Academia Liberti

I was supposed to be a "horse trainer"

2012-02-08T09:50:00.000-08:00

by Vilde Bjørnødegård Bakken for Academia Liberti

It is winter now, and with the snowflakes covering the ground and the nights’ getting longer, we are given time to think. In my case, memories keep showing up. Memories that remind me of all the things I have learned, especially from one horse. As some of you may already know, I grew up with a mother who some would call a NH-fanatic. She adores Monty Roberts and thinks that the only way to handle horses is by breaking their will and destroy their soul, until there’s just an empty shell left. A shadow of the wild spirits they used to be. When I was younger, mom and I handed several horses with “problems”. We were known in a big area as horse whisperers and the only ones who could make a horse “nice” again. It surprises me all the time that people claim it's the horses that have problems, when in fact the problem lies in them. Our reputation was the reason why I got the opportunity to know her; Destiny’s Hope.

It was winter 2008. She arrived at our farm screaming and fighting herself inside this tiny, dark trailer, and from that moment on I knew this horse was different from all the others who had been at our farm for “treatment”. The owners tried to tell us about their problems with the horse and I listened closely, always fascinated by which words people chose to express their thoughts. As other 13 years old girls, I was always looking for opportunities to say something and I asked the owner straight out; “What actually is your problem?”

The woman looked at me with these crazy eyes. Her nose was big and fat, just like a potato, and her skin was yellow. I thought she might be a smoker, then her bad breath convinced me. She had probably been smoking for a long time, and I was sure there had to be a reason. As she started to speak again, her dry lips told me that her daughter would show me. As the horse threw herself out of the trailer she was clearly showing that she was fighting for her last piece of wild soul. I could actually see it, and feel it, because my eyes started to open. When I first saw her, I thought she was going to break her leg if I just looked at it! Never before had I been so close to a horse we in Norwegian like to call ‘warmblood’. The horses I’ve had ridden before and the horses at home were heavy, strong, and had a lot of fur, they were ‘coldblood’. I just couldn’t understand how someone could wish to ride a horse like that, they look so fragile! Then I started to think about the differences between that type of horse and the type of horses I rode myself. Why would there be any difference? If one type of horse gets hurt from riding, wouldn’t the other one too? That was the first time she made me think.

The daughter was this typical teenager, trying to look like Barbie in every way. Her blond hair looked like a decorated frame around her make-up face. I thought she was a bit cute, that little child beneath her mask, but her actions made me react. Destiny clearly showed she was nervous. The halter was too small and her skin was squeezed. Mom stopped them at once and gave her one of our own halters. Now, even though she still was tripping at the human’s side, she did not seem as afraid or nervous anymore. They tied the rope to a tree and started to groom her. Mom talked to the mother, and I asked the daughter some questions while I noticed the horse didn’t want to stay still and tried to bite or kick the girl when she was at the typical place where she would rise up onto the horse’s back. The bit was thrown into her mouth, the saddle was placed on her back, and they locked her up in reins. It was a terrible view, and the horse now stood completely still.

I have always loved eyes. I think they tell us so much about the person inside, same with animals. And only in a few minutes, Destiny made my thoughts run for the second time. I looked into her eyes, but I met a wall. The look she gave me was filled with pain; her eyes were dark and weak, a blurry mess. I couldn’t understand this. To me it was only these dead eyes I saw in most horses, but there was something different, a knowing in those eyes of hers. In some way I felt how she was preparing to get rid of the rider, but I didn’t notice it before it happened. The daughter rose in the stir-ups and before she could even sit down, Destiny had already gotten rid of her by exploding - raring and bucking. The girl cried and went back to her car while the horse was running like she had the devil himself chasing her. I went to my mom and told her the only thing I could manage to say: “Mom, that horse is unique.” But mom was convinced she was just like everybody else, just a horse.

The same evening after the owners said goodbye and went back home, mom told me to get Destiny from the pasture. I grabbed the halter and went down to the horses. Søljar had just arrived himself, he was two and a half years old. Destiny was five. Floppa, Liliana, Ronsmai and two of the other horses we had for training were too busy getting to know Destiny, but Søljar left them all and met me at the top of the hill. His eyes have always been special, unlike anyone I’ve ever seen. Destiny came up to Søljar and I after the other horses got tired of her, and I had to force her head into the halter. She looked at me so curious, like she was trying to get to the child inside me, but I didn’t know and tried to fulfill my mother’s wishes the best I could. And as I’m writing this now, I think Destiny understood that I was not like everybody else, but still, I was acting no better as I was trying to force her to go with me. When I tried to get her to walk with me she refused and tried to bite me. Her ears were out of sight and those big white teeth of hers were the only thing I could see as she told me she did not want to come with me. I was shocked, and I stood there for a long time just looking at her trying to understand why. That was the third time she made me think. My previous horse, Bjarne (who's story will be told later), did the same as Destiny and he ended up at the slaughterhouse. By refusing to do what I commanded her to do, she woke up a fear and a curiosity I’d hidden for a long time. Mom screamed at me, told me to hurry up, and I was drug out of my own head. Destiny looked scared, so I walked a few steps towards her and my hand stroke her neck, attempting to relax her while I told her how unique I thought she was and that I was looking forward to get to know her better. I thought it was so strange because when I was going to bring her out of the pasture, I didn’t command her. I didn’t just expect her to follow me. I remember it all so well. She seemed so fragile that I actually just asked her, and she came with me, totally relaxed.

Mom waited for us by the coral and I remember how Destiny became more and more stressed the closer we got. At the end she was tripping sideways, trying to run away. Mom told me that I shouldn’t accept that kind of behavior and I had to correct her. She grabbed the rope from me and screamed at her while waving her hands in front of her head. I was told it was to get her attention. Destiny got even more afraid, and mom got angrier. I didn’t know it then, but now I’m sure mom didn’t have enough knowledge and she didn’t know how she should handle the situation. She brought the horse into the coral and started to chase her. The whip made a terrifying sound every time it hit Destiny, and for the first time I thought doing this ‘join-up’ was so wrong. Destiny kept on running in circles until she nearly could no longer breathe. Then my mom was satisfied, as the four-legged gave her the signs she thinks means 'submission'.

This was only the first day, but she was the first horse that made me think and analyze my own actions, so I could learn from it.
To be continued...

Trot races, a disturbing testimony?

2012-01-20T03:02:00.000-08:00

Text and photographs, Nicolas Simonet, August 2011

On Sunday, July 31th, at the hippodrome of Vittel (Vosges, France) a trot race took place.
While wandering close to the stables, I was amazed to see a horse caught by two lines to a halter made with a motorcycle chain on the nose. I went back home to take my camera and when I came back, all the horrors of race’s world appeared in front of me...

One horse had in the mouth a bit with a chain and a leverage bit ; according to his owner, the chain is a security in case of break of the bit and the leverage bit avoid the horse to have the head down during the race.
The one who had a motorcycle chain on the nose wore next to the right lips a plastic disk incrusted now with diamonds, but with old rotten iron nails which were standing out of two or three millimeters. According to owners, horses running on the track clockwise use to turn too short so they often arrive too close to the barrier. While pulling on the left rein, the nailed disk sticks to horse’s mouth and he can't do anything but to go quickly to the left...

Some other horses had metallic chains on the nose or on the right rein, some kind of “sausage” of fifty to sixty centimeters long nail incrusted as well, but this time, of two to three centimeters long, which are used to push the horse to the left as well, while beating the rein on the right side of the neck.

There was even one with a plastic plate coming out of the mouth...

While looking to all this harness, I thought I changed of time and that I was back to middle ages.
I saw these horse coming back from each race and never before had I heard horses breathe so loudly and be so white from sweat on the body!

One character willing to put a blanket on the back of one horse who was coming back from the race because he had been eliminated had these words from the driver : "I’m not cold so this jerk is not ; he doesn’t need the blanket.”

How can we use animals in such conditions?

In which goal, except if it is for money, one’s still using such tools made for torture to gain some seconds? This is obviously not new and why no one feel concerned with these poor horses' life conditions? What is it during training then, that should be even worse?

Now that we know we can’t stay without taking action, horror and sufferings are much too big.

*Notification:
The author of the article belongs to Brigitte Bardot Foundation and he made a file and sent it to substiute of the republic prosecuter.

http://www.cheval-attitude.com/articles ... nge-175821

Treatise on Natural Asymmetry of horses and aberration in the understanding of its evolution and treatment or The unnatural straightening of the hors

2012-01-11T02:35:00.000-08:00

by Maksida Vogt

Natural Asymmetry by definition, is a slanted propulsion of the hind legs of the horse, by which cause a lateral shift or offset in the front legs. There is assumption that the reason for this is the location of the foal in the womb.
Many different veterinarians have made big efforts to investigate this “phenomenon”. From the bio-mechanical point of view, natural asymmetry should mean one-sided shortening of the longissimus muscle on the hollow side of the back. Through this muscle shortening, the pelvis is pulled forward on the hollow side. Looking from the front or behind the horse will walk and run with a slanted angle to it's body. The muscles of the croup would also be asymmetrically built, so that the horse will push more on this side than it will carry.
There are some incredibly bizarre explanations for this, from trying to explain it from the deep anatomical point of view, to the comparison with a rally or race car in terms of statics and stability in the curve (which also comes from a Dr. vet by the way). The common result of all the investigations on this, are the recommendations and advice on how to “straighten” the horse in the best way. Of course one might wonder why we would never get such advice for dog or cat. They move the same way as the horse. So we come to the point where we have to ask the question, how and why this is happening. How can it be that even the most acknowledged doctors of veterinary medicine give such advice that is to change this creature in a bio-mechanical form? To force this creature with pain into an unnatural form?

To find the explanation we should look back to the old “masters” of the “riding skill”.
To the non dressage interested rider, this sentence should be known as:
“Ride your horse forward and set it up”.

