Carrie's Critter Journal

Lucky - liberty play! Poco & Ben conditioning weeks 4-6

2011-09-12T14:35:00.000-07:00

Poco and Ben continued to make progress in their fitness and ranges of motion throughout August. By the end of the month, we were up to 1/2 hour of work each session, 4 days per week. I adjusted each session, depending on how they worked on the steep hill circles. If they had a lot of energy and good mobility, we'd do about 10 minutes of walking on the steep hill, 10 minutes trotting circles on the gentle hill, and 10 minutes circling on the flat over ground poles at the walk. Days that their energy was lower, or they were a bit stiff, we cut out the trotting and did more walking over poles on the flat. Basically, no set program, just tweaking each time according to what they volunteered. Trotting was always voluntary, and both sometimes threw in a bit of cantering as well.

In early September, we got a lot of rain and footing became treacherous, so we took a break for a couple weeks. The footing should be dry enough to start up again later this week.

Lucky has started volunteering liberty play in the pasture! I had turned him out in the pasture to run off some high spirits, and as I sent him away, I realized he was circling back to me, first using the entire field, then bringing the circle in and looking for guidance. Suddenly, he was walking & trotting as I cued, coming in to me, turning, walking along with me. What an amazing breakthrough. Of course, with all the rain, all our play has been on hold the last couple weeks. Tonight I'm headed out to spend some time with him and see what he offers again.

Poco & Ben - week 3 of reconditioning

2011-07-31T21:12:00.000-07:00

Poco and Ben are into their 3rd week of their reconditioning program. Because they are both in their late 20s, we continue to take this slow and easy, adapting as we go.

The first week was ground poles at the walk on a slight hill. 5 minutes each direction. We added poles and changed the spacing/height during the week.

The second week, I added a couple more walking poles, and started trotting, 3 sets of 2 laps each direction.

Both guys are making very fast progress. I've had to add and change poles several times during the previous weeks, and increase trotting time at their insistence. I'm still starting our sessions with the polarity clearing, chest & tail points & running the bladder meridian, and finishing with Dr Golob's back exercises. In week 3, the differences between Poco & Ben are starting to show.

Historically, Ben has had issues with his hocks and with his ability to go round. So in our 3rd week, I've been using DNR Draw topically on his hocks daily. I have kept him on the gentle hill, and we've added trotting time. We are up to at least 5 minutes of trot each direction, and a few laps of canter both ways as well. We cool down over the ground poles. Ben has gotten very frisky, and insists on trotting or cantering for most of the time he's on the lunge. At this rate, he'll be under saddle by this weekend for some short rides. His back exercises are improving also.

Poco had navicular/ringbone/sidebone in both front hooves when he was 12. So I am watchful for any front end issues. Additionally, he had been weakest in his stifles, and was prone to sacro-illiac issues. So, rather than increase his trotting time significantly, I've moved Poco onto a steeper hill at the walk to focus on stifle strength. I allow him to trot on the flat if he chooses, which he usually does. I'm not pushing the trot yet though. I'm using DNR Draw on his stifles and sacrum, and also putting Dynamite Wound Balm on his front pasterns and coronet bands anywhere that I feel old calcium deposits. I'm keeping a close eye for heat. I've gotten more aggressive with Dr Golob's neck telescoping. Poco's stifles have improved already (he isn't ducking the back exercises), and his topline is filling in. I noticed him cantering down a steep hill out in the field today with his hind end engaged. If he continues to improve, our next step is ponying off Ben on the trails at the walk.

All TTEAM and TTouch terminology is copyrighted and trademarked by TTEAM. These statements are not intended to diagnose or treat disease, and have not been evaluated by the FDA.

Updates - Lucky, Poco & Ben

2011-07-17T08:13:00.000-07:00

Wow, so much to report since last week.

Lucky and I are out on the trails now bareback. He's excited, and very alert, yet still responsive. I'm so proud of him. We'll be adding the saddle to trail riding days this week. And we'll be joining a friend (thanks Missy) with a seasoned trail horse to help Lucky with his confidence.
In the ring, we have worked on standing quietly at the mounting block, standing for mounting, and relaxing after I'm on. He's done really well. We've got our walk-trot transitions, and great halts as well. We'll be taking the mounting block lessons out on the trail this week.
I've started doing more TTEAM with him again. Right now, we are working on Dolphin, leading up to Cheetah. He's still a bit confused about why I want him to walk further away from me.

For the ground exercises, Lucky will follow me with the lead draped over his neck.

Poco and Ben are through the first week of their reconditioning program. Because they are both in their late 20s, we're taking this slow and easy, and adapting as we go.
Last week we started with ground poles at the walk on a slight hill. 5 minutes each direction. Similar to the Parelli topline exercises. I walked with them over the poles, so looks like I'm getting reconditioned as well. I found as the week progressed, I was able to add poles until we were doing 5 or 6 each time around. Some days they could handle an elevated pole for the entire session. Other days, they dropped the pole part way through, and I would leave it down when that happened.

This week, I've added a couple more poles, all flat on the ground, and moved them in on the circle a bit so the horses can trot around the outside of the circle without poles or walk the inside over the poles. We've added trotting, 3 sets of 2 laps each direction. Between trotting laps, the horses walk the circle over the poles. All still done on a slight hill. Works out to about 16 minutes total for the entire session. I'm still starting our sessions with the polarity clearing, chest & tail points & running the bladder meridian, and finishing with Dr Golob's back exercises.

Interestingly, when we added speed to the routine, Ben volunteered to canter. And Poco, bless his old heart, decided he'd prefer to trot the poles instead of flat trotting. He looked like he wanted to jump something. Guess he remembers our jumping days 20 years ago. I held them to plan so they wouldn't overwork.

I've started applying DNR Draw to Poco's stifles and Ben's hocks, and also Dynamite Wound Balm to Poco's sacrum, as historically these are their more challenged joints. And they are on their basic Dynamite nutritional program, plus a new supplement that reduces oxidative stress and supports joint health. I'm thrilled with the results so far.

All TTEAM and TTouch terminology is copyrighted and trademarked by TTEAM. These statements are not intended to diagnose or treat disease, and have not been evaluated by the FDA.

First trail ride on Lucky! We did it! And an exercise program for Poco & Ben

2011-07-09T18:12:00.000-07:00

It's been a long interesting journey with this ex-racehorse of mine.

Tonight, after a quick EFT reminder that riding Lucky is fun and easy, we played in the field a bit with some basic TTEAM obstacles and plenty of circles and yielding. And then we headed out onto the trail for the very first time.

Lucky was excited and interested, yet very controllable. I did have to dismount for a monster manure spreader. :-) After we got past that, I discovered a new gap in Lucky's training. Mounting on the trail. Did I mention I was bareback??? We practiced at ditches, stumps, lumber piles and rocks on the way home.

So I can see our next game is going to be standing quietly next to objects that I am standing on.

And, it's time for me to learn to swing up bareback without any mounting aid. Good thing he's short.

I also spent some time tonight laying out ground poles in a large circle on the hillside. I picked a very gentle slope. I put poles at 12, 3, 6 and 9 on the clockface. One pole was elevated, one was a pair set like cavaletti.
As Poco and Ben are older, I am starting with short sessions twice daily.
In one, I clear polarity, do K27 chest points and tail points, and finish with the back and neck exercises that Regan Golob teaches. I use Dynamite Release topically on any blocked points and along their spine from withers to tail.
In the other, I run their bladder meridians on both sides 3 times, and do some basic TTouches, usually abalone over their bodies. Then some wand stroking all over, especially on their legs. After that, 5 minutes one way around the circle, more wand stroking for a short break, then 5 minutes the other way on the circle.
I'll reassess in a week to see how the program should be tweaked.

Fun to watch all the changes happening around here!

Lucky - we got it!

2011-07-08T17:11:00.001-07:00

So, the last session removed the last of Lucky's fear & anxiety. Which is good. And, which led to the next layer of the onion.
So often when I get to the point that the horse finally realizes he/she can trust, the next stage is challenging boundaries. Pretty normal reaction, all things considered. Carolyn Resnick's Waterhole Rituals deal with this.
So, Lucky was different tonight about haltering and the saddle. He was turning his shoulder to me, cutting turns a bit close, bringing his haunches in on me, refusing to give his eyes. All subtle ways of getting into my space and challenging me.
Interestingly, I've been having lots of Parelli encounters lately, particularly with a client of mine. It occured to me that some of the basic exercises are a lot like the Taking Territory aspects of the Waterhole Rituals. So, I reached back to my Level I Parelli from back in '98 and did some basics with Lucky.
Fingertip yields of the shoulders and hindquarters, sending, circles, backing. Especially backing, as he was determined to crowd me tonight. I did everything gently and subtly, with breaks to relax.
It only took about 10 minutes, with plenty of pauses to chew things over, and he sighed and dropped his head and walked calmly with me.
When I got the saddle out, he made one try to shoulder past me. I backed him with the lead, and on the next try he stood for the saddle. (I used the lead Parelli-style, rather than the TTEAM wand and exercises, because I had a lead in one hand and a saddle over my arm, leaving no hand free for the wand.)
I put the saddle on and took it off from both sides a few times, and Lucky stood.
Looks like we've got the issue resolved.
Phew.

I must say I'm still thoughtful about the process. I still dream of a horse wanting to be ridden, accepting tack on the first try with only curiosity. And, perhaps that is too much to ask for from a horse with baggage and history. Only time and furter learning will tell.

I'm planning to go to 2 sessions daily over the weekend, so we can continue the ground games and get some riding in as well.

Plus, I'm working up fitness programs for the 2 oldest horses (28+). I'll post more about that next week.

Fun & easy!

A change of pace for Lucky

2011-07-06T18:21:00.000-07:00

I went to work with Lucky tonight and could tell as soon as I approached with the hackamore that he was disengaged. He walked away from me, and refused to put on the hackamore, although he was very willing to visit with me if I kept the hackamore on my shoulder. He was clearly feeling hounded or pressured by my training agenda.
My gut said to do something totally different tonight to give us both a break.
Lucky was a touch pushy, so I started with taking space (sending him gently away).
Then I invited him back to me.
Two significant changes - he is calmer about being sent away, and he comes back to me willingly every time.
We played with stand, come, and going where I pointed.
We did some shoulder yields, hindquarter yields and backing from his nose or chest.
For the first time, he let me lead him with a hand under his chin.
We did companion walking, circles, figure-8s and halts.
All without any halter or tack.
Between each exercise, we stood quietly and I did abalone ttouches on his body, ear work, raccoon ttouches on his face, or just stood with him, breathing together and enjoying the evening.
By the end, he was interested and relaxed, and looking for the next game. He was connected and engaged, curious and relaxed.

I'm thinking that our next session with the saddle calls for something totally different.
I'm going to skip the hackamore, and just use a rope halter. I'm thinking there may still be a mental association that is contributing to his anxiety about saddles.

If saddling continues to be an issue, we may just stick to bareback for a while and see what happens.

And still more saddling Lucky...

2011-07-06T09:31:00.000-07:00

Lucky challenges me mentally and emotionally more than any other horse I have ever worked with.
Getting a read on why he says "no" can be tricky.
He is very sensitive and emotional, and reactive. Much more than my other Arabian Ben. I'd be curious to know if that is a difference common to Polish vs. Egyptian Arabian lines...
So, back to Lucky.
Lots more "no's" last night. They didn't last as long, and we reached a point of calmness faster, so I feel I'm on the right track.
Just waiting for that final insight and a breakthrough to full acceptance, for both of us.

I know I can ride him bareback, and he is calm about that. For long rides, a saddle would be more comfortable for us both.

So, we'll see what the next session brings.

more saddling Lucky

2011-07-02T17:52:00.000-07:00

Still getting resistance on the saddling. Blocking with his head, bolting forward.
Doesn't appear to be fear at this point. Anxiety, tension, anticipation of what comes next, some "no". Very head high.
Chunked the process down a lot. Saddlepad alone, then pad/saddle. No girth.
Added treats.
Lots of ear work, forelock slides, ttouches on his face, to get him thinking & relaxed.
Python lifts on his legs while wearing the saddle to ground him.
Head lowering, to get him out of fight/flight mode.
Got progress tonight.

We'll see how much stuck when I play with him tomorrow.

I'll know we've got it when I can saddle him while he's at liberty in the corral with no bridle/halter.

Saddling Lucky

2011-06-28T18:12:00.000-07:00

Spent about an hour tonight working on saddling. It has been months since I've saddled Lucky, as we've been playing bareback.

So, I discovered he still had a LOT of anxiety about being saddled.

The process tonight involved lots of TTouch, mainly connected clouded leopard. Plus ear work, ttouches on his face, neck rocking, leg rocking - basically all his favorites to really get him in a relaxed receptive thinking state of mind.

Then the pad.

Then more ttouches and some food rewards.

On and off with the pad, mixed in with ttouches and treats and reassurance, lowering his head when necessary.

Then the same process with the saddle.

Then with the saddle and girth.

All of this done on both sides of his body.

Not habituation or desensitizing, but reengaging his thought processes whenever he would get anxious. I'd wait for the head to lower, the eye to soften, the licking/chewing/yawning, then move to the next stage. I'll know next session how much he processed, and how much he accepted.

We finished out with a nice long walk down the road, wearing the saddle. He practically led me! He really loves to be out and about seeing new things, and I suspect he is going to be a rockin' trail horse.

He was very careful to help me up the steep hill on the way home, actually pausing to nudge me, and towing me along willingly with his halter.

We're making great strides, and we'll be out riding the trails very soon. Yea!

Riding Lucky

2011-06-25T16:36:00.000-07:00

The last couple nights I've had fun sessions with Lucky.

Last night it was very very windy with a front coming through. Our entire session consisted of lots of TTouches while I stood on the mounting block, settling him enough to get on. Mane slides, forelock slides, connected clouded leopard along his neck and back. I would move the mounting block around his body to work from different angles.

When he finally dropped his head and licked & chewed, I got on and repeated some TTouches on his neck and withers. When he again relaxed enough to loosen his neck, drop his head & chew, we walked through the labyrinth. It took several times through for him to calm enough to negotiate all the turns. One decent pass through and we called it good.

Tonight, I really took my time tacking him up and leading him out. Lots more TTouches, mainly abalone and clouded leopard, all over his body. Plus tiny clouded leopard ttouches on his face and forelock slides (he LOVES forelock slides).

At the mounting block I did one round of EFT on "Riding Lucky is fun & easy". (He likes to stand with his nose touching my hands while I do EFT. )

We had a great ride, doing hindquarter yields, opening his shoulders, stopping & backing. He did the labyrinth much better. And we were able to do bigger & bigger circles, starting so tiny they were almost turns on the forehand, then getting bigger until we were doing sweeping figure 8s. By the end he was walking calmly & with energy, dropping his head and bending.

I led him on a walk down the road to finish out our time together. He does like to stop suddenly to watch every new thing. Tonight, we learned about ground hogs and rabbits. He stays close to me and stands his ground, and will move forward again after investigating. He will match his speed to mine, even when we head for home, walking, jogging or stopping on a totally loose rein.

I'm finding that my confidence in him, and my confidence in my own ability to cope with whatever he does is growing. When we were riding, he did a bit of dancing around, and even leaped forward, and I stayed on and calm.

I'm still riding him bareback, as I find my balance is better and I can feel his movement more. He is also more calm bareback.

I'm planning to reintroduce the saddle in the next couple days.

I'm so thrilled with his progress, and mine! Thank goodness for TTEAM, EFT and Waterhole Rituals.

Lucky welcomed the hackamore!!!

2011-06-22T17:52:00.000-07:00

The picture says it all.

I added treats to our play sessions, and everything fell into place. This last picture was taken out in the open pasture we ride in, and Lucky walked to me when he saw me coming with the hackamore.

Back to riding tomorrow!

Dianne came today and did another Sportsmassage session on Lucky. She reported much improvement in his shoulders, which had been very tight. She also got more releasing in his gluteus accessorius. What I saw was a freer canter and his tail held to the center instead of pulled to the left.

Lucky also got his bi-weekly pedicure yesterday. His toes have backed up nicely, his hairlines have evened out. He still tends to grow a flare on his right hind. I'll be curious to see if Dianne's work combined with riding changes his hoof growth.

Lucky - more on the bridle

2011-06-21T16:45:00.000-07:00

I used a different approach today with Lucky.

I realized that my energy yesterday was still too aggressive, demanding results. As gentle as the leading from behind was, it was still done with the intention of being a consequence of refusing the hackamore.

So I regrouped, read some Carolyn Resnick articles, and meditated a bit on what was happening. Then I took the hackamore out to Lucky and just got very quiet to watch his reaction. His high spirits are indeed hiding fear.

If I approached him with the hackamore, he evaded by raising his head, then turning away if I persisted.
If I pushed when he evaded by following him, he moved more and got more head high.
When I stood quietly with the hackamore, he would approach withing a few feet, head high.
If I sat with the hackamore, his eyes would soften, he would lower his head and approach me cautiously, keeping a close eye on the hackamore. The slightest clank of metal and away he'd go.

My gut said to chunk the process down even further. Rather than make the goal to put the hackamore on him, I made the goal just to get him willing to stand and walk with me if the hackamore was hanging on my shoulder.

I starting by hanging the hackamore on the fence, and doing some companion walking with Lucky. (For those not familiar with Carolyn Resnick's Waterhole Rituals, this is free walking, no tack at all, with the horse matching your movements voluntarily. Like joining up.)

Once Lucky and I both had calm, centered energy and were walking easily together, I got the hackamore and hung it on my shoulder. He immediately backed away.
I was able to encourage him to approach by sitting whenever he got nervous. At first, he would walk with me several feet away only. Gradually he came closer in, even nosing the hackamore. Finally we were moving in unison. When I shifted the hackamore to my other shoulder, and moved to Lucky's right side, I had to start all over gaining his trust. The off side took longer. When he finally came in and joined me, walking calmly, I ended the session.

Tomorrow I plan to do several short sessions like this, add in some EFT and TTouches, and hopefully get him to volunteer to wear the hackamore.

I must confess I am feeling impatient to get back on and ride again. I have to put those feelings aside, and allow this relationship to build at it's own pace. The more I honor his free will, and the softer I get, the more responsive and obedient he is becoming, which encourages me that this process will lead us back to riding and partnership on the trail. He listens better than ever, and I can often direct him from 20-30 ft away easily.

Lucky - accepting the bridle

2011-06-20T17:52:00.000-07:00

After the weekend off, I had plans to ride Lucky again tonight.
You know what they say about plans...
When I went into the corral with his hackamore, he walked away. He had done this the last couple times we worked together. I was focused on getting out on the trail and let it slide. Tonight I paid attention, realizing that skipping steps would lead to issues later. So we would play with accepting the hackamore.

After some time just standing in his area, sharing space, some brushing and some body ttouches, he again walked away from the hackamore.
Now, I certainly can get the bridle on without his full consent. Easy enough to run him into the stall, or chase him around until he submits, or even just keep keep offering the bridle until he is desensitized.
My goal for us is to have partnership without resistance, that honors his free will.

After a bit of gentle leading from behind at the walk and some sharing space, he reluctantly took the hackamore. With hindsight, I probably could have done the EFT without the hackamore on first. It's a learning process for me as well...
I tapped in several statements with EFT, the 2 most effective being:
Bridling Lucky is fun and easy
Being bridled means fun time together
Lucky was fascinated by the tapping, moving in close and resting his nose on my hands.

