Equine Bigger Picture

23/02/2022

Herbs for horses?

Yes please, of course!

It’s a really logical move to give herbs to herbivores right?

They digest and absorb them very effectively, so it’s an extremely natural way of treatment in these species. In a diverse pasture they always treat themselves if they have the acces to growing herbs.

So effective and simple.

Using herbs for common GI issues like ulcers is extremely effective if you do it right.

The restoration of the GI wall, reducing inflammation, reducing pain and getting rid of toxic metabolites are our goals here.

We can do this with lots of herbs, if you want to learn more leave a comment and I will send you a FREE copy called ’GI ulcers and their consequences’ via DM, where you will learn a lot about GI ulcers and I give you a few ideas how to use herbs to help your horse.

Also you will learn a lot about different negative aspects of GI ulcers and how to get rid of them.

Leave a comment below!

P.S.: With this copy you will receive a bonus coupon, so you can get my ’Living Ulcer Free’ program only for 47€ instead of 100€!!

22/02/2022

How can GI ulceration ruin your riding experience?

If you want to get some detailed info about this topic let me know!

First of all you have to know, that GI ulcers will cause somatic pain that means pain and stiffness in different muscle groups, tendons, joints etc.

A lot of other organ issues can do this.

What’s exiting in this phenomenon is that every disease has a different ’pattern’, so different muscle groups will be sensitive in different diseases.

So if you know the pattern, you can track down the disease, simple as that.

So why do I talk about riding and ulcers?

GI ulceration will cause a specific type back pain and stiffness that leads to:

-stiff gait
-shorter strides (with a stiff back it’s harder for them to flex the back to get a better range of motion of the back legs)
-sensitive belly/flank/girth area
-behavioural changes, grumpy, agressive, harder to train – because nobody likes to train if he/she is in pain

So if you experience any of these and want a deeper understanding about this topic plus would like to learn how to get rid of it let me know in the comments section and I will send you my FREE copy called ’GI ulcers and their consequences’ with detailed information about this problem.

P.S.: With this copy you will receive a bonus coupon, so you can get my ’Living Ulcer Free’ program only for 47€ instead of 100€!!

21/02/2022

There are a few horses in every barn that are ’difficult’ or ’hard to handle’.

Only the kamikaze kids like to ride them, and some of these kids and their parents became close friends with the emergency staff of the local hospital.

If you’re okay with that stop reading.

There are horses who came from abuse and really horrible circumstances, also there are the ones who weren’t educated correctly and there are the ones who have health issues like pain.

Pain in general will lower their treshold to improper training, bad handling, loud noises, fast movements etc. so in general they will be less tolerant to our existence 😊

Here I like to talk about the most common pattern I see, and this is called viscerosomatic pain.

This means that internal organ issues can lead to pain in the muscles/joints/tendons etc. via so called viscerosomatic reflex arches.

Ever wondered why your left arm can hurt during a heart attack? Here is your answer.

In horses gastrointestinal ulcers are extremely common (60-90% of our horses are affected) and this issue ALONE can cause a really specific ’pain pattern’ in different locations of their body for example you can see a specific back pain in a specific location in every horse with this problem.

Want to learn more?

Just leave a comment here and I send you a FREE copy called ’GI ulcers and their consequences’ about how to identify this specific problem, plus we will discuss how to fix it!

P.S.: With this copy you will receive a bonus coupon, so you can get my ’Living Ulcer Free’ program only for 47€ instead of 100€!!

18/02/2022

If you want a deeper dive on what I cover in this post, just DM me and let me know👇👇👇

There is a really easy way to identify this type of back pain in your horse.

Your saddle is perfect, your riding technique is awesome, but still there is some sensitivity at the saddle/girth area.

Sometimes it’s all good, sometimes you get bucked off for ’nothing’.

Maybe some colic/diarrhea episodes, some grumpiness, kicking/biting etc.

Professionals used different treatments like local injections, Bute, chiropractic, acupuncture etc. but mostly after some time the whole problem came back.

You got the ’ahh his mom was the same’ or ’this breed is always too sensitive’ (and you both know it’s not true) type of speech, prolem solved.

So if you don’t believe this read further!

So what if the problem is a bit different?

What if the source of this type of pain originates somewhere else and you only see the surface?