This sentence mirrors the whole aberration in the attempt to understand a horses body and psyche. Steinbrecht makes it unmistakeably clear that he uses horses for riding and that “dressage has the purpose, through systematically organized gymnastic exercises, to enable the muscles of the horse to give the skeleton required direction which is necessary for the duty of riding”. Through this, Steinbrecht is able to see very clearly:
“In his natural state the horse can follow his natural affinity at the shoulder, and through this he gains no damage because he has no external weight to carry, he makes his movements according to his own will and he uses his hind legs according to his need to support forelegs, as they are unrestricted. But when under a rider he has to take on the riders weight, and he not only has to move in different gaits at the will of the rider, but he must also do this in a certain tempo and for as long as rider wishes, so he must be able to do this without damage to his legs, straight and in balance, under the principle that a correct balanced load is easier to carry than one which is out of balance”.

Looking back at that time, Steinbrecht may have deserved respect as a man who wanted to train horses for the use of riding with as little damage as possible caused to the horse. When measured today, with ethical principles, this can never be the case. His whole book illustrates how to handle the horse with the imposition of force, denying these creatures any free will, and using them as a tool for the human. And this is valid for all other “masters” of the “riding skill”. They all followed this principle, which has lead us to present days and the misery of how our horses are treated. Big praise has been spoken about Gueriniere because he defined shoulder-in, which made what easier exactly? Straighten the horse so that horse can optimally go through the corner, that horse can perform one round volte and which ever other artificial movement the rider desires? Does the horse need this? Certainly not.

I find it devastating that the lack of knowledge about the nature of the horse, his psyche, to the biomechanics of his body and even to basic anatomical facts still exists, and is even celebrated!

The only explanation I can find is that people have one priority over all and that is to use the horse. Before anything else, first comes the wish to (mis) use the horse, and then one tries to explain it from the position of health. But this leads down the wrong path because health must always come first, as with us, and so even with the horse. This is what we must concede about every living being, is not it?

It is obvious that the asymmetry in the highly-bred horses that have to endure life in an unnatural position (box, paddocks, small paddocks) is extremely pronounced. This is reflected in the whole body, it can be read in the whole body, from muscles to joints, bones, hooves and organs.
The horse is kept unnatural and used unnatural. This leads to congestion resulting from overexertion and sustained contraction of the muscles, they tense and harden. If this condition lasts too long, it leads to sprains, cramps, muscle fiber tears, etc. Hardened muscles and inflexible tendons do not give enough to provide the necessary possibility of movement to the joint(s).

When horse refuses to move it is gernarally an alarm sign and not insubordination.

With such horses there can be no correct bending, lateral flexion is always forced by the pain of the bit or trauma to the head of the horse. There can be no correct "straightening" because the nature of the horse does not allow it, unless you force the horse with pain into an unnatural straigteness.

The natural asymmetry which the horse could not balance himself because of unnatural keeping and use is also clearly seen in the hooves. They have grow differently, and in many cases one hoof is wide and flat and the other is narrower and steeper. This in turn leads to more tension and unbalance in the body and creates a vicious circle. This is followed by incorrect diagnoses, incorrect treatments and it's all at the expense of the horse. It's downright frightening to determine that the doctors of veterinary medicine, on a regular basis, give advice like the following:

- To exercize shoulder out and shoulder-in (meant to do this with the use of a bit, and this again means to force the horse in an unnatural position through pain).
- To lunge (meant to force the horse using cavassion or halter in unnatural movement)
- Rider should help to straighten the horse from it's back (which probably needs no comment, but again with bit, pain, force and on top of that the weight of the rider on it's back)
- Site gaits (again bit, pain, compulsion)

And then there are a variety of different therapies on how best to straighten the poor horse. Do we really want to straighten our horses by hook or by crook? Should we even be allowed to do this? What is natural asymmetry at all, does it have some justification or is it just a freak of nature?

In nature, everything has its place and reason.
Nature has not provided the horse to come into the world in box stalls, nor even in paddocks or small pastures. Nature has provided for the horse the expanse of the land, and when the mother mare gets up after giving birth, then she should be able to continue on with the moving herd and her foal should be able to do the same. In the foals first hours of life, their bodies are defined and formed. Their hooves are worn evenly and shaped, their bodies are flooded with oxygen and the lungs can fully develop, the abundance of natural movement can optimally develope the bodys symmetry, which of course can never be so unnatural as the horses who are born and kept in captivity. The horse should be able to and would like to look behind and all around him, he needs to see any threat and he may need to see an escape route, the minimal natural asymmetry, which is there and designed by nature, and can never be "straightened". Any attempt to do this, according to current methods, treatments and advice means to force the horse into an unnatural position (usually with the use of bit and/or other violent means of manipulation) and this means damage to the horse's body.

Shall we ride the horses, despite this asymmetry? That can not be healthy?

Exactly.
Rather, the rider must rethink when it comes to riding. It is urgently necessary to understand that no creature, no being is here to satisfy our selfish wishes. We must not harm another being in order to provide ourselves with good feelings. With horses this is especially obvious, the owners swear to love the animal, they buy blankets, pay fees for the keeping, employ different therapists, but all this can not smother the fact that the horse is kept primarily for one reason... to be used. Our own frustration and pain must be recognized, and it must be cured, so that man can feel what he does to the horse. And then, if and when you get something that is much more valuable, the true friendship of the horse, then perhaps the greatest moments of grace arise if the horse will allow, with his own free thought and will, that man gets to sit on his back ... for a moment, which will be worth more than a whole lifetime of enforced riding before it. I wish this experience to every rider.

When parents hurt our horses and our soul. Where our wounds are coming from?

2011-12-30T00:24:00.000-08:00

by Vilde Bjørnødegård Bakken for Academia Liberti

The wind whispers to me how beautiful life is. These last few weeks have been challenging in many ways. One shock after the other. When I thought my presence was perfect, that nothing could change a thing, my fear and paranoia turned into life. I have realized that perfection is a lie, living while we hide from the truth. And I can't help myself for blaming my stupidness for these actions on my previously way of thinking, and what it has caused.

I look up to the sky, waiting for the first snowflakes to arrive. One day, when I got home from school, my mom had been riding Floppa, my black, little pony. At that moment, I couldn't understand anything and it felt like the ground beneath my feet was tearing apart, and a big hole was dragging me down together with all my visions and thoughts, telling me where I've done wrong. The worst thing wasn't the action of her riding, but how she explained to me how much Floppa appreciated the ride and that she was longing for it to happen, and has several times. This day was a nightmare, I was screaming, crying, hurting myself in so many ways, until I realized that whining this way would never help Floppa to heal again. I don't know who or what I should thank, Floppa is not broken. Not mental. But I wonder how much damage her back received, and how much of the pain and suffering will show through her thick fur. In some ways, it seemed like she was reminded of our previous life, and she never let me out of sight. She sticks close to me, never lets anyone touch her or even look at her before I tell her it's alright. She seeks me in a way I've never experienced before, I feel like we're getting closer to each other, and that makes me want to fight even harder for her to be free from the chains of pain and suffering.

It's December, and yet no snow. Where has the sky's correction fluid went? Another day, when I got home from school, the first thing I noticed when I got inside our house, was this bitter smell of polished leather. Ronsmais old saddle and bridle, with this horrifying two-piece snaffle bit, was hanging on the back of a chair. I lost my at breath, but this time my consciousness was with me and I stayed calm. What no one could see, was that under the still water, a storm was building and preparing to clean the Earths surface. The same evening I tried to wake Ronsmai up, but she was gone, trapped in her own sorrow. Floppa showed herself even closer to me when she, for the first time since this summer, laid down with her head in my lap. I felt lost, but the presence of the horses and how they bring the nature inside to ones inner self, made me grow stronger and I opened up so my soul could fly and bring me wisdom. My mom is not malicious, but when her little knowledge no longer tells her how to handle in a situation, her fear of falling deeper than her daughter makes her fight and act with violence.

This day is exactly one of those days which gives us the answer to the question "is life worth living?". Ronsmai looks at me. I think she's nervous, but I don't like to tell what a horse is feeling, because I can never know, only guess by former prejudice. And life is not guessing, life is living and experiencing. My hand buries itself into her black fur, and it's like I've never felt before. I open my mouth and taste the fresh air, it's like I've never tasted before. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. The cold shows me it's way from my nostrils to my lungs, and I can feel it, like I've never felt anything inside of me before. My ears get an invitation to listen to some of the birds singing, and I don't need to answer, I hear like I've never heard before. I listen to the sounds of the horses eating, and all the sounds together, the horses, the rushing creek, the waving trees and singing birds, they wake up my little child inside. Then I open my eyes. Everything seems so colorful, yet so tired, so dead. So enlightened, but yet so dark. I can see like I've never seen before, and I realize that Mother Earths contrast creates a balance. Life and death, light and dark, noise and silence, it's all a part of the circle of life!

She's making these funny noises again while she's throwing her head up into the air, calling to me. Lost in my own world I didn't notice the veterinarian knocking at our door. He came inside and I get a little shock. It wasn't our usual veterinarian, but besides his original Norwegian name, Ole, and his rough behavior, he seemed alright. I invited him in, and he was very careful with our dog Marco when he examined him. After we made sure everything was fine with the black and furry one, I showed him Floppas registration paper and we spoke a bit about horses in general before we went outside. Earlier this morning I let them out so they could eat and move as they wanted to without any boundaries, and when I walked towards them in the pasture and whistled to them, they came to meet me halfway. When I held the halter in front of Floppa, asking if it was alright to put it on, I tried to explain to Ole, the veterinarian, that she usually doesn't wear any type of equipment. Floppa showed us she didn't wanted to wear the halter, so I put it away, and after some calming words Ole came to chip her and take some hair examples. My little mob was a bit afraid when the needle with the chip penetrated her neck, but she stayed still and showed curiosity towards the stranger when we were done. She walked with us some meters, but then she stopped to eat and I told her how good it all went and that I would come out to her later. When we got inside again, Ole wrote and signed the papers and took off. Floppa was now going to be mine.

Ronsmai wished me welcome with her deep and burning eyes. I can't even imagine or claim to understand even a word of her story. Everything she's been through, every moment she has felt pain, every action which led by ignorance or even more violence, has promoted her suffering for humans own pleasure. How many times hasn't she been used as a toy, treated like she doesn't have feelings, a soul, and how many times hasn't she felt like giving up and letting death take her free will and spirit? A little light shows in her eyes, and I wonder how many beautiful moments of her life she has felt healthy, lucky and strong. If she has ever felt joy, and love. And a part of me wishes, and hopes, to be with her in some of those moments. But I also wish her to remember those moments of life without humans, when she felt pure freedom.