When I finished, I gave him a few moments to process, then took the hackamore off and let him walk around.

A few minutes later, I again approached to put the hackamore on. He still tried to dodge at first. Hmm... better, still not 100% So my next strategy was to do some random tiger ttouches with the pads of my fingers on his neck and body, followed by some forelock slides, put on the hackamore, and repeat the ttouches. I gave him some time to process again, removed the hackamore, and let him wander around for a bit.

When I approached him again with the hackamore, he stood his ground, head a bit high and was willing to touch the hackamore with his nose. Still some fear and resistance. He then retreated to his stall. After some brushing and petting, I again offered the hackamore. He let me put it on, with his head high and tense. I asked him to lower his head and as soon as he relaxed and moved his head down, I removed the hackamore. He licked and chewed. We repeated the sequence again. Again more licking and chewing when I brought his head down. One more time through. More licking and chewing, and that "ah-hah" look he gets when he is making a connection.

At that point, my gut said stop and see what happens tomorrow.

So, I learned some more today about Lucky. His resistance to the hackamore appears to be fear-based. He is super sensitive to how I handle the other horses, not just him. If I turn up my body language with Foster (who loves to invade space) Lucky regresses a bit in his trust.

Overall, as I continue to work with him, I'm noticing that he watches me most of the time when I am outside. He keeps an eye on me whenever I'm within view. He comes to greet me much more often, and is very curious about what I do in the barnyard, approaching to investigate.

I'm really curious to see how he is tomorrow.

Ted

2011-06-16T07:10:00.000-07:00

I submitted Ted's case history to the TTEAM offices for approval the other day. It occurred to me that my readers might find his evolution interesting.
Ted is a 16 year old Welsh Cob gelding.
When I first met Ted, he was emotionally distant from people, even his person Mary. Ted was very mouthy, and would mug people for treats. He was cranky about grooming and being tacked up. Too much the gentleman to actually bite or kick someone, he would pin his ears, switch his tail, bite objects or block you with his body.
I started with Ted's physical condition. A combination of bio energy work and nutrition changes helped Ted become more balanced and lose some weight.
Ted's back was locked up and he had obvious saddle damage. I used a combination of TTouches and other bodywork to help Ted heal himself. When his back was on the way to full healing, Prudence Heaney came out to fit Ted with a new saddle.
Proper barefoot trimming made the changes to his hooves, and a visit from Dr. Regan Golob tweaked the last few body issues.
I also switched Ted from a snaffle bridle to a Kincaid jumping hackamore.
Plenty of TTouches and going back to the basics on the ground slowly taught Ted that I would listen to him and respect his space & wishes. Once he realized he had a choice, he began volunteering to participate. Ted would test me sometimes, refusing and watching to see if I would allow the "no". Steps forward and steps back.
By this spring, Ted was going completely bridleless, walking and trotting in hand and under saddle. His attitude had turned around completely and he was enjoying human company and touch. His back flexibility was almost normal. And Ted and Mary were partners! So amazing to see this independent distant boy actively watch for Mary's arrival, and come to greet her!

Here's a short video of me & Ted, all bundled up, on one of his first bridleless rides:

In Mary's words...
"I almost gave up on riding Ted when I heard about Carrie Eastman and her healing work with humans and animals.
When we met, I knew right away that Carrie Eastman was the right teacher at the right time for Ted and me. Ted connected with Carrie immediately, and almost seemed to sigh with relief that I had finally gotten the message: that being with a horse is about partnership on all levels – mind, body and especially heart. And, that just as in any relationship - it is real, steady, sometimes difficult often joyous work in the here and now.
Carrie taught me how to listen to Ted: to have his well being first and foremost up front and center. Carrie taught me how to better understand Ted’s body language, to notice when he is not feeling well, to give him the ok to say “no” when he doesn’t want to do a particular exercise. Carrie also taught Ted and me practical, step-by-step ways to connect and build the trust between us through our interactions on the ground and eventually in the saddle. And, that being with a horse is not about winning or losing. It’s about caring enough to listen and respond to what my equine partner is saying or doing.
The difference in my relationship with Ted, because of Carrie’s work with us, is palpable. I was away for a time this winter, and when I came back to see Ted he greeted me with a sweetness that moved me in a way I didn’t know was possible. It was clear that Ted not only recognized me, but that he was also glad to see me and enjoyed our doing the TTouch exercises that Carrie had taught us. When I rode him a couple months later - the first time in almost 6months - I clearly sensed that something had changed; Ted wanted to do that with me.
That sweetness continues – even through rough patches when I lose awareness and forget to listen to Ted and hear what he is telling me. Carrie and Ted and I continue to work with each other remotely since Ted and I have moved 700 miles away from PA. I know that with Carrie’s guidance, the bond and trust between Ted and me will grow deeper and stronger as we partner and learn from each other. " Mary Riley-Sanders

And tonight we rode!

2011-06-15T19:08:00.000-07:00

Dianne came this morning to do some Sportsmassage on Lucky. Got some really fascinating releases in his gluteus accessorius - he stretched his hind leg waaaaay back, and then stretched his tail (he usually carries his tail to the left). He was yawning, licking and chewing for at least 10 minutes after the session.

I was hopeful Lucky would offer up some riding time tonight. And he did!
He remembered all about the mounting block and standing quietly while I do TTouches on his back and neck. I mostly use connected abalone or clouded leopard as those soothe and ground him the best.

He negotiated the ground poles, labyrinth and "L" easily. He was a little stumbly over the high pole.
We also worked trot circles.
Interesting side note - after his bodywork this morning, tonight riding him, he felt very loose and swingy at the walk and trot (is swingy even a word???) I'm used to a "tighter" ride on him, and had to adjust to his movement. As I was riding bareback, those first few minutes were interesting.
Basically, he remembered everything we had worked on last time he was under saddle. He is one seriously smart horse.

I did more EFT while I was on him. I tapped in:

Giving clear signals and direction

Trusting him to maintain his gait

Keeping his attention and focus

Moving in unison

I'm looking forward to expanding out trot work and adding canter transitions on the long line.

Whoo-hoo! Lucky & EFT

2011-06-14T14:55:00.000-07:00

Making some real progress with Lucky! This is so exciting!
Honestly, it's as much about progress with myself as with him. He's such an amazing teacher.

Our leading from behind is improving. My signals are getting more subtle, and he is staying calmer about being moved.

We went for another walk tonight, and I got to tap in a bunch of new messages using EFT (while juggling reins and a wand).

Remaining confident when Lucky spooks

Inspiring Lucky with my confidence & courage

Appreciating Lucky's alertness

Being centered and grounded

Working as a team

Only had 1 little spook tonight! Lots of sniffing and looking around, mixed with lots of chewing and licking.

I brought my TTEAM wand along, and did full body strokes and head lowering several times on the walk tonight. Really helped him stay grounded and calm.

On the way home, when you might expect him to get fast and inattentive, he did random slow walk-fast walk -jog-halt transitions just following my lead without any voice or lead cues. Brilliant!

He also helped tow me up the last really steep hill, happily and willingly. Phew...we're talking seriously steep.

I'm hoping for some ring time tomorrow, get in a bit of riding. Dianne is coming to do Sportsmassage on him before our ride. http://www.expertmassage4u.com/ I've got my TTEAM obstacle course all set up and ready.

And I got rid of the funny blue fleece on his hackamore noseband - green vetwrap looks and probably feels so much better, and he can see below his nose better now also.

Until tomorrow!

A stroll with Lucky...

2011-06-13T17:47:00.000-07:00

Now that Lucky has had his teeth done by Krystin Dennis www.horsefloss.com it's time to get back into training.

I've been using a combination of TTEAM, waterhold rituals and EFT with Lucky.

For those of you familiar with Carolyn Resnick's Waterhole Rituals, Lucky & I have finally bonded, mostly from just sharing space, sitting & enjoying each other's company. I can lead him from behind now, and he does a pretty decent companion walk, when he chooses. You can see more of Carolyn's work at www.carolynresnick.com

I depend on TTEAM and TTouch to help Lucky make changes in his body & mind. He has gotten much more comfortable with me touching him, working with him while standing on a mounting block, etc. Using TTouch, he has also gotten over the negative associations with saddles and bridles.

Whenever I find Lucky's high spirits daunting, I use EFT to clear my emotions.

So putting this all together, Lucky willingly accepted the hackamore tonight, so we decided to go for a walk (me leading him) down the road. Along the way, we encountered scary trash bags, a tractor, other horses, cows, and a BRIDGE (maybe there are trolls underneath?) I recognize now that Lucky lacks confidence, and he looks to me for reassurance, as well as boundaries. So we practiced walk-halt and walk-trot-halt transitions, and also head lowering whenever we stopped. I picked grass for treats along the way, rewarding him for standing quietly. (Plus, chewing on grass helps keep horses breathing and out of flight/fight mode.) He often stops and puts his head against me, asking whether he did something right. Tonight was a real dance between reassurance and boundaries, as he still tends to get quick and high headed. I did have to use EFT twice, tapping in confidence for handling his high spirits and mutual trust.

When we got home, we did a few laps through the labyrinth and over some ground poles, just to settle down and really get him thinking.

It was so lovely out, I ended up just sitting out in the field with the herd for a while, enjoying the evening. I got greetings from all the horses, and Ben volunteered some happy companion walking, following me around the field.

I'm enjoying the journey with Lucky. Each day brings something new. I've learned to stay in the moment and let go of agendas.

Just for fun, here's a clip of me with Lucky late last summer. (Before I lost 20+ pounds on Dynamite 180)

Looking forward to tomorrow's adventures!

Updated annual nutrition program for my horses, including monthly checklist

2011-04-30T07:21:00.000-07:00

Here is my updated annual checklist of Dynamite products for my horses.

Jan - March:

regular yellow-label Dynamite vit/mineral

free choice Dynamite 1-1, 2-1, NTM salt (or Redmond salt) and Izmine

Dynamite DynaPro

Dynamite Ox-E-Mega or soaked chia seeds

Stop all supplements in feed except DynaPro one day per week (free choices are still offered)

April:

continue regular yellow-label Dynamite vitamin/mineral

continue free choice Dynamite 1-1, 2-1, NTM salt/Redmond salt and Izmine

continue Dynamite DynaPro

stop Ox-E-Mega/chia when grass turns green

stop all supplements in feed except DynaPro one day per week (free choices are still offered)

start 1 tsp Dynamite Excel at night

start 10 days Dynamite SOD at full dose

May:

continue 1 tsp Dynamite Excel at night

stop all supplements in feed except DynaPro (free choices still offered)

start 28 days of Dynamite Herbal Tonic

continue Dynamite free choice minerals

continue Dynamite DynaPro

June-August:

restart regular Dynamite vitamin/mineral

continue 1 tsp Dynamite Excel at night

continue free choices

continue Dynamite DynaPro

stop all supplements in feed (except DynaPro) one day per week

7 Day Parasite Cocktail in July and August. I stop the other supplements except the free choice minerals and DynaPro while doing the cocktail. Time the cocktail so that the full moon falls on the 4th of the 7 days. Feed 2 oz of Herbal Tonic, 1 oz of clay (measured dry), 1 tsp of Excel, all at one feeding, once a day only. Add to grass hay pellets (I use 3 cups of pellets), add water to cover, soak until like pudding consistency, you may need to add more water. Hot but not boiling water speeds up the process of soaking the pellets considerably. Mix it all up well after soaking, it will be rather gelatinous. The consistency I like is when it easily plops ouf of the bucket and kind of holds its shape like a jello mold. Too runny and they waste it by slobbering it around, too dry and they don't like it much. I add DynaPro too. This would be for an average sized 1000 lb horse.

Oct:

stop regular Dynamite vitamin/mineral

start 28 days Dynamite Herbal Tonic

continue 1 tsp Dynamite Excel at night

continue Dynamite DynaPro

continue Dynamite free choice minerals

start Waiora Natural Cellular Defense

Nov-Dec:

start regular Dynamite vitamin/mineral

stop Dynamite Excel

stop Waiora Natural Cellular Defense

start Dynamite Ox-E-Mega or soaked chia seeds

continue DynaPro

continue free choice minerals

stop all supplements in feed (except DynaPro) one day per week

My husband's horse is prone to ulcers and gets Dynamite Miracle Clay when he is stressed .

In the summer, I offer DynaSpark in a bucket of water daily free choice for electrolytes.

I offer DynaSpark as needed year-round to the older horses who are prone to getting dehydrated.

My black-skinned Arabian with melanoma gets 1/4 dose of SOD daily year round (any dark horse that is prone to sun bleaching may benefit from this) . He stops the SOD when on Herbal Tonic.

All the horses get either Free & Easy OR MSM/Yucca/Ester C OR OxEMega/Superstress for joint support. They stop the joint supplements when on Herbal Tonic.

I sometime substitute Wachters brand Sea Meal instead of regular formula Dynamite vit/min, if I feel the horses need improved hoof quality. I use 1 container per horse, then switch back to regular Dynamite.

We use other specialty items throughout the year. This is just a basic checklist for planning purposes.

Carrie
http://www.carrieeastman.com/

Just Chickadee & Winky left to kid!

2011-03-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

Here are the 2011 kids playing in the field. Challenging to video when they keep running over to chew on my shoes & pants...

TTEAM Case Study - Lucky

2011-01-25T11:02:00.001-08:00

Many of you have been following Lucky's progress as he and I build our partnership. I will be posting the write-ups of his TTEAM sessions and other conscious horsemanship work that we do together. Here are his TTEAM notes to date, to bring you up to speed on his progress and my thought processes.

TTEAM CASE STUDY -Lucky

Name of Horse: Lucky
Name of Owner: Me
Age: 12
Sex: gelding
Color: Dark brown
Breed: Arabian
Height: 15.0
Date seen: 3/12/2010
Length of session: ½ hr

Background, Concerns, Issues, Questions

Lucky is an ex-racehorse. There are some gaps in his training under saddle. He is stiff, strongly left-handed, tends to be head-high and frightened of new situations. He is the dominant horse in the herd, yet hides behind another when faced with anything new. He has an old tendon bow. Interestingly, he has one eye with exposed white sclera, like a person’s. I’m told this is genetic and runs on his father’s side. I am reluctant to ride Lucky because he is so fast and nimble, and has a tendency to bolt when frightened. He is very anxious and wound up when presented with a saddle or bit. He is calmer when ridden bareback and in a hackamore. I sense he is holding back from me emotionally, not quite trusting and not truly a friend. My goal is to earn his friendship and trust, and be able to safely ride him in the ring and on the trail at the walk, trot and canter.

Observations

Limited range of motion in his leg circles. Tail held to the side. Usually stands with a hind leg cocked. Head headed. Plus see above.

Thought process

Whatever we do together must be pleasurable, feel safe to him, and create new associations. Any physical therapy we do to improve his range of motion and flexibility will have to be carefully done, as causing him further pain will push him away emotionally. I feel we have to have greater trust, and he has to learn more courage, before I feel comfortable riding him.

Work done

I did abalone and clouded leopard along his neck, back and rump anytime he started getting excited or distracted. I also introduced him to the wand, which he easily accepted. He was a bit nervous about the lead chain for a few minutes. We practiced lowering his head with a voice cue, chain cue and wand stroking on his neck. We did a bit of the dance, and found he brought his head up with every step. We also did leading from both sides using elephant. He lost focus easily, and often missed the first wand cue to stop. When he figured out elephant, we moved to dingo. He found the wand on his back irritating, although he did respond and learn the stop and start.

Next session plan

Keeping in mind that plans are made to be changed, depending on how the horse responds that day…
Next session I will add in the labyrinth with the elephant leading. I will also add in head lowering from cueing on the poll. Leg circles front and rear and some python lifts for his legs as well. Tail pulls/circles and pearling if he likes them. I also plan to continue the touches around his hind end, experimenting with abalone, leopard and raccoon to find the ttouches he responds best to.

My learning

I learned to keep my plans even more flexible. Short sessions appear to be a better choice for Lucky.

Second Session
Date seen: 10/16
Length of session: ½ hour

Observations
It was very windy and chilly and all the horses were quite jumpy and frisky. My plan was to build on last session, seeing how much of elephant and dingo he remembered, especially the stopping on cue. Also planned to expand his comfort zone by moving further away from the herd. I did less bodywork, especially with his legs and hind end, as he was hyper alert and a bit spooky with the weather.

Work done
With the weather conditions, I decided to try Lucky in a body wrap for the first time, hoping that would give him confidence. I spent a few minutes introducing him to wrap, which went very smoothly. Then we practiced elephant leading from his left. I found he needed cues to lower his head at each transition as well as when walking. He responded easily to cueing from the lead chain, so I added in cueing from the poll. He picked that up very quickly. I mixed in the dance with walking, halting and a lot of body stroking with the wand. I opted to skip dingo as he was distracted and nervous. I switched to leading from his right side, and after he was moving and halting calmly we walked down the drive and into the field across the road. He became unfocused again and reluctant to stop, so we practiced walking just a step or two, then halting with head down. I mixed in the dance every few halts, and also cued him it was ok to eat some grass every few halts. The chewing helped keep him calm and listening. Several times he stopped and wanted to bury his head in my jacket. He bolted once when we turned back to the barn. Interestingly, he started forward only a few steps then stopped and snorted and chewed. Usually his bolts are much more uncontrolled. I’m thinking the body wrap and all the leg stroking & tapping with the wand kept him more grounded and in his body. By the end of the session he was stopping smoothly just with body posture, voice and wand cues, without actually needing to touch him with the wand on the chest or noseband.

Next session plan
I plan to continue using the bodywrap. Also plan to take him a bit further from home, and add in dingo. Also plan to get to the labyrinth next session. I’m going to see if my neighbour will allow me to set up a labyrinth in the field.

My learning
I learned I have to move and adapt quickly, and that I can remain calm while being quick. I also learned that he looks to me for reassurance more than I realized.

Third Session
Date seen: 10/20
Length of session: 20 minutes

Observations
The sun was setting, so I was limited to working in the open field where there was still some daylight. Windy and chilly, Lucky was wound up in the field. Interestingly, I took one of my other horses out first to ride and graze in the field. Lucky was keenly interested in what we were doing, staring, running the fence, going to the gate and calling to us. I had an impression that he wanted to be the one out there. I have also noticed that Lucky’s behaviour toward me at other times has changed. He has become more trusting, more interested in physical contact. He has taken to pressing his head to my chest, and gently nibbling at me.

Work done
As we had a short time period available, I played with stroking his body & legs with the wand, which settles him. Also tapped his hooves with the wand during the stroking. We played with halting entirely from wand and voice cues in elephant while walking down the drive. At first, he took 8 or so steps before stopping. By the third try, he was stopping within 2 steps. We also continued to play with head lowering, cueing from the lead and neck stroking with the wand. When we got to the open field, he was distracted and demanding to eat grass when stopped. So I alternated the head lowering with the dance whenever he lost his focus. We had one spook where he bolted forward a few steps. I also invented a cue indicating when it is ok for him to eat grass, and allowed several snack breaks during the play. He may be starting to calm himself by lowering his head unprompted and licking/chewing when something worries him.

Next session plan
Plan to start early enough to incorporate labyrinth, ground poles, possibly pick-up sticks (the random pattern should engage his mind more). Also perhaps playing with standing quietly for ttouches & wand stroking next to the mounting block.

My learning
A lot of learning can be packed into a very short session, without planning for that to happen. Just learning to focus and calm himself, on a windy evening in a field of lush grass was a big mental & emotional challenge for us both.

