This page is dedicated to Bubba, who helped me begin my journey into natural care for animals.

Horses are just awesome creatures, aren't they? I discovered them as a very young girl but wasn't lucky enough to be partnered with one until I was 24. The next 10 years were bliss -- I bonded with Oh So Native (affectionately known as Bubba), a beautiful chestnut Thoroughbred off the track, in a way I had never bonded with an animal before. One day while I was out of town, he died from a small bowel impaction at age 14, and left this Earth for new adventures. My life was forever changed by the gift of who Bubba was (and still is!). He is one of the main reasons I do what I do today.

NEWSLETTERS and MEDIA

Madalyn Ward, DVM, offers Holistic Horsekeeping News, a free email newsletter for horse lovers which discusses holistic care, alternatives therapies and other topics. www.HolisticHorseKeeping.com She also offers an ongoing teleclass and chatroom class covering topics to help you keep your horses healthy. These come highly recommended. Dr. Ward can be reached at info@holistichorsekeeping.com or 512-288-0428.

Jessica Jahiel, Ph.D, offers the Horse-Sense email newsletter, http://www.horse-sense.org/, Materials from Jessica Jahiel's HORSE-SENSE Newsletter may be distributed and copied for personal, non-commercial use provided that all authorship and copyright information, including this notice, is retained. Materials may not be republished in any form without express permission of the author. jjahiel@prairienet.org, Jessica Jahiel, Ph.D., Voice: (217) 684-2570; Author, Clinician, Lecturer, http://www.prairienet.org/jjahiel/, Holistic Horsemanship®. Dr. Jahiel also wrote a book called The Horse Behavior Problem Solver: Your Questions Answered. This can be ordered through my site on the Animal Behavior page. This is a compilation of back issues of Horse-Sense and is a must for every horse lover's bookshelf. She also has many other books in print that are worth checking out.

Natural Horse Magazine is "A publication focusing on humane and natural care for horses and other animals." http://www.naturalhorse.com/

Horse-Journal.com is an online magazine -- "The product, care and service guide for people who love horses."  http://www.horse-journal.com/

The Holistic Horse is "your ticket to the holistic world!"  http://www.holistichorse.com/

Equine Wellness Magazine  By the folks who publish Animal Wellness Magazine, this is another superb publication. www.equinewellnessmagazine.com

Kat's Articles A few of the articles I've written that have been published are posted here on my site. See the Articles page for a few horse articles I think you'll find interesting and/or helpful.

HELPFUL WEBSITES

www.ironfreehoof.com was created to help anyone interested in the health of their horse's feet. Information includes anatomy basics, the barefoot style vs. shoeing, trimming techniques and more.

www.everything-horses.net  Directory of services related to the horse.
 

NATURAL CARE PRODUCTS and ALTERNATIVE HEALING MODALITIES

I offer body scans on all species of animals and can make suggestions (not diagnostic/veterinary advice) of certain supplements that could be helpful for certain health conditions including skin problems. You can reach me at kat@katberard.com to set up a consultation or communicatino session for that purpose. And if you do not find what you are looking for here, you can contact Leta Worthington, Animal Communicator and Herbalist (an expert in natural horse care) for a consultation, see www.herbsandanimals.com.  See also my Essential Oils page for Virginia Litza's contact information. She has successfully treated a wide variety and number of animals, small to large, over the years with Young Living brand essential oils and supplements with amazing success. Please let them know I referred you.

Alternative Healing Modalities:  See this page on my site for a myriad of suggestions Alternative Healing Modalities

Essential Oils: See my Essential Oils page regarding the use of oils around and on horses for physical, mental, emotional and behavioral issues.

Equilite, Inc. Stacey Small, co-publisher of The Holistic Horse (www.holistichorse.com), is founder of Equilite, Inc. which has been in business since the early 1990s. Visit www.equilite.com or call  800-942-5483. Stacey began studying herbs in the late 1980's and found it to be her passion. She has been a horse person all her life. Starting with riding and showing as a child, she then became involved in the racing industry as an owner and breeder of Thoroughbreds. Her time at the track was the beginning of her involvement with the herbs. Stacey saw the challenges that horses go through when taken out of their natural environment.....in the domestication process they have lost all semblance of their natural routines and diets. She began working with the vets at the track to meet horses' needs, and this led to the development of her herbal supplements.