My hand felt like it belonged in her mane, and I look up at the beautiful sky and the tall, tall trees in the background. A black raven dances with the seductive wind, and from that moment on, I know deep inside that Søljar is with us. Floppa bites me carefully on my shoes, trying to make me move. I laugh, give her a hug and before we even know it we're running up the little hill. We dance together and live. My ears catch a thundering sound and just a moment later Ronsmai joins us. The old one takes me into the forest, while the little black one curiously explores natures mysteries. I admire how open and honest the horses are. How only one look from their lovely eyes reach my soul and set my heart on fire. We climb up the mountain, and the horses really seem to be more alive than ever before. They can read me, they can choose which page they want to read, but unlike the humans who have tried to read my book, the horses can see what's between the lines. The horses have a unique way of understanding and mirroring what they see in us. One day, I hope I will find my ability to understand things correctly, to show it for others and therefore make a change. At the top of the mountain, I breathe deeply and close my eyes. All the other senses enhance and I can feel how life truly shows me; it's worth living.

Atypical Myopathy or one consequence of insufficient feeding of affected horses?

2011-12-07T03:07:00.001-08:00

by Maksida Vogt

In the last two years there is news about this disease spreading and making a panic among horse owners. Horses seem to be mysteriously dieing out in the pastures. There are cases reported from Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden and England. 90% of horses afflicted with this disease die and nobody knows which mysterious disease we are talking about. The only things that connected these deaths to this disease were that horses mostly got ill in autumn, that it generally affected very young or very old and weak horses (but not all), and horses under stress of training. Also the pastures in which the horses were on were overgrazed and had been for years.

The only professional advice given to scared horse owners was to stable their animals. There was also talk about a vaccination to protect horses from this disease. It is to be questioned how one can protect animals from a disease one does not even know from what or where it is coming from. Also there are large amounts of reports which prove the harm vaccinations cause to the health of humans and animals, so it can be questioned if this would be the right way to apply medical care.

Horses affected with Atypical Myopathy can show such symptoms as profuse sweating, muscle twitching, weakness, acute destruction of the muscles, dark urine, reluctance to move, inability to stand, inability to chew and swallow, difficulty breathing, and death after 12-72 hours due to the collapse of the cardiorespiratory system (heart and lungs). Pain symptoms differ from horse to horse, some show strong pain symptoms, some may show none. In the beginning stages, symptoms can be confused with colic.

But this disease is nothing new, in England there have been 1976 such cases from as early as the year 1939. In the year 1984 this appearance was given the name Atypical Myopathy.

Dr. med. vet Uwe Hörügel from the Saxony Animal Epidemics Institute in Germany investigated this issue closely and came to the following results:

Atypical Myopathy is most likely a toxic disorder of the muscle metabolism by "pasture" horses in Europe and North America. (since every horse should be kept on pasture according to their nature, this term is bit disturbing). In autumn of 2009 there were 371 cases reported in Europe, and in spring of 2010 there were 125 cases.

It appeared that horses got sick on more windy days and especially horses which are in stressful situations like training, in transport or had compromised immune systems. Also in nearly all cases the horses who got sick were on very overgrazed and feculent pastures, of which appeared to have hardwood trees (great maple) growing nearby. Very often the maple leaves are affected by a fungus called Rhytisma acerinum, also known as European tar spot. This would also confirm the observations that Dr. Renate Vanselow and Silke Dehe made in the year 2009, that there was an increased growth of great maple which in turn increased the appearance of seeds and germ buds. According to Dr. Venselow, seeds and leaves can have large concentrations of toxic amino acids, which for example will lead to the death of ducklings within few hours. One of toxins in these leaves is Hypoglycin, which is also poisonous to humans. Hypoglycin is an amino acid becomes toxic after digestion and affected people show the same symptoms as horses with Atypical Myopathy. In America there are such cases as described of horses after eating red maple leaves.

Sycamore Maple (Acer pseudoplatanus), Inflorescence, Location: Marburg, Hesse, Germany

When the grasses from the affected pastures were analyzed it appeared to have very little digestive energy or nutrients, and the horses had no additional feed or grain offered. This means that by grazing alone, horses could only take in about one third of the energy of which they needed to survive. This means their body was already very far into a negative energy balance and in order to balance this, horses would have had to get at least 4 kg of whole oats per day.

If we count all these facts together then we may come to explanation why these horses got ill especially after very windy days, since the wind can blow maple leaves and seeds into such pastures and horses would have eaten them in an effort to get the nutrition their bodies needed. Maple leaves have a sweet taste due to the honey digestion of aphids which make them attractive to animals. Young horses who have not developed a strong immune system yet would put them in the more affected group, as well as old horses whose immune system is weakened. Horses who are in training or transport are stressed, and stressed horses get ill much more easily for several reasons. By investigating horses who were in the same herds but did not get ill, it appeared that they had changed liver and muscle enzyme concentrations in their blood, which means they probably also came into contact with and ingested the toxin, but their immune systems were strong enough to prevent the disease from developing.

To help horses stay healthy it is not advised to stable them, since this harms their health enormously. Horses should be kept on big enough pastures and the pastures need to be cleared of manure and maple leaves. Also, horses need to be provided with supplemental feed such as good quality hay and whole oats, and should not be left to survive solely on grass. Especially horses who are involved in activities will need additional oats. And all horses need to be provided with minerals, offered to them free choice in their natural form.

It is highly unlikely that horses would eat mapple leaves in such amount which would harm them, if they would not have been in negative energy balance. Also the stress factors are very important as well as health state of immune system. For one healthy horse it is not problem to eat even toxic plants to some amount as seen on these examples. It is the sum of these factors which makes a differece which animal gets ill. And this is the case with most diseases we face.
Another factor which indeed may influence horse's choice on food is species inappropriate keeping. When foals are born in box, and stabled in such young age, then they may develop disorder, and this disorder mostly applies also on hooves, locomotion system and social behaviour. These are facts we have to face. In general there are several points to rethink in nowday keeping and horsemanagement, we live in the time when natural keeping on big pastures with shelter should be matter of course.

Reference
http://www.tsk-sachsen.de/index.php/pferdegesundheit/kontaktpferd

Do they know?

2011-12-02T15:20:00.000-08:00

Jamie Joling for Academia Liberti

Do they know we are more than our definition? Do they know that our senses are highly specialized? Do they know that we are intelligent and inquisitive?
And do they know the effects they have on us? On our bodies, our health, our emotions, our spirits? Do they know we are not a number, a possession, or a tool?

Have you ever stopped and looked at the world through your horses eyes? Have you ever wondered the questions they may ask? Have you ever considered their biological needs and desires? Have you ever learned the science of a horse? Why they were divinely created as the true masterpieces that they are?

"Do They Know? 'Humanity' Through the Eyes of a Horse" by Catherine Scott, is a beautifully written and illustrated book that may answer some of these questions. A book written in the hopes of opening peoples minds to the science, as well as the emotion of the horse. To take a look at our treatment of horses though their eyes, and through this, hopefully opening peoples minds to all of nature and the way we treat it. In hopes for people to understand, not by means of judgement or blind obedience, but a true understanding that creates personal responsibility and a concern for the planet as well as all of its inhabitants.

(Click the image to view and order the book)

This book was written for the horses. The horses who are enslaved by us. Growing up and learning that horses are for using and that they need to have a job, then later in life learning what that using was doing to them (on so many levels) was a hard look at reality, but through this has caused many more issues to be brought to light. It all starts with what is inside us. Through science, spirit, feeling and emotion, many things became clear. A world built upon lies and greed became transparent.
This has led to a deeper awareness of what is going on with our native wild horses. The mustangs. What do we know about the mustangs? Honestly, not much. When we read through the information that is out there, how much of it is actually correct? How many can actually "feel" them?
To go out and be with the wild horses, to watch and observe them in their free and natural home is a life changing event. For many, life is no longer the same afterwards. Things they thought mattered no longer seem to matter anymore. And then to know that on a daily basis, by those sworn to protect them, they are being forcefully stolen from their homes and families, driven for miles and miles by a man made beast in the sky. Taken from their home with no regard to their protests, and are branded, injected, killed, sold and adopted. To have all "life" stripped away from them in an instant. What do you do then? How can we change it?

There are some who are trying. They are trying by providing a safe haven for those who have by force lost their natural born rights. There are some who feel that by capturing in photographs the beauty and aliveness that is the wild horse, by presenting facts and non-opinionated observations, and by raising awareness will help. And not just help the horses, but help "us" too. Because until "we" become open and alive, we will not be able to see it.

Catherine Scott and DreamCatcher Wild Horse & Burro Sanctuary share a common view of these majestic beings. One that involves their freedom and quality of life, as a horse. One that wants to share with others their beauty and grace. And for this reason, Catherine has created a daily Planner and a Journal and Sketch Diary featuring her photographs of the wild horses. In the Planner, all the photographs are of the protected yet free wild horses at DreamCatcher Wild Horse & Burro Sanctuary, located in Northern California about 25 miles from the Twin Peaks wild horse home range. And the Journal and Sketch Diary contains photographs of wild horses in their native homes, in holding facilities, and at DreamCatcher's. It also contains inspirations quotes and blank sketch pages to encourage one to go out into nature, open up and feel free.

"Freedom means you are unobstructed in living your life as you choose. Anything less is a form of slavery." ~ Dr. Wayne Dyer

(Click the images to view and order)

"Do something wonderful... someone may imitate you."

_______________________________________
The planner, the journal and the book were made to raise awareness to the treatment of horses and to help support the wild horses and Dream Catcher Wild Horse & Burro Sanctuary.

Dream Catcher Wild Horse & Burro Sanctuary >>

Golden Cages

2011-10-03T06:21:00.000-07:00

A photo exhibition by Krzysztof Jarczewski
Lodz, Poland
Opening September 28, 2011

Krzyszof Jarczewski, a multiple prize winner polish photographer, made a very important exhibition of photographs in the city of Lodz, Poland. In one of the most popular galleries he showed the pictures he has made to let people realize what is the reality of the life of horses in the hands of humans. It was entitled ”Golden cages”.

