Taking care of your body doesn't have to be complicated. And it doesn't require a doctor or any other expert for that matter. I have studied health more than most people that haven't chosen to work in the "health industry" and it isn't uncommon for me to get asked questions about what to do under certain circumstances.
While I am an advocate for wellness and prevention and I do teach people how to care for their bodies and those of their beloved pets, we really need to get something straight.
1. I am not a doctor or a veterinarian and therefore, it is illegal for me to diagnose or treat human or animal.
2. Wellness and prevention have nothing to do with diagnosing and treating.
I understand how this can be a confusing concept. Especially because we have been raised in a culture that taught us that if we have a question about our bodies and how they function or if something is "normal" we need to speak with a doctor. This logic seems to even make sense- I mean doctors go to school for a long time so they really must be better informed on what it takes to have and maintain optimum health. However, this simply isn't true.
Doctors go to school to study diseases and treatments for disease. They generally do not spend a lot of time studying health and what causes it. In fact, they don't really study what causes disease either. So, what does that mean for you? Simple: wellness and prevention is something you can learn about and dominate for yourself and your family if you want to! And, if you are experiencing intense symptoms and need a diagnosis and possibly a treatment- GO TO THE DOCTOR!
No matter where you are on your wellness and prevention journey, it is important to remember to use all of your resources. If you are lucky enough to have a friend or contact that is super knowledgeable- fantastic! However, remember that your health and wellness is your responsibility and that means that you need to use your resources- the internet (coupled with your favorite search engine) is a powerful resource. As are the reference books offered by Life Science Publishing and many other publishers. Heck, there are even reference apps!
Want more no-nonsense viewpoints from me? Join my free group: Happy Horse, Happy Life
I can tell you now that I know that is all wrong- but maybe not in the ways you are thinking.
As it turns out, what I currently refer to as Liver Detoxing isn't really what I initially thought of when it was originally presented to me. When I think detox, I think of ridding something of toxins. It is actually the Liver's job to help the body eliminate toxins. That being said, we don't necessarily need to get toxins out of the liver (that's a little redundant 😉).
When we are saying "liver detox" we are really wanting to help the liver to function better. A strained liver is the result of many toxins coming into the body from various different ways including food, what goes into/ on the body, and other environmental factors. So, when we support a healthier liver, we are allowing the liver to clean out our body's the way they should.
How do you know if you or your pet may need a liver detox?
- Excessive Fatigue
- Skin Issues and Hair Loss
- Hormone Imbalances
- Bloating/ Passing Gas
- High Levels of Heavy Metals
- Definitely an important step- talk to your doctor or your pet's veterinarian.
So.... What do you need to do to have a happy liver?
If you want to learn more about mine and Ardy's journey + the supplements, foods, and experts that we have used to heal- join my community on Facebook Here.
It is very common to hear people talk about how horses have helped them heal their long-standing traumas. We also hear people talk about rescuing horses. But there is very little conversation around helping horses truly heal and release traumas. Here are 3 reasons we should not only be talking about helping horses release their traumas, but also making it a point to actually do it. We can help our horses truly heal!
Trauma leads to anxiety...
very much the same as it does in people.
Each horse shows their anxiety differently- also, just like people. It is very common for horses to express their feelings of anxiety as common stable vices: cribbing, weaving, and pawing. If these vices go on long enough they will become bad habits (or become unmanageable). If we can help the horse release it's trauma, we can help them heal, stop the bad vices, and live a better life.
Better performance
is totally possible.
Stable vices are definitely not the only side effects of trauma. From loading in the trailer to misbehaving under saddle, trauma responses and the physical manifestations of trauma can happen anywhere and can range from barely noticeable to straight-up life-threatening for the horse, handler, and any bystanders. By helping the horse release their trauma every aspect of life for the horse and surrounding people can be improved, from the show ring to the trails.
Helping the horse heal
can lead to a deeper bond.
So many people have stories of how horses have helped them heal. People have stories of trauma that result in feelings of anxiety and unworthiness. Those people (and others) have reported that working with horses has made them feel whole again. A huge part of that healing is the emotional connection that people have to horses. There is no greater feeling than when you and your horse have bonded on a deeply emotional level. This often leads to more joy and fluidity during the time spent between horse and rider/ handler.