Fourth Session
Date seen: 10/22
Length of session: 20 minutes

Observations
Lucky seemed fairly peaceful and interested in having a play session.

Work done
After using the wand on his body and legs to settle and ground him, I walked Lucky over to the mounting block. Lucky was anxious about the mounting block, and was reluctant to stand still. I alternated between head lowering using the wand under his neck and lying leapard Ttouches on his neck back and loins. When Lucky was standing quietly with a soft eye and licking/chewing, I then climbed on the mounting block. Again he got anxious so I repeated the head lowering and lying leopard. I repeated this cycle several times, moving the mounting block closer to his head, then closer to his rump, then to his other side in several spots.

At that point, my instinct said we had spent enough time on that experience. We moved to the field where the obstacle course is laid out. Lucky easily remembered elegant elephant, cheetah and dingo with cueing the camel. I then introduced him to boomers bound. He mastered boomers bound quickly, so we moved into dolphin. After a few minutes of dolphin, just leading on his left side, I felt we had made enough progress for the day and ended the session.

Next session plan
Plan to incorporate labyrinth and ground poles and continue work on dolphin.

My learning
I realized how anxious he still is about the mounting block. I was also very impressed with how quickly he learns. He appreciates a moment to mull over each new thing, and seeks physical reassurance that he has done well.

Fifth Session
Date seen: 10/25
Length of session: 30 minutes

Observations
He seemed interested in another session, and was cooperative about his halter, approaching me.

Work done
My plan was to continue our work with dolphin, adding in the right side. I also had the labyrinth and ground poles set up.
After a short refresher of elegant elephant and cheetah on his right side, we started into the labyrinth in cheetah. I noticed that whenever his hind end was pointed at the end of the field he lost focus, got head high and wanted to bolt forward. While he was in the labyrinth, turned in the more challenging direction, I asked him to halt using cueing the camel, then spent several minutes lowering his head, using the wand to stroke his legs, and I also did a few steps of the dance, which got him focused and calm again. By the third time through, he stayed calm and focused and stopped on voice cue only.
Then we walked toward the scary part of the field in elephant. When he got close enough to start showing slight signs of anxiety we stopped. I asked him to lower his head. Then, my instinct said to get in front of him, with my back to the scary spot between him and the “danger”. Then I introduced cobra. I would ask him to walk toward me (and toward the scary place), then I’d ask him to stop. He had cobra mastered by the 4th try.
At that point, we switched back to cheetah to head back for the barn. He had several spooks with bolting forward, and refused to respond to cueing the camel or boomers bound when this happened. I kept walking with him, asking him to lower his head and then asking him to stop. He got stuck in that pattern, and I felt it was best to stop and pick up again next session, as he was getting frustrated.

Next session plan
I plan to use the bodywrap again, as this really helped his confidence a couple sessions back. I’m also going to move one of the obstacles, perhaps pickup sticks, closer to the scary zone. I hope to be able to use Ttouches while he stands facing the scary spot to diffuse his anxiety.

My learning
I learned that when Lucky regresses I sometimes revert to old patterns of demanding obedience rather than looking for creative solutions and listening to him. Patience, patience, patience. I also realized that as long as his first instinct is to bolt forward and be unable to calm and stop himself, I have no business riding him.

Sixth Session
Date seen: 10/27
Length of session: ~30 minutes

Observations
He was friendly on approach, relaxed about putting on the halter, and generally interested and willing to go and do something with me. That is a real shift for him.

Work done
We spent just a few minutes at the mounting block, practicing standing quietly while I got on and off the block and moved the block to various spots on both sides of Lucky. I used long wand strokes all over his body while doing this. He stood totally quietly, just keeping a wary eye on me at first. That is a huge improvement over the dancing and head-high attitude of last session.
I put the body wrap on him. We then headed into the field to the labyrinth. First time through, he walked out of the labyrinth over the pole when he turned his hind end in the scary direction from the other day. Once he stopped, we turned to face the “danger” and I spent a few moments doing python lifts on his front legs and also doing more wand stroking on his legs. My hope was the python lifts would ground him, bring him back into his body more, and relax him. The second time through the labyrinth, while he was watchful when his back was turned, he stopped at every cue.
So we moved on to the pickup sticks. I had these set up down in the scary hollow. At first, we just walked rapidly in elephant through the sticks toward the “danger” making a big circle toward the scary zone to turn around so he was less likely to bolt forward or into me if he spooked. After a couple passes back and forth through the sticks without any halts I asked for a stop using boomers bound and cueing the camel while he was fairly far from the “danger”. I found that quick stops where he walks again as soon as stopping works better than asking for long pauses in keeping his frustration level down. As his stops became more responsive, we went from 10 steps down to a couple to get a full stop and his head was lower.
We also faced into the “danger” and practiced cobra. He is a little reluctant to halt from the wand cue, which seems more like a lack of understanding of the cue. He comes readily to the lead cue, and less consistently to the wand cue. He tends to stop in my space and want to rest his nose on my chest.
After 3 or 4 rounds of cobra, we headed back to the barn in cheetah, practicing short halts along the way with boomers bound and cueing the camel.

Next session plan
Focus more on bodywork next lesson, for a change of pace and to track any physical changes happening as his head position is staying lower. Experiment with several ttouches, tail work, ear work, and leg work to see what he likes and what helps his tension.

My learning
I feel like we made huge progress today with the halting. The key was realizing that I was pushing his patience too far asking for long halts.

Seventh Session
Date seen: 11/1
Length of session: 15 minutes

Observations
Lucky was anxious to join the other horses grazing, so I was prepared to keep the session interesting and short, and work mainly on leading to keep his attention.

Work done
We did all our leading from his right side today. Headed straight into the labyrinth after some wand stroking. He did that easily both directions, following the wand & body cues without any physical cues at all. We then practiced dingo and boomers bound. He was stopping promptly within 3 steps from the wand and voice only, without needing cueing the camel. He also handled cheetah and long cheetah easily from voice and body. We played with cobra a bit. He is still eager to anticipate the forward cue and has to be reminded to wait for me.
When he was able to stand quietly in cobra, I decided to add something new. We went back to cheetah, and started trot in cheetah. The first 2 tries he walked faster without trotting. The third time he jogged a couple steps and I praised and stopped him. By the fifth try, he went smoothly into the trot from voice and body cues, and stopped easily from boomers bound. So we ended the session and he went to graze with his buddy.

Next session plan
I’m wondering where to go from here. He has obviously mastered some basics. I will continue the trot in cheetah, and perhaps long cheetah. I will review my notes and figure out what our next step is. Perhaps starting to introduce tack again. Maybe add some new obstacles, like a ground tarp or wagon wheel. Overall, I feel it is important for him to be able to calm himself, lower his head and stop easily from a variety of cues in a variety of situations before I get on his very athletic, very quick & agile back.

My learning
I am challenged to find new things for him to do. I still have a bit of anxiety over the idea of riding him soon.

Eighth Session
Date seen: 11/9
Length of session: 20 mins

Observations
Lucky was just a bit impatient tonight.

Work done
Quick review on both sides of cheetah with cueing the camel. Review of head lowering from poll pressure and lead. Labyrinth in both directions. He has these mastered.
Played with the dance. He still does not quite get which leg I am indicating.
Played with cobra. His come is great. His stop and stand are a bit impatient. So we spent a few minutes on cobra.
Played with slow walk – fast walk transitions and walk-trot transitions in cheetah.

Next session plan
Do more bodywork at the mounting block.
Start adding in the tack.

My learning
I’m a bit stumped how to improve his halts without drilling him, or reprimanding him. Perhaps find a reward that he gets while he stands quietly? A bit of food? Some bodywork?

Next post I will talk about the solutions I came up with, and what we are doing now. Until then, stay warm & enjoy your 4 legged friends.

My feelings about TTEAM & natural horsemanship

2010-12-12T11:19:00.000-08:00

I recently had a student ask me about the differences between TTEAM and natural horsemanship. As I mulled over her questions later than night, I got to thinking about why I had chosen TTEAM, and why I returned to TTEAM after exploring some popular natural horsemanship methods. This is my personal view on the approaches, and my view continues to evolve.

Natural horsemanship techniques typically rely on a combination of desensitizing, habituation, dominance and repetition.

Taking each of these components, lets take a closer look. Desensitizing equals removing sensitivity. Horses see, hear, smell, feel and sense much more than most people. Desensitizing is considered desirable in natural horsemanship because the process produces a calmer, less reactive horse. Personally, I value my horse’s superior senses and depend on my horse to notice things I wouldn’t. I also recognize that there will always be new and potentially scary situations in life, no matter how many objects and situations I would desensitize my horse to. So the question is whether teaching a horse not to react is better than teaching a horse to think through new situations. Another question is whether or not you prefer to depend on your horse’s senses to supplement your own.

Habituation. Habituation is the same as desensitizing.

Dominance is another common theme in natural horsemanship. Become the herd leader. Move your horse’s feet. Drive your horse. Send your horse on a circle in the round pen until he surrenders and joins up. If your horse refuses a request, turn up the pressure. Here I would ask, if you are building a relationship with someone, do you choose to have one person dominate the relationship, to lead without question? How would you feel in a relationship where your partner made all your decisions? How would it feel to not be allowed to say “no”? Can there be true partnership if one partner is not allowed to say “no”? How willing and eager can a horse be, without freedom to choose?

Repetition. I frequently see horses being drilled. Folks drill for 3 reasons that I can see – to reinforce a point, to perfect an exercise or to punish. Once an activity is learned, is there truly a benefit to repeating the lesson?

Another observation I have made about several natural horsemanship techniques is the gap between what is said and what is done. Using gentle words does not translate to gentle actions. I suggest paying attention to what is actually being done, and how the horse is reacting. For example: a carrot stick, a wand, a whip, a crop are all names for similar tools. If the tool is used to tap annoyingly until the horse moves away, or used to cause discomfort or pain, does a warm fuzzy name change the outcome? Pay attention to the obvious – your horse will tell you his/her feelings about the techniques and tools.

I am not suggesting that we anthropomorphize horses. Horses are horses – people are people. I am however suggesting that horses are capable of thought and feeling, and that partnership is only possible when the thoughts, feelings and boundaries of both parties are honored.

Allowing for our differences also means learning each other’s language. Would you deal with someone who spoke a different language than yours by shouting? By forcing? By repeating over and over? By creating discomfort and waiting for the person to fumble around until by accident they got the answer and relieved the discomfort? Or would you take the time to explain your request in a variety of ways until understood?

Brainwaves can be a good indicator of how a horse is responding to a given technique or interaction. Informal studies over the years using Electroencephalograms (EEGs) have shown beta, alpha, theta and delta brainwaves occurring together in both hemispheres during TTouch. TTEAM Ground obstacles produced beta brainwaves, indicative of analytical thinking. EEGs during petting, stroking, brushing and rest did not produce the mix of all 4 types of brainwaves in both hemispheres. These results suggest that the non-habitual movements and touches of TTEAM produce thinking horses and true learning.

With my horses, natural horsemanship techniques produced obedience, and horses that were subtly unhappy with the work and not as interested in spending time with me when given a choice. TTEAM produced calm, curious, trusting interested partners. So when someone asks me how TTEAM is different from other popular techniques, my answer is that for me TTEAM is about respectful willing partnership, conscious thought, and the right to say “no”.

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These products and these statements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease but rather as dietary supplements intended solely for nutritional support.

Time With The Herd

2010-12-09T15:05:00.001-08:00

I trimmed all 4 horses tonight. I generally trim every week or two, and I've started trimming them loose in the pasture. I find that they are all more cooperative when I allow them freedom to stand without a halter. Another change I made is I return a hoof whenever they pull it away, rather than holding on and insisting I be allowed to finish. I find the more I am willing to let go and offer freedom, the more they trust me to hold their hooves. Trimming has become very fast and easy approached this way. I can get all 4 done in about 45 minutes. I'm finding their hooves are much healthier on this frequent trim schedule.
Foster provided a learning experience tonight. He stood for his front feet, and walked away when I started his hinds. I found that he was mistrustful and thought the process would hurt. I did put him in a halter and lead, although I still allowed him to circle and step away when he chose. I figured out that I could rest his hind toe on my steel-toed boot and trim from the bottom while he stood comfortably. While I worked, Lucky stood behind Foster with his nose by my hands, watching me work and inspecting the results. By the end of the session, Foster was relaxed again. I'll be curious to see whether I can trim him loose next session.

I found this link on Facebook today. This is an excellent step-by-step description of a barefoot trim.
http://blog.easycareinc.com/blog/on-the-hoof/0/0/step-by-step-trim-progression

I also spent time with Lucky tonight. I brought his halter, lead and wand out in the field, without an agenda for our session. He started to walk away from me, so I put down the lead and wand. I approached, greeted him, and retreated. In a minute, I approached and greeted again. As soon as he showed reluctance, I backed out of his space. The third time I showed him the halter after greeting him, let him sniff it, then backed away before he could leave. When I lifted the halter to approach a 4th time, he came to me first and allowed me to put the halter on.
I chose to reward his willingness to stay with me by focusing on fun and pleasant bodywork. I spent several minutes just doing TTEAM TTouches, mainly connected clouded leopard, all over his body in a slow steady rhythm. I finished just standing in a grounding position, one hand on his chest and one on his back behind his withers.
Of course, while I was doing all of this, Foster was watching, nibbling, sniffing and just generally being a jealous pest. Foster loves attention and petting, and follows anyone with a brush or who even looks willing to give some scratches. Lucky took a break to chase Foster down the field before returning to me to resume our time together.
We watched the sun set together.
What a great way to wrap up a chilly evening outside.

Beyond The Spook - Returning to Calmness & Courage

2010-11-21T19:08:00.000-08:00

Last month I discussed a variety of techniques to prevent anxiety and spooks in horses (and their riders).

This month I’m following up with what to do during and after a spook. My inspiration for this article was a recent twilight ride on my normally brave and calm gelding Poco. Headed down the road, we were suddenly confronted by a loose steer from a neighbors farm. The steer stared us down, then actually ran into the road. After I got us both safely home, I sat down to mull over the incident, what I could have done differently or better, and how to help him deal with future steer encounters. As I worked through the situation, I realized there are a set of principles that I have developed over the years that guide my reactions in spook situations.
Acknowledge the reaction: Generally speaking, when it comes to scary objects and spooks, I prefer to acknowledge my horse’s reaction. I too will stare in the direction he is staring and take some deep breaths to smell the wind. Horses have much keener senses than we do. If my horse indicates something is wrong up ahead, I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt about what he senses/sees. If my job is to be the leader and to inspire his confidence in me, he has to trust me to recognize potential danger. Ignoring a situation he considers dangerous tells him I am unaware of my surroundings and thus not keeping either of us safe. Leaders are aware of their surroundings. I looked until I spotted the steer.
Breathe: You can often calm a horse by breathing with him. First I take several shallow rapid breaths to smell the air, just like my horse is doing. Then I take a deep long breath in and give a big sigh. This is what horses do when they assess and then dismiss danger. Often I find my horse will breathe with me, and sigh after I do. Whether or not my horse responds to breathing helps me decide my next move. Poco continued to snort and breathe shallow.
Look: Centered Riding talks about hard eyes and soft eyes. Hard eyes are focused tightly on a specific object, and you have limited peripheral vision. Soft eyes are taking in everything around you. I use hard eyes to identify the danger my horse is focused on, then soften my eyes to cue that I have dismissed the danger. Poco had hard eyes, and when I switched to soft eyes he did not mimic me.
Dismount: If I have any doubts about my ability to handle the situation while riding, I dismount. If my horse goes into a blind panic, I have a better chance of getting out of his way from the ground rather than dealing with a runaway horse or being thrown. I have many more options to work with my horse from the ground. I can do EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), I can breathe with him, I can lower his head, I can give him something to eat to get him breathing and chewing, I can distract him with an obstacle, I can do EFT on myself to deal with my own emotions about the situation. I can do TTouches. I can also choose whether to lead from in front or behind or beside. Generally speaking, I lead from in front when approaching a scary situation and lead from the side staying between my horse and the danger when leaving a scary situation. I stay out of my horse’s potential flight path, so I am always aware of the most likely flight path. When Poco failed to calm from the head lowering cue, breathing and soft eyes, I dismounted. I stayed at his head, between him and steer.
Be a leader: I make the decision to move forward, go around the risk, stay put or leave. If I can clearly see the risk, and I can identify there is no danger, I will ask him to go forward. If going forward is too threatening for my horse, I will attempt to go around. If my horse is close to going into flight or fight mode, I'll stay put or leave. With Poco and the steer, I made the choice to stay put. Turning Poco away from the danger, putting his hindquarters to the steer, caused him to go into mindless panic threatening to flee. Pushing him forward or around started him into fight mode. Staying put and lowering his head, allowing him to eat grass to keep him breathing and chewing, kept him under control and both of us safe until the steer went home.
Know your horse: Each horse has a different threshold for moving between thinking, flight or fight. Know your horse. A horse in fight or flight mode is not thinking and learning. The goal is to keep your horse thinking, responding, breathing, chewing. You may have to switch strategies quickly to dance between thinking, fight or flight. Bottom line: If a 1000+ pound creature is truly determined to flee or fight, there is little you can do to stop him. Better to prevent the confrontation and preserve the relationship, even if that means retreating to approach the situation another day, better prepared. In Poco’s case, we danced between staying, going around, and leaving. We danced between head lowering and eating grass. This all happened in a matter of minutes, sometimes seconds. When he starting to go into fight or flight, I’d back away from what I was doing and switch to a different tactic. I had to be nimble mentally and physically to negotiate the situation, calming him while allowing his feelings.
Know your abilities: Leave your pride at home. If you feel fearful yourself, or unable to cope, accept your feelings and turn back. This keeps you and the horse safe, and later allows you to do EFT to clear your emotions.

After the spook, when we are both safely home, I do some EFT on myself and my horse. I choose positive phrases, such as I am courageous when faced with new situations, I trust (insert name) to keep me safe, I love and accept myself, etc.
If possible, I figure out some TTEAM obstacles or excercises that mimic the situation so my horse can learn courage in a safe environment at home.
In Poco’s case, besides doing EFT, I will likely ask my neighbor if I can do TTEAM work in the pasture next to the steer pasture. I will only approach as far as he is comfortable, then using TTouches, a bodywrap, and my other tools, I will gradually move him closer. Perhaps I will ask to borrow a calf to live with the horses. Additionally, I admitted to myself that my gut instinct before leaving that night was to stay home, as his vision is not as good at twilight. I will choose times to ride that allow for his best vision. Finally, to put it in perspective, I thanked him for listening to me. I was bareback and he was wearing only a rope halter. He could easily have thrown me or bolted for home before I dismounted. He listened enough to keep us both safe, and I give him credit for that.

