Herbs for Horses - Barnmice Equestrian Social Community2024-03-29T01:06:02Zhttp://www.barnmice.com/forum/topics/herbs-for-horses?commentId=1773158%3AComment%3A146243&feed=yes&xn_auth=noBarby, great post. Where can…tag:www.barnmice.com,2009-09-01:1773158:Comment:1462432009-09-01T16:49:01.822ZMarti Langleyhttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/MartiLangley
Barby, great post. Where can I get some of that peyote? For my horse, of course, lol!!
Barby, great post. Where can I get some of that peyote? For my horse, of course, lol!! Very good points here!
I woul…tag:www.barnmice.com,2009-09-01:1773158:Comment:1462242009-09-01T16:18:17.669ZPetstorejunkiehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/Petstorejunkie
Very good points here!<br />
I would like to clarify to anyone reading the thread that the old myth that protein makes a horse hot has been dis proven.<br />
Protein is the LEAST EFFICIENT energy source your body takes in. Protein is used by the body for structural repair, then functional components (like hormones antibodies), then lastly if the body feels like using protein for energy it will. Protein will not make your horse hot.<br />
Fat is the most efficient energy source but the body treats it like a long…
Very good points here!<br />
I would like to clarify to anyone reading the thread that the old myth that protein makes a horse hot has been dis proven.<br />
Protein is the LEAST EFFICIENT energy source your body takes in. Protein is used by the body for structural repair, then functional components (like hormones antibodies), then lastly if the body feels like using protein for energy it will. Protein will not make your horse hot.<br />
Fat is the most efficient energy source but the body treats it like a long slow burn; much like an oil lamp. Fat will not make your horse hot.<br />
Carbohydrates come in many forms. Some good, some bad for your horse's hotness and health. Avoid STARCHES and SIMPLE SUGARS for ALL horses! not just pre metabolic. Too much sugars and starches is what makes a horse hot, their feet crappy and crumblie (one of the reasons OTTB's have the reputation for crummy feet is they are fed a high sugar diet to keep them hot). sugars and starches also aggravate an ulceric horse.<br />
Look for concentrates (whether ration balancers, complete feeds, or grain mixes) with 12% or less starch content. It is not required to be listed on the bag, but you can still determine the starch content. Add up the guaranteed analysis numbers. you'll find you get a number that is less than 100% subtract the number you get from 100 and that will be your starch content.<br />
Also, i know purina is one of the most readily available feeds on the market, that doesnt make them a good feed. Last time i checked (which was 1 year ago) their only product with less than 12% starch was plain beet pulp. Between their high sugar formulas and the recalls they have which seem to occur more than once a year, i avoid them like the plague.<br />
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My personal favorite brand is Seminole. LOVE seminole! i no longer supplement with anything and my horse looks and performs fabulously. We are using the Wellness Show and sport which is a 12% protein, 12% fat feed. Because it is so nutritionally dense and high quality my 1100# horse goes through 2.5 bags per month (that's only $50) He's worked for over an hour 5-6 days a week. Fantastic stuff if you live in the Southeast. Herbs for horses???? ... I fe…tag:www.barnmice.com,2009-09-01:1773158:Comment:1461432009-09-01T12:44:57.017ZBarbara Sky Horsehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/BarbaraSkyHorse
Herbs for horses???? ... I feed my horses peyote .. that calms them right the heck down!!<br />
Of course, ya need to be Native American to get hold of this ..erm .. herb.<br />
...*laughing* ...<br />
Sorry, I couldn't resist ... and no, I don't really give my horses peyote.<br />
In fact .. though I do prefer "natural" remedies over chemically produced ones ...<br />
I'm not really Big on, or quick to reach for the herb bag for any reason.<br />
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Holly, I know you said you have a sale pending for this horse, so seems as though…
Herbs for horses???? ... I feed my horses peyote .. that calms them right the heck down!!<br />
Of course, ya need to be Native American to get hold of this ..erm .. herb.<br />
...*laughing* ...<br />
Sorry, I couldn't resist ... and no, I don't really give my horses peyote.<br />
In fact .. though I do prefer "natural" remedies over chemically produced ones ...<br />
I'm not really Big on, or quick to reach for the herb bag for any reason.<br />
<br />
