Paradigm
- horse is a living organism with needs – not a machine
- holistic: considers entire organims and how organism is affected by the environment
- logical, science-based, proven approaches to care
- open to new methods but must meet stringent assessment
- longterm soundness (15+ years), not quick fixes
- identify and remove the cause(s)
- believes in the body’s ability to heal itself
- the approach needs to work in the interest of the horse
Holistic Boarding / Natural Boarding
- herdlife (at least 2 horses together)
- resting places in the open, i.e. no confinement
- freedom of movement at all times
- varied diet and continuous uptake – no starvation
- feeding from ground level
- natural shelter
- direct ground contact of hooves, i.e. no bedding or shoes
- parasite management through:
- pasture rotation
- building a strong immune system
- herbal dewormer
- Apple Cider Vinegar in daily feeds
- no overstocking of pasture
- manure management (remove or harrow, cross grazing)
Holistic Hoofcare
Functional Riding
Here some good examples of how we can ride “with” the horse’s anatomy rather than “against” it.
Ludwid Stubendorf jumping on Nurmi
Equine Dentistry
- dental maintenance so that a functional and comfortable mouth can be maintained
- this allows the horse
- to relax its muscles once teeth related discomfort has been removed
- perform better due to relaxed muscles
- absorb nutrients better
Body Work
Since horses with hoof issues have chronically tense muscles, or possibly have joint mobility issues as they weren’t executing the whole range due to pain issues, body work is often an important aspect when transitioning a horse to Barefoot.
Consider modalities like:
- Neurolink
- Bowen Therapy
- Equine Touch
- Deep Tissue Massage
- Chiropractic Treatment
- Physiotherapy
- …