The NATURAL Therapy Horse

Horses evolved over thousands of years • Their bodies and brains have not evolved as fast as domestication has • Horses are still designed for grazing and movement • Horses are not designed to be around harsh or toxic chemicals

© 2013 Lisa Wysocky

Horses do best in an environment that is as natural as possible •

In many cases, add to that: • • • • •

Chemicals in soaps Increased stall time Lasting friendships interrupted Lack of grazing time and space Sprays with toxic ingredients

But, nothing about what we do is natural! • Non-horsey volunteers • Adaptive equipment • High herd turnover • Unbalanced riders • Toys and games • Sidewalkers

To maintain our horses’ health, quality of service, and longevity, we must: • make our horses’ environment more natural • use natural (green) practices in our barns

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STALLING • Stall as little as possible • Study results

When stalled: • Use European, or open concept, stalls to provide herd contact • Allow horses to feel engaged, and part of a community

Trend: group stalling

Give horses a view • Open up the horizon when possible • Horses feel safer if they can see 360 degrees (or close to it) • Horses are less bored when they can watch activity around them • Reduces cribbing, depression, etc.

BEDDING • Some manufactured bedding is treated with chemicals • Other bedding, such as wood shavings, take decades to re-grow

• • • •

Provides herd environment Warmth Security Safety

Look for renewable options • Peat, pine needles, shaved coconut husks, etc. are all renewable • Many options are location dependent • Kenaf is a new plant to North America, a relative of cotton and okra that has outperformed shavings, wood pellets, and wheat straw in absorbtion

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Embrace self-contained, complete processes

Shred news and office paper

The Paper-Bedding-Compost-Fertilizer Cycle

• Great opportunity for higher functioning participants • Can co-op with other businesses • Ask volunteers to bring in used paper • A service to your community

Bed stalls with shredded paper

Compost the used bedding

• Newspaper is especially absorbent • Avoid slick or coated papers

Uses for compost • Spread on fields/pastures • Use as mulch in gardens or on trails • Sell to gardeners • Offer as a local charity auction item

• Make a compost pile from the used bedding • Maintaining it can be either a participant or a volunteer project––or both!

The scoop on poop • Average horse poops 14 times a day • Produces 50 pounds of waste daily • Produces 7-9 tons of manure annually

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Fly control • Many sprays are toxic to both horses and humans • They can also cause allergic reactions and breathing problems • Instead of commercial products, try . . .

Vinegar and water • Mix 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water in a spray bottle • Can mix stronger for pesky flies • Avoid spraying near eyes or nose • Can use apple cider vinegar • Can also mix 1/4 cup vinegar into feed • Affordable!

Garlic

Fly predators • Purchase monthly supplies of fly predators • Tiny biteless, stingless fly parasites • Live near manure • Destroy flies that are in immature stages

• Can be fed, or mixed with water and sprayed • A natural antibiotic, so can also destroy good bacteria in gut

Bats (yes, really)

DE • Diatomaceous earth is the fossilized remains of hard-shelled algae • Causes insects to dehydrate and die • Effective when spread around farm • Especially good flea control • Some people feed small amounts to their horses––ask vet first

• • • •

One bat can eat 600 mosquitos an hour Also eats many other bugs Downside is they are messy Not very volunteer or participant friendly either

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Natural Bug Spray Recipe • Recipe

FEEDING • In the wild, horses graze up to 67 percent of the time • Confined horses only “graze” 17 percent of the time • Many colics happen on an empty gut

Small holed hay feeders • If horses are stalled or dry-lotted consider small holed hay feeders • Slows the eating process • Better for digestive system • Mimics continuous grazing in wild

Ground feeding • A horse’s body is designed to eat grass • Feed in hard rubber ground tubs to minimize parasites • Eating with head raised can lead to improperly chewed food, uneven tooth wear, and can increase the possibility of choking

Feed often

Feed variety

• Often difficult for centers to manage staff and volunteers for more than one or two feedings a day • Stalled horses benefit from smaller, more frequent, meals • Enlist volunteers for special duty

• In the wild, horses can pick and choose many forages over many miles of land • Domestic horses are limited. • Most horses like and can tolerate: Zucchini / other squash Melons Pumpkin Lettuces

Citrus fruits Alfalfa & bean sprouts Avocados

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THE HERD • Other than young stallions, wild herds have little turnover • The same horses often remain in the herd for life • In our programs, there is usually a lot of turnover.