Now you have to know that modern horse management (mostly) creates a heavy load of diferent types of stress like improper feeding (too much grains and concentrated feeds), intermittent feeding, drugs, no pasture etc.

Stress will lead to gastric and intestinal ulceration (60-90% of our horses are affected),

AND

will lead to stiffness and pain in a specific pattern.

If you’re interested I made a copy called ’GI ulcers and their consequences’ about the details just DM me and I will send you the copy

We will cover:

💥how to check your horse?
💥how to differentiate this type of pain from ’real’ local back pain?
💥other sensitive areas
💥how to get rid of it

Just DM me and I will get back to you!👇

26/01/2022

Back pain in horses…

There are different types of back pain your horse may face.

For example a bad fitting saddle, bad rider, trauma or also pain or stiffness of other body parts can have a compensatory effect that results in stiffness and muscle pain of the back.

Now in this post (and in the next few posts) I want to focus on something different.

One of the most common cause of back pain in horses is GI ulceration.

60-90% of our horses are affected with this problem.

Mostly you will see some behavioural changes, decreased performance, tension in the back muscles, some gait abnormalities etc…

It’s enough to ruin your time with your horse, plus may cause some safety issues as well.

Why should you adress this problem?

Well I guess you want the best for your partner and you also want cooperation, quality attention and safer riding right?

GI ulceration creates a ’pattern’ of sensitive areas on the horses body, one of these regions is ST-7 (at the TMJ) you can check it here: https://fb.watch/aMKZOWWZH0/

The other region is a specific region on their back (and there are more regions).

The reason this phenomenon exists lies in the so called viscerosomatic reflex arches, this means that internal orgal issues like GI ulcers will cause somatic (muscle, tendon, joint etc.) problems in a specific pattern.

Where is this region on the back?

First from a few meters distance check where the lowest point of their belly is. This will be the middle of the region we’re looking for.

Now go up to the back region of the horse, and draw a line in the middle of the back.

After that go about one palm width lateral.

This region is a 30-40cm-s long line, about one palm width from the midline, and the lowest point of the belly should be in the middle of the line.

So now you understand why a perfectly fitting saddle can cause problems.

Also it has to be bilaterally sensitive, plus the other ulcer specific points have to be sensitive, because as we mentioned before there can be other causes of back pain of course.

You can learn how to check these regions of your horse,
plus you can learn a lot of additional info about the causes and management of ulcers, and I provide you a herbal formula that helps in the recovery of this problem very effectively!

Check my ’Living ulcer free’ program now: www.equinebiggerpicture.com

P.S.: Learn how to check your horse for GI ulcers in 2minutes here: www.equinebiggerpicture.com

17/01/2022

Thank you for the kind words Dharmahorse Equine Sanctuary!

"Finding you is very lucky for us. With all the horses in sanctuary here and all have come from stressful situations, a method to help them tell us how they feel is priceless! For many years, I have realized that the behaviors of most of these horses pointed to GI distress. With diet and herbs (and no stress) they felt better, but my only clue to that was behavior. Now, I have a test, a method that can clearly tell if they have the GI distress, if it is improving and if they are free of it. I have started with our recent intake (and he is reactive) and, when the weather improves, we'll get videos of his progress. Thank you!"

I hope I can add value to your great work! :)

Please check out their work here: https://www.facebook.com/Dharmahorse

15/01/2022

How to approach cribbing?

If you do a quick search, you will find tons of information about this behavioural problem.

You will find that basically mental, enviromental and physical stress (GI pain for example) are the main causes and research shows that it’s not contagious. High concentrate diet, lack of socialisation with other horses and lack of turnout are important factors in this game.

After a cribbing ’episode’ horses have decreased heart rate and a measurable decrease in cortisol levels (stress hormone), so this behaviour can give them relief in stressful situations.

What can we do?

In every species there are so called ’indicator’ diseases or behavioural changes. In our case this means that horses can react to different stress factors with the same behaviour (cribbing), BUT individuals may have a different treshold.

This means that your horse may crib because:

-He/she is alone, needs more space, needs more mental activity
-has gastric ulcers, is in pain
-intermittent feeding, feeding too much grain, starch
-etc.

Same behavioural problem, lots of causes.

