Philosophy
Sonny, 4 year old Spanish Pony Cross
We are always asking something of our horses, aren’t we? We want them to do something for us—stand still while we brush or saddle them, allow us to halter them easily, accept a deworming plunger in the mouth, win a competition, stand fearless as the trash truck comes screaming by, or live happily in a box stall and act perfect when we take them out. Can you imagine if someone was always asking something challenging of us from the moment they greeted us to the moment they left? We would always have to be “on.” It could be exhausting, damaging in more ways than one and unrewarding depending on the circumstances, right?
Now what if we did something nice for our horse every time we saw him? For instance, instead of just grabbing the halter and putting our horse to work, what would happen if we first greeted our horse every day as if he was a celebrity, someone we cherished who has passed away, or someone we just greatly admire and adore? What if we asked him how he was and truly listened? Said best in the words of Gandhi, “Be the change you want to see.” Essentially, your energy will create his. I have found that doing such things improves the horse's overall quality of life, longevity, performance, interest to please us and transforms the human-horse bond beautifully. And that is just the tip of the iceberg!
You know you do more than just greet your horse....
So, what is your experience with your horse from here on out? Do you have a calm, agreeable, pain-free and/or performance-ready horse during his activities, training or retirement? There must be balance within the body, mind and spirit of your horse (and you!) in order for all of this to occur and sustain itself. I would like to point out that traditional, modern medicine alone can not support this philosophy. More importantly, this balanced state-of-being is the vital foundation a horse needs in order to be healthy while successfully fulfilling many roles— a winner in the arena, a relaxing trail horse, a breeding stallion or broodmare, a children’s pony or a great backyard companion.
To accomplish this takes many factors. First, it takes a team of veterinarians that, when combined, offer an extraordinary amount of well-rounded, diverse veterinary medical education, training and skills. Second, it means having a cooperative, team work approach that appropriately fosters a balanced state-of-being specific to each horse's needs and monitoring it over time due to the changes that will occur. Third, one must be open to exploring all types of treatment options that are "outside the box" and appreciating the very essence of what each horse is saying to us, even when its extremely subtle. Last but not least, let us not forget it takes a lot of time, patience, love and complete commitment from the horse's guardian to do their job in all of this as well. It is TEAM WORK. It is not just the job of the veterinarian, farrier or other professional that has been hired to create a miracle out of a mess that was created!
With all of that being said, my gift and passion in this lifetime is the ability to bring out the best that each horse has to offer beyond the confines of conventional medicine and horsekeeping. Horses that have been labeled “the worst horse, ruined, poorly behaved, too old or sick to be helped, he's just showing the signs of age or he's fine thats normal for him" and many other labels with which you’re probably familiar.... I have worked with them all. I want to tell you: I seek to identify and mend what has become "out of sync" with the WHOLE horse. I evaluate my patients from a traditional medical perspective with physical exams, blood work, X-rays and the like but also use Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture scans, thorough Natural Balance Dental exams, Chiropractic exams, muscle testing etc. as guides that tell me what is going on throughout the whole body, mind, and spirit that aren't always caught by traditional medicine practices. This is a very different approach for some. I want to point out that there is nothing wrong with western medicine. I use it in my practice. But it isn't the only answer and it certainly doesn't seek to obtain wellness! At an initial consult, I inform the owner of all I see short-term and long-term in regards to findings, diagnosis, treatment, recovery and maintenenace. And I inform the guardian/owner of what it is going to take on THEIR end to turn things around, if that is at all possible. Some cases are reparable, some are unfortunately not. One must be prepared to accept this. I am not God. I cannot fix everything.
Furthermore, the following information in the next paragraph serves to illustrate how "out of touch" humans have become in this fast-paced, technologically driven, social-media-obsessed and disconnected world. Many of us live within the frenzy created by this situation while incorporating the equine species into a lifestyle much more convenient and suited for us than them. Many horse owners , and especially trainers, forget these factors. They continue to ask the horse to "perform" in the face of a completely unnatural, unrealistic world the horse has quite literally been trapped into and the guardian/trainer/whoever are not trained enough medically to see the signs before the damage is done. These horses end up with illness, injuries and pain because of the norms that have been unforunately long-established and seldom refuted....
