HEALTH & EDUCATION

Health & Education

We all want the best care possible for our horses. The Heath & Education section covers both Learning Institutions, Organizations as well as many sources for equine assistance including Veterinarians and Farriers.

For those who want a to formally study horses, the Education section includes College Riding, Equine Studies, and Veterinary Schools. Learn about the wide variety of horses in the Horse Breeds section. Supplements and Treatments Therapy are also included in the section.

Everyone can learn from Fine Art and there are some specialty Museums that might surprise you.

Horses as a therapy partner enrich the lives of the disabled. These facilities are listed in our Therapeutic Riding section. To help children and young adults build confidence and grow emotionally, please see the resources available on the Youth Outreach page.

Looking for a place to keep your horse? You can find it in the Horse Boarding section. Traveling? Find a Shipping company or Horse Sitting service if your horse is staying home!

Want to stay up to date with the latest training clinics or professional conferences? Take a look at our Calendar of Events for Health & Education for the dates and locations of upcoming events.

Do we need to add more? Please use the useful feedback link and let us know!

Trafalgar Books

Six Professionals Who Are Finding Ways to Make Caring and Mindfulness the Foundation of Their Work with Horses and People
by Rebecca M. Didier

As happens, this story begins with a chance meeting…it was on a beautiful, hard-to-reach island off the coast of British Columbia that two individuals from different parts of the horse world discovered they not only shared an idyllic view, they also had a common goal: to fundamentally change the way the equine industry works, how it affects the lives of those within it, and how they, in turn, influence the world as a whole.

The following is an excerpt from the book, Horse Tales for the Soul, Volume 7 in the series. This volume brings together more than 40 true, heartwarming, life affirming stories from horsemen around the globe. Enjoy!

Never Look a Draft Horse in the Mouth
Written by: Deb Lewin

While driving in February, 1996, I was broadsided by another vehicle. I refer to this time as “My Opportunity.” After many surgeries and over a year of rehabilitation, I was told that I had reached MMI—Maximum Medical Improvement. That meant being propped up in a wheelchair with a neck brace, arm brace, back brace and leg brace after someone had showered me, washed my hair, dressed me and fed me. I have a brain injury with left side paralysis, impaired vision and hearing and a host of other neurological and physical deficits. I had gone from being an independent woman and international able-bodied athlete to a woman needing assistance 24/7.

Horse Tales for the Soul - Deb Lewin

Brought to you by: Jennifer Kotylo, creator of the DVD series Improve Your Riding Through Movement available at jenniferkotylo.com.

In order to follow the motion of your horse correctly, your hip joints need to be able to move. Most people don’t even know where their hip joints are, let alone if they are moving correctly or not. Your hip joint is actually pretty deep within your pelvis, but can be felt along the front of your body in the middle of your groin. They are not on the outside of your pelvis. Your hip joint is a classic ball and socket joint which means that your leg should be able to move in pretty much every direction with ease. Because most of us spend so much time sitting, these joints start to lose their mobility. Here are five easy-to-do movements that will get your hips moving again, allowing you to better follow the motion of your horse.

Jennifer Kotylo 1. Knee Sways – Lay on the floor with your knees bent and your legs together. If your neck is uncomfortable, use a small pillow under your head. Then, simply let your legs fall to one side and then the other. Don’t use any force, just allow your legs to move back and forth. This motion moves the ball of your leg around in your hip socket. As an added bonus, your lower back gets a nice stretch too. If the movement is flowing through your body correctly, you may end up scooting up the floor a bit. That’s a good thing!
2. Knee Circles – Lay on the floor with your knees bent. Make sure that your ankles, knees and hips are in alignment. Place a pillow under your head if your neck is uncomfortable. Keeping your knees bent lift one leg up and hold it behind your thigh with your hands. Use your hands to make small circles, essentially stirring your leg bone within the hip socket. Circle the leg in both directions for a minute or two. Perform the circles with the other leg.
3. Ankle Rocking - Stand with your legs about hip distance apart. If you have balance issues, hold onto something stable. Stand on various parts of your feet; first your toes, then your heels, then the outside or your foot and then the inside. Play with these various stances for a couple of minutes. Yes, your ankles are getting a workout, but so are your hips! For an added challenge, walk around while changing how you stand on your feet. If you place your hands on your hip joints you will feel how much your hips are moving in their sockets!
Jennifer Kotylo 4. Squatting Circles - Stand with your legs together, squat down slightly and place your hands on your thighs. Keeping your hands on your thighs and your knees bent, start to circle your knees, first in one direction, and then the other. Not only does this exercise supple your hips, but your knees, ankles and lower back too! Circle for about 1 to 2 minutes.
Jennifer Kotylo 5. Clam Shells - Lay on the floor on your side. Try to make sure that your pelvis is perpendicular to the floor, not leaning either forward or back. Your legs should be stacked one atop the other, with your knees bent. Keeping your feet touching, begin to slowly raise and lower your top knee, creating a clam-shell effect. Only raise your leg to the level where it naturally wants to go, don’t force it. Raise and lower approximately 10 times. Roll over and do the same movement with the other leg.

