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Feed and Nutrition with Will Friday

July 7, 2020 by John Leave a Comment

Feed and Nutrition with Will Friday

How much do you worry about the quality of feed and nutrition of your horse? I confess, I let my horses get a little “extra” fat of this last winter. It wasn’t until I took Scratch in for a routine dental and vaccination and we got on the scale. He was 1,014 lbs. Now, I’m not exactly sure what his ideal weight ought to be, but I KNOW it’s not 1,000 lbs. It’s difficult to get a horse to lose weight. You can’t just feed less. Horses need food going through their system constantly to stay healthy. That’s just how that works.

I was looking for ways to support my horse nutritionally when I came across my friend, Will Friday’s, new website. You might remember Will from a previous episode we did on The Masterson Method. Will has an interest in feed and nutrition and consults many of his clients. Will offered two very important charts to reference. The first in the NRC chart for horses. This lists the amounts of nutrients horses require. The second is an average analysis of alfalfa hay.

Useful Tables

Both tables are important when trying to figure out what your horse needs.

We talked about a lot of charts and databases offering nutritional information. After I spoke with Will, I did a little research and found Equi-analytical’s website. There is a cool little page with feed analysis. The link is on the episode page.https://equi-analytical.com/common-feed-profiles/interactive-common-feed-profile/

Here is a link to a good video for taking a hay analysis sample: https://youtu.be/sJMyvYyYZek

Since I purchase my hay for the year from one supplier, I think I’ll spend the $18 and get a hay analysis this year. I’ll let you know what I find out.

On Equi-analytical’s website you will also find a Nutrient calculator: https://nrc88.nas.edu/nrh/

General info from Equi-analytical: https://equi-analytical.com/

Links to Performance Equine Bodywork

Website: https://www.performanceequinebodywork.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PerformanceEquineBodywork/

Check out the Shoulder Relief Cinch

Join Us on this Journey

We want you to be a part of the show. Tell us about your horse. Share your challenges, triumphs, or just everyday items that make horse ownership unique. Create an audio file using the memo app on your phone. Or contact me and we’ll set up a time to talk by Skype or phone. Perhaps what you have to share can help someone in THEIR horse journey.

You are an enormous part of why we do a podcast. We really love getting your feedback. Please let us know your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for the show. Email us at John@WhoaPodcast.com

Thanks for listening,

John & Ranae

Episode #172

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Barefoot Horse Trimming with Craig Morley

April 14, 2020 by John Leave a Comment

Barefoot Horse Trimming with Craig Morley

I heard some people call barefoot horse trimming natural hoof care. A quick search on Wikipedia says there is early evidence of mule shoes in Rome as far back as 400 BC. Now you would think in 2,000 years of equine husbandry, we would have figured out what is best for the horse’s foot. I’m not sure we have. If you ask two different farriers and a veterinarian the best way to trim a hoof, I would not be surprised if they came up with four different answers. It’s like politics or religion. There are a lot of opinions about barefoot horse trimming out there.

When I ran into a riding friend I had not seen in a while, he told me he had been studying barefoot horse trimming. Perfect, here was someone I could talk to openly and honestly about the subject. We sat down between the row of horse stalls at the stable he boards his horses. We began with his attraction to the business, then discovered the key points of interest to him, and discovered a few tips about barefoot horse trimming along the way.

I learned there are not only a lot of opinions, but there are a lot of different breeds of horses and bone structures out there. Add to that the variety of the way we use our horses and the combinations are endless. There just isn’t one solution that fits all horses.

Barefoot Horse Trimming Book Recommended by Craig Morley

Craig’s Facebook Page

Check out the Shoulder Relief Cinch

Join Us on this Journey

You are a big part of why we do this podcast. We really love getting your feedback. Please let us know your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for the show. Email us at John@WhoaPodcast.com

Thanks for listening,

John & Ranae

Episode #168

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The Masterson Method with Will Friday

October 15, 2019 by John Leave a Comment

The Masterson Method with Will Friday

Will Friday is a Masterson Method Certified Practitioner. I ran across Will Friday at the Skills of the Rancho this summer. The Skills celebrates the tradition of the Californio Bridlehorse. I was walking around the stables when I saw this man doing what looked like a cross between chiropractic and massage on a horse in the breezeway. I stood and watched for a while and found the procedure fascinating. As Will skillfully tugged, pulled, and laid his fingers on the horse, I could see the horse relax. In our short conversation that day, Will said he was trying to let the horse release tension and soreness in his body using the Masterson Method.

The Masterson Method, developed by horseman Jim Masterson, is a systematic way of releasing tension and soreness in horses. The procedure can last between 1 and 2 hours as the practitioner places fingers along the horse’s body looking for areas of tension and soreness.

