AboutA horse actually has five hearts: one inside of his chest, and one "heart" on each of the bottoms of his feet.
A healthy frog and digital cushion helps the horse pump blood through his body, and if you look closely, a healthy, unrestricted frog actually looks like a symmetrical heart. He was born to constantly be on the move, it literally keeps him alive. As he steps down, blood is sucked into the hoof capsule. When the foot lifts off again, the blood flows out again... Just like an auxiliary heart. A horse has five hearts plus mine, makes six hearts. Helping horses and healing "hearts" is my passion. I have been given a gift and an opportunity to use it, I have finally found what I was meant to do with my life. My path has always been frequented by horses, all I had to do was to look down to notice the tracks. I am a graduate of the Success With Horses Natural Hoof Care Practitioner Apprenticeship Program. http://successwithhorses.com/nphcp-program/ |
My journey started with a frustration and an admittance (if reluctantly) of how little I actually knew about horses.
Have you ever asked a question about horses and received an answer? Most likely. Have you ever questioned the authority or source of that answer? Not as likely. For so many of us, an abrupt often misinformed answer to an equine question is enough to silence our inquisition. We assume that any answer is good one, without even realizing our how quick we are to accept answers with little source evidence. We are always quick to hide our lack of knowledge: the attitude is that people who don't know much about horses shouldn't own horses, and it would be shameful that we should call ourselves "horsepeople" without knowing how to properly care for them.
I had wanted to own my own horse since I was about ten years old. The consensus was that they were just too darn expensive... vet bills, farriers, boarding fees, feeding... The funny thing is, that traditional horse husbandry IS expensive, but a more natural way of horsekeeping is not. Most boarding stables offer you 24/7 group pasture boarding for less than half of stall board with daily turnout. Nevertheless, my parents, afraid of the unknown, yet seemingly inevitable expense of horse ownership held fast- despite my best attempts. Every wish I ever made on falling stars, or candle extinguishing at birthdays, was to own a horse.
For years I worked in barns all over the cities I lived in, and met some amazing horsefolk, and even some not-so-amazing ones. For a while, I even moved away from horses, fed up with my lack of support and accessibility, but there was always something calling me back. Horses have always been a huge part of my life, even if I am only beginning to realize now how much that statement is true. In five years of my undergrad art degree, I found every excuse to do projects about horses. I made lifesize drawings, video art pieces, horse-shoe stamp collections, I even wrote my final roman art history paper on the cultural and artistic impact of horses on daily life.
Fifteen years after my very first ride at the age of ten, I bought my horse.
I wanted real answers to questions that soon became very important to my new friend. "What should I feed him? How does he learn? What does it mean when he does that? and most importantly, how can I help him live a long, productive and sound life?" After so many years of chores, I was great at mucking stalls, but not so great at building the relationship, making decisions about his daily care, or working with a horse who knew absolutely nothing about the human world- but it left my mind open.
I found the Success With Horses crew after attending the Red Deer Equine Expo, and I've been hooked ever since. The real reason I went there was to see Linda Parelli in the flesh- (OMG!) but honestly, the SWH lecture became much more exciting to me than the Parelli demonstrations. I was watching horses dance beautifully all over the arena with their riders, but I was thinking about digital cushions, bars and heel bulbs. I know this method works because I've seen it- I've done it. I watched the frog spring back to life and the heel bulbs blossom in a cadaver foot.
I am so excited to see more, to learn more, to help more.
Have you ever asked a question about horses and received an answer? Most likely. Have you ever questioned the authority or source of that answer? Not as likely. For so many of us, an abrupt often misinformed answer to an equine question is enough to silence our inquisition. We assume that any answer is good one, without even realizing our how quick we are to accept answers with little source evidence. We are always quick to hide our lack of knowledge: the attitude is that people who don't know much about horses shouldn't own horses, and it would be shameful that we should call ourselves "horsepeople" without knowing how to properly care for them.
I had wanted to own my own horse since I was about ten years old. The consensus was that they were just too darn expensive... vet bills, farriers, boarding fees, feeding... The funny thing is, that traditional horse husbandry IS expensive, but a more natural way of horsekeeping is not. Most boarding stables offer you 24/7 group pasture boarding for less than half of stall board with daily turnout. Nevertheless, my parents, afraid of the unknown, yet seemingly inevitable expense of horse ownership held fast- despite my best attempts. Every wish I ever made on falling stars, or candle extinguishing at birthdays, was to own a horse.
For years I worked in barns all over the cities I lived in, and met some amazing horsefolk, and even some not-so-amazing ones. For a while, I even moved away from horses, fed up with my lack of support and accessibility, but there was always something calling me back. Horses have always been a huge part of my life, even if I am only beginning to realize now how much that statement is true. In five years of my undergrad art degree, I found every excuse to do projects about horses. I made lifesize drawings, video art pieces, horse-shoe stamp collections, I even wrote my final roman art history paper on the cultural and artistic impact of horses on daily life.
Fifteen years after my very first ride at the age of ten, I bought my horse.
I wanted real answers to questions that soon became very important to my new friend. "What should I feed him? How does he learn? What does it mean when he does that? and most importantly, how can I help him live a long, productive and sound life?" After so many years of chores, I was great at mucking stalls, but not so great at building the relationship, making decisions about his daily care, or working with a horse who knew absolutely nothing about the human world- but it left my mind open.
I found the Success With Horses crew after attending the Red Deer Equine Expo, and I've been hooked ever since. The real reason I went there was to see Linda Parelli in the flesh- (OMG!) but honestly, the SWH lecture became much more exciting to me than the Parelli demonstrations. I was watching horses dance beautifully all over the arena with their riders, but I was thinking about digital cushions, bars and heel bulbs. I know this method works because I've seen it- I've done it. I watched the frog spring back to life and the heel bulbs blossom in a cadaver foot.
I am so excited to see more, to learn more, to help more.