October eNewsletter

2010-10-25T07:10:00.000-07:00

Beyond the basic supplements for people

In last month's eNewsletter I listed the basic supplements I consider essential for my family. These included Waiora's Natural Cellular Defense and Agarigold and Dynamite's Multivitamin, Izmine, PMS, Zinc Plus and Elixer.
This month I'm adding the supplements I consider very important for vibrant health, beyond the basics.
Waiora makes several other very useful supplements. I personally have found their Fast2Sleep very helpful for retraining my body to go to bed at an earlier time and I sleep through the night easily. Waiora's Advanced Antioxidant is very high quality. The Herbal Detox Tea and the Superior Fiber Blend are very useful for cleansing and improving gut health. Waiora's Healthy Aging is very useful also. From Dynamite, I also use Adrenal Support, DynaLite, SOD, Hiscorbadyne, Solace, and Liquid Trace Minerals as needed. I consume Dynamite's Miracle Clay once or twice a week in water. I do a skin patch test on myself to decide when I should take DynaLite. I paint some iodine on the underside of my forearm. If the iodine absorbs in less than 24 hours, I take DynaLite. I generally take SOD every spring before the start of allergy season. I prefer to stairstep my SOD, taking 1/day for a week, then 2/day for a week, then 3/day for a week, then 2/day for a week, then I finish the bottle at 1/day. While I don't take Solace or Trace Minerals daily, I do muscle test myself for them periodically, especially if I am coming down with something. I use Adrenal Support if I am feeling tired and rundown, finding myself reaching for coffee or protein for a boost, if my adrenal reflex point is sore. I always muscle test any supplements before I take them

Healthy Dog Diet

www.dogfoodproject.com is a good website for dog food information. Some folks feel that dogs do best on a grain-free diet. You can do an internet search and read the pros and cons. I personally feed my dogs without grain, and I feel they are doing well. Raw diet is another popular approach, and there are many logical reasons to feed raw. My dogs get Dynamite Ultimate Dog Food, Taste of The Wild kibble and Dynamite Showdown supplement. I also give them raw beef bones or chicken necks in moderation. Another great local source of information is Vicki Kelly at For Pete's Sake in Middletown, Maryland. Vicki feeds raw, and is a wealth of knowledge about pet diets. Here is a blog article I wrote about my dogs' health care program and another article about raw diet.

Calming & Focusing Your Horse

Last month I posted about calming and focusing your horse using the TTEAM Labyrinth. I also have found some other supplements and tools useful for dealing with high-strung, nervous and/or fearful horses. To start, I feel diet is key. Unless my horse is in hard daily work, I feed only forages and sometimes high-fat feeds like non-GMO cold extruded soybeans or black oil sunflower seeds. I use Standlee timothy or orchardgrass hay pellets, as well as pasture and quality grass hay. Getting horses off a grain diet can make a huge difference in energy level and ability to focus. From Dynamite I use Relax orally (for fear, nervous behaviors or old traumas) or Tranquil orally. Lifewave makes a non-transdermal Energy Patch. When applied to the horse's poll behind the ears where the crown piece would sit - white patch behind the right ear and tan patch behind the left ear, I've seen the patches settle my normally hard-to-trim draft cross, and give me a spook-free ride on my nervous insecure trail horse. My final calming tool, which works very quickly and well, is Emotional Freedom Technique. This tapping technique is easy to learn and can be used directly on the horse or on you as a surrogate. Here is a blog post about using EFT with my horse Lucky.

You can sign up to receive the monthly eNewsletter, which sometimes includes exclusive special offers, at www.carrieeastman.com

Until next post, may your fall days be warm and sunny!
Carrie & the critter gang

Fall musings

2010-09-30T18:04:00.000-07:00

(me & my brother riding Thistle)

As Halloween and the first killing frost suddenly seem just around the corner, I get to thinking about the past year. That includes the blog. I looked back over the old posts, and realized I've shared a lot about techniques, and science, training and facilities and nutrition, and not so much about life here at Oak Hill and my own personal journey with my animals. It occurs to me that perhaps people read newsletters to learn facts, and read blogs to learn about the person behind the newsletters & facts.

So this is me. (with Pandy, our first dog)

I feel like I was born loving animals and the outdoors. All my earliest drawings were horses or other animals. I thought I'd be a jockey, then a vet, then I got interested in wildlife science and planned to go into endangered carnivore restoration. I spent some time working with wolves in North Carolina, finished college, spent some time working on shad (an endangered migratory fish) restoration and finally ended up working for a government environmental agency. I was out in the woods a lot. As a kid, I lived near a nature reserve and used to head out alone, for hours at a time. I knew all the dirt roads and deer trails, built little camps and hides, explored the old ruins and ponds. In elementary school, my girlfriends and I used to sneak off the playground to play on the trails in the woods behind the school. The trees in my yard each held seats or treehouses, sometimes both. I spent summers camping in New Hampshire and at the family farm in eastern shore Maryland.

(top to bottom: New Hampshire, the pet snake, Whitey & Thumper)

So I've come to realize that the seeds of my present life were planted a long time ago. Which brings me to the present, a sunny fall day in my dream house on a few acres of hilly Pennsylvania land.

This past year has brought many changes to Oak Hill. We lost PonyPony in April, Fearless (our border collie) at the end of the summer. They both died at home, peacefully, after very long lives. The fainting goat herd has grown, and so has the chicken flock. I'm happy to be able to share eggs with my parents and my hay grower. We're making progress on self-sufficiency. I have plans to milk a few of our does this coming spring. Our garden grew larger this year, and I'm grateful for the abundance of fresh veggies we've had all summer. And the zuchinni that continues to produce, and produce, and produce...

I've got plans, and some of the materials, to add cold frames sometime next year for fall 2011 crops.

We're putting in a woodstove this fall, and hope to do most of our heating with passive solar and the stove this winter. With 20 years of deadfall around the place, we should have plenty of wood this winter to warm our compact home.

The pastures and runways continue to evolve. I may have one more round of soil tests to post this fall, then I'll be taking a break from that project until the cold kills off the underbrush the goats can't reach. You can read about the pastures/runways at http://quercusknoll.blogspot.com/

I found plans in a magazine for passive solar stock tank heaters. I believe I can adapt them for smaller buckets, and will eventually build some for all the livestock. Watch for posts when I do.

Until next Friday, be well & happy!

Carrie

http://www.carrieeastman.com/

Tips For Endurance & Competitive Trail Horses

2010-09-09T13:13:00.001-07:00

As many of my clients have endurance or competetive trail horses, I have gathered together all the tips I have found over the years into one program.

For the off season/winter:
Dynamite Pelleted Grain Ration or organic corn/oats/barley to maintain the desired energy level.
Dynamite HES (cold extruded soybean pellet) and/or black oil sunflower seeds and/or Standlee hay pellets to maintain weight.
Free choice grass hay and pasture.
Regular Dynamite and/or Dynamite Plus - each horse is different, so either muscle test for the best option or contact me for suggestions.
Free choice Dynamite 2-1 Calcium/Phosphorus, Dynamite 1-1 Calcium/Phosphorus, Dynamite Izmine, and loose unbleached plain salt (I use Dynamite NTM salt, Redmond is also good)
Dynamite Free & Easy OR yucca/MSM/Ester C or Dynamite Hiscorbadyne (equal amounts by weight). I feel Dynamite brand MSM is the best on the market, and also buy my yucca and Ester C from Dynamite.
Dynamite DynaPro with every meal
Dynamite Excel (1 tsp) in the evening meal

During Training:
Same as the off season, with some adjustments.
The amounts of Dynamite and Dynamite Plus will be adjusted as the work load increases and as green grass becomes available in the spring. Muscle test, or ask me for suggestions.
The grain and fatty feeds will need to be increased to maintain energy and weight.
I offer DynaSpark mixed with water in addition to plain water on hot days and after training.
Topically, I use Dynamite Miracle Clay for a poultice on the legs, or wherever I find heat on the body.
Increase the Dynamite Hiscorbadyne
I also spray on Release topically on hot spots.
Developmental Natural Resources makes a topical mineral soak called Draw which is excellent on the joints.
I use homeopathic arnica for any bruises/sprains/strains

Prior to a race:
Same program as the training program, except for the following changes.
Stop the yucca a week prior and during the race.
Stop Free & Easy a week prior and during the race.
3 days before the race start Dynamite Pre-Race Pak (skip this for competitive trail).
A week prior to the race start Waiora Agarigold and continue during the race and until you return home.

During the race:
Offer HES as a snack along the trail and in camp
Lifewave Energy Patches are a non-transdermal patch you apply to acupuncture points to increase stamina. Contact me for placement suggestions.
Spray Dynamite Release around the coronet bands.

In general, each horse is different and muscle testing or working with a health practitioner can help you adjust the program to suit your horse. Dynamite Super Stress, Dynamite Easy Balance, Dynamite Easy Boy, Dynamite OxEMega and Dynamite Liquid Trace Minerals are all products that work well for some horses in endurance and competitive trail.
I suggest monitoring your horse's selenium levels. Horses in hard work and/or taking sulfur products (MSM) may need extra selenium.
You can add Dynamite Catalyst Water to the drinking water.
Regular bodywork such as chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, accupressure and bio energy work are all helpful. I personally feel cranio-sacral and bio energy work are the most helpful, at least for my horses.
For mental and emotional health, learn Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) or find a practitioner. This is a very very valuable tool. http://www.eftuniverse.com/

Finally, you are part of the partnership. Pay attention to your own health. Take good quality supplements, use electrolytes and drink enough during competition, work on your own mental & emotional issues - stay fit and healthy for your equine partner.

Product links:
Dynamite
Waiora
Lifewave
Developmental Natural Resources (DNR)
Or speak to your current distributor or upline.

Happy healthy trails!
Carrie
http://www.carrieeastman.com/

Thoughts on economizing on supplements...

2010-08-25T06:42:00.000-07:00

Written by Judy Sinner, senior Dynamite Director with years of experience in horse nutrition. While written for users of the Dynamite product line, the information is relevant for anyone feeding a high-quality supplement and/or food to their animals.
On economizing on feed and supplements in these interesting times...
What I see happening, as feed prices and stuff go up, is people trying to feed less and less of the Dynamite supplements, ie buying Plus because it is cheaper and then feeding the amount equivalent to a usual 1 oz dose of regular D, which has 10 times the nutrient levels as the Plus. Recently I counseled a gal who had been feeding only 1 oz a day of TNT, instead of the recommended 1 and 1/3 cups! That is a little like spitting in the ocean, don't even bother. I doubt she was getting even 2 pellets a day of Dynamite supplement in that miniscule amount of TNT, and she was having (understandably) issues with her horse.
So.
False economy is trying to feed less than the recommended amounts and protocols. I think the rationale is "a little is better than none" which may be true to a point, but at a certain reduced level it is simply not enough to do any good at all, and then it really becomes wasted money and effort. Not to mention, diminishing health and performance, with resultant more injuries and more training frustrations and behavior issues, having to give more feed, lower parasite resistance so you need to do more worming, etc. The bottom line ultimately suffers, costing more than if we had just maintained the required levels of the products.
Ø One way to cut back is what we have actually advocated for many years anyway, that is to just skip one day a week on the supplements. Pick a low stress day, and simply don't give them the Dynamite, or Plus, or TNT. The rest of the time, feed it at the appropriate recommended levels. That will cut your bill by about 13% and still maintain your horse just fine.
Ø If you want to economize on a supplement for horses, feed Dynamite Regular at just 1/2 oz a day, instead of switching to Dynamite Plus which really needs to be fed at 2 - 3 oz a day. You will get more bang for your buck with regular at a lower dose, than you will by trying to feed just an ounce or so of Plus.
Ø At the very least, rather than doing nothing, feed DynaPro every other day, and add 1 tsp of Excel to the feed daily. These are powerful digestive aids and ration catalysts that will dramatically boost feed utilization, thus saving money on expensive hay and grain. This is a great and very low cost option for people who simply can't justify doing more at the moment.
Ø Consider signing up a retail customer who is struggling with finances - you may really help them out if you teach them how to build a business! And you may actually increase your income, as they bring in people that they know.
Another interesting note is that barley is now not only VERY expensive, but nearly impossible to find. So, as Jos pointed out on a recent call with the Silver and Gold Directors, many companies who do "least cost" formulations are simply cutting out the barley, or cutting it to nearly undetectable levels but still showing it on the label, and using more oats and corn. So COB becomes CO. Problem is, oats are rather heating and stimulating, where barley is cooling and calming....so people are seeing some goofiness on commercial mixes that seemed to work before. Jim simply will not, even in the face of the current market, do least cost formulation. So, our PGR remains unchanged (except for the price) BUT the results will be consistent and rewarding. Remember, very little PGR is needed to maintain either weight or performance, mere cups in most cases even to hard-working horses. Also consider using HES, as mentioned before, as either a grain-substitute at a cup or so a day, or adding a little HES if you feed the PGR, rather than feeding more PGR. This is a pretty huge selling point right now, so capitalize on this information when you are talking to clients and downline. Make lemonade out of the lemons!

Carrie
www.carrieeastman.com

The regular Dynamite, Dynamite Plus, Dynamite TNT, Dynamite HES, Dynamite DynaPro, Dynamite PGR (Pelleted Grain Ration) and Dynamite Excel mentioned in the article can all be found at www.dynamitemarketing.com/carrieeastman

A summer evening with the animals...

2010-07-26T18:07:00.000-07:00

Spent some time with the goats & horses tonight. Just being.

I sat down in the goat pen for a visit. Guy decided I needed sloppy goat kisses in my ear, then burped at me. He does that almost every time - maybe some sort of goatie joke? Almost all the does came over for a scratch and to say hello. Princess, the shy doeling, even came over to sniff my fingers and Moonshadow followed her mom over to check me out. Perhaps it's time to coin the phrase "conscious goatmanship", as the TTEAM and conscious horsemanship work wonders with the goats as well.

I brought a brush and comb and headed out into the horse pasture. Left it up to Poco and Ben to decide the agenda.

They allowed me to do a few back exercises, comb out some mane tangles, scratch the itchy spots.

I was careful to honor their choices and allow them to move away from the activities as they chose. They both seemed to appreciate the attention, and jogged over for treats later, willing to leave the lush green grass to say hello.

I also spent some time with Lucky, and Foster over in the paddock paradise runway. I was tempted to have an agenda - very tempted. Years of lessons and training goals - versus just allowing the relationship to happen. I ended up just standing with the 2 of them and hunting horse flies. Lucky learned quickly to stand still when the flies landed and keep his tail quiet, so I could kill the fly. Something shifted further in our relationship, just standing and swatting flies. Feels like he is starting to appreciate me and see value in our friendship. He followed me willingly away from Foster and out of the field, so we mutually decided to go for a stroll on this lovely summer evening. We wandered down our country rode, stopping while Lucky ate the best patches of grass, watching the cows over the hill. I held the lead rope totally slack and he kept pace with me comfortably. On the way home, we stopped to chat with a neighbor until Lucky snorted a bug up his nose. Oops! A bit of dancing and then he insisted it was time to go home - NOW. Even then, he was just excited rather than pushy or nasty, and he responded to my gentle request to slow down and was willing to tow me up the hill holding onto his mane. (Did I mention we have a very, very steep hill...)

What a lovely way to enjoy a summer sunset, hanging out with the horses.

Until next time, wishing you peace and rosy sunsets!

Carrie

www.carrieeastman.com

www.oakhillfaintinggoats.com

Foster and DSLD

2010-05-06T13:41:00.000-07:00

DSLD is short for Degenerative Suspensory Ligament Desmitis. My husband's horse Foster has DSLD. Foster is a 13 year old Clydesdale/Appendix Quarter Horse cross gelding. He came to us overweight with pasterns that were horizontal at rest. Initially, he also was unable to canter normally; instead he would bunny hop with both rear legs moving together.

Over the last 3 years Foster has made significant progress. His pasterns have come up and he is able to canter normally, even throwing in a buck now and then. Foster still has enlarged, calcified fetlocks, slower-than-normal hoof growth, and persistent flares in his rear hooves. Foster also still cribs, and has some challenges maintaining his weight.

Over the last couple years I have had various questions about what has made a difference for Foster. I decided to collect all the tidbits on DSLD that I could find and post them here, as well as post about Foster's lifestyle.

What Foster eats most days:

4 cups of rolled barley

black oil sunflower seeds (BOSS)

Timothy hay

pasture grass

Regular formula Dynamite vitamin/mineral supplement

Dynamite 1-1 and 2-1 calcium-phosphorus mixes fed free choice

Dynamite Izmine mineral fed free choice

Dynamite NTM salt fed free choice

Dynamite Free & Easy joint supplement

Foster's diet changes periodically, including spring and fall cleanses. Go to our 6/8/09 post for more details.

Other folks I know with DSLD horses have felt their horses also did well eating:

Dynamite TNT (instead of Regular Dynamite)

Dynamite MSM

Devil's Claw

Dynamite Hiscorbadyne (Ester C plus bioflavenoids, which is included in Free & Easy)

Dynamite products can be purchased at www.dynamitemarketing.com/carrieeastman

DSLD horses appear to do better on low-sugar/low-carb diets. Most folks avoid grain and are careful about their pasture and hay. http://www.safergrass.org/ has good information about low-carb forages.

I am very careful about Foster's feet. Foster is barefoot, and has a mustang trim with rolled toes. I suggest finding a hoof care practitioner trained to do what are commonly called mustang or natural barefoot trims. I have a collection of barefoot trimming links on my website.

I found that keeping Foster turned out to move around is very important. He has a run-in shed rather than a stall, and I follow Paddock Paradise principles here. http://www.paddockparadise.com/ You can see our set-up at our sister blog http://www.quercusknoll.blogspot.com/

Some folks use bute to relieve the pain of this condition. I have read that bute might inhibit collagen formation. As I also have read that bute could contribute to ulcer formation, I have chosen to avoid bute for pain relief for Foster.

There is an excellent website with a collection of DSLD information at www.angelfire.com/bc/curlygait/diagnose.html

A google search revealed that many people have fed a Chinese herb called Jiaogulan to horses with DSLD. There are some published papers on using this herb - you can find the research at the angelfire website above. I found suggested feeding amounts listed on a blog entry.

"Older horses - 1/2 tsp twice a day

Younger horses - 3/4 tsp twice a day

Give twice daily, 20 minutes before feeding anything in the morning, preferably at least an hour between dosing in the afternoon/evening and when the horse last ate. Again, do not feed for 20 minutes after the second dose of the day.

Signs an effective dose has been reached include:

-pinker gum color

-brighter more alert attitude

-more energy

-improved comfort

If these signs are not seen within 3 days, increase the dose in 1/4 tsp increments"

(This is a quote from a blog entry. Please consult your vet about these dosages.)

http://www.herbalcom.com/ is a source of bulk Jiaogulan

A google search also revealed that some folks feed Arginine Alpha Ketoglutarate (AAKG), an amino acid Arginine. They fed 3-4 grams per 500 lbs bodyweight. Please consult your vet about this feed item.

I have not fed either AAKG or Jiaogulan to Foster. I am not a veterinarian. The information above is not intended to treat or diagnose. I am simply sharing the results of my web search for other folks' experiences with DSLD. I strongly suggest you consult with your health care practitioner before trying any of these ideas. Herbs and supplements can interact with each other and other drugs. Please - be careful and work with a knowledgeable professional.

I have read about vibrational remedies prepared by Carolyn Libby. I believe these are similar to homeopathy. Her website is http://www.purplechanges.com/ Carolyn's own horse had DSLD. Foster has not yet tried her remedies.

Another person reported improvements in her DSLD horse after using an acuscope. http://www.animaltherapysystems.com/

Until next post, may you be happy and healthy!

Foster & Carrie and the other critters at Oak Hill

http://www.carrieeastman.com/

Spring at Oak Hill!