Due to many years of domestication of the horse and their history of utilization by humans, it can be easy to forget that they are animals that have adapted to conditions not exactly natural for their specie. Their living environment, eating and exercising patterns have been drastically changed for human convenience. Horses do not live in an area the size of a box stall or pipe corral in the wild. They live on expansive amounts of land free to roam, stretch, kick out, play, and engage in behavior appropriately suited for their kind. They graze anywhere between 12 and 18 hours a day in the natural setting. Humans have been asking horses to eat processed, chemically treated hay and/or grain twice a day and live in very confined spaces. In addition, we ask all of this without the benefits of them belonging to a herd. Remember, for horses there is safety in numbers and they live by their innate fight or flight response. Having a herd provides them security and protection. Many horse boarding facilities and barns have eliminated this. There may be a horse in the adjacent stall but is that horse able to nuzzle, groom or engage in any other normal horse behavior with your horse or any other horse? Or is the horse next to yours so cranky and angry that it picks on your horse? Maybe you need to start asking yourself why.
With all the changes humans have made to the horse’s lifestyle it is no wonder why they have excess stress, gastric ulcers, crib, weave, suffer from metabolic issues, show aggression towards other horses and people, act explosive when we take them out of stalls, and go brain-dead after being treated like a robot going around and around in an arena! Obviously, this list could go on forever as I have NOT covered everything they suffer from. Turning a horse out in a man-made, sand-filled, boarded up bull pen cannot be treated as if that’s the cure for letting the horse’s mind and body unwind. And then on top of it we are asking them to perform in ways they never would out in nature—horses do not jump five foot fences on a regular basis in the wild or perform piaffes for fun. We need to mend the disconnect we have created between ourselves and this sentient being. By doing so, some of the damage can be prevented and healing can start occuring. But the guardians, owners, trainers, caretakers and the like need to wake up and face these facts. No veterinarian can help an animal if their toxic and unhealthy lifestyle does not change.
Now what if we did something nice for our horse every time we saw him? For instance, instead of just grabbing the halter and putting our horse to work, what would happen if we first greeted our horse every day as if he was a celebrity, someone we cherished who has passed away, or someone we just greatly admire and adore? What if we asked him how he was and truly listened? Said best in the words of Gandhi, “Be the change you want to see.” Essentially, your energy will create his. I have found that doing such things improves the horse's overall quality of life, longevity, performance, interest to please us and transforms the human-horse bond beautifully. And that is just the tip of the iceberg!
You know you do more than just greet your horse....
So, what is your experience with your horse from here on out? Do you have a calm, agreeable, pain-free and/or performance-ready horse during his activities, training or retirement? There must be balance within the body, mind and spirit of your horse (and you!) in order for all of this to occur and sustain itself. I would like to point out that traditional, modern medicine alone can not support this philosophy. More importantly, this balanced state-of-being is the vital foundation a horse needs in order to be healthy while successfully fulfilling many roles— a winner in the arena, a relaxing trail horse, a breeding stallion or broodmare, a children’s pony or a great backyard companion.
To accomplish this takes many factors. First, it takes a team of veterinarians that, when combined, offer an extraordinary amount of well-rounded, diverse veterinary medical education, training and skills. Second, it means having a cooperative, team work approach that appropriately fosters a balanced state-of-being specific to each horse's needs and monitoring it over time due to the changes that will occur. Third, one must be open to exploring all types of treatment options that are "outside the box" and appreciating the very essence of what each horse is saying to us, even when its extremely subtle. Last but not least, let us not forget it takes a lot of time, patience, love and complete commitment from the horse's guardian to do their job in all of this as well. It is TEAM WORK. It is not just the job of the veterinarian, farrier or other professional that has been hired to create a miracle out of a mess that was created!