At the opening most of the pictures were covered in black fabric — the sign of mourning. Those were the pictures taken at the slaughter horse fair and during all kinds of competition — western, jumping, driving. The only pictures visible at first were those of wild horses happily rolling in the sand or bathing in a swamp or taking a nap surrounded by friends.

(Krzyszof Jarczewski on the right.)

Then Krzysztof told his story to the viewers. How he was drawn to hoses all his life and how he looked for the answer how a real horse world look like. He finally found it — it was not in the hands of a man. Then the photographer together with all the viewers started to take the black fabric off the pictures...

The brutal reality of competition and horse fairs shocked many of the visitors. Along with the pictures there were several texts hanging on the wall of the gallery — quotations from Dr. Cooks article on bits, “Premium non nocere” by Stormy May and Krzysztof’s story which goes like this:

“I was in love with horses for years. I photographed them during all kinds of competition. I wanted to participate in “equestrian world” as I thought it was the place where the magical connection between a man and a horse takes place. I accompanied famous equestrians in their sport success making photos that won various awards.
My love to horses made me to go to horse fairs. The sad picture of those beautiful animals broken by humans made me to organize an action "Photographers protest against horse abuse" which took place in Skaryszew in 2010.
Looking for an answer how does a really free horse look like I went to a herd of wild horses and accompanied them with my camera for some time.
Photographer’s work is to observe. Someone who photographs animals must be patient and emotionally centered. In moments of pure contemplation of the surrounding nature I started to see horses anew.
While observing their herd life I realized that equestrians don’t know horses nature at all. I saw those animals without any prejudice and got rid of all the "equestrian knowledge" I had before. What I saw instead was miraculous to me: the structure of the herd, the friendships between the members, various ways of playing and having fun.
The horses, being able to live without any interference from humans, were fascinating. They made me understand how complex and interesting is their world.
Horses do not cry. Coming back to the world of equestrianism I realized that things I saw during competition were not based on mutual trust between the rider and the mount. I looked at the eyes of competing horses and I saw pain, agony and despair.
Why is it so? Why the relationship between a man and a horse is based on violence and terror, not only at the horse fairs but also at the international competitions and riding schools?”

Golden cages.
The exhibition presents the world of the horses seen by the fragile eye of the photographer. Lets take a look at wild horses first and then compare them to horses in our, human world. Isn’t the love we claim to have for those magnificent animals false?

The road to nowhere

2011-08-15T02:20:00.001-07:00

by Berenika Bratny for Academia Liberti

I came to the moment I feared the most — the point of not knowing. Old used patterns that seemed so comfortable and familiar are gone. I used to think that if I hit this wall one day it will be the end. And it is in a way an end. End of the road travelled by many, the beginning of a new path.

I came out at hot summer night, in pouring rain. It seemed like tropical island, everything soaked in water. And this strange mist around. The barn was empty — they were outside. So wet like black statues under the darkening sky. Hard to recognize in different colors so I made up this game in my mind — can I recognize my horses by their shape and behavior? Seemed stupid and simple at the beginning. I approached the first one and held out my hand. Soft nostrils breathed into my palm. I saw a big eye and myself in this mirror — a tiny person in raincoat. A dove came to my mind, something very soft and motherly. I still didn't know which one it was but one thing was for sure — one of those two older mares who used to take care and nurture horses and humans. I felt the warmth of her skin. She didn’t move and let me just stand beside her surrounded by the sounds of raindrops on the canopy of trees. She licked my hand. And then I noticed her ears go back — that was fierce Reja, the cruel lead mare everybody was afraid of. I did not recognize her and the aura around her fooled me to thinking of nurturing calmness and power of stillness. Did it really fool me? The experience was real.

I often watched her and found her a fool — kicking in the air, ears back, trying to scare away non existing monsters. There was nobody there, just her and the meadow, but she still fought with something like an invisible ghost getting into this furious mode. Horses followed her obediently but I often could say they preferred to be away from her. I wondered about the mysteries of true leadership, I preferred the other mare Wirga to be the leader — calm and steady, taking care of everyone.

And now I saw Reja in different light — another part of her true self — a caretaker of the herd, a protector, a warrior not ashamed to kick in the air, even when the ghost are not seen by the others. And a calm serene mare licking my hand and looking at me with soft eyes. Who is she? Do I recognize her at all?

All my life with horses I gave them labels of calm, steady, crazy, trustworthy, stubborn and so on. I thought I know them by heart. Every time a new horse arrived I watched him and thought I know who will be the friend of. And I was wrong most of the time.

I reached the point of not knowing anything about my horses, they are a mystery again and every time I think I found a piece that will solve the puzzle they are eager to show me how wrong I was. And it’s such a relief in a way.

Being judged by others makes me feel imprisoned, I find it humiliating. I try not to do it with others but still I do it with my horses. I always said and thought we are equals but still gave them labels. And day by day each one of them surprises me with a new “unpredictable” behavior and day by day I try to find an answer “why” or “what was the cause”. Now, when I realize they are who they are, just like me and you, I found them deeply emotional and mysterious. Like the world itself.

When I realized that I do not know them I felt relieved. Maybe the mystery will be solved some day, maybe they will let me into their world on such a level that I will feel what they feel and maybe I will be able to describe it. Or maybe not. Maybe it is just another lesson on our path together — to let go.

A mystery is something that makes life worth living. I am on the road to nowhere and I like it. There is no goal in front of us, just the life to be lived.

Hoof Trimming in Horses

2011-08-12T03:50:00.000-07:00

Dr W. Robert Cook, FRCVS.,PhD.

SIR, - The horse's foot is an evolutionary feat. Man tampers with it at the horse's peril. To function properly and remain healthy, the foot requires constant mobilization, expansion and contraction.

William the Conqueror (1066) can be blamed for introducing the stall-and-shoe system of horse management to Britain. He later suffered rough justice when his horse stumbled, fell and rolled on him. He died from being pummeled by his pommel but the root cause of the accident was not recognized. So the practice of imprisoning horses and ironing their feet went unquestioned for the next eight centuries until Bracy Clark (1809), one of the first veterinarians to graduate from the Royal Veterinary College, started to publish his iconography on hoofcare.

Clark referred to the hoof as "this beautiful organ" and lamented "its destruction by common shoeing." He described how he first became aware of the healthy (unshod) hoof's ability to expand when bearing weight. "It was not till after many disappointments in turning horses out to grass to recover feet, without success, that I began to apprehend that it was the too solid resistance of the shoe and nails to an organ endowed with a high degree of natural elasticity, that produced these effects." To prove that shoeing prevented necessary expansion "an experiment was necessary of a very tedious description, that of following the same foot with plaster casts for several years, and comparing them. And the evidence obtained was, a constant annual diminution and hardening of the foot, from the too rigid embrace of its protector." He noted the foot became progressively narrow with each passing year until it became "stunned, benumbed, and contracted." Feet were "reduced by ironing to two thirds their natural dimension! And hardened with bone where no bone should exist." He recognized that this serious "diminishment of volume" was so common that a deformed hoof was mistaken by the teachers of the day for a healthy hoof. Clark noted that shoeing was first introduced in the Dark Ages and that "the slow mischief of its effects" passed unnoticed "bringing to the horse more sufferings than all his other cruelties and wrongs put together."

For his heretical opinions, Clark was reviled and ridiculed by his colleagues and his findings suppressed. A couple more centuries passed before a veterinarian in Germany came independently to the same conclusions (Strasser 1998). Strasser has shown that, when properly managed, horses are happier, healthier and better athletes without iron clamps on their feet. Sadly, her research, though enthusiastically studied and successfully put into practice by thousands of horse owners, worldwide, has met with a similar blend of hostility and misrepresentation from the veterinary profession as that served out to Bracy Clark.

Yet not one iron-foot veterinarian has published scientific arguments to refute the barefoot hypothesis. The iron-based podiatry literature simply ignores the new research. Citations to the publications of barefoot pioneers like Strasser and Jackson (1997) are noticeable by their absence. But science is dependent on dialogue and advances by a process of constant correction. If members of the iron-based school disagree with barefoot management, in whole or in part, it is incumbent on them to publish their reasons. Countless thousands of barefoot "natural experiments" around the world have demonstrated that immobilizing a horse and nailing iron rings on its feet is harmful. Veterinarians who continue to support farriery (etymologically, the use of iron for hoofcare) are no longer in compliance with the Hippocratic oath.

By dismissing barefoot management, the profession is repeating the mistake it made two hundred years ago. First, it is once again missing an opportunity to make a fundamental contribution to equine welfare. Secondly, it is in danger of being regarded, by educated horse owners, as incompetent & useless on the topic of hoof care and a barrier to reform. Thirdly, veterinary students are being misinformed and misled. The general public, welfare societies and judges are equally unenlightened, precipitating some recent miscarriages of justice.

As an observer of this sad situation, I have tried to alert equine veterinarians to the merits of barefoot management (Cook 2001 a & b, 2002, 2003 a & b, 2004, Cook et al 2006). A few practicing veterinarians have published their findings in support (e.g., Teskey, 2005, 2006 a & b, and Roberts 2005). But the numbers of veterinarians who are willing to stand up and be counted on this important issue are still small. I was, therefore, delighted to read the letter from Deborah Collings, in which she expresses her "disappointment that there seems to be so little interest or understanding of the barefoot method of trimming in the veterinary and farriery professions (VR, November 11, 2006, vol159, p688). I join her in this appeal on behalf of the truth about the hoof."

An imprisoned horse with steel fetters nailed to the skin of its feet is a doomed horse.

The lion’s cave

2011-07-26T13:07:00.001-07:00

By Berenika Bratny and Ruth Roberts for Academia Liberti

A horse was killed during a jumping competition. He was killed like a gladiator during the roman times. It was a real feast. A thrill for the viewers with “happy ending because the girl survived” as the newspapers reported later.

I have the pictures in front of my eyes, frame by frame. A young blonde with her sixteen years old horse. In the first photo we can already see what is going on — the girl is tossed above the saddle, her hands high in the air, open mouth. The horse makes it, with a stumble, hitting one pole.