I contacted Will at his company Performance Equine BodyWork. He invited me to a Parelli clinic that was being hosted by one of his clients at the 3L Ranch. Owners of the ranch, Maurice Thibault and Susan Nelson, invited me to come up and observe the clinic and watch Will work on some of their clinic horses. Both Maurice and Susan are 4-Star Parelli Professionals.

Here are the links from the show:

Performance Equine Bodywork Facebook

The Masterson Method Website

3L Ranch

Parelli Professionals

Join Us on this Journey

We want you to be a part of the show. Tell us about your horse. Share your challenges, triumphs, or just everyday items that make horse ownership unique. Create an audio file using the memo app on your phone. Or, contact me and we’ll set up a time to talk by Skype or phone. Perhaps what you have to share can help someone in THEIR horse journey.

You are a big part of why we do this podcast. We really love getting your feedback. Please let us know your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for the show. Email us at John@WhoaPodcast.com

Thanks for listening,

John & Ranae

Episode #157

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Vesicular Stomatitis with Dr. Tolley

August 6, 2019 by John Leave a Comment

Vesicular Stomatitis

I had been hearing news about an equine disease vesicular stomatitis that was quarantining horses in Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming. Looking for more about the disease, I contacted my vet, Dr. John Tolley of Bakersfield Large Animal Veterinary Hospital. I recorded this interview on a Thursday, and I write this the following Tuesday. The number of quarantined premises have doubled.

If you look up the words “vesicular” and “stomatitis” on Google, you’ll find vesicular means blister. Stomatitis is an inflammation of the mouth. Vesicular stomatitis usually presents in horses with blisters in the mouth, lips, and coronary bands. The disease spreads several ways, but most commonly through flies and mosquitos. Some of those flies can move 150 miles in a day. I wasn’t able to find a good answer about a vaccine for VSV. It is a summer disease and spreads up from the gulf in Texas.

Dr. Tolley gives us the details on vesicular stomatitis. He talks about suspected origins and why the Federal government keeps a close eye on the number and location of animals affected. Good horse-keeping practices and staying away from horses afflicted with the disease are currently the main preventative measures.

To find out more about vesicular stomatitis check out these websites:

American Association of Equine Practitioners Website

A Comprehensive Article from Science Direct

Join Us on this Journey

We want you to be a part of the show. Tell us about your horse. Share your challenges, triumphs, or just everyday items that make horse ownership unique. Create an audio file using the memo app on your phone. Or, contact me and we’ll set up a time to talk by Skype or phone. Perhaps what you have to share can help someone in THEIR horse journey.

You are a big part of why we do this podcast. We really love getting your feedback. Please let us know your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for the show. Email us at John@WhoaPodcast.com

Thanks for listening,

John & Ranae

Episode #152

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Horse Racing Fatalities We Talk with Journalist Natalie Voss

July 9, 2019 by John Leave a Comment

Horse Racing Fatalities – A Candid Conversation with Journalist Natalie Voss

If you listen to or watch the news, you have seen the stories about the horse racing fatalities at Santa Anita this year. The number reached 30. Some horses died on the practice track, while some of them died while racing. They write the stories leading us to believe there has been a spike in horse racing fatalities this year. The New York Times did a story pointing a finger at the new track owners. The article examined if the owner coerced trainers into racing horses before they were ready.

Earlier in the season as people looked for answers, an article in the Paulick Report, and racing magazine, journalist Natalie Voss looked into the possibility that the drug bisphosphonate was a factor.

Jeff Goertzen of the Southern California News Group wrote a good article explaining horse racing fatalities at Santa Anita (published in the Mercury News June 30. 2019)

Talk to an Expert

Natalie Voss has been a journalist in the equine industry for years. She is the features editor for the Paulick Report and also has bylines in Chronicle of the Horse, The Horse magazine, The Blood-Horse, Quarter Horse News, American Racehorse among others. She has won journalism awards for her writing in the racehorse industry. When I requested an interview, she was quick to respond. She speaks clearly in a language laypeople can understand. She has a love of horses and cares about her industry. Her insights into the horse racing fatalities were invaluable to producing this episode.

Join Us on this Journey

We want you to be a part of the show. Tell us about your horse. Share your challenges, triumphs, or just everyday items that make horse ownership unique. Create an audio file using the memo app on your phone. Or, contact me and we’ll set up a time to talk by Skype or phone. Perhaps what you have to share can help someone in THEIR horse journey.

You are a big part of why we do this podcast. We really love getting your feedback. Please let us know your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for the show. Email us at John@WhoaPodcast.com

Thanks for listening,

John & Ranae

Episode #150

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