With all of that being said, my gift and passion in this lifetime is the ability to bring out the best that each horse has to offer beyond the confines of conventional medicine and horsekeeping. Horses that have been labeled “the worst horse, ruined, poorly behaved, too old or sick to be helped, he's just showing the signs of age or he's fine thats normal for him" and many other labels with which you’re probably familiar.... I have worked with them all. I want to tell you: I seek to identify and mend what has become "out of sync" with the WHOLE horse. I evaluate my patients from a traditional medical perspective with physical exams, blood work, X-rays and the like but also use Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture scans, thorough Natural Balance Dental exams, Chiropractic exams, muscle testing etc. as guides that tell me what is going on throughout the whole body, mind, and spirit that aren't always caught by traditional medicine practices. This is a very different approach for some. I want to point out that there is nothing wrong with western medicine. I use it in my practice. But it isn't the only answer and it certainly doesn't seek to obtain wellness! At an initial consult, I inform the owner of all I see short-term and long-term in regards to findings, diagnosis, treatment, recovery and maintenenace. And I inform the guardian/owner of what it is going to take on THEIR end to turn things around, if that is at all possible. Some cases are reparable, some are unfortunately not. One must be prepared to accept this. I am not God. I cannot fix everything.
Furthermore, the following information in the next paragraph serves to illustrate how "out of touch" humans have become in this fast-paced, technologically driven, social-media-obsessed and disconnected world. Many of us live within the frenzy created by this situation while incorporating the equine species into a lifestyle much more convenient and suited for us than them. Many horse owners , and especially trainers, forget these factors. They continue to ask the horse to "perform" in the face of a completely unnatural, unrealistic world the horse has quite literally been trapped into and the guardian/trainer/whoever are not trained enough medically to see the signs before the damage is done. These horses end up with illness, injuries and pain because of the norms that have been unforunately long-established and seldom refuted....
Due to many years of domestication of the horse and their history of utilization by humans, it can be easy to forget that they are animals that have adapted to conditions not exactly natural for their specie. Their living environment, eating and exercising patterns have been drastically changed for human convenience. Horses do not live in an area the size of a box stall or pipe corral in the wild. They live on expansive amounts of land free to roam, stretch, kick out, play, and engage in behavior appropriately suited for their kind. They graze anywhere between 12 and 18 hours a day in the natural setting. Humans have been asking horses to eat processed, chemically treated hay and/or grain twice a day and live in very confined spaces. In addition, we ask all of this without the benefits of them belonging to a herd. Remember, for horses there is safety in numbers and they live by their innate fight or flight response. Having a herd provides them security and protection. Many horse boarding facilities and barns have eliminated this. There may be a horse in the adjacent stall but is that horse able to nuzzle, groom or engage in any other normal horse behavior with your horse or any other horse? Or is the horse next to yours so cranky and angry that it picks on your horse? Maybe you need to start asking yourself why.
With all the changes humans have made to the horse’s lifestyle it is no wonder why they have excess stress, gastric ulcers, crib, weave, suffer from metabolic issues, show aggression towards other horses and people, act explosive when we take them out of stalls, and go brain-dead after being treated like a robot going around and around in an arena! Obviously, this list could go on forever as I have NOT covered everything they suffer from. Turning a horse out in a man-made, sand-filled, boarded up bull pen cannot be treated as if that’s the cure for letting the horse’s mind and body unwind. And then on top of it we are asking them to perform in ways they never would out in nature—horses do not jump five foot fences on a regular basis in the wild or perform piaffes for fun. We need to mend the disconnect we have created between ourselves and this sentient being. By doing so, some of the damage can be prevented and healing can start occuring. But the guardians, owners, trainers, caretakers and the like need to wake up and face these facts. No veterinarian can help an animal if their toxic and unhealthy lifestyle does not change.
Exploration. Trust. Confidence. Bonding.
I am not saying stop everything immediately, quit competing and forget having a horse all together. What I am saying is that there needs to be more mindfulness. Become educated holistically about the things you can change for the betterment of your horse. Learn to see things from the horse's perspective. Listen to what they are telling you and how they feel. Some horses never complain about their work or show their true emotions. They hold everything inside. These horses are the most susceptible to illness, injury and pain. The fact is, their body can't mask everything forever. If this horse is continually pushed, it will break. Their bodies are no different than ours. I advise keeping an equine holistic vet around with a trained eye to point out these things and offer real solutions.