„It’s the record of the country, do you decide to jump higher?” — the announcer asks, like it was some kind of a TV show. But this time it is for real. This time it’s live, it is about life and death. The girl, as in some kind of a trance, nods her head — she will take the risk. The crowd holds its breath.

On another picture I see them above the obstacle, the same situation — hands tossed into the air, the body loses balance, mouth and eyes widen in fear. The horse is going down, head straight into the ground and his neck snapping as his muscular full body weight follows.

Next shot — they lay side by side. In the distance we can see some people running to help.

The horse’s body is being blocked by cars so the view of his condition won’t spoil the show for spectators. The commentator suggests to the crowd that the horse will be taken to the horse hotel to recover. Is the statement really possible or to reassure a crowd of its belief that everything would be back to how it was? Is this a joke? Later, they drag his body, still alive. A crime is hidden, closing the door of the trailer, to protect our eyes, not providing dignity yet again to the life of the horse that was willing to give everything to a jump in order to help realize the riders dream. Do we not want to know that there is no hope for this horse now, and that his life is prolonged until out of sight then quickly relieved of it life’s breath.

The rider will be taken to the hospital, just in case. We can feel relief now — she is not hurt. Or is she?

I am wondering what her feelings will be following the tragedy. Will she have a chance to see into her heart before famous trainers will tell her to ‘get back in the saddle again’ in order to conquer her fear?

I try to imagine her as a little girl when she starts her adventure with horses. When she goes to the stable for the first time. She would never mean to kill her horse in her future. I would hope that she was in love with those animals. She possibly dreamt of a connection without any barriers, just like all of us who made the first step towards horses.

What happened? When was the first conflict — loving her horse then using it as a commodity. When was by dominance rewarded, made to be the most important, at the expense of remembering the sweetness and innocence of relationship? That first time. Do you remember? Was it when she put on white jodhpurs, making her first jump in public, being able to force a horse to obey or the thrill of a win? Somewhere someone at some point taught her not to listen to the horse, not to see the signals that could have potentially saved her from a fall from grace. When she enters the stable for the first time nobody tells her where is she heading to and what is ahead of her. She may realize that now, if the words of famous trainers won’t make her deaf as they will shout loudly to maintain their cover, their position of authority to be right.

It all happens like in a domino game. When the first piece falls it might be the moment when she is told to use a “stronger aid” before the jump. The rest goes by itself — the spiral of fear and frustration. That last piece of domino, some fifteen years later, is the death of her horse. It may have started when the little girl was told to force her pony to do a jump he refused.

Maybe some day in the past, a long time ago, she tied him to the grate in the stable, she washed him, put on oils, shampoos and conditioners and used all those tools to make a horse unhappy and she wondered why this old gelding doesn’t look like those crazy horses with flowing manes on her posters? She looked for guidance. The famous trainers would reassure her, “ this is how a normal horse” looks.

They continued their claims that the things they do is” real sport.” What kind of sport pushes the boundaries of endurance. All do. Yet does the animal have choice? Would we be able to recognize it, or would we just say this is “your job”? Isn’t that what was said and done to slaves? Where did it start?

The system that we have resigned or dedicated ourselves to creates success and failure. Where would we stand according to the way the system justifies its position? We talk of the daily grind of life. Take it a step further. The victory or judgement sets the stage of when we feel full or empty according to its rules. This system became like a meat grinder. What is left, the remains of human or horse?

The cruelty that we see in these pictures is not only in the forthcoming death of a innocent being, taught to give all that it is without being able to debate on its own behalf, to question the value without suffering a consequence. Which is greater — life or death.? Maybe it could have willed itself over this fence for its survival you say. And then, what next?

For me, I wonder about those individuals who witnessed this tragedy, whether they were shocked, horrified, angry, fearful? What position would they take and how would they justify their position? Whose heart was touched by the experience, or were they able to create an automatic bypass? Can we slow down and notice who we have become and are we willing to explore, reevaluate all that we have blindly agreed to?

Looking at all the happy innocent faces with riding helmets on, pressed to beloved ponies on various photographs, aren’t you scared? Those children are just about to enter the lion’s cave and all we do is clap our hands in joy. How terrifying.

Photo by Krzysztof Jarczewski.

Human Playground

2011-05-08T07:58:00.000-07:00

by Berenika Bratny for Academia Liberti

As humans we have to learn all our lives. How to survive, how to communicate with others, how to have a happy relationship, how to express our emotions.
In order to train ourselves and our children we need a playground. Before we go into our adult lives we have to practice our emotions first — to try all we know on someone — animals.
Animals are human playground. It is good to have a pet for a child, many say, as it helps him to socialize with people later, as it teaches him to be responsible. As it gives the joy and sorrow of relationship.We experience the love of our pets, we learn how to take care of them, and others, too. We experience the sadness and the grief of illness and finally — the death saying farewell to them when their time comes.
Let’s be honest — we also practice killing. It might be the direct experience (how does it feel to kill a toad, a snail, a mouse? How does it feel to see a chicken killed by your grandmother?) or we might practice it as a denial (where do those lovely little piglets and calves go?).
The ways we treat others is often the result of what we have been taught by the use of animals. We build a wall between us and the rest of the nature (and animals), we learn how to kill, how to control, how to use and how to discard what is “useless”. We do it all the time with all kinds of animals. And we are still surprised that our lives are getting worse and worse, we loose communication with one another, we loose contact, we loose the ability to love. But do we practice love? Do we practice compassion? Our playground is often to practice kill and misuse, to experience terror, fear and power, nothing more.
How many times do we see a young boy “madly in love with horses” who carries a whip with a proud smile on his face? Or cute little girls with pink helmets tugging on the reins of their ponies? My friend’s 12 years old son was so crazy about horses that she bought him one. Beautiful sorrel mare. I was the “aunt who has horses” so when I paid a visit I was literally dragged to the nearby stable to see “the love of his life”. We entered the clean sport stable, all horses locked in their stalls. Sorrel beauty was lying asleep. We stood for a while in front of thick bars and looked at her. “Isn’t she beautiful?” — he whispered. Then opened the door and... kicked her. When I asked him about it he said he did it because she has to stand up when “her master is coming”. This is what he has been taught already. This is how he expresses his feeling of love. Do you think you’ll be surprised if, ten years later, he would have problems with his girlfriend? How would he express his feelings? Will he respect her? Or is it a cruel beginning of an emotional life full of misunderstanding and pain?
As children we really love our pets, how could we not? They are so cute and nice, they share our sorrows and happy times, they are our real friends. But during that process we are taught by adults how to treat them. And this is especially true with horses. They are big animals, seem dangerous to many, so adults feel the need to explain how to control them. And so the mad circle of sorrow and pain begins. And it does not end when the child grows up and the pony is sold like old shoes which were too tight. The feeling goes with the child into his adolescence and into his adulthood. It is always there, at the back of our minds – does love mean the need to control? Does love mean the need to use? Yes, it does — this is the lesson we are taught by the use of horses.
“What happened to the old mare who taught me the first steps of canter?” — I asked my aunt once. “Well, she was too old to carry a rider so we had to give her away,” — she replied with sorrow. She didn’t know that she planted a seed in my mind and one day, when she will grow old I will feel the burden of her presence and think about giving her to the retirement house. With sorrow, of course.

But there is also the other side. The moment when our emotional lives are such a disaster that we face the wall. The bottom. We realize — either we drown or we try to save ourselves. And then we look at our horses and see them as a mirror of what’s happening in our personal lives — obsession of control, fear of letting go, the lack of ability to trust. We make the first step, the smallest but the most profound — we open our eyes.
The road is long, sometimes dangerous, sometimes we think we’ve lost the way. We struggle with all the things we learnt before, all the reflexes, all the emotions and fears. But one day we will be there. Safe and sound. And saved.
But it could have been otherwise. We could be spared from the torments of emotional pain, misunderstanding and chaos. It could begin early in our lives, the day we get the first horse. Imagine — you are five, the pony you dreamt about approaches you, sniffs your hand and the only instruction you get is to respect it and listen to your heart. Later you’ll be able to experience something which you will express with such words:

“She is not here to follow or to learn from me. She is here to live as herself. When not wearing anything she is most beautiful. Giving her control is what I believe to be my biggest moment as a human. I have never done anything with so much meaning and love before. The gift i got in return was a friend, whom I love and treasure more than anything. She gives me love, but not in the way many wants. She won't follow me anywhere. She won't listen to every command I give. There is no way I can touch her everywhere I want whenever I like, but I know she cares about me and sees me as another living creature. […] When I do my work in the stable she will stand behind me with her head close to my back just nibbling my jacket. There is all those small things nobody else sees that makes me so sure I am important in her life.”
(Jeanette Ludviksen)

Aren’t these words of love? Wouldn’t you like to be loved this way yourself. Imagine…

My mother has a friend...

