Holistic is a very broad term which means looking at the whole picture. In medicine, holistic describes the way a case is approached, not the actual treatment used.
For example, if a horse has a fever and cough, and is off feed, a holistic approach would support the immune system and monitor the patient closely. The rationale would be that the fever, cough, and lack of appetite were symptoms that the body was fighting some form of outside invasion. Whether the invasion was from a virus, bacteria, or toxic insult would not be important. Supporting the body would be the main concern. If, after observing the horse, it became apparent the symptoms were getting worse and the horse’s immune system was being overwhelmed, then it would still be a holistic approach to add support in the form of antibiotics, herbs, homeopathic remedies, or acupuncture treatments. Immune support and nursing care would still be continued. Once the horse recovered, holistic thinking would involve improving the nutrition or management program if needed to build the horse’s resistance. One might ask questions such as:
The holistic approach to horse care means always asking why the illness occurred, what the body was attempting to achieve with its response, and how we can support the body. Another example of a holistic approach to a common problem would be thin, weak hoof walls. We could ask a similar set of questions:
- Why? Genetics, poor nutrition or digestion, environment.
- What does this symptom mean? If either nutrition or digestion is poor, the body will protect and feed the vital organs first, so thin hoof walls can indicate a shortage of nutrients such as amino acids. Another possibility would be liver stress. The liver, according to traditional Chinese medicine, is connected to hoof health.
- How can the body be supported? Supportive trimming or shoeing might be needed. Improved nutrition and digestive support, liver support and rebalancing, as well as improving the environmental conditions are also possible approaches.
Alternative Healing Modalities
Excerpt: How to Administer Homeopathic Remedies
Homeopathic remedies are given internally in extremely small doses. Hahnemann discovered that by putting the remedy through a series of dilutions and agitations he was able to make it more potent in action each time. The diluted medicine is thus said to be in a potency.
A commonly used potency is 30c: the original substance has been diluted 1 drop to 100 drops and agitated; then 1 drop of this mixture is diluted in 100 drops; this process continues 30 times. The final solution is absorbed by small sugar globules which are taken orally. When giving remedies to horses I usually dissolve 4-5 pellets in 12cc spring or distilled water and squirt it into the horse’s mouth with a syringe. Most horses take the medicine very willingly. The medicine is absorbed by the mucous membranes and does not need to be swallowed.
In severe acute conditions the remedies can be given every 15 minutes for up to 4 doses, or until a response is seen. Less severe or acute conditions require less frequent dosage, anywhere from 1 to 24 hours apart. If 4 doses of the remedy have not created a response, then it is probably not going to be effective for the condition. The medication is discontinued as soon as the animal is obviously moving toward recovery.
In chronic cases remedies are usually given infrequently and the response to each treatment is carefully monitored. In these cases, extensive histories including current symptoms, previous symptoms, habits, and personality are taken on each patient. The more specific information a homeopath can acquire about an individual the more likely he is to select the correct remedy. Follow up calls are done 2 to 4 weeks after treatment to evaluate changes that have occurred since the previous prescription. These changes tell the homeopathic practitioner if the remedy is acting well or if additional treatment is needed.
A Holistic Approach to Nutrition
Excerpt: What to Feed
The cornerstones of any quality nutritional program are whole foods. Building your program around synthetic nutrients is like building your house out of Styrofoam bricks. Everything looks good until there is some kind of stress, and then the whole house comes tumbling down. Because most of the grains we feed our horses are produced with the use of synthetic fertilizers, they can’t provide us with high quality nutrients. Oats and grass once provided all the nutrition hard working horses needed, but in this era of poor soil and synthetic soil amendments that is no longer the case.
In addition, during the last 20 years there has been a move away from whole grains to processed pellets. Part of the reasoning behind this shift is the lack of nutrients in whole grains. However, producers also realized that pellets can be produced with the cheapest or easiest to obtain ingredients available. Problems with pellet feeds include:
- The added vitamin and mineral supplements are usually synthetic vitamins and inorganic minerals, which act more like drugs than nutrients in the body. Horses have a more difficult time assimilating inorganic minerals than those derived from natural sources.
- The few remaining natural vitamins in grains or forage products are mostly destroyed during the pelleting process. The smaller and harder the pellet, the more heat was used when it was processed.
- Generic labeling gives very little clue as to what the actual ingredients are (allowing producers to use very poor quality ingredients). Producers might list “grain products” as a main ingredient, which gives them the ability to alter feed formulas depending on what is cheapest or easiest to obtain. These constant changes make it hard to provide a consistent feeding program.
