QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

WHY HERBS? AND WHAT IS A "GUT RESET"?

Simply put, herbs are nature's medicine and horses possess the innate sense to know what their bodies need in order to bring about healing and wholeness.

Single herbs are amazing in the fact that they can target more than one issue. For example:

Peppermint is used for digestion, but it also can promote a sharper mind.
Wormwood is typically used to cleanse parasites, but it is also anti-inflammatory.

And this is barely scratching the surface!

When single herbs are blended together, they are able to work synergistically with one another, meaning that they boost each other's benefits. One such blend that I highly recommend is Sis's Gut Support formulated by Chelsea Blackford over at Essential Equine Therapies. Here is the link for more information, the story behind the blend, and an easy way to purchase:

https://essentialequinetherapies.com/siss-gut-support/

Sis's Gut Support is the blend that is part of the first few steps in any of the horse health coach programs/packages that I offer. The gut and organs are key players in the whole health of the horse and in order to function properly, they typically need a boost in the form of a "reset".

And that is what this herbal mix does, it promotes proper digestion, reduces inflammation, and brings balance to the gut and the body. It is recommended to us this blend for a minimum of two months. If your horse is part of one of my horse health couch programs, after one month we will do an herbal self selection session. This allows to horse to choose any further single herbs to assist them on their healing journey.

WHY ESSENTIAL OILS?

Just like herbs, essential oils are a part of nature's medicine "cabinet", but in another form.

Essential oils are the concentrated aromatic compounds of a plant, herb, tree, flower, seed, or rind that have been extracted through distillation or cold pressing. These pure oils work on the mind and body bringing out health and wellness physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Th most common way that essential oils are used is to inhale them, but they can also be applied topically and even ingested. How do they work?

When inhaled, the essential oil's molecules interact with the body's olfactory system and most importantly, the brain. When they make contact with the brain, they affect several of the receptor sites including the limbic system which regulates emotions. This area of the brain controls heart rate, blood pressure, stress levels, hormone balance, etc.

So in short, essential oils work on emotions through the brain. When stress is reduced, heart rate drops, hormones become balanced, negative feelings are released, and a host of other benefits take place, the body can begin to heal on an emotional level. Which in turn can play a role in the physical healing as well.

As I mentioned, oils also can also be used topically or internally. When applied topically, some oils can be used neat and some oils are best used when diluted in a carry oil (coconut, jojoba, etc.)

For example: Lavender is one of the safest oils to apply topically without the need to dilute it and is an amazing oil for any type of skin condition. Whereas a "hot" oil such as Oregano may not be tolerated especially by animals with sensitive skin and need to be diluted first.

When used internally, oils can be added to food, water, administered directly in the mouth, licked off of the handler's hand, etc. For more in-depth information the Essential Oils Animal Desk Reference Book is a great guide.

Here at Inside Out Equine Bodyworks, I strive to do my research and only use 100% pure, concentrated, therapeutic grade essential oils from companies who are hands on, transparent about their process, and don't mix batches which results in low quality oils.

The companies I generally buy from are Young Living and By Faith.

WHY MASSAGE? ISN'T IT ONLY A LUXURY?

Massage is so much more than just a luxury or a "spa day" for our horses and benefits them whether they are growing, retired, lightly ridden, or in intensive training. Massage works on the body as a whole and not just the muscles, bringing about pain relief, relaxation, stress release, flexibility, lymph drainage, joint mobility, circulation, etc.

An old, retired horse who suffers from arthritis and is stiff or slow to move would reap the benefits of pain relief, increased mobility/flexibility, and suppleness that massage has to offer.

A growing horse who changing every month is likely to be out of imbalance as his body adapts to the growth spurts. Again, massage would help to relieve any growing pains, assist in realigning musculoskeletal tissue, and relieving muscular tension brought about by their young horse antics.

An injured horse will greatly benefit from massage during their recovery and can actually increase recovery time. Horses on stall rest or limited movement will benefit greatly from massage as it will help drain the lymph system, increase circulation, and once more offer relief from pain and release stress and tension in the muscles.

Massage (and other bodywork modalities) also has an impact on the form, function, and balance of the hooves. For more information on that topic, check out my blog post titled Body and Hooves.

This is just the tip of the iceburg when it comes to the benefits of massage. Massage is offered in all of my horse health coach programs/packages as well as a individual service.

WHAT IS A FEED PROGRAM EVALUATION AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

One thing that seems to be overlooked in the horse's day to day routine is their nutrition. I have worked at several barns where all 20+ horses get the exact same grain and the exact same amount regardless of age, training, body weight, etc. They may get their food top dressed with an over-processed oil or a supplement filled with binders and unnecessary ingredients, but that was the only difference in the feeding program. They would also receive the same two flakes of hay morning and night and most of them received limited turn out.

I also worked at a feed store where horse owners would come in and buy whatever horse grain was cheapest that day regardless of the ingredients. Or someone would buy the richest, molasses-based feed for their trail horse they rode once in awhile. Some owners would buy something simply because that is what was recommended to them by a friend of a friend.

Then, to fill in the nutritional gaps owners were purchasing oils, brans, and fat supplements. Calming supplements, hoof builders, ulcer preventatives, and digestive supports were also hugely popular. Hundreds of dollars were spent in the pursuit of health for their horses, usually will little to no results.

And, the sad fact was that no equine professional suggested that the owners take a deeper dive into the feed program and see how it was truly impacting their horses. Vets take minor nutrition courses in school and horse feed consultant only know what the feed company they work for teaches them.

So, that is the 'why' behind offering feed program evaluations to my clients. This evaluation is in two parts. The first part works by digging into the ingredients, understanding the pros and cons of those ingredients, seeing how they are helping or damaging horses, and finding where changes can be made for the better.

I am a big advocate in forage-based diets and making your horse's feed program reflect that of the wild horses as closely as domestication will allow. This is the second part should you decide to go this route. It is not something I will not force my clients to do, but something that I highly encourage.

Feed program evaluations are all part of the packages/programs that I offer and I will help you every step of the way in this new nutrition journey.

WHY HOLISTIC HOOF CARE

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