2011-04-02T13:13:00.000-07:00

by Berenika Bratny for Academia Liberti

My mother has a friend whose 18 years old daughter loved to ride horses. She fell one day and broke her spine. After long rehabilitation she developed signs of schizophrenia. Her body was all right but her psyche collapsed totally. The girl decided to go to the hospital as the medication that was prescribed to her made her unable to function properly in the society. She was in constant fear. She felt that this tragic change in her life is somewhat connected with horses and she wanted to see those animals before she would be locked behind the psychiatric ward doors for many months. Her mother brought her to my place.
I took this girl for a walk in the muddy paddocks and told her why my horses are not ridden any more. I told her about various ways of spending time with horses. I explained that some of them know “games” and like to play them with people when they are in a good mood.
Her hands trembled so much it was impossible for her even to pat a horse’s neck. I decided to protect her from those fun loving younger horses whose energy seemed too scary for someone in her mental condition. I invited my old wise Arab mare Wirga to come to us. She is always slow, doesn’t come too close and judges people without mercy. To my surprise she joined voluntarily and the three of us left to another paddock. The girl, moved by my story about “the games” wanted to play. I knew Wirga doesn’t play so I just waited for the horse to swish her tail in contempt and leave. I was surprised — Wirga let those trembling hands touch her in a very clumsy way, she followed the girl, she did everything she asked her to. She stopped, trotted, even let her grab her mane what she usually hates and refuses. She never left, never even hesitated to follow the girl. I watched this and couldn’t believe. This girl’s body language was terrible, her every move seemed to scream “fear”, her eyes seemed to say “run away as fast as you can”. She made all the mistakes. Grabbed the mane, pushed the horse with her clumsy body, invented stupid games with no purpose in it like: “go there, stay there and now come to me”. Wirga was unusually obedient. After a while I had enough so I asked the mare to come to me — she refused and stayed with the girl. I know my horses, I know the look on their faces, Wirga was upset according to me so I wanted this game to be over. I approached them — standing side by side. I saw the girl crying. Between the sobs she said that for the first time since her accident she didn’t feel fear for a while. And then Wirga started to yawn! She yawned and yawned and there was no end to that. Then she sighted with relief and left to the gate. She turned around with her typical look on her face which says: “Hurry up, don’t you see the mistress wants to go out?”. I opened and she left. I watched her go, relaxed. She seemed happy.
Next day when I took the girl for a walk Wirga was already waiting at the gate, anxious with the delay of her servants. I couldn’t believe my eyes. She wanted out, and when I opened the gate she joined the girl. She just stood there and let her pat her in a very clumsy way, too clumsy for me. I didn’t let the girl “play” so they just stood there, the girl with a big smile on her face.
Many days later I returned from the photographers’ protest against slaughter horse fair, filled with the pain of what I saw . I was unable to sleep, to eat, to think clearly. All those cruel images mingled in my mind. I couldn’t even join my horses in the pastures. I was reluctant to do so — I felt all the evil from the horse fair was inside of my head and I didn’t want them to see it. I was afraid I won’t be the same person again. I was smashed emotionally. Then I recalled Wirga and the way she behaved with this ill girl. I was ill too — my heart was broken.
I went to the pastures not to bring them hay, or water or scratches but to seek help. I was desperate. They ignored me totally, gave me a look or two behind the bales of hay and got back to eating. It seemed like they wouldn’t recognize me. I went for a walk to a nearby hill. Nobody joined (usually there are many volunteers who want to go with me). After a while wandering without a sense I sat on a log of tree and sank into my disturbed thoughts. I grieved, I opened my deepest wound. I still can’t believe what happened next, even now, when I write those words — Wirga left the herd and came all the way to join me, so silently I was surprised when I saw her suddenly behind me. I raised my head and she put her muzzle into my nose and started to breathe her breath into my lungs. We petrified for a moment which seemed an eternity to me. Then she yawned, sighed, turned around and started to nibble the grass roots in the muddy soil beneath my feet. It was like a sacred ritual she performed for the poor and the suffering. I felt something strange — it wasn’t relief, it wasn’t less pain, but… a change perhaps. I started to wonder — can I learn something from this old mare whose life wasn’t easy, who lost almost all of her babies and her only love — grey gelding Persil who left without goodbye taken by his owner to another place. Her life was full of silent pain but still she finds such a pleasure in small things — in fresh roots of grass in the muddy soil, in the breath she can share with me like the most precious gift. “Oh, you who have departed from your own self, and who have not yet reached the Friend:do not be sad, for He is accompanying you in each of your breaths,” — the sufi poet says. She was there with this girl and in her presence the girl smiled and felt a relief. She was there with me when I felt the pain of all the horses I couldn’t help. She stood silently waiting for us to go through the suffering, like a guardian. Who knows how she perceived us — two lost humans, blind and deaf from terror of the world? Unable to see fresh roots of grass, to smell the wet soil, to hear first spring birds — emotional cripples. Fear is on the one side of things — the opposite is love which is all that is true. When I looked at her I recalled something I read many years ago and I understood the lesson she gave us:
“Longing is the core of mystery.
Longing itself brings the cure.
The only rule is, Suffer the pain.”

The heart of darkness

2011-03-17T02:55:00.000-07:00

by Berenika Bratny for Academia Liberti

"I’ve been there. I feel myself shattered into little pieces. I don’t know what to say,” — wrote somebody on facebook after returning from Skaryszew horse fair. I felt the same. Or worse. The only question that was in my mind for those long 7 hours was: “Why? Why something like that is still possible?” It is the same question I asked myself after visiting concentration camp museum in Oswiecim.
In my twenties I wanted to write a thesis on Holocaust. I’ve read all those terrible books and felt I am unable to understand this subject. It was impossible to enter that evil world in my mind. I resigned. Those 7 hours at the horse fair made me open my eyes. I could write my thesis now.
During the war, at Warsaw ghetto, there was an Umshlagplatz — a place where all Jews were gathered to be put into transport. Two kinds of transport actually — one straight to gas chambers and one to concentration camps which only prolonged their life for a while making it even a greater torture. There was no escape from this place. They stood there, thousands of people every day, calm and quiet, and waited for their turn. They knew. And those who watched them? Who beat them if they tried to move? Who counted them and pushed them to squeeze as many bodies in the train as possible? Who was that?
Now I know. I have been there, at the Umshlagplatz for horses at Skaryszew horse fair. I’ve seen those faces. There was no difference, believe me. Thousands of people, fat and thin, young and old, women, children, men. All having fun at the horse fair. Men with thick sticks in their hands pulling horses by their mouths (bits were the most delicate luxury there, usually it was a piece of chain or a rope put into horse’s mouth), grabbing their buttocks to measure the amount of fat, hitting with whips “to see them move” or putting their children on horse’s backs in order to make them “have some fun.” You could see people riding foals — “Why not, they are dead already”.

This horses’ holocaust is taking place in the middle of Skaryszew town, which advertises it as it’s beautiful tradition. The city mayor is present, too. He comes with an orchestra and talks to the masses of drunk red faces in cowboy hats. He talks about... love for horses in our country. Television is there too. Later, in the news they show colorful crowd, music and cute little ponies and one old gentleman with a mustache who says he loves horses so much that he will keep breeding them even if he doesn’t get his money back. We can be proud of this tradition — says the journalist and I want to smash my TV.
The worst thing I discover there makes me loose my hope. It makes me howl. Not one horse at the whole fair is rebelling! They are all quiet, all calm, waiting for their turn. They know. What it means comes to me later, when the first shock is gone — it means the beating works. It means the beast who comes out of men really knows how to control a horse, how to beat him or scare him into submission. The beast wins this game. Why should those people ever look for a new way? They never will, because they know what works the best — violence.
Some of the horses are so depressed that they are not even aware what is going on around them. Some are so afraid that I will never forget their bulging eyes and the smell of their sweat mixed with the odor of fried meat and potato chips and other dishes prepared there in little booths that are placed among other booths with equestrian outfits, spurs, bits and of course whips. Whips are everywhere. Everybody has a cowboy hat (some are even frivolous red or pink “for fun” as everything there) and a whip in his hand. There are long whips and shorter ones, there are those with golden ribbons or pink pompons — for children I suppose.
Remember the dirty monster from Swift’s book? This human like beast gnawing on meat who cannot wait to get a horse to kill? Well, this beast really exists, he is there — at the fair. Multiplied by thousands.

I was scared as hell during those 7 hours. I never had so much adrenalin in my body. They were not aggressive towards me, no, I was their kind, maybe a little weird with my camera and strange outfit, but still a human, like them. And I felt, for the first time in my life, such a shame to be a part of humankind. It was a visit in hell. I wanted to evaporate into the air. I wanted to die.
Now the other side. People who are there because they have read about our action “photographers against horse abuse” — to give an account of this misery, to make photos, to show the world what it really means to be a horse at the horse fair. Three girls from Wrocław who travelled for 24 hours without sleep to get there with their cameras. Not afraid to go into the crowd and make photographs. Other young men from Warsaw, with trendy outfits, totally speechless at what they saw. And a journalist form an equestrian magazine, who is there just to buy some harness for her horse. But she decides to join, she goes there, makes photos and writes a great article entitled “They feel so much pain.” And professional photographers not afraid to go there, among the beasts with sticks, and risk their cameras (or heads if they get attacked) just to catch a shot for our exhibition. People from a horse welfare foundation who come to make pictures but can’t help and buy one mare — they can afford to save only one and they have to choose.
Today I look at the pictures we made and I wonder what I saw. The devilish side of men — the pleasure from the agony of the weak and noble, the pleasure of power over the animal who symbolizes freedom, the pleasure of causing pain and death. The beast in men with a proud look of a conqueror. But from the other side I still see those three young girls who took the train and risked a lot going into the drunk crowd. They never hesitated. They didi it “for horses” as they said.
When we finally left this hell we sat in a car, in silence, and tried to hold back tears. There was an expensive 4-wheel drive range rover in front of us and some elegant people who carried equestrian equipment bought at the fair. The man had a camera. My friend asked him “What is your opinion about our action to stop the violence?" “What action?“ — he asked and shrugged. He had his camera to make shots of horses hooves, that’s all.
Is there a hope for the horses? I pray for that every day. And for the humankind? I don’t know...

