Skode's Low Sugar Horse Treats

Hot Applesauce and Squash Soup to Hydrate Your Horse

Hydrate and nourish your horse with Applesauce/Squash Soup on cold, Winter nights/mornings.  This is a low sugar/starch, whole food recipe my horses -- even my picky mare -- slurps up with absolutely no hesitation.

I like to serve at night before I go to bed. Feeding it gives me the reassurance that my horses are drinking the water they need in this super cold weather we're experiencing in Southern Oregon.

Simply mix:

• 1 liter(about the equivalent of a standard tea kettle) hot but not scalding water.
• 1/3 cup no-sugar added apple sauce
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• A dash of salt
• 1/3 cup raw yellow squash or zucchini
• Kale or Iceberg lettuce leaves
• 1 tablespoon Spirulina 
• 1 tablespoons Beet Root powder
• 1 liter(about the equivalent of a standard tea kettle) hot but not scalding water.

This recipe is a foundation recipe. You can always get even more creative by adding other foods.  The point is to encourage your horse to drink. Have fun! 

 

"Skode"

Skode's Horse Treats, Inc.

www.skodeshorsetreats.com

"It's About a Lifestyle"

Overcoming Petty Differences

Vashka and his mares next door

 

We don't really get along with our neighbors, to be honest.

Our judgement against them is that they don't take care of their property, their fencing -- or their horses.  We are forever worrying about the health of one of their horses, about the holes in the fence (from their dogs), etc. However, our horses and their horses, have formed very deep bonds among each other. 

Every morning they gather at the fence line to socialize, play and groom each other.  I love to give them treats, as everyone nickers and runs to the fence line when they see me coming!

Sometimes, it looks like they hate each other -- they pin their ears back and bite at each other a lot. They definitely have their petty differences.  But no one ever gets hurt, and every evening they stand together and  bow their long necks beneath the moon to nap.

Vashka is the only male and these mares, along with his own Raya, are his family. This is his herd and they mean the world to him.  Since we moved here, I have never seen him happier.  Knowing how important these friendships are to Vashka, my mother and I do our best to get along with the neighbors. We don't want them to get mad and separate the horses. It would be easy for them to do -- they have an entire parcel of property that they could cordon off.  

So we overlook things, we forgive things, we do things we don't always want to do -- and we remind ourselves of that saying: "Live and Let Live." 

As I look out my kitchen window it occurs to me how huge this lesson is -- how many times and in how many forms it has come to me.  But I never "got it" until my horse's happiness was at its epicenter.

That's how it is with horses.  When we love them like we do, they teach us how to get along in life.

 

"Skode" -- aka -- Lori Yearwood

Skode's Horse Treats, Inc.

www.skodeshorsetreats.com

"It's About a Lifestyle"

Fennel Seed for Sensitive Horses

Fennel means "little hay" in Latin.  If you look at the seed closely, it really does look like a miniature piece of hay:

A deeply aromatic little food that is actually a fruit, Fennel is a popular first choice for the treatment of infants suffering from colic. It is also known for many other actions, including with horses. Just some of these uses:

• Re-balancing the metabolism
• Reducing the appetite
• re-establishing healthy intestinal flora
• reducing flatulence
• encouraging secretion of saliva and gastric juices
• reducing stomach cramps
• helping to break up congestion caused by colds and allergies

 

"Fennel will suppress your horse's appetite and help your horse's metabolism find balance," writes Australian Herbalist Catherine Bird in her book  A Healthy Horse The Natural Way.

The official formulator of Skode's Herbal Terrain Hay Mixers, Ms Bird also states that Fennel Seed is a good general tonic herb that you can add to any general tonic blend of herbs, and that the tea is good for the horse prone to or recovering from flatulent colic. Fennel is an important ingredient in the Hay Mixer "Ocean," which Ms. Bird created.

