Being animals of prey, horses are prone to a freak out now, look later attitude, which means there will always be minor injuries to look after. Knowing a little basic first aid is essential, not just for your horse but for the people around them as well.

Here is a quick overview that discusses which products are important to keep in your first aid kit and some of the basics of cleaning minor horse wounds. If your animal has a wound that you question the severity of, be sure to contact your vet.
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Knowing your basic horse anatomy doesn’t always make you a better owner, but it will make you a smarter one.

Here is a list of anatomy books with options for horse lovers of all skill-levels and ages. For each one I have provided an Amazon link & a peek inside or book review (where they were available).
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The BLM is planning a roundup on the first of September that will rob the wild west of more of it’s wild horses. The time to act is now & every voice counts. Be sure to read more about the round up and what you can do to help the wild horses.
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Image credit Bill M

As we’ve domesticated horses we’ve effectively taken them away from their natural lives. In doing this we have changed many aspects of their existence, including their nutrient intake.

Balanced Nutrition

Supplements are especially important for horses who don’t have room to graze on a variety of greens. Ensuring that they consume the appropriate amount of vitamins, minerals and salt will help to keep them healthy.

Why Added Chemicals?

Many traditional supplements contain chemicals and preservatives, reading labels is of utmost importance. Supplementing your animals feed with unnatural compounds isn’t the right way to provide ample nutrition.
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Image from ccdoh1

Perhaps it is ironic that anyone who wants to ride a horse would swear off of animal products altogether. But research shows me that there are some equestrian vegans & vegetarians out there who want to find non-leather tack options.

My question is this, I understand why you don’t want to use leather, but are synthetic products really better?

Not Very Natural

Synthetic products are generally made from chemicals & petroleum which come from big chemical & petroleum companies. Chances are these companies pollute ecosystems, and destroy the habitat of whole species. Just because it’s not made from animals doesn’t mean it is animal or earth friendly.
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Image credit Circulating

It’s amazing how many products wind up in a horse owners stockpile, everything from wormers to fly sprays to shampoo.

Safety First

When choosing products, consider the health of everyone involved and when you can buy organic, natural and sustainable. In today’s chemical landscape no price is too dear to pay, lucky for us there are still good ones out there and their prices are reasonable.

Mother Nature Knows Best

Let’s face it, people domesticated horses long before chemicals were invented. There are natural ways to keep your animal healthy and they can be responsibly sourced. Everyone can do their part by supporting the companies who share that mantra.
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Image from DawnVGilmorePhotography

What Would Hippocrates and Hahnemann Think About Modern Medicine?

In conventional medicine, where doctors are sworn to obey the Hippocratic oath that includes the mandate do no harm, the suppression of symptoms is the norm, not the stimulation of healing.

Perhaps I was able to open myself up to the possibilities of homeopathy because I was daily in my job reading about the side effects of the drugs that I was selling, the drugs that needed to be used chronically because they were not curing the patients but merely suppressing symptoms. The side effects then needed a new prescription for a pill to suppress the side effect.
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Quackery, Cliffs, And Leaps Of Faith

When you find out that your horse’s death is a very real possibility, it becomes easier to make giant leaps of faith off the cliffs of indecision.

I was a brainwashed pharmaceutical representative at the time I first came across something called homeopathy, and as such I was darned skeptical of it. Homeopathy was a little mysterious and not completely understood by me (or many others), but there had been little improvement for my horse in a severe impaction colic episode after two emergency vet calls over the space of a couple of days.

I had nothing to lose by trying this particular “quackery”.

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Image from Sage By Nature

When Colic Does Grip Your Horse

If your horse does fall victim to colic, call your vet immediately and keep these things in mind:

Show Them You Care
Be a source of comfort for your horse and spend as much time with them through the ordeal as possible. A horse in pain probably has a lot of fear; in the wild, if a horse was incapacitated in any way, it made them more susceptible to predators and unable to keep up with the herd.

You can help alleviate some fear and an alarmed brain by gently stroking, massaging, and talking to your horse.
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Image from freefotouk

It was 6:30 A.M. on a crisp September morning when I received the phone call. I was at home, getting ready to leave my career and paycheck behind and welcome in a new baby. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, the leaves were turning amber gold and red, and I was 9 months pregnant with my first child kicking away in my belly.

The Dreaded Call

My horse was experiencing another form of discomfort in her belly, and my plans for a gorgeous late summer day (and week) were about to change drastically. The call was a conversation that horse owners dread: “Your horse was down and rolling and probably has been that way through the night. Can you come right away?”
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