Horses grieve, too • Horses become stressed and grieve when friends leave the herd • Study results

GROOMING • Many grooming products have harsh or toxic chemicals in them • Over time, they can have an adverse effect on your horses’ health • Instead of . . .

Five or more years • Choose program horses carefully with longevity in mind • Train carefully to avoid stress or burnout

Herd Emotion • Consider the emotional aspect of remaining members of the herd when one leaves • Ditto for regrouping members of the herd and changing stalling arrangements

Hoof dressing • Use coconut oil • Solid at less than 75 degrees • In cold weather can warm between hands • Very affordable • Check with your farrier

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Conditioner • Coconut oil also works as a leave in conditioner/ detangler for manes and tails • 1 part vinegar 4 parts water • Can use cider vinegar, as well

Clarifying rinse • Recipe

Whitener

Sun screen

• Make a paste from corn starch and water • Apply to wet hair, let dry • Brush off • White hair will be sparkling!

• Some horses do not do well with zinc creams • Instead, apply dry baking soda, corn starch, or baby powder to white noses or lower legs

STABLE MANAGEMENT

Product Labels

• Using lime in stalls to dry and remove odor can provoke breathing problems in horses and humans • Use corn starch or baking soda instead • Very affordable, especially in bulk

• Read labels to discover harsh or toxic chemicals before purchasing products • Try to find healthier option

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Electric fence? • Switch to a solar charger • Solar panels are the next step • Consider wind power

Conserve water • Add rain barrels to your buildings • Then water your plants or arena • Put nozzles with an off setting on the ends of hoses • Only 1 percent of the earth’s water is actually usable (US Geological Service)

Make your own fabric softener • Many fabric softeners have harsh chemicals • Can cause skin and breathing problems in horses • Recipe:

Buy or rent a goat • • • • • •

Goats eat weeds that horses don’t Saves gas Saves time Saves wear and tear on tractor Saves money and resources Caution: goats eat many objects in addition to weeds

Air dry horse laundry • Conserve electricity • Save use of your dryer • Great bonding activity for participants or volunteers • Seasonal, depends on location

Tack • Recycle, repair, reuse, trade • When buying new look for organic and recycled materials • Fleece made from recycled soda bottles, and fabrics using organic cotton, bamboo, and other green fibers are beginning to be offered

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RECYCLE AND REUSE • Many items can be repurposed, which saves money and keeps objects out of landfills • Good bonding activities for volunteers, participants, families, and community

Feed Bags • Reuse large paper or plastic feed bags as trash bags. They are very strong! • Or, shred them and put them into your compost • Cut into strips and braid to make rope. • Use as desensitizing object

Recycle • Supplement containers, shampoo and spray bottles, and other empties from the barn. • 2.1 million tons (or 6.8 percent) of plastics were recycled 2011. • This means 30.87 million tons were not, and ended up in the ocean, as litter, or in a landfill. Source: U.S. EPA

Bailing twine • Braid bailing twine into rope, reins, or bucket handles • Soften twine with homemade fabric softener • Use for art projects

Used Tires

Blankets

• Bolt together to make a pasture or arena drag • Fill with dirt and plant some squash for your horses • Stack and fill to build a retaining wall • Can stack to make a small compost bin

• Use an old broom handle to make a blanket rack • Repurpose a comforter bag to store blankets in the summer • Cut old blankets into saddle covers or bridle bags

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Cold Weather • Hang old clear plastic rug runners from the top of the opening to a run-in shed to keep in warmth • Can do the same with strips of old tarp • Save electricity and float a basketball in the water trough to keep ice out

Summary • Think green • Use as many natural products as possible • Design or modify your horse’s environment with him (or her) in mind • Recycle, repurpose, reuse, trade

For more information: www.lisawysocky.com [email protected]

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