So never underestimate the importance of understanding the needs of the species, sometimes basic managemental changes will help, like more space and social connections, feeding 24/7 and minimising grain intake. This is important because mostly there is more than one root cause of the problem. So I would start somewhere here…

I see that the presence of GI ulceration is also a great indicator of stress, most horses are affected (ulcers can cause stress and stress can cause ulcers) and it’s quite easy to check if they are getting better with acupuncture points. Learn more about this topic here: www.equinebiggerpicture.com

13/01/2022

Hey! Is there a specific topic you want to hear about? Leave a comment and we will discuss it! :)

12/01/2022

Do you have a grumpy horse?

Or just depressed sometimes, maybe getting lower and lower in the herd hierarchy?

Concentration issues? Witchy mare?

I see this a lot of times, even you question your trust in your horse sometimes, right?

Okay, I’m sure you heard that only a healthy body is able to perform on the highest level both mentally and physically.
Sounds so simple: optimize your horses health and you will have a better connection plus higher performance.

But how do you do that?

There are many aspects of that question, right now I want focus on mental issues caused by gastrointestinal problems, because research shows that most horses are affected. (60-90% of our horses have GI ulcers plus there can be other problems as well)

First of all GI issues will cause somatic pain (pain in the musculoskeletal system), so simple and properly used tools like a halter, girth and saddle can cause irritation for them, and will stifle your connection and performance. If you want to see an example check this: https://fb.watch/aolQ4D8l0A/

Addition to that there is a strong link between gut microbiota and an individual’s health and wellbeing, and from that there has been a significant interest on the relationship between the gut and the brain.
Evidence shows that increased starch intake can make your horse’s behaviour quite different in a lot of ways. The modern habit of feeding them intermittently plus the increased intake of feeds that are high in sugar and starch can have an extremely negative effect ont he GI system. If you want learn more about the brain-gut connection check this great article: The gut-brain connection in horses - Premier Performance CZ

I like to call GI ulcers the ’Most tricky equine disease’, because it can have so many symptoms that can be totally confusing.

If you want to learn more about this topic get my FREE copy, where I talk about symptoms, treatment options and managemental solutions about this problem: www.equinebiggerpicture.com/copy

10/01/2022

Have you ever heard about the STOMATOGNATHIC system?

A lot of anatomical structures belong to this system. These 'parts' are closely connected like a chain.

If there is a change in one single part of this system, this will effect every part in some form.

The major parts of the stomatognathic system:

-TMJ, mandible, skull, hyoid apparatus, neck vertebrae, shoulder joint, front legs and fuctional connections extend to the pelvis, sacrum and dura mater, plus a lot more.

We could do a lot of brainstorming about all the factors that can have a huge impact on these structures, BUT right now I want to concentrate on the gastrointestinal system as a cause.

Why?

Because 60-90% of our horses have some kind of GI promblems like ulcers, right dorsal colitis, colic, diarrhea etc..

This picture is an easy example how our kinetic chain works, and how GI issues can cause musculoskeletal promblems for your horse.

1- GI ulceration, Colitis etc. will lead to pain and discomfort at the..
2-TMJ region via viscerosomatic reflexes. A jammed TMJ will cause muscle tension and stiffness at the...
3- upper and -4- lower neck region, that leads to...
5- discomfort in the soulder region, that leads to -6- assymetry in hoof wear (in weeks and months of course)
7- through dural and vertebral connections the TMJ will affect the SI (sacroiliac) joint function, hip, hind legs and so on.

Please note that this was only one example, there can be much more effects of the GI problems of course.

Do you want to find out if your horse is affected with GI problems like ulcers? Check my new 'Living ulcer free' program, where I show you how to read these areas, also I will provide you with a herbal formula that helps your horse in the recovery.

Click here: www.equinebiggerpicture.com

09/01/2022

Did you know that internal organ disfunction may cause somatic pain (skin, muscles, tendons, joints)?

Fortunately in human medicine this is getting widely accepted:
https://www.endeavorrehab.com/2021/02/12/what-organs-can-cause-lower-back-pain/

You can find lots of evidence about this topic after some research.

Now ,why is this important for you as an equestrian?

Have you ever seen some of these before:

-bridle shy
-girth sensitivity
-saddle sensitivity
-kicking and biting during cleaning
-gait abnormalities, exercise intolerance

I'm sure you did.

Now according to modern science gastrointestinal issues are extremely common in horses (for example GI ulcers are 60-90% present in our horses).

