse NZ, we take it a step further by offering an exclusive free exchange service, ensuring you find the perfect size when purchasing boots from our website. Your horse deserves the best—let us help you make that happen!

https://www.naturalhorse.co.nz/hoof-boots-new-zealand-store

29/01/2025

Lunging anonymous

28/01/2025

This excerpt is from a Netflix documentary called "Pet Fooled," which explores the dog and cat food industry. I wonder if these insights might also be relevant to the horse feed industry, too.

What do you think?

28/01/2025

The Boys. Reuben and Otto. Words fall short on how much these two big fellas mean to me.

###

27/01/2025

Lol.

27/01/2025

Everything you need to know about Buttercup’s and horses :

# # # Buttercups and Horses: A Guide for Owners # # #

Recently, I've received a flurry of questions about buttercups and whether they're poisonous to our beloved equines. To clear up the confusion, let’s explore this topic so everyone can better protect their four-legged friends.

First off, let’s get this straight: plants, including the buttercup, didn’t evolve just to be eaten, so over millions of years, they’ve developed impressive defense mechanisms to keep grazers at bay. These defenses come in the form of natural toxins, which can lead to a range of unpleasant experiences for any creature brave enough to munch on them—from mild symptoms to potentially life-threatening conditions.

The buttercup, part of the expansive Ranunculaceae family, stands out as particularly toxic when it’s fresh and growing. That’s when it packs the most potent punch with its unique plant toxin, Protoanemonin (also known as Anemonol or Ranunculol). When these vibrant flowers are at their freshest, they are also at their most dangerous for horses.

Now, don’t panic! If buttercups are dried properly, the toxicity diminishes significantly, making them safer when found in hay. The drying process alters the chemical compounds, neutralizing those harmful effects. If only it were that simple for all plant toxins in pasture!

Contact with a wounded fresh plant is where buttercup is most dangerous as it leaches fluid which causes itching, rashes or blistering on contact with the skin or mucosa. Eating the plant itself can cause nausea, dizziness, spasms, colic, laminitis, acute hepatitis, jaundice, tremors and paralysis ......and is often the cause of what is referred to incorrectly as grass staggers in horses, as the poisons take a hold on the central nervous system of the horse.

So, what can you do if buttercups invade your pasture? First and foremost, it's wise to prevent your horses from grazing on them. Providing ad-lib hay in slow feeders can keep them satisfied and discourage nibbling on these bitter blooms. Thankfully, horses usually only turn to buttercups when they're truly desperate and have nothing left to graze on, which we certainly want to avoid!

We’ve found that using slow feeder hay nets has been a game-changer for our herd. By ensuring they have access to low-sugar hay around the clock, we’ve never encountered issues with buttercup toxicity. Highly recommend this method if you're seeking peace of mind.

It’s not advised to use any traditional w**dkillers anywhere near horses, or anywhere where they graze, as w**dkillers kill the horse's all-important digestive microbiota, which can lead to many other medical issues including death from colic, as well as being a proven cancer-causing agent, so we advise against w**d spraying buttercups out.

However, there are many other ways to reduce them including:

1. **Liming the Soil**: Reduce soil acidity and make it less appealing to buttercups with regular applications of lime. It’s inexpensive, and you can even do it yourself- make sure you wear a mask . Grab some 25 kg bags from your local agricultural store for around $15-20.

2. **Aerating**: Promote a healthier ground environment by aerating your soil. You can do this with specialized footwear with spikes or farm machinery.

3. **Fertilizing**: Apply organic seaw**d every couple of years to boost your grass growth, helping it out-compete buttercups.

4. **Smothering**: For creeping buttercups, try using black plastic or mulch to suffocate them.

5. **Improving Drainage**: buttercup love wet conditions, so better drainage through simple land drains can make your soil less inviting.

6. **Spot Killing**: Use animal-safe organic w**dkillers or a homemade mix of salt, vinegar, and hot water to target buttercups when necessary.

7.**Cross Grazing**; sheep don't seem to be affected by buttercups and can help to reduce its impact on pastures.

By following these tips, you can help safeguard your horses from the risks that buttercups pose..

Slow feeder Haynets:
https://www.naturalhorse.co.nz/slow-feed-haynets

References:

https://extension.umn.edu/horse-pastures-and-facilities/tall-and-smallflower-buttercup-problem-horse-pasture-plants

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