- Pelleting destroys food enzymes. An enzyme is a specialized protein structure which carries with it an energetic charge. Enzymes speed up chemical reactions that normally take place very slowly or not at all. Foods that have not been heated or processed contain enzymes that speed up their digestion after they are eaten. These same enzymes will cause foods to spoil more rapidly which is why processed foods tend to keep longer. Destroying natural food enzymes by processing will allow foods to keep longer, but these foods will require the body to produce extra enzymes to digest them. The enzymes required to digest these food may deplete the enzymes that would normally be used to complete other chemical reactions.
Feeding whole grains creates more consistency in the feeding program. Since oats, barley, and corn, along with wheat bran, are the primary grains routinely fed to horses, I’ve listed the basic effects of each of these grains below. It is best to try each of these grains individually or in combination. See what works best for your horse.
Healthy Hooves
Excerpt: Common Hoof Ailments
While we all try our best to manage our horse’s feet and feed the highest quality grains and supplements, chances are we may still encounter one or more common hoof ailments. Here’s a short list with practical instructions on how to deal with the most common ailments.
Stone Bruise
If your horse lacks adequate sole thickness, he will be prone to bruising. Flat footed horses are also more prone to bruising. Use hoof testers to localize the area of soreness and very gently pare with a hoof knife to uncover the extent of the bruised area. If the bruising is in a 1/2 moon shape across the entire toe, it indicates a more serious internal problem with the hoof (consult your farrier or veterinarian if this is the case). Otherwise, the best treatment for bruising is protection in the form of a boot or pad. If you can’t use a boot or pad, you will need to keep your horse stalled on soft bedding until the soreness is completely gone.
The homeopathic remedy Arnica is very helpful in simple bruising. This remedy helps the body reabsorb the blood or serum from a bruised area. This speeds healing and reduces pain. If a bruise is particularly painful, you can soak the foot in a saturated solution of Epsom salts to decrease the soreness. If your horse won't hold his foot in a bucket, you can put 2-3 tablespoons of dry Epsom salts in a few ounces of water and wrap this onto his foot.
Sometimes horses can get very deep bruises, especially if they lose a shoe on rough ground. These deep bruises also occur after extended periods of wet weather followed by hot, dry weather. During the wet weather, the horse's feet soften then get badly bruised as the ground gets hard and uneven. Sometimes these bruises don't show up with a hoof tester because they are very deep. Suspect a deep bruise if your horse is lame on one foot and has an increased digital pulse but no obvious heat or swelling. Regular soaking and 2-3 weeks off will generally resolve a deep bruise.
Abscesses
A hoof abscess will generally be hotter and more painful than a bruise, and you may find swelling above the hoof. Again, use hoof testers to locate the abscess and a hoof knife to open the abscess so it can drain. Once an abscess has been opened and drained, keep the hoof bandaged until healing is complete. Epsom salt soaks or poultices can be used if your horse is still sore after the abscess is opened. Tetanus toxoid should be given if your horse has not had one in the previous year. I do not recommend antibiotics since they actually interfere with the natural maturing process of the abscess. Most abscesses will resolve quickly once they open and drain. Homeopathy can also be used for stubborn cases.
Cracks
In my experience, these are almost always due to injury or unbalanced feet. A healthy hoof should not crack. If your horse has an otherwise healthy hoof, examine the coronary band carefully above the crack. It will generally be jammed up higher than the adjacent area. Corrective shoeing will need to be done to alleviate this condition.
Thrush
This is a bacterial or fungal infection of the foot that can be extremely painful. The affected horse will have a foul smelling dark discharge around the frog. The tissue around the frog and heel will also appear very unhealthy. These horses should be moved to a dry area and the foot should be cleaned daily. Water and a mild soap is your best choice for cleaning the greasy discharge. Use a soft scrub brush to get into the crevices. You may need your farrier to trim the frog back to healthy tissue as any dead tissue contributes to bacterial growth and makes it harder to clean the area. Because thrush can be related to a weakened immune system, it is a good idea to evaluate your horse's ration and consider a supplement such as Simplexity Super Blue Green™ algae.
Vaccinations
Excerpt: West Nile Encephalitis
This vaccine is currently available as a single injection from Meriel or in combination with Eastern and Western encephalitis from Fort Dodge . Even though it means giving separate injections, I prefer the Meriel vaccine—hopefully it will soon be available in a combination vaccine. I am not concerned as much about giving vaccines to several forms of encephalitis at once because the immune response is similar for all.
Because of the current levels of hype about West Nile , this vaccine cannot be ignored. However, we have to give careful consideration to the effects and effectiveness of this vaccine before giving it. West Nile is not fatal in most cases. It can cause jumpiness, lack of coordination, and some neurological dysfunction. When a patient of mine contracted West Nile (verified through titers), we were able to stop the progression of symptoms within 12 hours and restore the horse to normal health within 48 hours using several homeopathic remedies. I recommend that this vaccine be given once a year at most, and never to horses that are not in good health.