2010-03-25T17:30:00.000-07:00

With the warmer weather, I've gone back to playing with Lucky using Carolyn Resnick's Waterhole Rituals http://www.carolynresnick.com/ and some TTEAM/TTouch . So far, Lucky and I have done sharing territory, saying hello, taking territory, leading from behind and have just started magnetic connection. I've also been mixing in TTouch to make my time with him really fun and relaxing. I also use bladder meridian sweeps and some of Dr. Golob's body exercises. Lucky seems very receptive and curious, mixed with the occasional mild challenge. He responds to the TTouch with lots and lots of yawning, licking and chewing. He is still protective of his ears, and reluctant about tail work. He was great about picking up his feet and letting me do leg circles.

Poco and Ben have lost a lot of muscle tone over the winter. I'm experimenting with a combination of Dr. Golob's techniques, TTEAM ground obstacles and short periods of longing on a hillside to bring them back, playing for just 10-15 minutes at a time daily. Both of them have switched over to a diet of mainly hay pellets, as they are unable to chew much hay at this point. I use well-soaked timothy, orchardgrass and timothy/alfalfa pellets from Standlee in Idaho. Of course, they get their Dynamite vitamins also.

Meanwhile, with the arrival of spring, I'm counting down the days until goat kidding starts. Carlotta (above) is due the first week of April, with our other does kidding every week or so through May. You can follow the goat antics on Twitter or Facebook. Just go to http://www.oakhillfaintinggoats.com/ for links and updates.

Spring is also time to finish up the runways to create our own version of a paddock paradise. You can read more about paddock paradise principles at http://www.paddockparadise.com/ I'll be taking more soil samples and doing our spring pasture fertilizing as well. You can follow all the pasture changes at our sister blog, http://quercusknoll.blogspot.com/

Carrie

Happy New Year!

2010-01-05T14:55:00.000-08:00

After some time off to finish projects before winter, and for the holidays, I'm back playing with the horses and goats.

Carolyn Resnick is offering a free winter course, which I've added to my play sessions. Watch for new posts about her Waterhole Rituals and the new exercises. www.carolynresnickblog.com

I'm also playing with the goats, teaching them some basic requests such as stand, back, no. www.workinggoats.com

Looking forward to a new year and new lessons with the critters!

Be well, and warm,

Carrie

sitting with the horses

2009-10-26T17:24:00.001-07:00

I've gone back to sitting with the horses each day, just reading a book. Lucky has decided his place is to stand over me sleeping, and run the other horses away when they come over to see me. He's an interesting character...

In the ring, Lucky and I are still negotiating our relationship. He is very quick to get upset, dramatic and defensive. I find my requests must be subtle, and I must give him lots of space. I added treats to our sessions, and playing with walk, stop, stand and come with treat and scratch rewards. Ben and Poco watch this with great interest. In fact Ben was quite vocal when I played with him that he should be getting treat rewards also.

I read about someone who rewarded the spectator horses as well as the playing horse for each accomplishment, only to find that the spectators had learned the same lessons from watching. So, I'm adding that to our routine to see what Poco and Ben pick up.

Now that Ben is back to normal weight (after his dental issues) I'm riding him 20 minutes daily to get him back in shape. In his mid-20s, we are taking it slow. He seems happy to be out and about. We had a lovely short ride tonight and I watched the sunset while he munched grass.

Until next time, enjoy sitting with your horses on these lovely fall days!

Carrie & the boys

My dog's health care program

2009-10-07T09:56:00.000-07:00

I currently share my home with 3 dogs. Daisy, our Golden Retriever, Fearless the Border Collie and Wyatt the collie/husky.

All the dogs follow a fairly basic health program. I feed Dynamite Ultimate Dog Food, and occasionally supplement the dog food with pulp from the juicer, cooked and raw vegetables, and a bit of fruit. Most days they just eat the Ultimate, wetted with warm water. The Ultimate is grain-free and very calorie dense. My largest dog only eats 2 heaping cups daily and stays at a perfect weight.

Spring and fall, the dogs spend 28 days on Dynamite Herbal Tonic and Waiora Natural Cellular Defense (NCD). The Dynamite Herbal Tonic contains a variety of herbs known for liver cleansing and having vermifuge (anti-parasitic) properties. The NCD contain zeolite, a mineral that binds to and removes heavy metals.

As the dogs age, I usually give them either Dynamite Free & Easy or a mix of yucca, MSM and Ester C to support their joints.

The dogs get filtered well water to drink.

I feed the dogs raw beef bones or chicken necks to chew, to keep their teeth clean and get some fresh meat into them.

I have been following this very basic program for years, and the dogs have consistently tested negative for heartworms or other parasites.

I do vaccinate for rabies according to Pennsylvania law. My hope is that the rabies challenge will lead to a revision to the law to allow for titers rather than the vaccine.

For fleas, I sprinkle Borax on the carpets and vaccum, or bath the dogs in mild soap and water. 8 minutes in soap drowns most fleas. Neem oil can also be helpful repelling fleas. I use the Dynamite DynaShield as a topical repellent before taking the dogs hiking.

The dogs also received one round of puppy vaccines.

A couple great books to read about dog health are The Nature of Animal Healing by Dr Goldstein and Dr. Pitcairn's New Complete Guide to Natural Health For Dogs & Cats.

That is my dogs' entire health program. Simple. The dogs glow with health.

Carrie

www.carrieeastman.com

Playing with Poco, Ben and Lucky

2009-10-03T18:32:00.000-07:00

What an amazing day playing with the horses! The weather was perfect, so I spent time with 3 of our 5 equines.

Poco was first up. I gave him a complete evaluation from nose to tail and touched up his barefoot trim. A bit of defense physiology work, some TTouch tail traction, and some flexibility exercises for his pelvis and sacrum completed our ground play. Poco has been on vacation for several months after some dental issues and associated weight loss. To help Poco regain his strength and flexibility, we are riding just 20 minutes or so several times a week. I set up some TTEAM obstacles to encourage him to flex his legs and bend his body.
First some simple ground poles...

Below are 2 shots of the labyrinth. The labyrinth has been shown to activate beta, alpha, theta and delta activity in the brain. http://www.ttouch.com/PDFs/EEGstudyOfEquineBrainwaves2006.pdf The labyrinth builds calmness and focus and also encourages bending.

This random arrangement of poles is called "pick up sticks", which is great for developing eye-hoof coordination and proprioception.

This variation of ground poles encourages the horse to find his own straight line through the center of the poles. Drifting to either side causes the stride to become uneven and uncomfortable. (I bumped the far right pole - the angles should all match)

In between playing with the poles, I asked Poco for turns on the forehand, halt-walk-trot-halt transitions, bending, backing, and direct rein and neck rein patterns. After all these months, he remembered everything and gave me perfect responses with the lightest aids.

Ben also got bodywork and a pedicure. Ben prefers to exercise on the trail, so we went out for a quick ride down to the farm. (I promised him a break grazing the hay field before heading home) I'm finding that if I picture clearly when and where on our ride we are stopping to graze, he picks that spot and time.

Lucky and I played with sending away and returning, and seeing how subtle I could make my body language to communicate with him. We finished with some companion walking, which he is just figuring out. Lucky and I mostly play with Carolyn Resnick's Waterhole Rituals these days. Lucky tooks his first steps of companion walking with me today, and the bond between us is growing. He also pays very close attention when I am playing with the other horses.

I feel very grateful for these equine teachers in my life. Their soft eyes, cooperation and calmness are a gift.

Until next time,

Carrie

http://www.carrieeastman.com/

New post on pasture nutrients at Quercus Knoll

2009-10-01T18:30:00.000-07:00

Go to my sister blog http://www.quercusknoll.blogspot.com/ to see my soil test results before and after applying Dynamite Prescription Treatment and CCF. My goal is to quadruple my pasture yields next year.

Carrie
www.carrieeastman.com
www.oakhillfaintinggoats.com

Lucky update

2009-09-10T19:35:00.001-07:00

Lucky and I continue to play and learn. Today, we played with wearing his new biothane bridle/halter (thank you Amy for the gift of your lucky tack - that bridle has been on some amazing horses over the years). Lucky seemed quite pleased with the fit and was very relaxed and interested. He did point out some itchy stitching in the cheek pieces,which I will smooth out before our next session.
I also brought out his saddle pad and saddle, and spent time letting him sniff and investigate each one, rubbing him with the pad, and doing TTouches on him until he licked and chewed and had a soft eye. Lucky has a trail pad with pockets sewn in behind the saddle. He was quite curious about the magic pockets on the pad, from which I produced horse treats.
He was very anxious and suspicious about the saddle, and it took several minutes for him to stop guarding and allow me to place the saddle. (We've only been playing bareback recently).
He has some obvious past associations with wearing tack, so every time he got wound up or anxious we just stood while I explored which TTouches he preferred. He particularly enjoyed tail circles and pulls, and python lifts on his back legs. He shows some minor discomfort with leg circles and hock rocking on his right hind,which will be the subject of some future bodywork.
He remembered his fingertip yields at the shoulders and hips, so we mostly played following games while keeping his head in front of my shoulders. Plus we took several breaks for him to munch grass and me to reinforce that eating breaks are by permission with a specific cue.
All in all, a relaxing session that ended on a good note, and he was eager to greet me later tonight.
I find I'm mixing Parelli and TTEAM and conscious horsemanship exercises together, just going with what feels right and what keeps that lovely soft eye and interested attitude.
He's a great teacher, and becoming a good friend.

Until next post, be well and happy.
Carrie & Lucky and the rest of the Oak Hill gang

Now on Twitter!

2009-08-29T08:13:00.001-07:00

You can follow the Oak Hill fainting goats at http://twitter.com/oakhillfainters

Also, the rehabilitation, health maintenance and performance enhancement business Horses, Humans & Healing is on Twitter at http://twitter.com/hhhealing

Watch for posts on the blog next week on pasture nutrition at http://blogspot.com/quercusknoll

Update on Poco, Ben and Pony-Pony, my geriatric horses:

After the visit from our fantastic new equine dentist Krystin http://www.horsefloss.com/ the horses are improving rapidly. Ben's weight is almost normal now, with little change in his diet. Weight tape estimates he has gained 50 pounds. Pony-Pony is chewing better, and interestingly, moving around much better. She has suddenly self-trimmed her hooves to a perfect length and angle. She is still on the thin side, although gaining weight daily. You may remember Poco was too fragile to be tranquilized for dental work that day. I have increased his hay pellets to about 25 pounds daily, and he is putting on weight. I use Standlee timothy or orchardgrass pellets, and just a pound of alfalfa pellets per day. http://www.standlee.com/ Standlee makes excellent, clean hay pellets. I vary Poco's pellet mixture each meal to keep it interesting, and feed him 3 to 4 times per day. I've also started offering him Dynamite DynaSpark and his hydration is much improved. I'm excited to have Krystin return and do what she can with his remaining teeth. I expect I'll be back riding Poco and Ben by the end of September if they continue improving this way. Of course all the oldies get their Dynamite DynaPro to keep their digestion optimal. I really prefer the DynaPro as it is a prebiotic. The DynaPro provides the nutrients the gut bacteria prefer, and the correct pH, and the bacteria repopulate themselves. Regular probiotics just keep adding gut bacteria into an inhospitable gut, where they go dormant. You can read more about the Dynamite products at www.dynamitemarketing.com/carrieeastman

Until next post, be well and happy!

Carrie

http://www.carrieeastman.com/

new post at Quercus Knoll about fencing

2009-08-06T18:21:00.001-07:00

Just posted at http://quercusknoll.blogspot.com about fencing and fence chargers/controllers.

Oak Hill Fainting Goats update

2009-08-06T16:32:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I posted an update on the fainting goats. Here are a few video clips. This first video is of Chryssy. She joined our herd early this summer, and is hopefully due to kid in August. She has taken a liking to the small doghouse I put out for the kids to play in. Watching her squeeze in and out is something...

Here's some video of some of the breeding stock, as well as our black and white neutered male Guy.

Harley and Chickadee share a feed tub. This involves a bit of head butting...

A visit from the equine dentist

2009-07-27T17:07:00.000-07:00

Today Krystin Dennis at http://www.horsefloss.com/ came to check the boy's teeth. Over the years I've hired quite a variety of dentists to work on the boys.
My goal this time was to find someone who was kind and patient and would work with the horses in respectful partnership.
I also wanted a dentist who understood the principles of balancing the mouth, including the incisors.
A dentist who used hand tools only, or limited use of power tools combined with hand tools was also a goal. (I will add that my goals have changed after some things I learned today. More on that later...) Krystin was trained by Spencer LaFlure at the Advanced Whole Horse Learning Center.
So, here's what Krystin found and more about what I learned:

Lucky really liked Krystin. She took the time for him to examine all the tools and check her out. She demonstrated how the speculum worked and let him try it. (She went through this explanation process with all the horses). Lucky was cooperative and relaxed, and quite willing to just hang out with Krystin when she was done working on him. He had a lovely soft eye throughout the process. He needed a bit of work on both molars and incisors, and overall had a healthy mouth with no impacts from previous incorrect tooth work.

Pony pony (Snowflake) had an interesting experience. I suspect that Pony has had minimal dental care over the years, and she is now in her mid 20s (at least). She was a bit fearful of this new procedure. Krystin coaxed her through it with patience and made allowances for pony's blindness. Kristen found lots of washboard texture in her molars, issues with the incisors, and wolf teeth. Happily, Pony appears to have plenty of tooth left at her age, and no damage from power tools, so with a bit more balancing she should be in great shape.

Ben had some issues with his mouth, the biggest being that his molars are worn almost to the gum line. He is missing 3 molars, and has some brittle teeth, likely from overheating with a power tool. Ben was relaxed and cooperative with Krystin and appreciated all her encouragement and explanations during the process. At this stage in his life, Ben is going to need supplemental hay pellets and pelleted grain, both soaked. He can still chew a bit, however, not enough to sustain himself. I use timothy hay pellets from Standlee Hay. I find these locally at For Pete's Sake in Middletown, MD. The Standlee website has a search feature for local dealers if you are not near MD. I may add just a smidge of alfalfa pellets, depending on how Ben does. I am a fan of pellets rather than cubes, as bits of baling twine and wire can (and do) hide in cubes from some manufacturers. For grain, Ben gets Dynamite Pelleted Grain Ration (PGR). I am not a fan of most commercial senior feeds, as they contain beet pulp, sugar, oils, preservatives, manufacturing by-products, etc. (This is a subject for another post)
Sadly, Poco's teeth were in fairly poor shape. His molars are down to the gumline and there are likely some other issues as well. Poco was not able to get past his trust issues, and Krystin and I agreed he was just too fragile physically today to risk tranquilizing him. Poco is only able to eat mashes at this point. He'll be getting the same combination of hay pellets and Dynamite PGR as Ben, as well as some additional supplements.
A side note here: the last dentist to work on Poco had an accident with the tranquilizer. Poco jerked his neck, and the needle went into his carotid artery, sending the drugs right to his brain. He immediately went into seizures, fell down, and stopped breathing. We were able to ressucitate him with some some radionic work and energy work (no vets were close enough to make it in time). While I work on getting his weight back up and boosting his overall strength, I will also be doing some EFT to help Poco (and myself) past the trauma of his near-death experience. If you choose to tranquilize, please make sure you or the practitioner know the correct technique.

Foster's teeth were in fairly good shape, and he allowed Krystin into his mouth without drugs, which is a huge change. Foster tried to squash the last dentist.

Some key things I learned today:
There is evidence that power tools can heat the tooth and make it brittle. I could actually hear a different tone when heated teeth were filed, over untouched teeth.
A horse only has about 4" of molar to work with in his lifetime. Aggressive floating causes the teeth to wear out prematurely.
You can float a horse's teeth correctly without opening the speculum to the widest setting the jaw allows.
Incisors must be floated, and must have a correct cutting surface. Old-time dentists knew this and did it. Somehow the knowledge was lost.
It is important to leave a cutting edge on the molars. This will not harm the cheek, as the horse pushes the cheek away from the edge during the chewing motion.
Bloodless tooth floating is possible.

Overall, todays experience was excellent. I was thrilled to see the horses connecting with Krystin and participating in the experience.

Until next post, be healthy and happy!
Carrie and the equine gang
http://www.carrieeastman.com/

Quercus Knoll blog updates

2009-07-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

There have been several recent posts on my Oak Hill blog Quercus Knoll. I have posted the overall plans for the exercise runways, some helpful links about pasture seed, forages and herbs. I've also posted pics of the completed runway sections, the pastures and the woods corral.

~Carrie

http://www.carrieeastman.com/

July horse hoof trims

2009-07-15T10:58:00.000-07:00

Poco (above)

Ben (above)

Lucky (above)

Took the toes back into the white line again. Much improved, although hoof capsules are still a bit stretched forward. Soles are tough and frogs have expanded and toughened.

New blog for pastures & runways

2009-07-09T20:57:00.000-07:00

Just for fun, I've started another blog documenting my experiments with pastures, runways, forage, fencing and paddock paradise principles. Click to link or go to my profile to see the Quercus Knoll blog.

Carrie
http://www.carrieeastman.com/
http://www.oakhillfaintinggoats.com/

My yearly Dynamite program for my horses

2009-06-08T09:57:00.000-07:00

I've had requests for an annual checklist of Dynamite products for my horses.

Jan - March:

regular yellow-label Dynamite vit/mineral
free choice 1-1, 2-1, NTM salt and Izmine
DynaPro
Stop all supplements in feed except DynaPro one day per week (free choices are still offered)

April:
all supplements from Jan-March list
1 tsp Excel at night
10 days SOD at full dose

May:
1 tsp Excel at night
28 days Herbal Tonic
free choice minerals
DynaPro

June-Sept:

same program as Jan-March plus 1 tsp Excel at night

Oct:
28 days Herbal Tonic
1 tsp Excel at night
DynaPro
free choice minerals
Waiora Natural Cellular Defense

Nov-Dec:

same program as Jan-March

My husband's horse is prone to ulcers and gets Miracle Clay when he is stressed

My black-skinned Arabian with melanoma gets 1/4 dose of SOD daily year round (any dark horse that is prone to sun bleaching may benefit from this)

The older horses get either Free & Easy OR MSM/Yucca/Ester C OR OxEMega/Superstress for joint support

The pony gets Breeder Pac and Herbal Green when she tests for it

We use other specialty items throughout the year. This is just a basic checklist for planning purposes.

Carrie
http://www.carrieeastman.com/

Links on vaccines and germ theory

2009-05-18T10:14:00.000-07:00

I found these links while doing research for a client. I encourage all people who share their lives with various critters to form their own conclusions about appropriate care for the animals. These links present a viewpoint not as commonly seen in the media and schools.

Germ Theory:

Started by Pasteur and Beauchamp, the basic premise is that germs/bacteria/viruses cause disease. Pasteur admitted on his death bed that he had it wrong. Beauchamp and others continued the research and drew some interesting conclusions which turn the conventional medical model on its ear.

http://www.unhinderedliving.com/germtheory.html

http://www.whale.to/v/disease2.html

Vaccines:

There is much discussion about the pros and cons of vaccination. I have done a variety of internet searches, and found that links discussing adverse reactions and vaccinosis were a bit more difficult to find. Here are a couple I found interesting:

http://www.horseadvice.com/horse/messages/3/16617.html

http://www.critteradvocacy.org/Web%20Links.htm

http://www.rabieschallengefund.org/

Carrie

www.carrieeastman.com

www.oakhillfaintinggoats.com

Fainting goat kids are here!

2009-05-11T08:04:00.001-07:00

The first kids were born early in the morning Saturday May 9. Mimosa had 2: a boy and a girl.

Carlotta will kids any day now, and Chryanthemum will kid in August. The video is posted below.