In the meantime, how about taking your horse out to actually graze, smell the flowers, sight see, explore and engage the very senses that keep him alive? Be on the ground with your horse once in a while and connect with him through these activities and experiences. Stimulate his mind and senses with what is natural for him. Restore this inner harmony he deserves. This is a form of human-horse bonding that can be done with any horse. Horses can feel our joyful, peacful energy when we connect with them and nature. It also gives us the opportunity to guide the horse through challenging environmental stimuli by providing positive encouragement and leadership when he is scared. After we have successfully and calmly lead him through something he perceived as threatening or unsafe, he will truly value this and begin to find a reason to confide in our vocal cues and actions even more. The foundation we create through this process will be carried over into everything else we do with him, including vet and farrier visits. It acts as a building block for continual successes in the partnership.
As a veterinarian, I would like to raise attention to the fact that traditional veterinarians do not have time to “train” your horses to behave for them when trying to administer or perform many medical procedures. Oftentimes sedatives are needed, but it is best to avoid that if at all possible because of its affect on the internal organs. One common problem faced by numerous veterinarians and horse owners is the horse that does not like to be de-wormed, have anything placed in its mouth or have blood drawn. Whatever the job may be, a veterinarian has to get it done, do it right, sometimes do it fast and go to the next farm call. I had a vet technician once ask me, “Do you think horses can feel our energy?” We had just gotten done watching a medical case with a horse that was uncooperative. Frustration was in the air among everyone, horse included. There was an undeniable pattern of resistance coming from the horses on the next farm call. There is no doubt in my mind they were picking up the “frustration energy” from the previous case that didn’t go well and it made them uneasy.
Farriers also tell me of endless stories about horses that misbehave, won’t pick up their hooves, kick out when their legs are touched, won’t stand still and the list goes on. What about using holistic medicine a that specializes in reducing exactly these types of situations? The results that can be produced allow more efficiency, help save time and money, increase safety, minimize frustration and decrease the use of drugs at best. It’s a win-win for everyone to have a veterinarian who seeks to address this issue on a mind-body-spirit level.
Many times these horses are just scared and don’t understand what is going on or being asked of them. Other times, their behavior is associated with a negative past experience. As humans we approach children that are scared by being kind, encouraging, and providing comfort and support. We need this approach to be our default with scared or apprehensive horses instead of automatically triggering and escalating their hypersensitivity toward the issue. The issue is only made worse and left unaddressed by rushing, crowding into their space, bullying them, applying stud chains, drugging them or the various other means by which people try to assert a false sense of dominance and power. Yes, sedatives are sometimes needed for the safety of the horse and people involved. But it's worth trying to work with the actual underlying issue and understand what caused this behavior or problem in the first place. Maybe it has to do once again with the fact the we as humans are "out of touch", or have unreasonable expectations for this specie living in confinement, or have a lack of a healthy, united human-horse bond or a mixture of these things.
In any situation, it is never the horses's fault if they are acting other than how we want them to. How they act can be a reflection of how much pain they are in, or how poor their training/human-horse relationship has been established with them. The other parts we must remember are their own tactics of innate self-preservation and to not deny them of that. Let this be a reminder that mutual trust is a key factor in working in any situation with a horse. Slowing down, breathing, taking a step back and re-evaluating what is going on with the horse can bring about the shift that is needed. I believe in letting the horse communicate with us. We must listen. We must stay centered and grounded if we want our horses to be the same way.
It is time to pay attention to what we are doing and what we ask of our horses. What messages are they giving us? Do they actually like the job they are doing? Are they happy, bright, and alert? Or are they depressed, stressed, in pain and fearful? What messages are we giving them? Are they feeding off our own energy? Are we feeding off of theirs? Do they understand us? Have we understood them? There is no good sense or use in forcing a horse to do anything. We must be open and have clarity; then the answers come.
In closing, we must remember a horse is only as good as he is happy and healthy. I invite you to see what further potential can be revealed with your horse!
