Articles by Jody

For the last few years, I have been attempting to educate horse owners on the overuse/proper use of probiotics. Since probiotics are currently the “fad” of the equine feed world, they are found in quite literally everything! Complete feeds, supplements, and sold alone, probiotics have made their niche in the world of horse feeds. So, here’s the problem with that… About four years ago when testing horses with my Herbal Sampling kit (which allows the horse to choose their own herbs) I kept finding mares who were bucky, sore in the back end, didn’t want their udders/stomachs touched but didn’t...

Cold weather has come and it’s time to de-worm! For most horse owners, de-worming their horse is as easy as grabbing some paste, stuffing it in their reluctant horse’s mouth, and forgetting about it until next time. But there is so much more to de-worming we should think about. First of all, paste de-wormers are poison. They not only poison the parasites, but they put poisons in your horse as well. Occasionally a horse is so infested with parasites that this is necessary; for instance when parasites are found in the muscle, but most of the time it is not....

Winter is coming! Surviving the Cold I’m guessing you have seen at least three articles this year about getting your horse ready for winter. Do you blanket, do you not blanket? What foods do you feed for winter? How do you care for your senior horse in the cold? These are all good things. This article will hopefully add a few ideas that haven’t been gone over. Enjoy! 1)     Water: Water is essential for life, and winter can cause issues with water distribution. Whether you are on a well or city water, have some extra on hand. I know our...

The Battle of “Flymageddon” After spending most of my horse ownership years at a boarding facility, and suddenly moving to my own property, it has come as quite a surprise just what it takes to carry on the “Battle of Flymageddon”. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve housed at barns that did zero, nada, nothing about fly control, and have personally (out of my own pocket) battled this obnoxious pest myself. Fortunately, I have learned a trick or three. However, moving onto a property with 1) no tractor 2) a herd of cows across the street 3) a herd of unkept...