This is the reason I call GI ulcers the most 'tricky' equine disease, because you might see a lot going on in the body.

Want to learn more? Check out my free copy about the most tricky equine disease to learn more!

https://www.equinebiggerpicture.com/copy

How to check your horse for gastrointestinal ulcers in 2 minutes and help his/her recovery from ulcers with herbal medicine? Also we cover the most common aspects of nutrition and management that can help your horse a lot in the healing process.

08/01/2022

A great review from Dr. Tomas Teskey, one of the pioneers of modern veterinary medicine:

"30 seconds!

That's how long it takes for me to add this valuable information to my equine exams. Dr. Szilágyi has provided us a remarkably easy way to scan our horses for evidence of gastrointestinal (GI) issues.
I simply had to discipline myself and make the effort...consistently. I'm glad I did! Check out the videos to see some clear examples of "positive" and "negative" reactions.

When I discover reactive horses, I can educate the owner and discuss what may help, including recommending the simple, good-tasting herbal formula that helps calm the gut and promote the healing process.

It's great to have this information and the herbal formula, because the old remedies for equine ulcers actually cause MORE problems with digestion, such as poor protein utilization and hind gut indigestion.

Instead of covering up the problem, this is a genuine way to support healing. It's not only honestly effective, it's cheaper too! Especially when it saves the life of the horse--that's not something we can put a price on.

Thank you for this valuable information...so simple and effective...the horses, owners and I are loving it!"

Thank you Tomas!

If you want to learn more about holistic equine medicine, trimmig, dentistry and much more check out his work: https://www.facebook.com/www.horsehoofdoctor.net

07/01/2022

My favourite GI acupoint in action…

Did you know that there is a specific area on your horses TMJ (temporomandibular joint) that can get extremely sensitive in GI diseases?

We can call them aupunture points or ’reactive areas’, the point is that internal organs are connected with these body parts via so called viscerosomatic reflexes.

This gives us a nice ’map’ on the body when we face these diseases. Just ask chiropractors/osteopaths/physiotherapists about it… in human medicine this information is starting to get viral.

Interesting?

Here you can see non reactive and reactive horses to see the difference.

You can learn it too…

This video is a part of my program ’Living Ulcer Free’, where you can learn more about other points like this, also you will get a lot of additional information about the most common GI issues in horses.

Want to learn more about this topic in general? Get my ’5 Alarming things about the most tricky equine disease’ copy for FREE! click here: www.equinebiggerpicture.com/copy

Want to learn more about this program? Click here: www.equinebiggerpicture.com

P.S.: please note that there can be other causes of TMJ pain, so other areas also have to be sensitive in a specific pattern to assume the presence of GI problems

06/01/2022

This will be strange…

There is a unique region on your horse’s head that can give you information about his/her gut health… Also can cause a LOT of trouble for you…Sounds silly? It’s not!

I’m talking about an acupuncture point that can be reactive if you touch it and there are some halters that can touch that region too, and cause some trouble….

Now you might wonder…

How is this possible? How is their head and GI system connected? Is this really working?

Well the point is interconnected with the stomach via so called viscerosomatic reflexes, this means if there is some sort of stomach discomfort like an ulcer, this point will be also sensitive on their skin (some other regions will be sensitive too)

Sounds interesting right?

Maybe this will be an explanation to you why your horse hates his/her halter… Also if it’s sensitive bilaterally and other GI ulcer specific points are sensitive your horse has an extremely high chance of GI ulceration.

Want to learn more?

Visit https://www.equinebiggerpicture.com/ for more information about acupunture points connected with GI health, herbal management of different GI issues, nutrition and much more!

05/01/2022

**Attention Horse People**

You have a quite high chance that your horse is affected by the most tricky equine disease…

As a holistic veterinarian and veterinary acupuncturist I face this problem every day and after hundreds of cases I strongly believe that if you want:

-Better connection with your horse
-High performance, better gait
-Safer riding
-Overall more balanced/calm and friendly horse
-Prevention from many other health problems such as colic, diarrhea, back pain, gait problems, weight loss etc…

You simply MUST to know more about this problem and understand the causes, diagnostical methods, treatment/management options.