WHY USE HERBALS? Animals are meant to process plants, things that would be found in their natural habitat, as opposed to synthetic chemicals.
Horses especially, being herbivores, are meant to digest, absorb and assimilate plants from their diet. Animals studied in the wild have been documented eating plants that suit their needs at the time. Horses will instinctively seek out DANDELIONS if they are having liver issues. There is an extensive list of plants that horses have been know to naturally graze upon...ones that we might be very surprised to know about.

WHAT PRODUCT LINES DOES EQUILITE OFFER?

Liniments: The most well known is the Sore No More line. It was voted Product of the Year by the Horse Journal and is recognized as the top herbal liniment on the market. Sore No More also comes in a Gelotion and wraparound (towelettes). There is also The Sauce, which is the first herbal sugardine product on the market for wound care, and their Massage Shampoo.

Herbal Supplement Blends: These products cater to the needs of animals by bringing them the plants they would like to graze in the wild.

Flower Essences: These vibrational essences (Equiessence line, and Pet Essences line) address the emotional issues animals may have.


WHAT MAKES THE EQUILITE PRODUCT LINE SUPERIOR TO OTHER PRODUCTS?

- They use all natural herbal blends
- No chemicals or fillers, only the herbs listed on the container
- The herbs are powdered for even consistency
- The containers are easy to open and close for freshness (buckets can lend themselves to not being closed properly)
- The containers all have lot numbers and expiration dates on them
- Equilite, Inc. offers extensive customer service to their clients, offering information and help, and recommending their products only if they feel they are appropriate for a given condition or situation
- Equilite, Inc. is a member of the NASC National Animal Supplement Council (www.nasc.cc), an self-monitoring organization

Stacey says, - Listen to your animals and your instincts. Know when it is time to seek advice or outside help. Develop a rapport with vets and practitioners that you trust and enjoy working with. They are an important part of your team. Don't ever try and diagnose without them. Pay attention to the foods that you feed your animals and the environment that you keep them in.

Springtime, Inc. I can't say enough good things about the equine, canine and human supplements offered by this company. Check out www.springtimeinc.com, or call 800-521-3212 to request a catalog.

Accel Lifetime: For horses, this supplement blend is superior. Accel Lifetime has all the advantages of regular Accel's balanced comprehensive nutrition. Contains GlutaSyn, a patented antioxidant that protects the immune system. Accel Lifetime has higher levels of selenium and vitamins C and E than regular Accel. It also improves overall nourishment with a balanced supply of 44 guaranteed nutrients, including all essential vitamins, trace minerals (chelated), complete B complex, 18 amino acids, digestive enzymes, probiotic culture and more. Order from KV Vet Supply, www.kvvet.com.

Magnetic Therapy I researched a number of companies to find the one I felt offered the most beneficial products at reasonable prices. I have been using magnetic therapy mats for myself and my arthritic dog, as well as using handheld magnets to address certain specific issues. I am very pleased with the results, and both my dog and I have more energy from sleeping on the mats. Whether for you, your horse, your dog or your cat, I highly recommend checking out Stuck on You magnetic therapy products at www.stuckonyou.com. Raymond Elliott Certified Applied Magnetics (C.A.M.), is happy to assist you to better health for a variety of health issues and injuries. You can reach him at info@stuckonyou.com  or 888-306-2463. See their "How It Works" section on the menu for a great explanation of why magnetic therapy is a very useful, effective healing modality for injuries and illness. You'll also find a writing by him on my Magnetic Therapy page.

Draper Equine Therapy/Draper Canine Therapy Draper Equine Therapy offers a line of therapeutic products for horses, riders and dogs (and the pet beds work well for cats too). This exciting line features Holofiber® - the new smart fiber that has been clinically proven to decrease inflammation and dramatically increase oxygen in the tissue. Holofiber® reflects heat back to the body and increases blood flow. This is especially important for conditions like arthritis, tissue injuries, and more. Products include shirts and socks for riders, saddle pads, coolers, quarter sheets, polo wraps and halter covers for horses. They also offer an ultra comfortable therapeutic dog bed (the small will work well for a cat too). And check out their blankets, great for arthritic pets! See www.draperequinetherapy.com or call 781-828-0029 for more information.