As cute as he is, I will be selling the buckling to a good home. The doeling may be polled. If she is, I will likely sell her as well, as polled goats (naturally without horns) are usually bred to horned goats for genetic reasons, and our only horned buck is her daddy.

Go to http://www.oakhillfaintinggoats.com/ for more pics, background on their bloodlines, and sales information.

Carrie

www.carrieeastman.com

2009-05-05T09:25:00.001-07:00

Wow, where did the time go?!?

My last post was back in March.

Much has been going on here. The Fainting Goats are due to kid any day now. Carlotta and Mimosa are huge - waddling around like they swalled a couple of basketballs. Watch here or on http://www.oakhillfaintinggoats.com/ for updates on the kids!

Here at Oak Hill we are also completely redoing our pastures. Dynamite just came out with a new growth accelerant called CCF. With this product, I may be able to produce enough pasture for all 5 horses and the goat herd on roughly 3.5 acres. The CCF has tripled (and more) yield in a variety of crops. We are refencing, reseeding, adding runways to follow the paddock paradise principles of Pete Ramey www.paddockparadise.com and preparing to apply the first round of CCF. I'll track the pasture growth and post progress reports.

This is hoof trimming week as well, so all the horses are getting their pedicures.

Oak Hill is on Facebook now. Look for the badge/link on the right side of this page. Come visit us! All the horses have their own page on Horsebook in my profile.

The spring garden is planted, and getting a round of Dynamite Prescription Treatment. http://www.dynamiteonline.com/newcat.nsf/(Catalog+Lookup)/Rx+Treatment+for+Home+and+Garden++-+SOIL+PRODUCTS?OpenDocument

Until next time, be happy and healthy!

Carrie

www.carrieeastman.com

Waterhole rituals - sitting with the horses

2009-03-05T16:42:00.000-08:00

I've been sitting with the horses almost every day. Sometime I sit in the morning, near the water trough so they can stop by as they come in to drink. Tonight I sat out in the field to watch the sunset. Lucky and Foster wandered over and joined me. They napped, investigated me, watched the deer come out - a peaceful way to end the day. I've learned some things about the herd from this sitting and being.
Lucky is the most vigilant. He is very aware of activities in the distance, and watches while the others rest. He is the leader. He always has an eye on me when I am out with them. He has quickly become interested in joining me while I sit, and comes right over to snuffle my hair and clothes, nibble my hair, blow in my face. When Foster becomes too pesky with me, Lucky sometimes runs him off.
Foster, my husband's horse, is also very curious and joins me while I'm sitting. He does not keep his eyes on me all the time though. Foster has trouble just relaxing around me. He gets pushy, nibbles too hard, shoves at me, grabs my shoes.
Poco and Ben watch everything going on. They won't approach me while Foster or Lucky are nearby. I may need to do my sitting with them in another field, or while Foster and Lucky are in their corral.
And Pony, who is blind and has her own private corral, isn't part of these sessions. I will sit with her at other times.
This is all new territory for me, so I have no idea if the horses will progress at different rates, or if this is the normal herd dynamic and they are all learning at the same time. It's an interesting journey.

Until next time, be well and enjoy your horses...

Carrie
www.carrieeastman.com

Another piece of the Lucky puzzle

2009-02-27T07:00:00.000-08:00

From the time I was a toddler, I dreamed of being friends with horses. Dreamed of a partnership - a horse that wanted to be ridden, wanted to learn and teach and explore.
I'm realizing that all horses are capable of such a partnership - they are just waiting for us to let go of agendas and force and listen.
So, while Lucky and I have recently accomplished much with our riding, even going without a bridle or halter, I am still sensing a separation, a skepticism, and a lack of trust between us.
I realized that parnership can't be coerced or bought. Treats don't produce partners.
A partner has the right to say no, to have ideas about the direction the learning will take.
So once again, I've backed away a bit from training to think things over and do some research.

I found a bunch of great information and more new teachers.

www.carolynresnickblog.com

http://www.richmondvalehiking.com/TextPage.asp?MenuItemID=52&SubMenuItemID=189
Stina Herberg's website on St Vincent in the Caribbean. Stina is working with a herd of rescued horses at liberty using Carolyn's principles. Stina has posted many amazing vidoes of her life with these horses.

www.horseconscious.com
A collaboration between Mark Rashid, Linda Kohanov, Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling, Alexander Nevzorov and Carolyn Resnick, Anna Twinney, Kathy Pike, Kim McElroy, Liz Mittan Ryan and Stormy May. Excellent forum!

www.artofnaturaldressage.com

Which circles me back around to Lucky, and the other horses in the herd here. I've decided to go through the Waterhole Rituals with the herd, following the guidance of Carolyn Resnick. So, you can find me every day sitting in the pasture, just meditating/thinking/watching and letting the horses observe me. Nothing more until they decide to approach and become pests with their attention.
So far, I've learned that when they focus on something, if I focus on it, study it thoroughly and then sigh and relax, the horses also sigh and relax. I've also learned that Lucky watches me more than the others, rarely removing his attention from me. Poco, my oldest and dearest friend in the herd, also surprised me by watching me quite a bit, even though he's knows me 20 years. So, we'll see what happens next.

Until next time, be well and happy!
Carrie and the Oak Hill herd
www.carrieeastman.com
Find us on Facebook!

partnership with Lucky

2009-02-09T16:05:00.001-08:00

A few weeks back I posted about my first rides with Lucky. While I was thrilled to be on him and starting our journey, something still felt "off". I sensed skepticism and mistrust from him, and felt like he was holding himself apart.
Because of these feelings, I continued my search for new ways to be with him. I have explored all sorts of "natural horsemanship" techniques over the years, and am a TTEAM Practitioner-in-training myself. All of these techniques still felt like the horse was dominated, albeit usually in a kind way. I still dreamed of the possibility of a true partnership with no demands, only mutual learning and guidance. I remember reading in The Tao of Equus and Riding Between The Worlds about working with horses without any dominance, just kind leadership. I read about a ranch where the horses chose each day which would be ridden, and would present themselves to be saddled.
Then I met Kim Walnes www.thewayofthehorse.com Watching her teach, having the opportunity to meet her equine partner Guideon, renewed my faith in a kinder, gentler partnership. And suddenly, all sorts of trainers and resources began appearing on my radar. Trainers that could work with stallions at liberty, with mares in heat present. A man riding a horse, doing airs above ground that were the horse's idea, with only a neck rope and a saddle.
So, today I decided to apply some Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) to my relationship with Lucky. You can learn more about EFT at www.emofree.com In a nutshell, EFT involves tapping on specific points on your body to clear emotional baggage and replace the baggage with positive programming on a cellular level. During the tapping statements are made. I use positive statements only, following the principles of Conscious Language www.masterysystems.com
With EFT, you can surrogate tap for an animal. I trust the flow, and add the statements as they pop into my consciousness. Each of these statements was a round of tapping. Here is what we tapped today:
I am one with Lucky
Lucky is one with me
I understand Lucky’s emotions
I find Joy with Lucky
I find peace with Lucky
I am peace with Lucky
I have adventure with Lucky
I explore trails with Lucky in safety and joy
We move in harmony
Lucky and I are friends
I love and nurture all my horses
I cherish Poco and spend quality time with him (my note: Poco jumped in here, feeling left out)

Stopped and pictured myself riding down the trail happy and joyous on Lucky. Felt fear in myself. More tapping…

I face my fears with Lucky
I choose Trust
I choose trust with Lucky
I am courage with Lucky
I feel Lucky’s energy
I share Lucky’s energy
I feel Lucky’s excitement
I share Lucky’s excitement
I remember the fun of an energized horse
I enjoy a courageous energized horse (started feeling sad)
I love a courageous energized horse (lots of sadness)

At this point I realized the sadness was over Buck, my first horse. He was a very energetic and yet calm horse. He could poke along, or be like sitting on controlled dynamite. We did everything from trails, to riding in traffic, to open jumpers and hunt seat. He died young, of colic. I still had some unresolved sadness about the way I was taught to treat jumpers, and how patient he was over the treatment.

More tapping:
I choose forgiveness
I am forgiveness
Forgiveness is love

(felt a sudden release of the emotions)

At this point I ended the EFT session. I was surprised by where the tapping had taken me, when my goal was a closer relationship with Lucky.

So, later today, I took Poco and Ben out for a leisurely trail ride, then called Lucky. For the first time, he walked right up and was positive about me putting on the halter. With just the rope halter I mounted bareback. Just stood and scratched and rubbed and did TTouches on him. I explored where he liked to be scratched. Gave him hugs, rubbed behind his ears, fed him treats. I got one huge wave of sadness, when I rubbed my legs against his sides. He reached around to sniff my boots, and I got an impression about spurs. He licked and chewed and sighed, sniffed as much of my legs and boots as he could reach, nibbled on me, and stood quietly. This is the same horse who came off the racetrack, that bucked when ridden by a trainer, that danced and pranced and refused to stand the last time I rode him. After about 10 minutes, I picked up the reins. He turned and backed and leg yielded with the lightest of touches on the first try. After about 10 minutes, I felt we had done enough and slid off. Throughout the entire session, I had his full attention with a positive, curious attitude. I got a very clear impression that he wants a bigger challenge next time, and will try whatever I suggest. I'm quite excited to see where the journey leads next, and plan to use the EFT more to address any additional issues that arise.

So, the journey continues...

Until next time, be well and happy!

Carrie & Lucky
www.carrieeastman.com

What is in my first aid kit

2009-02-04T04:08:00.000-08:00

Here are the contents of my first aid kit, for all my animals and the family also:
Dynamite Relax - oral spray for trauma
Dynamite Release - topical spray for pain, energy blocks
Yunan Pao powder - to control bleeding
Dynamite Liquid Trace Minerals - for bleeding orally and topically, and for some infections
Dynamite Solace - colloidal silver for infection and illness
Dynamite Miracle Clay - topical poultice and orally for toxin ingestion
Dynamite DynaPro - prebioticactivated charcoal - for toxin ingestionhoof trimmers
Dynamite Tea Tree Oil - topical for fungus, infections
thermometer
stethescope
sterile saline
various size syringes - for oral drenching as well as injections (I keep an extra large tipped one for giving clay orally)
Dynamite Wound Salve
Dynamite Wound Wash
Waiora Natural Cellular Defense - pH balancer, toxin remover
Waiora Agarigold - immune system balancer
homeopathic Arnica
topical Arnica
aloe vera gel
Dynamite Herbal Green - alkalizing and increases Vit K if an animal ingests a blood thinner

I also suggesting getting a basic homeopathic first aid kit, and Rescue Remedy.

There are other brands for some of these items besides Dynamite. However, as I really trust their product quality, I stick with their products where I can.

~Carrie
www.carrieeastman.com
www.oakhillfaintinggoats.com

PS - Some conditions are true emergencies. None of the above suggestions should be substituted for proper medical care in an emergency. When in doubt, consult your vet or doctor.

Why I feed Dynamite Pelleted Grain Ration to my horses, goats and chickens...

2009-02-02T04:20:00.000-08:00

Pelleted Grain Ration (PGR) is the cleanest feed you are going to find out there. Although there are not enough certified organic sources of grain around to use that exclusively, Dynamite does check the grains for pesticides and herbicides, nitrates, and other toxins. Just having a clean, chemical-free feed does amazing things for animals, because they are so susceptible to chemical toxins. Feed store employees may be spraying toxic pesticides on and around bags of feed to get rid of insects, and don't think it doesn't go right through the woven plastic bags! Even bleaches such as methyl mercury, and fumigants used in the storage bins and mills can have tremendous adverse effects on animals. Dynamite® uses only diatomaceous earth for pest control in their mills, and no chemical-fortified feeds or those with urea are produced on site, in order to avoid potential cross contamination. The whole milling process goes thru a visual inspection by 6 to 7 people; dust and broken grains are removed by a special vacuum process before pelleting begins, so you are assured of full value for your dollar. Dynamite's commitment to buy direct from local growers and to avoid GMO grains means unparalleled quality.

Regarding quality control and freshness, 90% of Dynamite ingredients are less than 30 days old, and many are less than 2 weeks old. This is a level of freshness unheard of in the feed industry. In over 30 years Dynamite has never had a positive aflotoxin test.

The last point to consider, is that the mix is always the same. The majority of manufacturers use "least cost" formulations: that is, they will use more of whatever grain is cheaper on the commodities market that week. You have Jim Zamzow's (Dynamite's founder) pledge: Dynamite will never use "least cost" The PGR formulas are the same always. Dynamite has total control over the PGR, start to finish, in their own mills (the only chemical free mill in the country, by the way!).

Dynamite will also never apologize for the cost of quality - an increasingly educated and sophisticated marketplace will gladly pay for optimum results! You always have the option to become Dynamite® Distributors, purchase at wholesale and earn money sharing the feed while providing their friends and their area with the best holistic grain ration in the world!

Carrie

www.carrieeastman.com

www.oakhillfaintinggoats.com

About environmental toxins...

2009-02-01T07:07:00.000-08:00

Having worked as an environmental regulator for 14 years, this is a topic dear to my heart. Even 20 years ago, this was not a major concern. Today, things are different.

You can go to www.sharethecause.com/eastman to see a 9 minute video on the issue. Or just google on toxins or heavy metals.

Our animals are exposed to lead in the air from exhaust, pesticides and herbicides that blow in from neighboring farms, aluminum in galvanized stock tanks, ethoxyquin in black rubber buckets and feed tubs, mercury in the air and forage from energy production, and the list goes on. Any feed or hay produced these days, even organically, will have a toxin load from airborn fallout and rainwater.These toxins build up in the body over time, and are not easy to spot. This non-acute or non-lethal exposure affects all the body systems and is passed to offspring through mother's milk, as well as actually affecting the DNA.Possible symptoms include: allergies, agression/behavioral disorders, anemia, bone & joint disorders, cancer, diabetes, infertility, skin problems,thyroid problems, infections and birth defects. This exposure is why all my animals and my family get regular liver cleanses and also heavy metal cleanses. The liver does not recognize and filter out all the heavy metals.

Historically, chelation therapy was considered the best way to remove the metals. However, it was mainly used on people, is very expensive, and can be risky. There is now another approach available. Zeolites are a naturally occuring crystalline mineral found in rock deposits and formed by volcanic activity. Zeolites attract and bind toxic particles such as heavy metals, radioactive particles and certain other toxins. Zeolites have also been shown to help balance blood sugar levels, balance the body's pH and support healthy immune function. Several forms of zeolite are commercially available. I use the Waiora Natural Cellular Defense, because they have the cleanest, and thus most cost-effective product.I also use clay and herbs to cleanse the liver and digestive tract of my animals several times a year. There are many good products out there. I have been very happy with Dynamite's Miracle Clay and also their Herbal Tonic.I especially make sure to do a cleanse before breeding season starts, as I want my kids conceived from the cleanest genetic stock possible.

Please contact me if you have more questions about toxins and my experiences with detoxification.
You can see the Dynamite Miracle Clay and Herbal Tonic at www.dynamiteonline.com/carrieeastman
You can see the Waiora Natural Cellular Defense zeolite at www.mywaiora.com/992799

Be well,
Carrie
www.carrieeastman.com

Partnership with horses

2009-01-17T07:54:00.000-08:00

http://www.hempfling.com/videos.pdf

Kim Walnes at www.thewayofthehorse.com suggested I watch the vidoes of Klaus Hempfling. Having done so, I have to say he has the kind of partnership with his horses that I strive for. Watching him ride bareback, with no bridle, or do upper level dressage on a loose rein, I feel reinspired. The link above takes you to several vidoes that are a sampling of his work and approach.

You can go to his website at http://www.hempfling.com/ for more information about his work and publications.

Carrie

http://www.carrieeastman.com/

Jan 2009 trims finished

2009-01-15T15:33:00.001-08:00

Photos of left front hooves after backing up the toes into the white line and floating the flares. You can still see white line at the toes. However, there is a mustang roll so the white line is not touching the ground.

Horse 1

Horse 2

Horse 3

Trimming hooves

2009-01-13T13:01:00.000-08:00

Horse 1 - left front

Horse 1 - right front

Horse 2 - left front

Horse 2 - right front

Horse 3 - left front

Horse 3 - right front

Horse 4 - left hind, entire hoof capsule distorted toward the outside, hoof very upright

Back to playing with Lucky

2008-12-03T07:17:00.000-08:00

After a week off to work on barns and fences, I started playing again with Lucky yesterday.

When I left off with Lucky 2 weeks ago, I felt uneasy. My goal in all my interactions with my horses is to have them trust and respect me, and also to respect them as thinking, feeling beings. They just think and feel differently than people do. I was getting some anger and resistance from Lucky, and wondered what he was saying to me. After reading The Tao of Equus and Riding Between The Worlds by Linda Kohanov (you can find these books here http://www.carrieeastman.com/Recommended_Reading.html )I have had renewed hope for an equine partnership without force and with true communication. I know that with my horses' help, I am finding that partnership.

Yesterday I backed the intensity of our games down, as he became angry and resistant at one point during our last session. This time I focused on being fair and clear and positive. If I were speaking to someone who spoke a different language, I would not resort to raising my voice or force if I wasn't understood. I would focus on myself and making my communication more clear. Even though he has been ridden, even raced, I am not assuming he has learned all the cues and language. At one point he scared himself and began a panicked run around me. Instead of reprimanding him and demanding a halt, I just spoke and felt "peace, safety, calm, grace" over and over and he slowed, collected himself and finally stopped. So perhaps part of the key is being the change I am looking for.

I'm excited to experience the other lessons Lucky and I have for each other this week.

Until my next post, here is a link to Kim Walnes' The Way Of The Horse. http://www.thewayofthehorse.com/index.htm Those of you who resonate with my journey with Lucky may appreciate her information.

Until my next post, be well!

Carrie

http://www.carrieeastman.com/

Equine euthanasia

2008-11-20T14:03:00.001-08:00

With the recent economic challenges, more and more horse owners are finding themselves unable to properly care for their horses and feel their choices are to either send the horse to auction or euthanize. Euthanasia can cost upwards of $500 for the vet and removal, and so the owners turn to auctions as the only affordable option.

A horse rescue out west came up with a humane, creative solution. They are offering a free euthanasia clinic for unadoptable horses.

While this may seem like a controversial or extreme option to many readers, the alternative may be horses left to starve, suffer, or packed onto trucks to be slaughtered in Mexico or Canada.

Perhaps this new option will catch on in other states...

Here are some links on the topic:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=12990
http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=50783&provider=top

Peace,
Carrie
www.carrieeastman.com

Really funny Fainting Goat Video !

2008-11-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

Click on this for a great video set to music.

No training posts today. Still busy with winter barn projects. So far I finished another wall on the new barn and added a corral fence. Today I'm setting posts and adding gates to the goat pens. Busy, busy, busy....but very fun.

Lucky of course is checking out each project - all the tools and materials get a thorough sniffing and maybe a taste. Even stuck his nose in the post hole to smell what might be in there. Silly Arabian! It's a good thing Ben is more concerned with eating, as he has a reputation for picking up and taking or throwing tools, jackets, shoes, pitchforks...

Until next post, be well and stay warm!

Carrie
www.carrieeastman.com

Video - Dressage vs. Western equestrians

2008-11-19T06:21:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrYOQ52U3LQ

The Western rider is Dennis Schulz, the Dressage rider is Peter Gmoser, both from Austria.

Carrie
www.carrieeastman.com

PS - no Lucky posts this past week as I've been busy finishing up the winter building projects. Hope to have more to share by the end of this week.