Don’t forget to smile. You are doing something wonderful for your body, enjoy the process!

By Kelly Danner

Here are seven common equine injuries and conditions here, and the best ways to react to them. Remember – the first step should almost ALWAYS be to call your veterinarian, at least for a conversation!

Bleeding and Lacerations

These injuries should be immediately treated in much the same way that you would treat a child’s laceration.

DO stop the bleeding by applying direct pressure or pressure with a bandage.

DON’T remove the bandage to peek at the injury! It’s tempting to look under the bandage, but you’ll be backtracking on treatment. By applying pressure to the wound, you’re helping it begin clotting. If you remove that pressure, it could halt all clotting and begin bleeding again.

Dianne Volz is a master at her craft. As an Equine Therapist, her passion is to provide equine athletes with natural solutions and multiple modalities for health and performance. She works for some of the best horse trainers and professionals, providing therapy and healing to increase performance results and well being of the horses. Brought to you courtesy of Kylar Productions.

How do you know my horse has worms? How do you know you got rid of the worms my horse had? These two questions were commonly asked when I dewormed horses as a general equine veterinarian. My standard response was that the drug companies tell us they work.

When the daily dewormers came on the market many of my clients requested that I get these dewormers for their horses. I often told them I thought it was unnecessary because most of the horses were already being dewormed every 2 months. In addition, 90% of the horses I cared for in southern California were kept in clean box stalls 22 hours a day except when they were being ridden or exercised. I did not see how these horses could have many worms, if any at all. Therefore, I decided to seek the answers to these common questions for myself by doing fecal egg counts before I dewormed my horses.

What I found was that less than 1 out of 20 horses had any eggs in the stool sample to indicate they were infected with adult worms. After consulting with several experts in equine parasitology and recognizing that no one was performing routine fecal egg counts for horse owners, I started Horsemen’s Laboratory to fill this void. I felt owners should have the opportunity to know whether or not their horses had worms rather than just treating them blindly.

There are many horse breeds!

This is due to a number of factors, including:

Geography: Horses were first domesticated in Central Asia, but they quickly spread to all corners of the globe. As horses adapted to different climates and terrains, their physical characteristics began to diverge. This led to the development of different breeds of horses in different parts of the world.
Human use: Humans have bred horses for a variety of purposes, including transportation, warfare, agriculture, and sport. This has led to the development of breeds that are specialized for different tasks. For example, draft horses are bred for strength, while racehorses are bred for speed.
Personal preference: People have different preferences when it comes to horses. Some people prefer horses of a certain size, color, or temperament. This has led to the development of breeds that appeal to different people's tastes.

Today, there are over 400 recognized horse breeds in the world. Each breed has its own unique characteristics and abilities. This diversity of breeds allows people to choose the perfect horse for their individual needs and interests.

Here are some specific examples of how geography, human use, and personal preference have contributed to the development of different horse breeds:

Geography: The Arabian horse is a native of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a breed that is known for its endurance, agility, and beauty. The Arabian horse was well-suited to the harsh climate and terrain of the Arabian Peninsula, and it played an important role in the nomadic lifestyle of the Arabian people.
Human use: The Clydesdale horse is a breed that was developed in Scotland for use in agriculture. Clydesdales are powerful horses that are known for their gentle temperament and their ability to pull heavy loads. Clydesdales were used to plow fields, transport goods, and work in coal mines.
Personal preference: The Thoroughbred horse is a breed that was developed in England for racing. Thoroughbreds are known for their speed and athleticism. Thoroughbreds are the most popular breed of racehorse in the world, and they are also used in other equestrian sports such as dressage and show jumping.

The diversity of horse breeds is a testament to the adaptability and versatility of the horse. Horses have played an important role in human history for centuries, and they continue to be valued companions and working animals today.