Stop Skaryszew 2012 >>

The Science Of The Horse-Human Heart Connection

2011-03-09T03:35:00.000-08:00

by Berenika Bratny for Academia Liberti

When did it happen for the first time? I don’t remember. Was it this moment, many years ago, when I went for a ride and in the middle of the forest started to sob because of my broken heart and suddenly Dukat stopped, lowered his head and stood there like enchanted. My heart was so broken (I don’t even remember his name now) that I noticed my horse’s reaction after a while.
Or maybe it was some other time, when I went for a walk in the meadows and suddenly Wincek came out of the bushes, approached me and after some time of playing with his tongue (asking me to pat his tongue is his favorite way of spending time with me), when I was tired of it and sat down in the grass, he placed himself very close to me and we snoozed together in the sun. Other horses came and went to the other pasture but he stayed there with me, his chin touching my head and we dreamt a dream of connection.
Or maybe it was when I met Alaska. When she came to me, let me scratch her for a while and then closed her eyes and started to breathe in my face. We stood like that for ages, the time stopped, I forgot everything and just felt blessed and loved. Yes, I think that was the moment I realized that there is something in them that makes me not only feel better on the rational side, but also that they have a strange influence on my perception of the world.
I recall one winter morning, first rays of sun, me standing near the fence and the horses around me taking a nap. Absolute stillness of the air, nothing moves. And I have this strange feeling and suddenly I realize –I feel that everything is the way it should be, everything is just perfect, I am and that is just enough — I’m in love with the world.
I still do it, now quite consciously — I heal myself in their presence. It is like going to a reiki master or some other chinese doctor, or maybe like going to a shaman. I don’t really know how it works, but after such a session I’m completely relaxed, happy and the headache is gone.
I tried to share this experience with others but found it beyond words and beyond my ability to express. And suddenly I stumble upon scientific facts that make my experience explainable!
There is some mysterious device to measure heart rate variability called HRV. It reflects heart-brain reactions and is particularly sensitive to changes in emotional states. Positive and negative emotions can easily be distinguished by changes in these heart rhythm patterns. When a negative emotions such as sadness, fear, anger or frustration is experienced, heart rhythms become more erratic and imbalanced (incoherent). Positive emotions such as joy, appreciation and love produce ordered, balanced (coherent), heart rhythm patterns. So finally we can really check who is stressed or relaxed, when and for how long!
They make an experiment. They take a herd of 12 horses, put those mysterious HRV’s on them and check their results after 24 hours. And you know what? “The 24-hour reading provided another note of interest. During the 24-hour recording all the horses demonstrated very consisted HRV patterns, indicative of experiencing positive emotional states unless something fearful or threatening was introduced. Even then once the scary intruder (the Trash truck) left, HRV returned to a coherent pattern within a few minutes (…) Based on HRV research on stress in horses this meant the horses were primarily in a positive emotional state through the 24 hour reading.”
That was the first part. The second were the people who also wore HRV measuring device on them for 24 hours. What was the result? Of course quite the opposite. People experienced stress most of the time.
Here comes the best part. They paired people with horses and measured their HRV in the same time. The result showed that people were able to relax and change their HRV in the presence of the horse. “It appeared that each person synchronized his or her particular HRV frequency cycle to match the horse’s specific frequency cycle.”
So this is why we want their company so much, we feel a strong urge to be around them because, unconsciously, we feel they might help us with as much as our lives. They are our healers. The more stressed we are, the more we seek them. The fact that later most of us is devoured by riding, jumping, competing seems even more sad and cruel now. Cruel both to the horse, but also to the man, who went to the stable to seek help and found violence instead.
There is more. The Hearth Math Institute discovered a method called Heart Lock In. This is a kind of meditation of love as I understand it. By sending feelings of compassion, appreciation and love we influence our heart and brain patterns and we can change our HRV. The participants of the next experiment sat down in a pasture with horses and practiced Heart Lock in. Horses detected those feelings and approached to stay with them. They recognized those feelings as their own. What it means to us is that if we can project feelings of care and love toward a horse, the horse may detect those feelings and, in turn, may share them with us.
It means that horses like to be themselves, they appreciate the world as it is, they know what is really important, they live in the here and now. They love life. Isn’t that a dream of enlightenment? Or maybe the story of horse abuse is really the story of Kain and Abel — the story of jealousy. Maybe we envy them so much that we try to take it away from them? From this perspective the muzzle of the old tired ex-sport horse Dewajtis who lives with my herd is the face of an old Zen sage. We should be grateful when the sage accepts us as his pupils instead of trying to ride him.
There is one more thing. The horses that took part in the experiment “were primarily in a positive state throughout the 24–hour reading. This did not include any riding or human interaction other than normal feeding patterns.” Maybe someone will make a new experiment and check how the HRV of a stabled sport horse looks like. Maybe this way people will understand? When somebody talks about spiritual enlightenment it is easy to ridicule him and not take him for granted. But what if we face scientific facts?

You can read about this experiment here: "The Horse-Human Connection, Results of Studies Using Heart Rate Variability" By Ellen Kaye Gehrke, PhD

“A skeleton in the closet”

2011-03-03T08:27:00.000-08:00

By Berenika Bratny
for Academia Liberti

I remember a little girl in the village I used to live in with my horses many years ago. She loved my herd and spend most of her time in the pasture. She walked, trotted and cantered with horses, she even ate grass. Her mother was terrified, especially when saw her daughter standing under my big gelding Dukat and scratching his belly. She was trying to protect him from flies, she explained.
She knew everything about them. Whenever I came to take Dukat for a ride she always warned me: “He is in a very bad mood, better leave him alone”. I didn’t understand her at that time. She loved my horses and she hated me with all her heart. Sometimes when I rode she fallowed me by her red bike, never said a word, never answered my questions just, looking at me with a scowl. As if she was trying to protect Dukat from me. I was tired of that and, trying to win her sympathy, I asked her is she wanted to ride. “Why should I do that?” — she asked in horror. I didn’t get it then. Years passed, I moved to another place with my horses, Dukat is gone, I do not ride any more. Sometimes when I recall this little girl I am so amazed — she knew all the things I know now. I had to study hard, read tons of books, live with my horses for many years to ask myself the same question this child asked me back then: “Why should I do that?”. She loved horses, she observed them and she was able to read the information they gave because her heart was opened and she knew nothing from the system I was born to in a family of riders.
There is a polish saying “a skeleton in the closet” meaning old memories and old thinking patterns that we think we overcame and, in the least appropriate moment, they pop out, leaving us confused and embarrassed. So my life with horses is still full of those “skeletons”: my useless anxiety when Alaska doesn’t allow me to put a halter on her, my nervousness when Amigo leaps in the air out of pure joy to see me, the fact that I don’t know what to do when a farrier pulls Furia’s tail in order to move her, my problems with explaining my “no” when somebody offers his “help” to do something with “those unruly animals”. We all have that. My mother, who just moved in to live with me and my horses, an old horsewoman of the old school, jumps out of bed in the middle of winter, dressed only in her pajamas, in order to help me “catch” my two geldings who walk quietly in the garden when I let them in to sniff and check what is new. She saw them through her window, and, in spite of the fact that they were slowly walking in the snow covered paths, she felt the urge to catch them immediately beaches “a free horse means danger”, so much danger that she leaves her bed and runs down the stairs. She sees me — relaxed, pouring water to the tub and she is shocked I do not “react”. Well, we laughed about it afterwards but that was her first reaction.
We have to unlearn so many things, mostly all of the stuff we’ve been taught at the riding stables. And so have the horses. They too have their memories, sometimes stronger than years of freedom, written down in their system. I shout at my dog barking at horses and suddenly I realize that the fierce and proud Reja is transformed into a piece of shaking fur with wide open eyes looking at me as she would not recognize me. In that moment I am transformed into this legion of people who tortured her before. And Alaska, always so gentle and attentive and in need of human touch, whenever the vet comes to examine her and I approach with a halter, or even a cordeo, turns her head away from me, as far away as she can reach, but she doesn’t move. She is free, she can run away at any moment, but no. When she sees the halter she is locked in her mind again, again in a small stinking stall with a terrible oppressor approaching her. She is shaking, turns her head away, closes her eyes and waits. I have to wait too, until she finally understands it was just a bad nightmare — “a skeleton in the closet”. She relaxes, chews, sights and we can move on. We all have that.
I envy those, who can be as fresh as this small girl who saw my horses as victims of my pleasure and ego many years ago.
There is a woman, Kasia, who comes to my place to help me sometimes. She is very calm and never ever had any contact with horses before. But she loves all animals. Whenever I tried to explain something to her about the complex nature of horses she used to smile in a strange way. At first I was disappointed she doesn’t want to learn. “It might be even dangerous to be around horses not knowing how to react,” — I thought. But I was wrong. Her smile reminded me of that little girl back then and I left her alone. She managed to know them, one by one, in her own way, in her own tempo. And they liked it, too. Whenever they do something to catch her attention — knock over a wheelbarrow full of manure, grab her jacket and toss it into a puddle of water, she finds it extremely amusing. Hearing her laughter is a reward to them — the trick worked, they gallop furiously around and rear and buck, rear and buck. She loves those performances and never gets frustrated with anything. There are apparently no skeletons in her closet.
And there is Amigo. He never knew what a saddle is, he never knew what it means to be beaten or abused. He knew very well how a cube of sugar tastes like — that’s all he knew about humans. Not much. When he came to my place, given away by previous owners, scared of his energy, he was as open to everything as a small child. Years passed and he didn’t change a bit. Happy all the time, eager to play, to steal bags from people and run away with them, to steal everything he finds useful to humans in order to run around with his trophy to make people scream or try to get it from him. Oh, what a pleasure when they chase him making those funny noises. Sometimes he stops, throws it to the ground and wants to reap it to pieces with his hooves. From the pure pleasure to see my face turning green (like the time it was a new sweater I had in a bag he stole). So proud of himself. And so shocked when someone is not happy because of his performance. He turns around and I can see he is truly disappointed I do not applaud.
So when I see them walking quietly together, Kasia and Amigo, side by side, I envy both of them. They know nothing of all the terrible things I know and the rest of the herd too. She doesn’t ask herself any questions about his willingness to follow her, she knows he always goes with her because every time she offers something it’s good and tasty. Every time he offers me his company I am so honored and my joy is so fragile with all the doubts and fears. I like to watch them, a tired woman with a powerfull stallion, and I wonder will I ever regain this childlike worship for life, will I ever forget all the wrong that I’ve done?
Sometimes I think about this small girl back then. What happened to her? She is fourteen right now I suppose. I hope her crazy admiration for horses didn’t lead her to any riding school, where she would learn that everything she knew straight from her heart was wrong. I hope she still has her assertiveness and a courage to ask: ”Why should I do this?” I keep my fingers crossed for her.