I call it ’The Most Tricky’ equine disease because it has a lot of faces and may cause really diverse symptoms like I mentioned above and much more plus it can alter your horse’s behaviour quite dramatically…

In this FREE copy you will learn about the causes/diagnostical options and treatments of gastrointenstinal ulcers from a holistic perspective.

Save yourself a lot of time, headaches, money and jump into it!

Click the link below and start your jurney:

https://www.equinebiggerpicture.com/copy

03/11/2021

Honestly I wanted to post something serious today but I was sitting in front of my computer for 15 minutes and nothing came to my mind...

So here are the funniest looking goats from a barn I was called to do dental work...those ears.... OMG

What other animals do you have in your barn?

29/10/2021

Dental health is extremely important... GI health, gait, healthy hooves etc. are also connected to dentistry. Learn more about this topic from Dr. Teskey here...

27/10/2021

As I promised in my latest post, here is one of my favourite herbs to treat GI ulceration...

Licorice...

Horses mostly like it because it’s extremely sweet. It helps to increase the effects of other herbs, because it promotes digestion and absorbtion. It has a great anti-bacterial/fungal/viral effect. Soothes and relieves irritation of the stomach and gut and promotes mucus secretion, therefore increasing the protective barrier in the GI tract.

These positive effects make this herb one of the major herbs in treating equine GI issues. Also supports the horses adrenal glands by balancing hormones and making your horse more resistant to stressful situations (this is a BIG one nowdays). Very good at repairing damaged stomach and intestinal mucosa.

You can buy it anywhere, it’s cheap and horses love it!!

You can give about 20-30g per day depending on horse size.

P.S.: This herb is an important part of my favourite GI herbal formula that is a part of my upcoming online training program where I teach you how to check your horse for ulcers and how to get rid of them.

Stay tuned! There is more to come!

21/10/2021

Back pain, girth sensitivity, flank sensitivity, irritated by the halter…

Sounds familiar?

Maybe you face one of these, maybe more of them. What I want to talk about here is that these problems may be the tip of the iceberg and especially if you see them together mostly it’s a big sign of gastric and/or hindgut ulcers. I’m not saying it’s the only cause, a bad saddle, improper training, injuries etc. may cause local pain of course, but knowing the fact that our horses are 60-90% ulcer positive this problem should be on our list as well.

So how does a problem of an internal organ cause stiffness, muscle soreness, gait problems, pain at the TMJ (temporomandibular joint) region etc….?

The simple answer is that it ’radiates’ to different locations of the body. The deeper answer relates to a phenomenon called ’viscerosomatic reflexes’. Different organ systems are interconnected with different somatic (muscles, tendons, joints etc…) structures via the nervous system. This means in our case that the ulcers/sores/inflammation of the stomach and gut will cause pain soreness and tenderness in specific muscles. The good news is that a specific organ will always affect specific somatic areas, so it’s predictable. For example in chinese medicine we call these areas diagnostical acupuncture points, but chiropractic schools also teach about this phenomenon a lot. It’s so nice to see that different healing modalities come to the same conclusion, I love that!

So the key to succes in these cases is to identify and treat the underlying problem (ulcers), after that the rest usually takes care of itself (muscle soreness, back pain etc…)

Now, what if I told you that you can learn these regions on your horse and simply check when you want?

I created an online course for you where you can learn how to check your horse for ulcers in a few minutes with this concept, and also you will get the recipe of my favourit herbal mix that helps in the recovery process PLUS you will get tons of inforation about other diagnostics, causes, nutrition, management etc. The course will be availale in a few months!

P.S.: Stay tuned because in the next post I will give you one of my favourite herbs to treat ulcers!

P.S.S.: With this single herb and some changes in management you will be able to help a lot!

18/10/2021

How do you spot a horse with GI ulcers?

I’m quite sure you alredy saw a lot of horses with ulcers… some say that this is the most common GI problem nowdays and I can’t agree more.

According to the research 60-90% of our horses have them in some form and about 50% of these have hindgut ulcers as well.

But how do you know? What are the signs? What do you have to look for?

Leave a comment!

11/10/2021

No pain no grain…. Volume 2. ….

Hey Horse lovers!