Vashka, Skode's mascot, has a tendency to be gassy during weather changes, especially severe barometric changes. I feed just a teaspoon or two of Fennel seeds to him -- either by hand or in his mashes -- and  within 5 to 10 minutes he is no longer gassy. For those of us worried about gas colic, I highly recommend keeping this herb on hand.

I buy my Fennel Seed in the Certified Organic form www.pacificbotanicals.com  The company runs its own herb farm across the street from my ranch in Southern Oregon. A frequent shopper there, I can attest to their extreme quality. 

In addition to Ms. Bird's book A Healthy Horse The Natural Way, information for this article was also culled from nutritiondata.com and mountainroseherbs.com.

"SKODE" -- aka -- Lori Yearwood'

Skode's Horse Treats, Inc.

www.skodeshorsetreats.com

"It's About a Lifestyle"

 

Building Your Horse's Reserves with Superfoods -- the first in a series

As Winter begins to bear down on us, it is imperative that we prepare our horses -- especially our Sensitive Horses -- for the stresses that intense weather can bring.

Building your horse's reserves  can help prevent sickness and this approach is a lot less stressful than treating an illness.  

My company's alliance with Dr.Cassie Schuster, a nationally board certified naturopath who collaborates with Skode's,  has taught me about the powerful efficacy of whole foods --  especially  "Superfoods."   I will be addressing several of these in upcoming posts. Today's post  is devoted to Spirulina.

My horses adore Spirulina. I know, a lot of people think the blue-green algae is too pungent to be palatable.  But my horses really do enjoy it.  Raya will eat it straight out of my hand.  Vashka likes up to an ounce mixed into no-sugar-added applesauce, into his morning  feed. He also loves it in his Skode's Energy Bars , which contain a significant amount of Spirulina.

 

Spirulina Powder:

 Spirulina is a good a good source of Vitamin K, Pantothenic Acid, Magnesium and Potassium, and a very good source of Protein, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Iron, Copper and Manganese, according to nutritiondata.com (as well as many other sources).

As an Insulin Resistant horse, Vashka tends to have a compromised immune system. This weakness manifested itself in mild to severe allergy symptoms.  However once I began feeding him a regular dose of Spirulina, his symptoms literally disappeared.  I like to buy the powdered form here: www.mybestequine.com

The efficacy of feeding Spirulina to my own horses has so impressed me that I have begun eating it myself (horses before humans, lol). I eat mine in the from of  a treat, too! It's a vegan bar, dipped in organic dark chocolate. You might want to check it out for yourself: http://www.amazon.com/Betty-Lous-Chocolate-Spirulina-1-41-Ounce/dp/B002C3TPKO

 

Enjoy!

 

"SKODE" -- aka Lori Yearwood

www.skodeshorsetreats.com

"It's About a Lifestyle"

Everyone and everything is Connected

Everyone and everything connected. Take a minute to read this letter I just received:

Everyone and everything is connected, even when we forget. If you have a moment, read this letter from a Skode's customer. It's a real testament to what "going natural" really means: 


Dear Lori,

I know you are busy, but I just thought I'd write to tell you thank you. I have been on this amazing journey with my mare this year and I can't really put my finger on when or how this happened, but I have a sneaky suspicion that it started with getting your treats and reading your stories. I'm lucky she doesn't have the challenges of being IR or Cushings, but none the less we have jumped onboard the whole natural thing : ) I have always been the "odd one" when it comes to how I would take care of my mare so now I have found a circle of friends that are like minded and it feels wonderful. She has been barefoot for years, but much of my journey started with a new trimmer that knows what she's doing!!! WOW what a difference it makes. Harley's story made me cry(and still does) but also made me do my homework before I selected my trimmer. 

So when I thought I was just buying a new wonderful treat I got WAY more than that!!! So thank you from the bottom of mine and my mare's heart. Keep doing what you're doing!!! You are making a difference while supplying hand held love : )

 

Jacqui

Received and re-posted by Lori Yearwood -- aka -- "SKODE"

 

Skode's Horse Treats, Inc.

www.skodeshorsetreats.com

Re-Defining the Notion of a Treat!