Nanotechnology Energy Patch  "There is a new nanotechnology energy patch that was originally developed for use by Navy Seals but recent studies have shown WONDERFUL results on horses. It is a totally non-transdermal patch that acts like an antenna to signal the brain to produce more energy, strength, stamina, and mental focus. We have several well-known equine acupuncturists using the patches on horses and finding that the results far surpass what they are getting with traditional acupuncture - more immediate, longer lasting, with better results. I would be very happy to forward emails to you about their experiences and/or connect you with them so you could talk with them. One vet in CA has had tremendous results with geriatric horses and with back problems. Another vet in FL has told us about a point on the spine just above the tail that will calm a horse. My daughter does barrel racing etc in 4H and her horse gets SO excited about it that we've tried the patch and it works beautifully to calm her (the horse) enough to where she listens much better. It does not zap her energy, just helps her to calm down and focus. A trainer friend of ours has had the same results on horses that she is training. One of the scientists involved had a trainer friend try them on his racehorse. The horse was a 15-1 odds and won the race by two lengths and beat it's personal best time by 2.5 seconds. The testimonies go on and on and we've only just touched the tip of the iceberg. The best thing is that nothing at all enters the body. Also, I have spectravision results on a man showing the tremendous difference in the energy in his organs just five minutes after applying the patches. Just let me know and I will email it to you. Professional athletes have been using the patches for a few years but it just went mainstream in the last year. Every testimony I have heard is good and the more I learn about the patches and hear about new studies, the more excited I am about their potential for humans, horses, dogs, .....anything that lives and breathes! My website is www.lifewave.com/carpevita. There is a short movie there that explains a lot as well as written testimonies, the science behind it etc. You can reach me at 253-232-8871 cell or email me." Regards, Karen Braach, kabra55k@hotmail.com

Wound Care I used two wound care products to treat my dog Barney's serious rattlesnake bite wound. One was Gold Dust Salve and the other was Schreiner's Herbal Solution. For the first six weeks I used the Gold Dust Salve during the day after twice-a-day hydrotherapy to soothe the tissue (the wound was wrapped while the salve was on). Gold Dust Salve is a classical Chinese herbal formula used for minor open wounds, skin abrasions, skin ulcers and heat conditions. The 10 natural herbal ingredients help to reduce heat, swelling and pain. It is extremely effective for hard-to-heal wounds, and excels on healing skin ulcers when nothing else will work. (Discontinue use if skin irritation occurs; may stain skin/coat). Schreiner's Herbal Solution is touted as one of the best wound care products for serious wounds, especially those in difficult to heal places, because it helps "heal from the inside out". It can help minimize or prevent proud flesh and scar tissue from forming. It is good for initial cleansing and disinfecting, and for superficial vaginal tears after foaling. It can be used on irritated stings and bites from bugs, bees and ticks. After the first six weeks of Barney's wound care, I started applying the Schreiner's spray and let it air dry (do not wrap the wound when using this product).  Gold Dust Salve (and other topical, herbal and homeopathic remedies) can be purchased from the company (Animal Dynamics), http://www.animaldynamics.com/products/justho.html. Schreiner's Herbal Solution can be purchased from the company (Schreiner's) at http://schreiners.com/index.html.

TACK AND SUPPLIES

Natural Horse Supply, www.naturalhorsesupply.com Here's Rob's message at 6/01/05: "Natural Horse Supply was started in 1999 to provide high quality tools for the natural horseman at a reasonable price. We make many of the products that we offer. We search extensively for "industrial strength" products that meet our high standard of quality. Because we make many of our own products we are able to offer custom products. We are dealers for TexTan, Colorado Saddlery, Jeremiah Watt, and many other popular manufacturers. We sell products that we have either used in the past or are currently using. We offer free training articles. We also sell all of the components to make your own halters, lead ropes, and longe lines, for the “do it yourself” type of person. We stand behind our products and try to make every effort to make shopping with us a good experience Our rope is the finest quality double braided nylon rope you can buy. We can custom order rope and tack. If we don’t have something we will make every effort to find it for our customers. We are always looking for new and innovative products. An example is the Blocker Tie ring. We have carried these products for 3 years and are excited to see it get the attention it deserves. This is a fantastic tool with the horse and owners safety in mind. Fantastic for working on a horse with pull back issues or the young horse. We believe that our longevity in the market and competitive pricing give us an advantage over our competitors.

