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TOP 12
EQUINE EMERGENCIES
WAYS
HORSES CAN IMPROVE YOUR MENTAL HEALTH
Equusology
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO DECIPHERING YOUR HORSE’S TYPOLOGY
PLAN YOUR
PERFECT PASTURE
THE TRUTH ABOUT YOUR HORSE’S
LIFE BETWEEN THE EARS
GUT-BRAIN CONNECTION
WHY THIS TRENDING HASHTAG IS GIVING US
VOLUME 14 ISSUE 2
wanderlust
Display until May 20, 2019
$5.95 USA/Canada
April/May 2019
EquineWellnessMagazine.com
CONTENTS
Columns 8 Neighborhood news 22 Rider fitness 28 Equine chakras 49 Bridle fit 56 Acupressure at-a-glance
62 To the rescue 66 Herb blurb
Departments 6 Editorial 29 Product picks 39 Business profile:
Kristina Howell & Wyn overlooking Puget Sound to Mt. Rainier
April/May 2019
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Features 10
53 Ideas for Spring resource guide
63 Events 64 Marketplace
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Equine scratches — is your horse high risk?
Tips, contests and more! /EquineWellnessMagazine News, events, and tips! @ EquineWellness Tips, pet photos, and more! EquineWellness
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Equine Wellness
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Your horse’s gutbrain connection
The relationship between the gut and brain is at the forefront of medical research. Here’s how your horse’s gastrointestinal health affects her neurological wellness.
30
Gender-specific saddles — a novel idea!
Learn the key differences between male and female anatomy and how they affect your comfort in the saddle.
Learn what predisposes her to this escalating skin reaction, and what you can do to prevent its onset and treat it before it gets worse.
65 Classifieds
Social Media
can improve your mental health These simple mutuallybeneficial activities can transform your horse’s mental health — and your own!
Heiro
57 Equine Wellness
3 ways horses
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Get to know your horse with Equusology
What are your horse’s preferences? Does her personality fit with yours, and with what you want for her? Equusology can help answer these questions.
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Growing a highimpact pasture — what to plant
Achieving a highly nutritious pasture is no small task — it takes year-round planning, cultivating and maintenance. This expert guide will get you started.
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Life Between the Ears
What started as a hobby has transformed into a trending hashtag that’s capturing the attention of horse lovers worldwide.
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Support your foal’s weaning process with the right diet Weaning a foal can be a stressful experience, but it doesn’t have to be. As your foal finds his independence, support his diet (and your mare’s) for optimal health.
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Manure management
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Failure to keep your horse’s waste in check can have a detrimental effect on his health. Fortunately, if you’re diligent, you can mitigate these dangers.
Top 12 equine emergencies
Learn to recognize the most common maladies that could affect your horse, along with their causes and treatments.
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Wildfire safety and preparedness for your herd
“Fire” is a four-letter word no horse caretaker wants to hear. But if the unthinkable happens, a little knowledge and preparation can go a long way.
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Imprinting your foal — a non-invasive and loving approach Learn how to be the best birth coach a mare could hope for, and introduce her foal to a world of love, support and harmony with humans.
34 Equine Wellness
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ways 3
HORSES CAN IMPROVE YOUR MENTAL HEALTH What if you changed the pace for a while and stepped out of your usual routine? You might start to see and feel magical things happening with your horse’s mental health — and your own! By Marianne Disipio, BSc OT, CWH, CEH
Spending time with horses offers many wellness benefits. And the good news is that you don’t have to be skilled in an equestrian discipline, or participate in an equine-assisted program, to feel these wonderful effects! In fact, if you’re a horse caretaker, you can not only take advantage of what your horse can do for you, but also help improve his mental health at the same time. Two happy hearts make for two happy minds — and it’s easier than you think! In order for both human and horse to mutually benefit from what each has to offer, it is ideal to have a well-established relationship. But building a true authentic connection founded in equality, respect and trust takes time, and requires a specific focus. By the very nature of our busy lives, our time at the barn is often rushed. We tend to favor performance-based activities versus those that are rooted in relationship building. Try these simple, mutually beneficial activities and you’ll begin to notice improved self-confidence, a greater ability to self-regulate, and an ability to relieve stress as a team.
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Equine Wellness
1. Improve self-confidence Activity: Go for a bareback ride. Use a gentle bit, a bitless bridle, or a simple halter with reins. Try to keep your ride to 15 minutes or less. Why this works for you: This activity helps build a sense of influence and control over your future and any arising challenges, which is an important mental healthprotective factor. All horses are unpredictable to a certain degree, and all riders accept this truth. It takes a bit more courage to ride bareback and with less bit control, as the rider is left without the security and increased sense of stability that comes with a saddle and stirrups. Life is unpredictable as well. Some of us are better than others at accepting this and rolling with the punches. Riding bareback gives us direct practice in gathering our courage, taking risks, and learning to feel safe when outcomes are unknown. This has a great empowering impact on our day-to-day life and overall wellness. Why this works for your horse: This activity works for your horse on many levels. Having you in close contact with him provides him with direct and simple proprioceptive feedback without any potential discomfort caused by a saddle. Some studies have suggested that horses begin to experience some symptoms of discomfort, regardless of saddle fit, within 15 minutes. Unlike other senses of the nervous system (which go to a processing center of the brain to be analyzed), proprioceptive pathways (which are stimulated through deep pressure to the joints) go directly to the cortex and cause a calming and organizing effect. If you keep your ride short, proprioceptive input can be calming for a horse that has a relationship with you. Having a calming effect on a horse increases his confidence in your presence. The same concept applies to gentle use of reins. Editor’s note: Bareback riding is not ideal for inexperienced riders or untrained horses. Be sure you trust your own abilities and those of your equine companion before attempting this activity. Continued on page 12. Equine Wellness
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