Holistic First Aid
Excerpt: Impaction Colic
This is the most common form of colic in horses. It can usually be resolved if treated early, but can become life threatening if poorly managed. To understand why horses are so prone to impaction colic one only needs to look at the anatomy of their digestive tract. The large colon of the horse measures 3-4 meters long with an average volume of 80 liters. It lays in the abdomen in the shape of a double U by running forward from the right side (right ventral colon), bending double at the diaphragm and continuing back on the left side (left ventral colon). At the pelvis it makes another U turn and goes forward again (left dorsal colon) then bends again at the diaphragm to go down the right side (right dorsal colon). As if all of this bending around wasn’t enough, at the pelvic flexure the left dorsal colon becomes much narrower. It is no surprise that this area is the most common site of impactions. The small colon, also called the descending colon, reaches a length of up to 4 meters and is located mostly on the left side of the abdomen. It is narrow and another common site of impaction.
Symptoms of Impaction Colic
Horses with uncomplicated impaction colic are usually not in severe pain. They may refuse food and water, look around at their sides, paw the ground, and lay down. They may have intermittent cramping but are rarely in sustained, severe discomfort. Mild dehydration may show up as dry gums and skin that is less flexible. Impactions usually develop over several hours or days so it is important to check the stall for manure. If there has been no manure in over 12 hours it may indicate a more advanced case. This is important because some horses have a high pain tolerance and won’t exhibit discomfort until the impaction is well established. Also, horses with this kind of colic may cut back on their water consumption. This should be an early warning sign even if the horse appears fine otherwise.
Treatment of Impaction Colic
Even if symptoms are mild it is still a good idea to notify your veterinarian. Most impactions do not require immediate attention, but if your horse does not respond to your first aid it is good to get on your vet’s schedule. After noting vital signs such as pulse, temperature, respiration, gum color, gut motility, and degree of pain, take your horse out for a short 5 -10 minute walk. Sometimes this is all it takes for a stalled horse to get a mild impaction moving. TTeam™ body work, ear work and belly lifts may help relax your horse. The homeopathic remedy Nux Vomica will often help increase intestinal motility. I use a 6c potency given once every 10 minutes for up to 4 doses. If your horse seems to be having some cramping, you can alternate Nux Vomica and Chamomile 30c. You can also give probiotics such as Fastrack™ paste or acidophilus to increase motility by replenishing beneficial bacteria in the gut. I give 10 cc of the Fastrack™ non- ruminant paste or 5 -10 of the Simplexity acidophilus Capsules.
If these measures do not bring relief to your horse within 1 hour it is a good idea to proceed to conventional veterinary treatment. Mineral oil and oral electrolytes are my first line treatments for impaction colic. After a physical exam a stomach tube is passed to remove any gas from the stomach and administer the medications. The mineral oil will lubricate the impaction and the oral electrolytes will correct mild dehydration. If pain is not relieved by removing gas off the stomach then an anti-inflammatory agent such as Banamine™ of Ketophin™ can be given. Removing the gas off the stomach is critical before giving any pain reliever. Most horses cannot burp so covering up pain from a distended stomach could lead to serious consequences.
Once a horse has received a pain killer he should be observed for at least 5 hours to make sure the drug is out of his system and he is still pain free. Grain and hay should be withheld until oil is passing in the manure. This usually takes 12 -24 hours. Bran mashes and grass can be offered, in moderation, if your horse is hungry. If your horse is not drinking consider adding 1 tsp of Lite™ salt to the bran mash. Nux vomica 30c can be given twice a day to encourage your horse to drink following impaction colic.
Acupuncture can also be valuable for a stubborn case. I use acupuncture when the horse does not respond within a few hours to conventional treatment. If gut motility does not return your horse may still be dehydrated. If oral fluids are not enough intravenous fluids may be required. Do not hesitate to go this route if your veterinarian recommends it.
Prevention of Impaction Colic
Exercise and good dental care are the best preventions for impaction colic. Also make sure that fresh clean water is available at all times. My rule is that if your horse doesn’t drink he doesn’t get to eat. In other words, if you see a decrease in water consumption, immediately increase the level of exercise and decrease the amount food. Give probiotics and a bran mash to avoid problems. The same rule holds if you see a decline in the amount of manure being passed. A good deworming schedule is also important. Some horses prone to impaction colic will do better on alfalfa or a grass/alfalfa mix hay.
Test Your Knowledge Now
Buy the Ebook or Home Study Course Now