Holly, I know you said you have a sale pending for this horse, so seems as though the problem will soon be moot, but I couldn't help addressing the issue just in a general way ... ( hope that's Ok )<br />
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in reading along, I nodded in FULL Agreement with Jackie's suggestion (and Mr. Pannell's echo) to look to the feed .. and the ratios of "protein"<br />
I think Too Often people don't Really know and understand what they're feeding and how "what they feed" might be affecting the "individual" horse ... SO IMPORTANT .. so often overlooked.<br />
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The next thing that was running through my mind was "how much actual exercise is the horse getting??<br />
Does he have room for free play/run/hop/jump time?? .. may sound silly, but Hey!! .. horses are Not machines.<br />
They need time to just roll in the dirt, and run about like a mad thing, or just stand basking lazily in the sun.<br />
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To tell you the truth, my impression of the whole situation is that it's probably a small training issue, which over time (due to frustration from both Holly AND her horse) ...has escalated into something Much Bigger.<br />
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Communication with our 4 legged partner is Sooooo Important!!<br />
Knowing how to "speak" to them .. so that they understand ... and in my opinion .. Knowing how to "listen" to what they are Trying to say to Us, is almost MORE Important!!<br />
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We All Get Frustrated from time to time when the struggle for "communication" isn't going to well .. but "Frustration" when riding will only lead to your horse eventually turning a deaf ear to you and what ever you're doing!!<br />
Jackie ... I love you to bits, I hope you know that ... but I can see why Geoffrey went ballistic with your advice about "Yanking" ...*cringes at the thought of "Yanking" ..*<br />
.... size and strength have nothing to do with it ... heck, very small children .. just learning to ride, if they Yank on on a rein it's an Immediate NO NO!! ..We teach them that it's NEVER appropriate to "Yank" at their horses mouth!! ...NEVER EVER!! .. Bit-less bridle or no!!<br />
( ...*laughing* ... can't believe you used that word Jackie, You know it's gonna haunt you forever, ..*wink* )<br />
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I love it Holly, that you sought the advice of folks here in the forum ... That Shows Good Thinking on Your part.<br />
This Place s Loaded with Amazing Professional Horse People who've all "been there, done that" and Can Wisely advise on ANY variety of horse related issues ... but here again ... "Communication" is key!!<br />
And sometimes communicating the "Right Direction" is hard ... Especially when it's just cold black words typed on a white back ground ... lol ... Very hard to direct with out actually seeing the horse, watching the rider ride, Seeing "First Hand" what's breaking down in the communication between the horse and rider.<br />
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geeeeeze ... sorry folk .... I didn't mean to go on and on ... (I'm way too wordy ...eeeeks) ... really I just wanted to reiterate Mr. Pannell's words of NEVER Yank on a horses mouth!!!<br />
And to congratulate Holly on successfully marketing her horse to a new home. yeah. I've had him since I wa…tag:www.barnmice.com,2009-08-31:1773158:Comment:1459362009-08-31T18:12:19.900ZHolly Brownhttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/HollyBrown
yeah. I've had him since I was 3, when he was born here. He's now 12. His attitude isn't why I'm selling him though. I enjoy his spunk, it's fun. I do have a coach and we've worked with him a lot. I'm only selling him due to having not enough time and no indoor arena.
yeah. I've had him since I was 3, when he was born here. He's now 12. His attitude isn't why I'm selling him though. I enjoy his spunk, it's fun. I do have a coach and we've worked with him a lot. I'm only selling him due to having not enough time and no indoor arena. He is who he is and I think i…tag:www.barnmice.com,2009-08-31:1773158:Comment:1459012009-08-31T15:50:18.637ZPetstorejunkiehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/Petstorejunkie
He is who he is and I think in the long run you are going to be much happier with your decision. I am the first in line to always say "give the relationship all you've got, never give up" but in this case unless you are willing to work with a trainer that knows and understands his personality and help you two to understand each other, he'll be much happier in the long run making someone else happy.