So last time we discussed how the gut of the horse works in nutshell, now let’s see what happens if we overload the system with carbs, grain and highly concentrated feeds…

If we start from the mouth the following things will happen:

• less chewing - grains and concentrated feeds are easier to chew plus we give smaller amounts to chew because these feeds contain much more energy (calories) than hay
• less saliva – less chewing leads to decreased saliva production - less buffer to the stomach
• abnormal tooth wear – decreased amount of chewing leads to dental abnormalities slowly
And if we look deeper in the horse we will see this:
• smaller amounts of food that can buffer stomach acid plus decreased saliva production in the mouth leads to lower pH levels – may lead to erosions, ulcers
• stomach transmits a more acidic content to the hindgut leading to a change in microbiome, less VFA production and increased amounts of lactic acid – leading to ulcers again, triggers laminitis

In my opinion this is one of the leading causes (together with intermittent feeding) of the GI ulceration epidemic. Also if your horse has GI issues nutrition is key if you want to have long term results.

What are your insights?

09/10/2021

Show me the best picture of your horse! :)

07/10/2021

No pain no grain…. Volume 1. ….

So this is a hot topic as well, you can hear different opinions among horse people…

But let’s look at the physiology of the horse and the way they evolved, I think this brings us closer to the truth, so we can make better decisions in prevention and treatment….

As we know horses are grazing herbivores, their whole life is organised around grazing and traveling for long distances searching for food and water. Grazing will provide healthy tooth wear, the amount of saliva they need to buffer their stomach acid etc.

Their primary food is high in fiber and low in carbs and as hindgut fermenters an important energy source for horses are volatile fatty acids (VFA). VFAs are generated as a by product during the fermentation of fibre rich forage in the hindgut via ’good’ or ’symbiotic’ bacteria (naturally part of their gut biome). If everything goes well horses and bacteria live together without any problems.

They have a relatively small stomach that gets nearly constant input from the mouth and transmits food to the gut system. Fiber fermentation via ’good’ bacteria takes place in the caecum and colon, these are quite big structures, and serve as the powerhouse of your animal. The normal pH of this section should be around neutral (about 6,5-7).

This is how the engine works in nutshell…

Now, what happens if we start to increase the amount of grains, pellets, concentrated feeds etc., in the system? I’m curious about your opinions…

06/10/2021

Obesity is a common problem mostly among smaller breeds... 🐴

This condition may easily lead to metabolic syndrome/Cushings and other health problems... we all want to avoid that of course.

What's your method to make your horse thinner if needed?

03/10/2021

Lets discuss a few important things about nutrition...

In this post I want to talk about the importance of continuous feeding and the huge positive impact it has on your horses.

Horses naturally tend to graze about 16 hours a day, and they evolved to eat a fiber rich meal. As a result of grazing and chewing they produce a huge amount of saliva (about 40 litres per day) that helps to soften and moisten their food and also contains an important buffer (sodium bicarbonate) that helps to buffer stomach acid but also food buffers stomach acid. Their stomach is quite small according to their body size, and it transmits the food continually to the small intestine.

Now, what happens if we feed them intermittently?

Well if we reduce the food input, there will be less chewing, less saliva, less food in the stomach and less bicarbonate (buffer). This results in a more acidic enviroment in the stomach and after a while ulcers will develop as a common result, because the excess amount of acid will erode the stomach wall. Also this scenario helps in the development of hindgut ulcers because the stomach will transmit a more acidic content to the hindgut.

Do you know how scientists create horses with gastric ulcers if they want to study the disease or the effectiveness of a treatment etc.?

They simply starve them for 24 hours, then feed them ad libitum for 24 hours, then repeat this pattern for 2-3 times and that's it. This problem can develop very rapidly, even if you don't starve a horse for 24 hours, and this is why feeding them only a few times a day can cause harm.

What is your feeding protocol?

02/10/2021

Hey Horse Lovers!

The main goal of this FB site is to provide you with high quality information about equine health from a holistic view...

My mission is to give you practical knowledge you can use to help your animal with the most common health problems.

Here are some great topics we're going to discuss:

-Gastric and hindgut ulceration
-Laminitis/Cushings
-Injuries/Rehabilitation
-Dental care
-Nutrition
-Barn management
-And much, much more!

As a holistic vet I am a huge advocate of mixing conventional medicine with acupuncture, chiropractic and herbal medicine to get the best results I can. In the topics I mentioned above I'm going to give you some great insights you can use immediately to improve your horse's health!

Stay tuned!