Some of the products include, but are not limited to are:
o Rope halters in various sizes and colors. Custom sizes available.
o 12’ and 14’ lead ropes in either ½” or 5/8” rope sizes
o Mecates in both nylon and horse hair
o Longe lines
o Bosals
o Bits
o Leather headstalls made from the finest harness leather.
o Slobber straps
o Training sticks
o Saddles

We are working on a new web site and catalog. Hopefully they will be available in the near future. We are adding new lines of products that are not currently listed on the web site. Visit our website or contact us toll-free at 1-877-207-6215 in the USA."

EQUINE SERVICES and PROGRAMS

Animal Dynamics - offering Programs in Equine Sports Massage Therapy , Equine Acupoint Therapy, and Saddle Fitting and Reflocking Don Doran is a leader in the equine sports industry with many, many years of experience working with and training horses. He offers premium quality workshops as mentioned above. Please check them out at http://www.animaldynamics.com/classes/index.html.

Epona Equestrian Services Founded by Linda Kohanov, author of The Tao of Equus and Riding Between the Worlds, Epona Equestrian Services is a Tucson, Arizona-based collective of riding instructors and counselors exploring the healing potential of working with horses. In addition to formal equine-facilitated psychotherapy sessions, Epona offers equine experiential learning programs in stress reduction, parenting skills, leadership techniques, consensus-building relationship models, mindfulness, intuition, creativity, sensory awareness and women's empowerment. These programs are life changing! You'll never view a horse the same way again; they are definitely teachers, healers and fabulous mirrors for who we are at our core. Visit www.taoofequus.com to learn more.

Equine Massage Therapy Jane Heath, CMT, www.therapyforhorses.com Based in  Helena, Montana, Jane is an extensively trained equine massage therapist who also offers workshops in equine therapy. Jane is also an Animal Communicator. She provides on-site massage throughout Montana and surrounding states as well as extended therapy at her facility. She offers several articles on her website that are worth reading. Jane can be contacted at Circle of Life Equine Therapy, (406) 458-9722, ht@mt.net 

Frasier School of Driving Kayo and Alex Fraser train horses to drive with contact, and they teach people to drive horses properly. They focus on safety and believe the horse is much better off when people know what the horse expects of them. They also offer for sale some great driving horses, equipment and equine books.  www.drivehorses.com, www.wildhorsebooks.com.

Harmany Equine Clinic http://www.harmonyequine.com/ Site of Dr. Joyce Harman, an equine vet whose practice is based on alternative care including but not limited to acupuncture and supplements. She has excellent articles on her site including one regarding the treatment of laminitis from the standpoint of diet, nutrition, acupuncture and more.

Serenity Equine http://www.serenityequine.com/ This facility uses the most advanced techniques for treating laminitis

Holistic Vets - New York See Dr. Jessica Roberts' information and articles at http://www.holisticvets.com/equine_home.htm Dr. Roberts is a holistic and chiropractic vet who is currently obtaining her training in acupuncture. She is affiliated with several alternative care veterinary centers in Manhattan, New York.

OTHER EQUINE PRODUCTS

http://www.e-horselovergifts.com Offering a large selection of gifts for horse lovers. You'll find toys for kids, home decor, bed & bath, handbags, horse themed furniture, apparel, kitchen items, model horses, jewelry and even horse tack!

www.hoofprints.com Beautiful sympathy cards, artwork and memorials incorporating loving poems about animals (horses and others).

USING NATURAL SUPPLEMENTS FOR YOUR HORSE

The following is an article by Madalyn Ward, DVM (www.holistichorsekeeping.com, 512-288-0428), reprinted here with her permission. From Vol. 8, No. 7, July 2004 issue of Holistic Horsekeeping News: "Using Natural Supplements for Your Performance Horse"

Last month I took my 4 year old mule, Jake, to a training clinic. When we joined the other 13 riders in the ring the first morning, Jake was a bit overwhelmed. He was pretty wound up with all the activity and just a step away from an out-of-mule-body experience. It occurred to me that I had not given him any Rescue Remedy or taken any myself. I usually give us both Rescue Remedy when we face something new and challenging. I took Jake back to the trailer and we both took a dose. The rest of the morning went much better.

It was a long day and the heat index was well over one hundred. Jake gave his all and was a bit sore and grouchy at the end of the day. I took a little extra time to do a short Bowen session on him to help his muscles relax. In addition to his extra probiotics and algae at dinner, I also gave him an extra dose of noni juice to help with any inflammation from the extra work. The next morning Jake was bright and ready to go. I did not need any Rescue Remedy as he was very comfortable with his new surroundings.