Yours in Animal Health and Well-being,
Dr. Rhiannon Fenton, DVM
President, Vital Equine Holistic Veterinary Medicine
Hidden Hills, CA
In the meantime, how about taking your horse out to actually graze, smell the flowers, sight see, explore and engage the very senses that keep him alive? Be on the ground with your horse once in a while and connect with him through these activities and experiences. Stimulate his mind and senses with what is natural for him. Restore this inner harmony he deserves. This is a form of human-horse bonding that can be done with any horse. Horses can feel our joyful, peacful energy when we connect with them and nature. It also gives us the opportunity to guide the horse through challenging environmental stimuli by providing positive encouragement and leadership when he is scared. After we have successfully and calmly lead him through something he perceived as threatening or unsafe, he will truly value this and begin to find a reason to confide in our vocal cues and actions even more. The foundation we create through this process will be carried over into everything else we do with him, including vet and farrier visits. It acts as a building block for continual successes in the partnership.
As a veterinarian, I would like to raise attention to the fact that traditional veterinarians do not have time to “train” your horses to behave for them when trying to administer or perform many medical procedures. Oftentimes sedatives are needed, but it is best to avoid that if at all possible because of its affect on the internal organs. One common problem faced by numerous veterinarians and horse owners is the horse that does not like to be de-wormed, have anything placed in its mouth or have blood drawn. Whatever the job may be, a veterinarian has to get it done, do it right, sometimes do it fast and go to the next farm call. I had a vet technician once ask me, “Do you think horses can feel our energy?” We had just gotten done watching a medical case with a horse that was uncooperative. Frustration was in the air among everyone, horse included. There was an undeniable pattern of resistance coming from the horses on the next farm call. There is no doubt in my mind they were picking up the “frustration energy” from the previous case that didn’t go well and it made them uneasy.
Farriers also tell me of endless stories about horses that misbehave, won’t pick up their hooves, kick out when their legs are touched, won’t stand still and the list goes on. What about using holistic medicine a that specializes in reducing exactly these types of situations? The results that can be produced allow more efficiency, help save time and money, increase safety, minimize frustration and decrease the use of drugs at best. It’s a win-win for everyone to have a veterinarian who seeks to address this issue on a mind-body-spirit level.
Many times these horses are just scared and don’t understand what is going on or being asked of them. Other times, their behavior is associated with a negative past experience. As humans we approach children that are scared by being kind, encouraging, and providing comfort and support. We need this approach to be our default with scared or apprehensive horses instead of automatically triggering and escalating their hypersensitivity toward the issue. The issue is only made worse and left unaddressed by rushing, crowding into their space, bullying them, applying stud chains, drugging them or the various other means by which people try to assert a false sense of dominance and power. Yes, sedatives are sometimes needed for the safety of the horse and people involved. But it's worth trying to work with the actual underlying issue and understand what caused this behavior or problem in the first place. Maybe it has to do once again with the fact the we as humans are "out of touch", or have unreasonable expectations for this specie living in confinement, or have a lack of a healthy, united human-horse bond or a mixture of these things.
In any situation, it is never the horses's fault if they are acting other than how we want them to. How they act can be a reflection of how much pain they are in, or how poor their training/human-horse relationship has been established with them. The other parts we must remember are their own tactics of innate self-preservation and to not deny them of that. Let this be a reminder that mutual trust is a key factor in working in any situation with a horse. Slowing down, breathing, taking a step back and re-evaluating what is going on with the horse can bring about the shift that is needed. I believe in letting the horse communicate with us. We must listen. We must stay centered and grounded if we want our horses to be the same way.
It is time to pay attention to what we are doing and what we ask of our horses. What messages are they giving us? Do they actually like the job they are doing? Are they happy, bright, and alert? Or are they depressed, stressed, in pain and fearful? What messages are we giving them? Are they feeding off our own energy? Are we feeding off of theirs? Do they understand us? Have we understood them? There is no good sense or use in forcing a horse to do anything. We must be open and have clarity; then the answers come.
In closing, we must remember a horse is only as good as he is happy and healthy. I invite you to see what further potential can be revealed with your horse!
Yours in Animal Health and Well-being,
Dr. Rhiannon Fenton, DVM
President, Vital Equine Holistic Veterinary Medicine
Hidden Hills, CA