Conformation is simply the way a horse is put together. This plays a role in the way a horse moves, how they perform, and how injury-prone a horse can be.
Overall, when we assess conformation, we are looking for good proportions- all of the horse's parts fit well together and none seem too big or too small for the rest of the animal.
Conformation faults are structural problems or unproportioned areas. Conformation faults are not always genetic and they don't have to be permanent! Depending on the fault, there are ways to work with them or even eliminate them. Some disciplines actually look for certain faults because the professionals in those disciplines feel that they actually help the horse to perform better.
Here's where things get more interesting- we can't make good assessments of conformation when horses are too young because they aren't born well proportioned at all- they tend to be all legs 😍 And even when their joints naturally fuse as they stop growing, we can make a better assessment of conformation, but it isn't the end of the world when we spot faults in most horses. Conformation of a horse will change throughout its life- so if you know why these changes are happening we can intervene and make sure that our horses' shape and functionality actually support whatever their daily activity and favorite disciplines are.
Some common conformation faults that (usually) cannot be changed are:
- Over at the knee
- Back at the knee
- Base Wide
- Base Narrow
- Knock Kneed
- Bow Legged
- Cow Hocked
- Bow Hocked
- Sickle Hocked
- Straight Behind (Posty)
- Sway Back
- Ewe Neck
- Camped Out
- Camped Under
- Pigeon Toed
- Toed Out
If you want to learn more about how to improve some faults that your horse has or what jobs your horse may be more suited for according to his conformation, jump on over to my Free Facebook Group!
I am sure I am not the only person that totally over schedules most days. Seriously. My planner has a to-do list with 8 lines- I manage to fill at least 12 lines daily. And, of course, at least 4 are left over from the day before. I rely heavily on my Sundays to finish things around the house and to work uninterrupted on my business.
Sunday, May 28th was no different. I had such a long to-do list. There were so many things that I had been putting off that I was going to finish on Sunday. However, at 5:30 pm on Friday (the 26th) a conversation arose with my mother that lead to something completely different than my "catch-up Sunday." Weirdly enough and completely our of character for me, I jumped at the opportunity to leave after work on Saturday to go to Marquette, MI. The catch? I had to be back around 10 pm Sunday.
So, 24 hours after the trip was proposed, my sister, my daughter and myself were loaded into a truck (with my sister's dog, too lol) and headed to Marquette. The trip there was long, but the excitement of what we were about to experience was nearly palpable.
We pulled into our destination for the night just after 1 am. Thankfully, we didn't end up bringing a tent. Instead, we had cots to set up in the garage of the vacant house we were stopping at to pick up some antiques. We finally got to sleep around 2 am.
We were up around 8 am and had the truck packed ready for our trip home by 9 am. The plan was to be headed home by 2 pm so we had plenty of time to meet some friends that moved to the area last year and had great local spots to share with us. Instead of walking you through all of the fun things we saw, I will let you see the pictures and just share what this trip has taught me.
First, my to-do list was still there when I came home Sunday night... and Monday... and some items are still on it now!! Please do not make the assumption that the items on my list weren't important. Of course, I had some easy to put off items on the list like laundry and cleaning the kitchen. However, I also had follow-ups for my business and finalizing plans for my 7th wedding anniversary which is this Friday and my daughter's 9th birthday which is in 2 weeks. These things are important, but I am so glad I put them off for this quick trip.
Second, I have had a few opportunities similar to this that I have always turned down because the short trip "would not be worth the effort." I cannot express how wrong this thought process was. It seems crazy I know. Really though, a quick 1-night trip doesn't require much in the way of clothes, food, or planning. This trip can be easy and inexpensive! Don't over think it!
Finally, this idea may make you uncomfortable- GOOD! It's crazy! It's fun! You will grow as an individual, in experience, and with the people that you share your trip with. You can travel alone and have just as much fun and possibly grow more than traveling with others.
We only have one life. Don't forget that. Do things differently so you can experience all that life has to offer.
