Dear Classical riders,

This time of year many horses seem to struggle with respiratory problems. With my life long experience in rehabing horses, here are 5 golden tips to help you get your horse back on track and enjoying winter!

You can find everything explained in our newest video down below.

Here are the tips written out for you:

#1 Rubber mats

When you place rubber mats in your horse's stable, you can drastically decrease bedding, which means a lot less dust.

Of course you can use wood shavings, but some horses need a little straw to munch to keep their digestive system optimal, even if they have round the clock hay.

Thouroughly shake the bedding out before letting the horse in. The mat will trap the acces dust.

#2 Make your own stable and hay spray with essential oils

Mix a liter of hot, not boiling water with 10 drups each of the following essential oils.

1 Thyme

2 Pine

3 teatree

4 Eucalyptus

5 lavender

Let it cool enough to pore it in a spray bottle. Shake well before use!

Now spray away and make your horse ever so happy!

#3 Spray the hay with water

Its often adviced to completely submerge hay or use haylage.

In both cases health benefits of hay is lost. Try this in stead.

Hay nets come in really handy here

Then spray your wetted hay with your spray. Voila! Welness food!

#4 Feed herbs

The rights ground herbs can make a real difference to your horses health.

Remember, you are what you eat

The herbs that are listed here can have a huge beneficial effect on respiratory problems. The herbs have a detoxing effect, help heal infections, relieve pain, increase the imune system and some are anti histamines. 

Add them to your horses feed daily and add some water or even better linseed oil so your horse will not choke on dry powder in his feed.

Yum!

1 Turmeric

2 Spirulina

3 Milk Thistle

4 Stinging Nettles

5 Thyme

Attention: before you add turmeric to your horses feed, first have your vet do bloodwork to assure that your horse is not in any way anemic.

# 5 Help your horse off the forehand with in hand gymnasium exercises

Maybe not a tip you might expect but mostly overlooked

Here you see one of my students helping a horse off the forehand by means of lifting the shoulders. 

When a horse leans on the forehand, there is pressure on the chest, which obviously makes it harder to breath.

I have seen many horses with resperatory problems drastically improve just by helping them off the forehand.

Helping your horse to collect his body is in fact nothing but a pure welness treatment. 

I trust these tips are helpful to you. Please share for others to benefit from them.

Enjoy the rest of bug free winter!

With classical regards,

Josepha