He is who he is and I think in the long run you are going to be much happier with your decision. I am the first in line to always say "give the relationship all you've got, never give up" but in this case unless you are willing to work with a trainer that knows and understands his personality and help you two to understand each other, he'll be much happier in the long run making someone else happy. I am selling this horse. He's…tag:www.barnmice.com,2009-08-31:1773158:Comment:1458702009-08-31T14:38:47.578ZHolly Brownhttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/HollyBrown
I am selling this horse. He's been up for sale for awhile, sale is pending right now though soo thanks for all the replys, no longer need anymore though as the sale is pending.<br />
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I needed the tips though! Was considering keeping him if something would work to calm him. I will pass all the tips onto the buyer.
I am selling this horse. He's been up for sale for awhile, sale is pending right now though soo thanks for all the replys, no longer need anymore though as the sale is pending.<br />
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I needed the tips though! Was considering keeping him if something would work to calm him. I will pass all the tips onto the buyer. Please note that my advice is…tag:www.barnmice.com,2009-08-31:1773158:Comment:1458542009-08-31T13:45:59.592ZJackie Cochranhttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JackieCochran
Please note that my advice is for one specific horse with a specific problem, using a specific piece of tack (the bitless bridle). Using a bit, you need a lot less pressure (closing of the fingers). From what I am picking up from Holly is a picture of a horse that does not want to slow down, and he also sounds to me that he can be "spunky" being handled on the ground too. I owned and rode two "spunky" hot horses of my own, a ruined 7/8 Arab 1/8 Saddlebred my parents gave me, and a Paso Fino…
Please note that my advice is for one specific horse with a specific problem, using a specific piece of tack (the bitless bridle). Using a bit, you need a lot less pressure (closing of the fingers). From what I am picking up from Holly is a picture of a horse that does not want to slow down, and he also sounds to me that he can be "spunky" being handled on the ground too. I owned and rode two "spunky" hot horses of my own, a ruined 7/8 Arab 1/8 Saddlebred my parents gave me, and a Paso Fino mare. After I trained them I could ride both safely at a walk in exciting circumstances with a loose rein, using occasional aids. I never used any calming products. They always wanted to run, but they did what I told them too, not because of brutality but by using "give and take" with my aids at the proper point of the horse's stride.<br />
Horses like this need a lot of work. Training takes a lot of work. Learning to ride hot horses softly takes a lot of work. Unfortunately during all this work you sometimes have to get their attention with a quick, somewhat more forcible, well timed application of the rein aid. I can go for years without having to use this particular aid, and I suspect that Holly will not have to use it much.<br />
Holly has been riding this horse for at least 8 years. This horse has not killed her in this time, and apparantly during these years she got a concussion once because she did not know how to use the bitless bridle effectively. She needs to refine the application of her aids. This is what I was forced to do in training and riding my "spunky" horses.<br />
Good lessons and training are always a good idea, if you can find a good instructor or trainer. Drugging a riding horse is always a bad idea, for some reason horses do not seem to transfer what they learn under a calming drug to real life when the drug's (or herb's) influence wears off. Great post here. I also agree…tag:www.barnmice.com,2009-08-31:1773158:Comment:1458512009-08-31T13:36:53.648ZMarti Langleyhttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/MartiLangley
Great post here. I also agree with Geoffrey. And finding a more suitable horse is not a bad idea. Someone will be able to enjoy your horse, that is not your cup of tea. The right horse is out there waitng for you, Holly, I just am not sure it is the one you have.