I recently read an article in Practical Horseman about medicating performance horses and was dismayed to see that the supplements I used at the clinic would be considered illegal. The article specifically said, "The United States Equestrian Federation's drugs and medication rules are clear: Anything that's given to a horse, in any way, with the intent to alter the horse's performance, be it through pain control or temperament adjustment, is not permitted. That means anything you give your horse--homeopathic, herbal, or otherwise--that's meant to calm him or make him more comfortable is illegal unless expressly permitted by the USEF."

I feel we should draw a distinction between substances that help restore a horse to its natural physical, mental, and emotional state, and substances that actually increase a horse's performance beyond his normal abilities or mask pain. Since this can be quite confusing, I'll give a couple of examples.

Consider the difference between the flower essence Rescue Remedy and the herb valerian. Both have calming effects. The difference is that valerian can actual alter a horse's state beyond what is normal while Rescue Remedy could only restore a horse to its normal state of calmness. Valerian can cause a horse that is normally not very calm to become calm or even sedated. On the other hand, giving a Rescue Remedy to a horse that is normally tense or high-strung would not have much of a sedating effect. Rescue Remedy is effective in restoring a normally calm horse to its regular state under stressful conditions such as a show.

Another example is the difference between the homeopathic remedy arnica (not the herbal form of arnica) and the herb devil's claw, both of which reduce symptoms of soreness or pain. Arnica cannot mask pain, but will help a horse recover from muscle soreness more quickly. It will not, however, allow a horse to perform beyond its actual level of fitness. In contrast, devil's claw has some medicinal components that would act in the body like a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory. When regulations allow for low levels of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents such as bute or banamine, devil's claw should be a perfectly acceptable substitute.

In these examples we are making a distinction between nutritional supplements or homeopathic remedies and herbal supplements. Some herbs, such as valerian, kava kava, and devil's claw are medicinal in action. Even though herbs are natural substances, using them to alter performance may not be harmful to the horse but it does violate the spirit of fair competition. On the other hand, homeopathic remedies and nutritional products can not alter performance but instead allow a horse to be his best. Homeopathic remedies work on a vibrational plane and can't mask pain or cause a horse to act in a certain way. Homeopathic remedies will never show up in tests because they are not physical substances. They also do not have side effects or harm the horse in any way.

Nutritional support from natural products such as probiotics, noni juice or aloe vera will not alter a horse's performance but they can help the horse recover more quickly and be more comfortable. Stress from showing will often cause the bacterial flora of the horse's digestive tract to change and this can cause discomfort and make a horse nervous. Probiotics are a natural way to bring back the balance and help a horse feel better. Noni and aloe are considered herbs but they act in a nutritional not medicinal way by giving the horse extra enzymes and nutrients to recover quickly from stress. Blue green algae is a concentrated nutrient which supports overall health. Algae can give a horse extra energy and help him focus better at home or on the road.

The best way to be successful with your performance horse is to train him carefully, give him the best nutrition, condition him to be able to withstand the rigors of competition and support him with natural products which do not mask pain or alter performance. I do not see how giving homeopathic remedies, flower essences or nutritional products interfere with the spirit of the medication rules.

Written and edited by Madalyn Ward. Copyright (c) 2004 HolisticHorsekeeping.com. All rights reserved. http://www.holistichorsekeeping.com

LINKING PERFORMANCE TO PERSONALITY TYPES

[reprinted with permission of Madalyn Ward, DVM] "Have you ever wondered whether your horse likes his job or not? Or whether his personality is suited to the work you've chosen for him? If you horse has any performance issues, or if you want to maximize your horse's performance, you may want to find out more about his personality and what it's best suited to. A great way to find out more about your horse's personality is to determine which five element personality type he has. According to Chinese medicine, there are five different elemental types: Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood. Each personality type is best suited for certain types of jobs. For instance, the Metal horse makes an excellent ranch horse while Wood horses are great competitors. Matching the right personality to the job at hand can maximize your horse's abilities and minimize the stress. Want to find out more about your horse's five element type? Check out the Five Element Ebook. This book has new features, including a section on flower essences for each personality type and a five element personality type. Find out more or order online at: http://www.holistichorsekeeping.com/ebook.html"   Madalyn Ward, DVM, www.holistichorsekeeping.com, 512-288-0428