Poco, Ben and Snowflake - my aged horses

2008-11-06T07:41:00.000-08:00

I have 3 senior equines at home. Snowflake (pony-pony) is a mini of about 25 years. Poco is a chestnut QH/Appaloosa cross (maybe) and is at least 25. Ben is a 22 year old gray Arabian, turning 23 this year. I've had Poco since he was 6, and he has been an amazing teacher for me. We've tried all sorts of training techniques, done some dressage, a bit of jumping, walked through his healing from navicular, ringbone and sidebone and more. For those of you who follow holistic animal care, Poco's prepurchase exam and years later his first homeopathic care both came from Dr. Edgar Sheaffer at Clark Veterinary Clinic http://clarkvetclinic.com/ Poco is also the horse that got me back on the path of holistic health, after giving me a wonderful case of whiplash which led me to a very special chiropractor, who in turn led me to Dynamite and Dr. Regan Golob. Funny how life works!

Ben I've had since he was 12, and before that he was a racehorse, then a hack horse for hire, then he belonged to my best friend for years doing trail rides and a bit of hunt seat.

These days we trail ride together to stay in shape. Ben is in training to do competitive trail, as he really doesn't care for playing in the ring at all. Poco on the other hand prefers the ring to the trails, and is the guy I go to when I want to ride bareback/bridleless, work on my own techniques, or give rides to the kids.

Ben and Poco have some trouble chewing these days. Ben has lost several teeth, while all of Poco's molars are worn to the gumline. Both do just fine on Dynamite Pelleted Grain Ration and timothy hay pellets, soaked to mush. In the winter I add a handful of Dynamite HES for extra fat to their ration. They get all the Dynamite free choice minerals, DynaPro prebiotic, Excel, a biannual cleanse with Dynamite Herbal Tonic and yucca. I also give them Waiora Natural Cellular Defense at least twice yearly for any heavy metals they may pick up, especially mercury. You can find these products at:
www.dynamiteonline.com/carrieeastman
www.mywaiora.com/992799

Snowflake just hangs out and flirts with the big boys. She gets the same program as the big boys, but only a smidge of the Pelleted Grain Ration and no hay pellets, as her teeth are still in great shape.

Finally, just for inspiration, here is an article about Elmer Bandit, a 37 year old horse that just set a new mileage record. http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=12972&nID=1&src=RA

Carrie
http://www.carrieeastman.com/

Lucky's progress

2008-11-05T14:16:00.000-08:00

Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans...

Had 2 sessions planned for this week under saddle.

What we actually had was a session about "Yes, I really CAN catch you in the field". He saw me coming, flicked his tail, and took off at a gallop herding all the horses with him. So I spent some time sending him, until he decided to walk over and stand. Then I haltered him, petted him and turned him loose. Took one more round until he figured it out and decided not to walk away from me.

The next day we just did some TTouch bodywork and called it a day. Much to his suprise.

Tonight we did TTEAM bodywork and ground exercises. I had planned to ride, but the crisp fall weather had him really, really wound up so I decided to start with a bit of ground work. That little bit turned into a full session as we worked through some resistance and discovered what he could do really well. These shots are from that session. I alternated between TTEAM ground obstacles, some natural horsemanship work on yielding the front and hind and sidepassing along the fence, and TTEAM TTouch when he needed a break or was getting too wound up. He followed me at a jog through the TTEAM labyrinth, and I bet he would do it without any halter at all. Such a willing guy!

I can tell he is still making up his mind about our relationship, now that I am actually asking him to do things for me. I think he's going to become a great trail horse and friend.

It's all perfect.

Till next time,

Carrie & Lucky

www.carrieeastman.com

Lucky - week 1

2008-11-03T09:10:00.000-08:00

Week 1 - Our first rides

Our goals for our first week are:

Standing still for mounting from both sides.

Lowering the head.

Work on our transitions between walk, halt, back and trot. Especially the halt...

Work on yielding the head, the shoulders and the hindquarters.

TTEAM and TTouch to address his stiffness to the right, especially behind. TTouch is also teaching him that people can be fun to connect with. The TTEAM exercises a great for keeping his active Arabian mind challenged and interested. You can learn more about TTEAM and TTouch at http://www.lindatellingtonjones.com/

We are working in enclosed areas first.

So far he is learning very quickly. The biggest challenge is changing activities often enough to keep his attention. He is very flexible in the neck and front end, but stiff behind, especially to the right. When he was just hanging out in the pasture, he was very friendly and curious. Now that I'm asking him to do things, he is a bit uncertain about our friendship. He is still curious, but is challenging me occasionally in subtle ways. I really enjoyed watching him respond to TTouch, and learning which TTouches he likes the best. He dropped his head and gave a huge sigh when I did python lifts on his hind legs and he really likes tail work. Mouth touches are his least favorite, followed by neck exercises.

Carrie & Lucky

www.carrieeastman.com

Lucky the Arabian horse - his story continued

2008-11-03T07:39:00.000-08:00

Background and prep work:

Back in March I introduced Lucky, the youngest and latest addition to our equine family. Lucky's real name is To Catch A Thief. A registered Arabian, Lucky was bred to race. A few years ago he bowed a tendon on the track. After pasture rest, I purchased him to train for endurance and whatever other activity he wanted to try. (Notice the human-looking eye. This comes from his great-grandfather Wicking and is common in his bloodline)

My goal is to get Lucky under saddle and on the trail over the winter, to start competing in rides next spring. I thought readers might enjoy following Lucky on his journey.

This past week, I got Lucky's tack set up. While I normally work with rope halters or a simple snaffle bridle for starting young horses or retraining, Lucky comes from the racetrack and is capable of extreme speed and sudden starts at a gallop. For safety a trainer suggested I use a low-port slotted kimberwick for stopping power in a crisis. The chin strap is loose to minimize the pressure and most of the leverage is at the crown/poll.

I ride with a very loose noseband, just tight enough to prevent the bit ends from sliding into his mouth. I don't like tight nosebands because they prevent chewing, which clenches the jaw and affects the entire spine down to his hindquarters. I also want to be able to see if something I am doing is causing him to evade the bit by opening his mouth, and a tight noseband hides this. (The bridle you see him in now is temporary until the biothane bridle arrives. You can see in the top photo that the throatlatch is a bit too tight, and the noseband, which was a flash noseband, doesn't sit at the correct height. Lucky accepted both, so I am confident they are not making him uncomfortable for now)

I worked with Prudence Heaney at http://www.twotimetack.com/ to fit a saddle to Lucky. He has a lot of memories associated with tack, so my first couple rides I just slid on bareback. We'll be starting with the saddle this coming week.

I also touched up his trim, because hoof length is critical with old bowed tendons. There are some great links to trimming websites with good photos on my links page at http://www.carrieeastman.com/ I'm a particular fan of Pete Ramey's work.

Finally, I did a nose to tail body assessment to check his nutritional program and structure before getting started. There is more information about the bodywork and nutrition on my website on the horse page.

Horses poisoned by flouride in drinking water!

2008-08-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9RXfOuylWo Click here to watch a video about some horses in Colorado crippled and killed by community water that had been fluoridated!

If you are on a community water supply, you may want to check whether your water is fluoridated. If it is, you can purchase filtration systems for your household to remove the fluoride. There are also garden hose filters available at http://www.pwgazette.com/ if you need to have a portable, removable filter for a boarding situation. I have dealt with Pure Water Products for several years and been very impressed with their products and customer service.

Some folks also like systems that neutralize toxins on an energetic level. http://www.ewater.com/ is a good source of these systems. Please tell them I sent you.

Fluoride is very irritating to the gut. There is also some evidence that the fluoride mimics iodine in the body. If a body takes in fluoride, it is sometimes unable to take in iodine for healthy thyroid function. Fluoride also affect bone health. While I haven't cited the studies here, a quick internet search will show many pages of studies and data supporting these statements.

This is an excellent link citing various studies about fluoride effects on humans. http://www.mindfully.org/Health/Fluoridation-Paul-Connett.htm

If you or your animals have already been exposed to fluoride, here are some ideas for supplements that may be helpful. First, think about soothing the gut: A good probiotic for you, Dynamite DynaPro for your animals. Dynamite Miracle Clay is also soothing to the gut and may help pull toxins from the body. Studies have shown that calcium supplements are important for recovering from fluoride poisoning. Think Dynamite TriMins Plus for people, and Dynamite 2-1 and 1-1 Free Choice minerals for your animals.

Be well, and check the water you and your animals are drinking!

Carrie

http://www.carrieeastman.com/

These product statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products and these statements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Inspirational equestrian video clips

2008-08-11T14:29:00.001-07:00

Here are some video clips that have been sent to me that I found particularly inspirational. Truly examples of how special the horse-human partnership can be.

http://beboframe.com/FlashFrame.jsp?Size=S&FlashBoxId=3309347442 This video
is of Andreas Helgstrand and his 9 year-old mare, Matinee, at the World
Equestrian Games. It is the Musical Freestyle Dressage competition.

http://wms17.streamhoster.com/westfall/128do.wmv Stacy Westfall and Roxy without bridle or saddle doing freestyle reining. There are more videos at her website www.westfallhorsemanship.com

Enjoy!
Carrie
www.carrieeastman.com

Clearing emotional issues in horses

2008-07-27T13:42:00.001-07:00

I'm often asked by clients what to do about old traumas. Many horses have come from abusive backgrounds, or had accidents, or even just the trauma of being ridden in badly-fitted tack. There are many things that can create emotional baggage in horses.

All of my horses have come out of circumstances that left emotional imprints behind. Here are some of the techniques and tools I have found useful.

Dynamite Relax spray used orally has helped my horses with old fears. It is not labeled for this use, but my experience has been that it helped my horses release their fears, and think rather than react in scary circumstances.

Dynamite Release spray used topically on the poll behind the ears where the crownpiece of the bridle sits.

I also use a lot of Linda Tellington-Jones TTouch and TTEAM for clearing out old behavior patterns and emotions. There is lots of great information on TTouch and TTEAM at http://www.lindatellingtonjones.com/ TTouch can be used all over the body, and is especially helpful at the poll. The TTouch mouth work is also very helpful.

I have found that LifeWave Energy Patches placed on the poll, white patch on right and tan patch on left, are very calming for my horses. I had a spooky horse that quit spooking entirely on the trails wearing patches. Another horse of mine that normally was difficult about having his feet worked on settled completely wearing patches on his poll. While there is no information about using these patches on horses on the company website, you can read about the patch science at www.lifewave.com/592277

I also use Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) on my horses and myself to release emotional issues. There is a free manual describing human EFT at http://www.emofree.com/
Here is a page devoted to EFT for animals http://www.emofree.com/Articles.aspx?id=36

I have also used flower essences and worked with a radionics practitioner on emotional issues.

I will add to this list as I work with other modalities that anyone can easily learn and use.

Until next post, be well!

Carrie
http://www.carrieeastman.com/

Supplements and diet for endurance & competetive trail horses

2008-07-15T12:41:00.000-07:00

I have recently worked with several horse owners that compete in either endurance or competetive trail. I am also conditioning one of my older Arabian horses for competetive trail, and would like to compete in endurance with my young Arabian Lucky, once he is properly trained.

So, this seemed like a good time to write down my ideas on diet and nutrition for my own horses getting ready to compete.

I will be feeding as much grass hay as they can eat. Visit http://www.safergrass.org/ for good information about hay for horses. I may also add just a smidge of alfalfa, no more than 1 flake daily.

For grain, I am feeding Dynamite Pelleted Grain Ration. I have switched away from the plain corn/oats/barley mix, as so many grains these days aren't properly fertilized, have chemical residues and/or are genetically modified.

For extra energy, I add black oil sunflower seeds and Dynamite High Energy Supplement (HES). HES is made of whole cold extruded soybean, and is a great digestible fat source. I can carry HES with me in my saddlebags to feed along the trail for a snack.

I use the basic supplement program of regular Dynamite and 2-1, 1-1, izmine and NTM salt fed free choice. I also use DynaPro with every meal, and during competition.

I also make sure my horses at least do 30 days on Waiora Natural Cellular Defense every year, if not stay on a low maintenance dose. I believe heavy metals and other toxins are a problem for horses, and I know there is research that some heavy metals mimic important minerals and tie up the mineral receptor sites. www.mywaiora.com/992799 has information about Natural Cellular Defense.

For joint support, I use either Dynamite Free & Easy joint supplement, or the new Dynamite OxEMega. The OxEMega does not have chondroitin or glucosamine, but really seems to improve joint health. Another joint support formula I have played with is a mixture of MSM, Yucca and Ester C (all Dynamite brand). Different horses do better on different supplements, so I play around to find the right one, or muscle test it. I will probably use the Free & Easy during the competition season, and OxEMega during the late fall/winter/early spring when there is no fresh grass.

I use the Dynamite DynaSpark electrolyte.

I am going to experiment with the Dynamite Pre-Race Pak fed for a few days prior to competition, as I've heard from other riders that it works really well . Beverly Gray (Hall of Fame Endurance Horse AA Omner), Potato Richardson (1998 and 2002 Tevis Cup Champion www.potatorichardson.com )and Kathy Richardson (2005 Tevis Cup Champion) all use it.

For hydration during a ride, I'm going to try soaking hay and also making sloppy timothy hay pellet mush, rather than using beet pulp. I'll also feed some HES soaked to make it sloppy.

I also will be using the LifeWave Energy Patches. www.lifewave.com/carrieeastman as they help so much with blood oxygen levels and stamina. I use them on myself as well as my horses, and wouldn't be without them.

I will use Dynamite Miracle Clay orally before trailering to help with stomach acids and ulcers.

Last but not least, I make sure I have Dynamite Relax and Release sprays and carry them with me on the trail.

Note: Some folks question why I use so many Dynamite products. Well, I actually use several brands on my horses, my other animals, my family and my land. I go with whatever brand muscle tests well, and what works well when I use it. It just happens that Dynamite has an incredible product line, as well as admirable company ethics. I am very comfortable with their products, and trust that they don't offer anything with harmful ingredients or selfish motives. I know they won't poison my animals by outsourcing their processes or buying questionable ingredients from overseas. You can read more about the company at www.dynamiteonline.com/carrieeastman

Happy trails!

Carrie

http://www.carrieeastman.com/

Foster, ulcers in horses and dropped pasterns

2008-06-24T16:03:00.001-07:00

Jim's horse Foster may be dealing with ulcers, according to my muscle testing. I have started him on a couple tablespoons of Dynamite Miracle Clay an hour before each meal. He refuses to be dosed by syringe, so I mix his clay with a handful of hay pellets and water and feed it to him as a mush. He is already much calmer and happier at meal time, and his stretching, pawing, kicking and bucket rattling has stopped. We'll see what happens over the next couple of weeks. I'm hoping this also helps him put on some weight.

Foster also came to us with dropped pasterns. His pasterns were parallel to the ground in back. He also had asymmetrical rear hooves. He had very vertical hoof walls on the inside quarters and extreme flairs on the outside quarters. I've been apply Dynamite Wound Balm to the calcium deposits on his rear fetlocks. The size of his fetlocks is shrinking, and his pasterns have risen. His hooves are also reshaping and getting more symmetrical walls.

Carrie

www.carrieeastman.com

New members of the goat herd

2008-06-24T15:56:00.000-07:00

We added a herd sire this spring. His name is Meadowinds Cocoa Puff (photo above). He is a polled (no horns) fainting goat buck.

We are also getting another doeling to cross with Oak Hill Dreamer. Her name is Goat Flower Farm Chocolate Truffle and she should be arriving this summer (photo above).

Carrie
www.oakhillfaintinggoats.com

Goat update week 6

2008-04-16T17:10:00.000-07:00

Oak Hill Dreamer mugging for the camera above...
Oak Hill Anna's Carlotta in front, Mimosa and Guy behind...

Carlotta climbing high...Dreamer and Carlotta butting heads to win the high spot...
New video clips at www.youtube.com/carrieeastman

More posts later this week with updates on Ben's saddle fitting, the improvements Foster's arthritis and the story of Lady, my collie.

Until then, be well!
Carrie
www.carrieeastman.com

Goat baby update, week 4

2008-03-22T20:14:00.000-07:00

The kids are now 4 weeks old. They are growing fast, nibbling grain and eating hay. Carlotta and Dreamer have both fainted, after jumping onto a slippery plastic lawnchair. Here are some new pictures:

Dreamer's first faint.

Yum, jacket! Let's see if I can take it off...

Who needs toys when you have mom to climb on...

Dreamer prefers climbing people...

How does that hat taste?

Hey, that's not a goat!

Hope you enjoyed the photos! Stay tuned for more serious posts...

Carrie

www.carrieeastman.com

Introducing Lucky, Arabian horse

2008-03-12T13:53:00.000-07:00

For a change of pace from goats, I thought I'd introduce another family member. This is Lucky. His registered name is To Catch a Thief. He is a 9 year old Arabian gelding, bred to race but retired from the track when he bowed (tore) a tendon. I used the basic Dynamite program with Lucky, and I have to look hard now to even find the old bow. He is sound now and very athletic. Last fall a local trainer (Teresa Parnham http://www.parnhamyard.com/ ) did some basic work with him, just to get him going again. We took the winter off from training, but with the weather warming up, I am starting to work with Lucky again. I had Prudence Heaney, a saddlefitter, come out and fit a new saddle to Lucky's back. He is very suspicious of saddles. Prudence did an excellent job, and was very patient with his suspicions. You can read more about Prudence's work at http://www.twotimetack.com/

I am using a combination of Clinton Anderson's techniques and TTEAM to help Lucky release his old feelings about riding and training, as well as fill in any gaps in his education. I am not sure what Lucky and I will ultimately do together. Maybe endurance, maybe dressage. I'm waiting for him to tell me what he enjoys most and is best at. I don't know yet how his old leg injury will hold up to jumping, or even if he will enjoy jumping.

This is a picture of Lucky being ridden by a friend when I first got him.

I have been using a natural horsemanship rope halter with Lucky, sometimes a regular halter with a TTEAM leadrope. I may switch to a bitless bridle for riding. My ultimate goal is to ride without any bridle at all. Speaking of bridleless riding, the ride posted at http://www.westfallhorsemanship.com/index.php?page=seeus&action=category&id=2 is amazing! I don't know anything about her training techniques or nutrition program, but the riding sure is inspirational.

Carrie

http://www.carrieeastman.com/

www.sharethecause.com/eastman for an interesting video on environmental toxins

Goat baby update, week 3

2008-03-11T15:45:00.001-07:00

Well, it's not quite 3 weeks, but they are growing so fast I decided to post early.

Carlotta and Dreamer are eating hay now, as well as nursing. Carlotta is very athletic and agile, able to leap several feet while spinning and twisting in midair. She likes being softly scratched in her armpits.

Dreamer is a bit slower, and much bigger now. He likes having his throat scratched.

I may have found another buck to purchase as a consort for Mimosa and Carlotta. I am also starting to look around for a dehorned doeling for Dreamer.

I have put up a new website devoted to the goat business at http://www.oakhillfaintinggoats.com/

A note on dehorning: some find this practice very inhumane. There are arguements in the goat community in favor and against. I admit to being torn about the procedure myself. However, some shows require dehorning, and if I am selling kids as family pets I believe they have a better chance of staying happily with their family if there are no horns. Hopefully most of our kids will be polled and I won't have to put them through the procedure.

Carrie

http://www.carrieeastman.com/

http://www.oakhillfaintinggoats.com/

Goat baby update

2008-03-05T08:18:00.000-08:00

The kids are now almost 2 weeks old!