Great post here. I also agree with Geoffrey. And finding a more suitable horse is not a bad idea. Someone will be able to enjoy your horse, that is not your cup of tea. The right horse is out there waitng for you, Holly, I just am not sure it is the one you have. okay, um wow, where to begin…tag:www.barnmice.com,2009-08-31:1773158:Comment:1457992009-08-31T04:16:33.351ZPetstorejunkiehttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/Petstorejunkie
okay, um wow, where to begin on this train wreck of a discussion.<br />
dont yank on your horse. i *think* what jacki is trying to describe is teaching your horse to give to pressure (but i wouldnt go using her description as a step by step guide). giving to pressure is something that is done gradually, in a controlled environment, from the ground first. until your horse will move all parts of his body by merely 1 finger's light pressure, dont get on him again. he needs to understand your…
okay, um wow, where to begin on this train wreck of a discussion.<br />
dont yank on your horse. i *think* what jacki is trying to describe is teaching your horse to give to pressure (but i wouldnt go using her description as a step by step guide). giving to pressure is something that is done gradually, in a controlled environment, from the ground first. until your horse will move all parts of his body by merely 1 finger's light pressure, dont get on him again. he needs to understand your communications. giving to pressure is step 1 in his understanding. Even googling "teach a horse to give to pressure" gave me dozens of articles of the basics here.<br />
as to the herbs, it sounds like your horse was bred to be high strung, so either accept him for who he is or find him a new home. I think you would find much greater benefit from regular riding lessons with an experienced instructor, and a visit from a qualified tack fitter.<br />
a "hyper" horse is an uncomfortable horse. find the source of WHY instead of drugging him into submission. I appreciate your comments, G…tag:www.barnmice.com,2009-08-31:1773158:Comment:1457832009-08-31T00:54:42.006ZJackie Cochranhttp://www.barnmice.com/profile/JackieCochran
I appreciate your comments, Geoffrey, I really do.<br />
I am a weak woman. In my 38 years of riding on hot-bloods (Anglo-Arab, TBs, Arabs & Paso Fino) I have NEVER had a horse rear on me. It is VERY hard pulling with NO RELEASE that causes rearing, with all its attendent dangers.<br />
I apply this aid as the horse's head motion is going UP, and before the top of the movement I start relaxing my fingers, then I ALWAYS move my hands forward (release) a few inches IMMEDIATELTY, giving the horse's head…
I appreciate your comments, Geoffrey, I really do.<br />
I am a weak woman. In my 38 years of riding on hot-bloods (Anglo-Arab, TBs, Arabs & Paso Fino) I have NEVER had a horse rear on me. It is VERY hard pulling with NO RELEASE that causes rearing, with all its attendent dangers.<br />
I apply this aid as the horse's head motion is going UP, and before the top of the movement I start relaxing my fingers, then I ALWAYS move my hands forward (release) a few inches IMMEDIATELTY, giving the horse's head plenty of room to move forward. By the time the horse's head is moving forward, the aid has been released, there is no pressure for the horse to fight. I obviously did not emphasize this enough, thank you for encouraging me to become clearer.<br />
If the total release of the aid (slack reins) is not enough to prevent high-jinks, I always use my heels vigorously, sending the horse forward (still on slack reins). If I need to I hold on to the mane with one hand. IN A SAFE AREA on good ground (not mud, ice, water, too hard, etc) it is often good to tell the horse to go forward vigorously when they are going fast anyway. It can often cause them to shift their weight backwards IF THEY FIND NO SUPPORT FROM THE REIN. Then the aid is often even more effective.<br />
Not easing up on the reins is one of the most common mistakes I see with people having trouble with their horses.<br />
Of course there are other good methods to deal with this problem. This is my method, one developed by a weak woman with MS, that has served me well over the decades.<br />
Thank you again for making me explain myself in a clearer manner.<br />
I am a firm believer in riders having health insurance. Maybe here in the USA it will happen for all. That is excellent advice for anyone dealing with horses.