The Point of Decision

 It's part of the pact.

Every horse we love, will at some point, bring us to an undeniable place where we must make a decision.  Somehow, we agreed to this.

So now we are in a situation tha needs solving.  Are we going to move forward, into the unknown? 
Or are we going to stay where we are. 

The conventional path encompasses logic, facts, what is known.  Always, our horses brings us to the point of something else.  Something unknown.  Something ineffable. 

And so our horse stands in front of us, waiting.

Are we going to break free of what we know?  Maybe even risk failure and ridicule?

Or are we going to play it safe. 

 Do you believe in the power of nature/the horse/ the Universe/ your own intuition?  Or do you believe only in the power of what you absolutely already know.

Which is it?

What are you going to do?

 

 

Lori Yearwood -- aka -- "SKODE"

 

Natural Product Review for Sensitive Horses

Natural is now a way of life for me and my horses.

I  haven't always been able to say this. There were times when I used used chemical fly sprays on my horses, for example, and chemical flea repellents on my dogs.   I didn't want to use the chemicals. But I couldn't find a natural alternative that actually worked.   So like a lot of people, I resorted to poisons. 

Poison is a strong word.  But if you read the labels they warn you about the toxicity levels. They tell you to wear gloves when applying the product -- or face a possible visit to the emergency room. They tell you to call the poison control centers if ingested.  

It doesn't take much of a mental leap to acknowledge that these products cause problems for the animals who are exposed to them, especially the animals exposed to them on a regular basis.  And imagine the already compromised animals - the last thing they need is the added burden of expunging chemicals from their bodies. 

After much networking, research and personal  experience,  I am finally able to say that I have found the products I need to naturally care for my horses and dogs.   I want to share this information with you. I want you to have a place you can turn -- before you turn to those last- resort chemicals.

My promise:  I will not tell you something works if it hasn't worked on my own animal family.  If it didn't work for us  I won't post write about it. 

Today is my first post. I am featuring Grapefruit Coat Refresh by Equi-Spa.  I picked this product because I live in Oregon -- where the Winters are cold and muddy -- and I need  something to clean up Vashka's coat and tail when its too cold to bathe him.

Sherie Vermeer, company owner and creator of Grapefruit Coat Refresh,  sells it a cleaner as well as body brace.  My primary interest in it is as a cleaner, so I will focus on that aspect here.

 

I can not imagine a tougher test than Vashka.  He is a grey who rolls everyday in the mud.  When I groom him, I need a miracle.  Look:

 I emailed Sherie over at Equi-Spa.  We have known each other for years.  I wanted her to know what her product was up against.

Sherie was not phased.

"The cleaning agent is natural botanical extract of Witch Hazel," she said. "It is known for dissolving dirt grime and sweat.  Plus the citrus oils I use -- including grapefruit and sweet orange and lemon -- have natural stain buster properties. " 

In the winter you can get your horse clean by allowing him to dry, Sherie said, and then brushing out the mud and scrubbing him with grapefruit coat refresh.   

 I did as I was told but throughout the process I am going to be honest -- I felt bad for Sherie. Vashka never looks clean in the Winter! Nevertheless, I sprayed.  I let dry.  I went back. And I brushed. 

Look what happened:

 I find this very impressive!

 No need for silicon or bleach or anything else unnatural. I will definitely be packing Grapefruit Coat Refresh for my Winter rides with Vashka.  

You can buy Grapefruit Coat Refresh at Equispa.com

Would you like your natural product reviewed in this blog? Please send a sample to: 

Skode's Horse Treats, Inc.

P.O. Box 152 

Wilderville, Oregon

97543

Will will only write about your product if the review is positive.

 

"SKODE" -- aka -- Lori Yearwood

Skode's Horse Treats

www.skodeshorsetreats.com

Re-Defining the Notion of a Treat!