They are growing fast. Jackie, the buckling (photo to right), has been renamed Dreamer. He is a cautious contemplative little buckling, and the action star name just didn't fit his energy level. His colors have darkened a bit, and no horn buds so he is polled. His eyes are hazel.

Carlotta, the doeling (photo below), is very different than her brother. She is very active, more shy, the first to try everything but less trusting of people. She is also much smaller. She has remained a true black with no horns (polled) and hazel eyes.

Both kids are still nursing but also eating timothy hay and just starting to become curious about mom's grain.

Guy has proved to be a tolerant "uncle" to the kids even playing a bit with them.

Mimosa is still getting the basic Dynamite program I outlined in previous posts. She also continues to get Waiora Natural Cellular Defense to neutralize any heavy metals or toxins before she passes them on in her milk. I have also started her on Dynamite Excel in the evenings.

Dreamer is hard to photograph, as he tries to jump in my lap for petting or nibbling my clothes as soon as I enter the pen. He is a real love, and enjoys petting, especially scratching under his chin and under his chest.

I've started researching goat training and handling, as I want to teach them both to lead and stand and maybe carry a pack. I found some interesting goat training sites.

http://www.scinternet.net/~smillers/Pack%20Goat%20Manual.htm#Training%20Your%20Goat

http://www.northwestpackgoats.com/training_tips.htm

http://www.napga.org/links.asp?PageID=2&LinkID=106&menuID=

I haven't tried the methods yet, so I can't comment on their effectiveness.

In my next post, I'll introduce one of the other animals.

Carrie

www.carrieeastman.com

Parasites?

2008-02-26T15:51:00.000-08:00

I've been asked often about which dewormer I use for my dogs, cats and horses. I'm sure I'll get similar questions about the goats.

I actually haven't needed to use chemical wormers in a number of years. Perhaps my pets' immune systems are healthy enough to fight off the parasites, perhaps the products I use have some vermifuge (parasite killing or repelling) ingredients. Whatever the reason, fecal exams and bloodwork show that they are remaining clear of parasites, including heartworms. If reflex points or testing showed a parasite issue, I would reflex test or surrogate test which products cleared the parasite point. I test natural and chemical products. If a chemical wormer was the only product that cleared the point, I would use it. I would follow the chemical with several days of extra Dynamite Excel or Miracle Clay. (I will post more on reflex and surrogate testing in another entry.)

Besides the basic nutritional support from Dynamite and Waiora products, I also do several special supplements throughout the year. Every early spring and late fall (around the first killing frost), I use Dynamite's Herbal Tonic for 28 days for all the animals except the cats. During those 28 days, I stop using the basic supplements other than Dynamite's DynaPro. I also use Waiora Natural Cellular Defense during this time to remove heavy metals, especially mercury.

I also do a 7-day cleanse about every 8 weeks during the warm months starting in May or June. I time the cleanse to coincide with the full moon. For horses, the cleanse consists of:

2 oz of Dynamite's Herbal Tonic

1 oz of Dynamite's Miracle Clay (measured dry)

1 tsp of Dynamite's Excel

2 squirts Dynamite's DynaPro

Once daily, I mix them all together and add to grass hay pellets (I use 3 cups of pellets). Add water to cover and soak until the mixture is like pudding. Hot but not boiling water speeds up the process of soaking the pellets considerably. Mix it all up well after soaking, it will be rather gelatinous. The consistency I like is when it easily plops out of the bucket and holds its shape like a jello mold. Too runny and they waste it by slobbering it around, too dry and they don't like it much. This would be for an average sized 1000 lb horse. The amounts can be scaled back proportionally by weight for smaller animals. For dogs or cats, I skip the hay pellets and just mix with wet food.

Finally, the third component of my program is a daily dose of Dynamite's Excel for all the animals except the cats, per the label instructions. The cats get what they need from Dynamite Purrformance.

The Dynamite products can be found at www.dynamitemarketing.com/carrieeastman

The Waiora products can be found at www.mywaiora.com/992799

Carrie

http://www.carrieeastman.com/

PS - the goat babies are nibbling hay, and running around, bucking and playing. More pictures soon!

Goat babies Day three video posted

2008-02-23T09:49:00.000-08:00

No blog entry today, but there is a new Fainting Goat baby video posted at www.youtube.com/carrieeastman

Carrie

http://www.carrieeastman.com/

Goat babies are here !!!

2008-02-22T09:34:00.000-08:00

Here is Mimosa a couple days ago, looking very pregnant and uncomfortable. (the red tint is from the heat lamp)

Yesterday morning when I went out to feed, I found Mimosa licking two wet shivering babies.

She had a little girl (doeling), who is black except for 2 tiny white dots on her side. My niece has named her Carlotta, so her full name is Oak Hill Anna's Carlotta. We haven't figured out a knickname for her yet. She appears to be polled, which means she won't grow horns, and her eyes are golden brown.

There is also a little boy (buckling) named Jackie (after Jackie Chan). Jackie is also polled with brown eyes. We probably won't be keeping Jackie, as this is a breeding herd and we need a buck who isn't related to the does.

I have read that Fainting Goats start fainting at a young age, so I'm looking forward to seeing how they develop.

Mimosa is still getting the basic Dynamite supplements (www.Dynamiteonline.com/carrieeastman ) along with her grain, as she needs to make plenty of milk for her babies. I have noticed that she is eating more of the free choice calcium-phosphorus and salt. I also offered her Dynamite DynaSpark electrolyte and Dynamite DynaPro probiotic after labor. She really enjoyed that and drank quite a bit. The red light in the pictures is from the heat lamp. Even with the lamp, the babies were shivering, so we made little sweaters for them based on the instruction at http://www.fiascofarm.com/

I have also had Mimosa on Waiora's Natural Cellular Defense ( www.mywaiora.com/992799) for a few weeks, and am continuing it for another month or so. I know there are studies showing over 200 heavy metals and environmental toxins in cord blood and breast milk of humans, so I suspect goats could have similar toxicity issues. I don't want her passing any toxins on to her babies.

I'll keep posting as the kids grow. Meanwhile, I posted a quick video of the new family at www.youtube.com/carrieeastman

Carrie

www.carrieeastman.com

Daisy and dog training, plus quick goat update

2008-02-19T15:24:00.001-08:00

This is Daisy, my teacher, learning about couches. I call her my teacher as she has forced me to reevaluate everything I thought I knew about dog training.

I have had dogs, or they had me, from the time I was a child. As a teenager, I exhibited my Siberian Husky Tanya in conformation classes and junior showmanship. I took standard obedience classes with several of our huskies. As a young adult, I read many books and applied the training principles to my dogs, with varying degrees of success. Over the years I've worked with the huskies (Tasha, Tanya, Kim and Count), a black labrador retriever (Trail), a border collie (Fearless), a collie (Lady) and now Daisy, the golden retriever.

Daisy found us as an adult. Driving to work one morning, she darted out in the road in front of my car from an apple orchard. I live in a fairly rural area, and loose dogs aren't uncommon, so I greeted her, then headed on to work when a neighbor thought she knew where Daisy belonged. Coming up the hill to our house in the dark after work, Daisy again stepped into the road in front of my car. She had made her way more than a mile and a couple of turns to end up at the bottom of our driveway. A bowl of dog food later she had moved in under our house, and into our hearts. We suspect she is at least 2 years old, and probably a couple years older than that. While she has a sweet nature and enjoys people, her independence is stronger than her desire to please. She fights back against standard corrections. She becomes fearful and tunes out if faced with anger, or fights back with growls and nips. Positive reinforcement has been the only approach that is effective and safe for both of us.

I found Psychological Dog Training by C W Meisterfeld to be very helpful with understanding why Daisy didn't respond to traditional training methods.

However, I was still missing a piece of the puzzle and not getting through to Daisy. I finally started getting results when I found The Loved Dog by Tamar Geller . Tamar's website is http://www.tamargeller.com/ Daisy is becoming enthusiastic about learning new things, and her house manners are improving. Our biggest hurdle now is to get her past her fear agression towards other dogs. More on that in another post.

Goat update: No goat babies yet. Mimosa is huge, and showing signs of getting ready for labor, so I'm hoping for kids in the next day or so.

Carrie

www.carrieeastman.com

Raw diet or BARF diet for dogs and cats

2008-02-14T03:49:00.001-08:00

A reader recently emailed me and asked what I thought of the Bone and Raw Food (BARF) diet, and did I feed it? So, here are my thoughts on the BARF diet and my own dogs and cats.

I currently live with 4 large dogs. I have chosen not to feed the BARF diet because frankly, I just don't have the time to prepare it these days. For the dogs, I am confident that the Dynamite Dog Food is an excellent food (www.dynamiteonline.com/carrieeastman ), and I add an assortment of raw eggs, raw vegetables, cooked vegetables, raw beef bones and yogurt, depending on what is available that day. I have found that the dogs handle the raw vegetables more easily if they are finely ground or pureed. I also add Dynamite DynaPro because the dogs aren't getting the raw enzymes from the processed food.

I also don't feed BARF to my cats. I have 14 barn cats, all of which just wandered their way to my place and decided to stay. As they live in the barn and hunt rodents, I haven't felt they need additional raw foods. I feed them dry kibble as well, and add Dynamite Purrformance for the extra vitamins and minerals. I haven't had any problems with parasites, hairballs or other common cat ailments.

I have heard the arguements against BARF such as the risk of bacteria and parasites, and the risk of intestinal perforation. I personally don't worry too much about bacteria or parasites, as I have found that healthy dogs and cats with proper stomach pH will be able to fight off the majority of bacteria and parasites. I also feed supplements with ingredients that inhibit parasites. As for perforation, I agree that it could potentially occur. It hasn't happened to my animals. Raw bones appear to be less risky as they are less brittle and therefore less likely to splinter as cooked bones. I will also add that when I was studying red wolves, and wolf scat (droppings) the wolves were eating large amounts of fur with their meals and the bones came out the other end well-padded with undigested animal hair. Bottom line: I would encourage every animal caretaker to do their own research and make their own decision.

I did a quick internet search and found these links for BARF:

http://www.njboxers.com/faqs.htm

http://www.canismajor.com/dog/barf.html

http://www.rawlearning.com/

There are many more sites out there. I would also suggest doing a search on "BARF problems" to see the other side of the debate.

Carrie

http://www.carrieeastman.com/

Introducing Ben, gray Arabian gelding

2008-02-11T16:03:00.000-08:00

On the left are Ben and I back when I first met him, almost 16 years ago. On the right is Ben with his buddy Poco. Over the years he has lost his dark gray color and black stockings and become all white, sometimes with small rust-colored spots. His skin is still black though, under all that white fur.

I use the basic Dynamite nutritional program for Ben (www.dynamiteonline.com/carrieeastman ). He gets regular Dynamite or Dynamite Plus, free choice 1-1 calcium phosphorus, 2-1 calcium phosphorus, Izmine and NTM Salt. He gets either Dynamite Pelleted Grain Ration or plain corn, oats and barley. He also gets black oil sunflower seeds and/or Dynamite High Energy Supplement (HES). He always gets Excel and DynaPro, plus 30 days on Herbal Tonic spring and fall, and a combination of Dynamite's Herbal Tonic, Miracle Clay and Excel several times each growing season. He also gets timothy or orchardgrass hay free choice.

Ben has had gray horse melanoma for a number of years. He is doing quite well with the basic Dynamite horse program I described above, plus Dynamite SOD and Waiora Natural Cellular Defense (www.mywaiora.com/992799 ).

Ben managed to get tangled up in something last night and peeled a strip of skin off his leg about 6" by 1". It's deep, but no joint damage, fractures or tendon injury. Poor guy! I gave his wound a good soak in warm water with tea tree oil, then covered it with Dynamite Wound Salve. I'll also probably be spraying on a combination of olive oil and tea tree oil, mixed 20 parts to 1 part. I'm also using Dynamite Release topically.

I'll post follow-ups on his injury as it heals, and on his melanoma if we get further changes.

Carrie

www.carrieeastman.com

Yurtle and Testudo, the Red Eared Sliders (turtles)

2008-02-08T03:18:00.000-08:00

We also share our home with 2 Red Eared Sliders (RES). Pictured on the left is Yurtle, the young male. This picture was taken when he was a baby. He is now reaching maturity, and hit puberty a few months ago. We know he hit puberty because he has been courting a large rock in his tank. He hides his face behind his long front claws, and rattles the claws back and forth then tickles the rock with them. Male RES also flash their reproductive organ at their romantic interests. This happens more often during puberty. As the male appendage is black with sail-like fins and as big as his shell, it was quite startling the first time he unfurled when I was around! As a baby his shell was only a couple inches long. Now he measures about 7 inches, and will finish growing at about 9 inches long. He is quite a begger and swims over looking for food when you approach his tank.

Testudo is the female. She is about 10 inches long at full growth, and about 10 years old. Testudo is more shy, and prefers to dive off her basking platform and sit on the bottom when approached. Sometimes she hides under her platform and peeks her head out to see if you are bringing food. She is a suprisingly good climber and very determined when she's looking for a place to lay her eggs. We added fencing around the top of her tank after we found her nesting in the laundry room. These turtles will live up to 40 years with proper care! As aquatic turtles they need to live in tanks. The rule of thumb is 10 gallons of water per inch of shell length. So, Testudo and Yurtle each have their own stock tank, 100 gallons and 70 gallons respectively. They also each have a basking light for warmth, a reptile light for the UVA and UVB light, a basking area to get dry, tank heaters to maintain the water at about 80 degrees F and powerful pond filters. Turtles are messy, and standard aquarium filters sized to the stock tanks won't keep the water clean enough, so they have pond filters and also homemade wet/dry filters. The bottoms of the tanks get vaccumed to pick up the large debris and they get regular partial water changes. We have somewhat acidic water here, so I add a pinch of baking soda to balance the water pH so their shells won't be damaged.

The turtles eat a combination of pond vegetation, fresh veggies like lettuce and carrot peelings, feeder minnows, live snails and Dynamite Dog Food (www.dynamiteonline.com/carrieeastman ). They also have a piece of cuttlefish bone (actually called cuttlefish pen) in each tank to chew on for extra calcium.

Testudo, being a mature lady, also has an area for egg laying. This is very important for females, as they may hold their eggs and become eggbound, which can kill them. Like a chicken, the eggs aren't fertile unless she has had a boyfriend. So she lays sterile eggs every year.

A great resource for turtle care information is http://happyturtle.ms11.net/ the Happy Turtle Site. They have a fantastic forum at
http://invisionfree.com/forums/Happy_Turtles_Pub/

Turtle Homes also has excellent information at http://www.turtlehomes.org/usa/caresheets.shtml

Carrie

www.carrieeastman.com

Introducing Wyatt, our collie/husky

2008-02-07T03:59:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd digress a bit from discussing Fainting Goats and introduce one of our dogs. Wyatt is a 3 year old collie/husky mix.

We adopted him as a puppy from a shelter in West Virginia.

He is on a fairly basic health program. He gets Dynamite's Dog Food and Showdown, as well as fresh carrots, lightly cooked green beans and broccoli, and other veggies. He also sometimes gets fresh eggs, and the occasional raw beef bone.

I'll talk about parasites and vaccines in later posts.

Our biggest training challenge with him has been his husky drive to escape and run. He is quite the escape artist! If he manages to get out, his favorite activity is to roll in the goat manure. Yuck!

A couple years ago he opened his crate while we were away for Thanksgiving and redecorated the living room with our house plants. We had to clean the carpet with a leaf rake!

Goat diet and nutrition and why I chose Tennessee Fainting Goats

2008-02-06T15:56:00.000-08:00

Goats are a new experience for me. I've always been a bit curious about them, and with my interest in heirloom and rare breeds, Tennessee Fainting goats were particularly intriguing. You can go to http://www.albc-usa.org/ for more information on rare breed conservation and to http://www.faintinggoat.com/ and http://www.myotonicgoatregistry.net/ for information on Fainting goats. If you aren't familiar with heirloom breeds, pop over to the website. There are many domestic livestock breeds in danger of dying out, and with them goes their unique genes.

Fainting goats are very docile and much less likely to climb on things or escape. Additionally, the goats prefer to eat herbaceous plants (not grasses) including poison ivy, weeds, brush and multiflora rose. I'm hoping they won't compete with the horses for pasture and will keep the weeds from taking over. The picture above is Mimosa on the right with her boyfriend Sundance. We got Mimosa and Guy from Driftwood Farms, and Mimosa was bred to Sundance there before we picked her up. http://driftwoodfarms.tripod.com/index.htm

(Above is Guy, the whether who keeps Mimosa company) So far, I've decided to feed Guy and Mimosa corn, oats, barley, and black oil sunflower seeds for their grain. Mimosa get 3 cups daily. Guy, the whether (neutered male) only gets a tiny handful because whethers are prone to urinary tract stones which can kill them. The goats also get as much timothy and orchardgrass hay as they can eat.

I am supplementing them with several Dynamite supplements: DynaPro probiotic, Dynamite Plus multivitamin/mineral, and 1-1 and 2-1 free choice calcium-phophorus supplements. They also get Izmine (natural minerals) free choice, and NTM salt. The NTM salt is unbleached, not iodized and has no flow enhancers. I sometimes use a pinch of Izmine in their grain instead of the Dynamite Plus, depending on what I have on hand.

I also leave baking soda out for them to nibble, as I read it helps them balance their gut pH. (The picture on the left is Mimosa as a baby)

They have been on this new feeding program for a couple months now. It takes 120 days for the blood to be completely replaced with new blood cells, so I'm looking forward to see what kind of changes take place in the next 2 months.

Once the goats are settled in on their new feeding program, I'm also going to address any heavy metals or environmental toxins that built up. I use Waiora Natural Cellular Defense for that.

A really fantastic resource that I found online is http://www.fiascofarm.com/ She has tremendous information about goat husbandry, and follows a holistic approach.

Why a blog? What is my critter journal about?

2008-02-06T12:28:00.000-08:00

So often my clients ask what wellness programs I follow for my animals. I thought that it might be interesting to introduce some of the animals that share my life, and write about the nutrition, alternative therapies, housing, equipment and training involved with keeping all of them healthy and happy.

I live with dogs, cats, horses, goats, chickens, turtles, fish and a hamster. I also travel throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia working with animals and their people. You can visit my business Horses, Humans & Healing at www.carrieeastman.com for more information about my work. However, this journal is all about the health program we follow at home, and the process of customizing a program for each of the animals here.

My family and animals all follow a very holistic program for rehabilitation, health maintenance and performance enhancement. I use several product lines for nutrition, including Dynamite, Waiora, LifeWave, Wachters and Developmental Natural Resources. I also mix in other products as needed. We all use homeopathy, flower essences, energy work, radionics, bio energy balancing, defense physiology, Reiki, TTouch, muscle testing, reflex points, surrogate testing and applied kinesiology. I have explored many different training methods and therapies and evaluated lots of equipment in our search for wellness and happiness. I consider the animals my teachers and partners on this journey.

The goats are the most recent addition to our family and a species I haven't worked with before, so I've been on a quest for the best health program for goats. Mimosa (picture above) and Guy are Tennessee Fainting Goats, and yes, when startled, they do indeed tip over! Mimosa is pregnant and will be kidding (giving birth) any day now. Hopefully she will have doelings (girl babies) to stay here and start building our goat herd.

So, welcome to my (our) blog, and stay tuned for more photos and the goat health saga...