Life changing workshop

2011-02-22T06:19:00.000-08:00

by Berenika Bratny
for Academia Liberti

My friend went recently to a life changing workshop. She didn’t look for any kind of enlightenment, she just hoped for a relief from everyday tension. The first exercise they did, was to ask yourself one question — “who are you?” The participants talked about their social roles of being a mother or a daughter, a doctor or a teacher, about their likes and dislikes, their backgrounds, their childhood, they talked and talked and talked until they faced the fact that there is nothing else to say. But the question was still there, still unanswered — who are you? It was all a part of the process. They were supposed to face a wall of emptiness and finally a loss of ego. It was painful as she recalls. The hardest part was to get rid of her notion about herself and all the things she identified herself with.
I envied her the experience so I asked myself the same question. Who am I? What are the things so dear to me that I cannot let them go? My image of a horse-whisperer? My vision of my perfect horse? My image of my perfect relationship with my perfect horse?
And then I looked at my horses. Each of them. Do I know them? Who they really are? I know their herd status, I know their likes and dislikes, their favorite plays and places to scratch, their moods, their friends and customs. Or do I?
When somebody comes to visit my herd I take him out to the horses and I talk about them non-stop. I tell him: "This is Reja." She had a hard life full of terrible experiences with people who tried to break her spirit but she never allowed them to. She is a fighter for life, prefers to die than to give up. She is a herd leader, an alpha mare. She never allows any other horse to eat from her pile of hay. She has no friends only one gelding who never leaves her side and with whom she communicates with her teeth and hooves. He is her servant and follower and she is his queen and master. She is a cruel ruler, she cannot take a “no” from anyone. All the horses know she can attack like a shark, without any warning, so everybody keeps an eye on her. Especially when she is in heat. And she is a “feminist” as my neighbor called her once. She hates Amigo — the stallion, with all her heart. Every time he comes close to the fence, she attacks him with bare teeth and you can say it makes an impression upon him, he always moves away from the fence. Once, in wintertime, I had to lead her by the paddock he was on. Suddenly I lost control over the whole situation, she dragged me there to the fence in order to kill him. He stood frozen with shock I suppose as he didn’t dare to move and I had to compose myself in order to persuade her to leave him alone. From that moment on, whenever there is a similar situation and I have to lead her near the fence of his pasture, I have to put a halter on her. This is a dangerous situation. Not for her. For him.
So this is how I see her. This is how everybody sees her after I tell this scary story. And there she comes. Half closed eyes, good mood, offers her hind end for scratching and my visitor jumps away in terror. What’s wrong? Reja is surprised. He is surprised when I start to scratch her buttocks. "Isn’t that dangerous?" — he asks. — "Well it is dangerous not to scratch when she asks for it," — I make a joke but I see him getting nervous. But today Reja is someone else. She is sleepy, needs scratches and a lot of attention, she even wants to go for a little walk with us but sensing the visitor’s fear she walks away disappointed. After a while we see her grooming the youngest mare in the herd, the one at the lowest end of the pecking order. So who is Reja? Do I really know her?

There is also another story of my first horse Dukat who died three years ago. I went to a riding center to buy a saddle there. When I went into the stable the only thing I wanted to do was to get out. It was an old barn built for sheep, so it was dark, low ceiling, no air. And horses everywhere, tied by chains on their necks. Most of them so depressed that did not even raise their head to see who was coming. There was someone alive there though. Dukat grabbed my sleeve and didn't let it go until I asked the owner if he would sell me this horse. I didn’t even know if he was a gelding or mare before I decided he has to go with me. I didn’t know either that he was the tallest horse in the world. I am 160 cm tall, so we looked really funny those years when I used to ride — an ant riding an elephant. We were together many years, lived in one place, then moved to another. His herd expanded year after year and he was the proud ruler of the pastures and meadows. He was always calm, quiet, forgiving and fun loving animal. Always. But during our first years together, when I used to listen to all the “horse people” around and devour all the books on horse psychology and riding he was:
1. too dangerous (because of his size);
2. too fierce (because of his size);
3. too lazy (because of his size);
4. very intelligent;
5. slow thinking;
and so on and so on.
It was all the time the same Dukat but in my mind he had all those qualities because someone suggested it or I used to project my fears on him or I wanted him to be this way. Now, when he is gone, I know that it really didn’t matter how did I label him, he was just himself. Horses are what they are, with no judgement about them. They are a mirror of our hopes, dreams and fears. A mirror of ourselves.
Now I spend my life investigating my horses’ moods and behaviors and I still don’t know them. I had to give up the vision of ideal relationship with Reja. I had to admit she will never love me after all I have done to her in the time I used to ride her. I realized that and, to my surprise, I felt a relief. Her attitude changed, too. Perhaps she doesn’t feel my tension and and the weight of my expectations. Maybe she feels a relief too?
After this life changing workshop experience my friend had a dream — a child was making sandcastles at the seashore. In this dream my friend realizes that she found the answer to the question “who are you?” — she was a sandcastle. Then a wave is taking it away, she feels terrified that she will disappear and after a while she realizes that she is another sandcastle, then another and another and suddenly there is no difference — she is the sandcastle, the sand itself and the water that takes it away at the same time. And then, suddenly she knows — she is everything, she is life itself.
Maybe we and our horses are all the same, just small particles of life, the wave and the see, the sandcastles made from sand on o sunny afternoon? One day Reja is a fierce mare with flaring nostrils, next day she lays in first rays of sun and allows me to sit by her side and breath in the same rhythm as she does. I feel honored. She is just herself, does not fit into any particular description, as descriptions, like all systems are made by humans in order to understand the world. Animals don’t need that. They don’t need to understand the world, they ARE the world, they are the air they breathe and the grass they eat. It’s only us who feel separated from the rest and thus need an explanation to everything. I realized my life with horses is my life changing workshop. I change, they change, our life together changes, or is it just a dream?

Pain Is Not Acceptable

2010-11-11T14:59:00.000-08:00

An insider's report on Hollywood's horses

I have been a professional, natural horsemanship trainer and instructor for nearly twenty years, and work primarily with abused, neglected, and mishandled animals. My career is devoted to the education of horse owners in how to properly care for and work with their equines. My knowledge and experience have led me to conclude that the most common misconceptions on how a horse should be handled and treated are promoted in front of the entertainment industry's camera lens.

If a film displayed a character walking a dog with inverted spiked collar and choke chain, people would be up in arms. In an action/adventure where a bear's leg was caught in an actual trap, there would be incredible backlash. What would animal welfare activists say to a sea-faring epic whose director chose to shoot a whale with an authentic harpoon? Quite a lot, I would imagine. Nobody wants to see an animal suffer for real.

Why, then, is it acceptable when a horse is involved? Viewing any media with an educated eye will instantly show that these animals are upset, confused, and pained. This suffering is almost entirely due to the archaic devices these horses are forced to endure. Put these mechanics in the hands of an amateur, and the result is devastating.

I have done a great deal of research and investigating on this matter. In
doing so, I was led to the organization known as American Humane. They are the company that awards the “no animals were harmed” claim at the end of a feature film. American Humane has a “Guideline for the Safe Use of Animals in Filmed Media”, which is freely viewable on their website.

Chapter Eight, (pages 75-104), focuses on equines and other hoofstock. Paragraphs 57, 59, and 63 specifically state that the use of sharp spurs, severe bits, and electronic stimuli are strictly prohibited.
Paragraphs 57, 59, and 63 are unique to the rest of this 175 page document, in that they are the only paragraphs that contain special ADVISORY* sentences. This ADVISORY* sentence specifically states that, “in some areas, use of [sharp spurs, severe bits, and electronic stimuli] are prohibited.”

"Dreamer", 2005. Monitored: Acceptable

The question is, why would the Guidelines say that those devices cannot be used, then go on to say that in some areas those devices cannot be used? The asterisk leads you to the bottom of the page, which reads:
“*Notes a federal, state, or local animal welfare statute, code, or permit consideration.”

Therefore, we may conclude that the use of sharp spurs, severe bits, and electronic stimuli are subject to federal, state, or local animal welfare statutes. To the best of my knowledge, there are no state or local animal welfare legislations that define what can or cannot be used on a horse's face and body. On the federal level, the USDA's Horse Protection Act does not contain any reference to the aforementioned devices.

On August 31st of this year, I spoke with a representative of American Humane regarding this odd double-speak in Chapter Eight. Her best response was, “It is written specifically vague so that the rep on set can make their own judgment.”

I queried as to the qualifications of the reps on set: their experience, training, etc. The answer was, “They are [mostly] race-track folks, dressage people, and people
that have had horses.” Anyone with a remote understanding of a horse's health and welfare can attest, putting mostly race-track “folks” and dressage people in charge of horse's physical and mental well-being is equatable to giving the fox the keys
to the hen house. Furthermore, simply having a horse does not automatically qualify someone in all matters equine. Just as having a car in your garage does
not make you Mario Andretti.

In 2007, W. Robert Cook, FRCVS, PhD, and author of “Metal in the Mouth” wrote the following:
“A metal bit is an invasive foreign body in a sensitive body cavity. It inflicts pain, and obstructs breathing. It is the final link in the long and potentially severe line of communication with the rider's hands and the horse's mouth. It must be handled with the delicacy and finesse of a neurosurgeon if it is not to become an instrument of torture and a liability.”

"Appaloosa", 2008 Monitored: Outstanding

The bottom line is this: American Humane's Guidelines have been purposely worded in such a way that when it comes to horses and other equines, painful devices can be, and are, acceptable. This negates their “no animals were harmed” claim. Inflicting pain onto an innocent, (be it with severe bits, sharp spurs, and/or electronic stimuli), can never, under any circumstances, be deemed “acceptable”.

I do not intend to imply that American Humane is the axis of evil. Great strides in awareness have been accomplished through their efforts. When it comes to equines, however, they are falling very, very short in the humanity aspect. The deliberately vague sections of Chapter Eight stand as proof.
The fact that horses and other equines are suffering is inarguable, and the claim that “no animals were harmed during filming” can be considered misrepresentation. I speak on behalf of the horse when I say that changes need to be made.

Stacy D. Tanner
Lead Advocate for Horses in Entertainment, IFH
September 5, 2010

http://www.bitlessbridle.com/PainIsNotAcceptable.pdf

Academia Liberti at 4th World Conference for Natural Hoofcare and Holistic Horse Treatment 30.09–2.10.2010

2010-10-25T14:36:00.000-07:00

The 4th World Conference for Natural Hoofcare and Holistic Horse Treatment took place in Gdansk, Poland, a very beautiful town with own history. It is located on the shore of Baltic Sea, and this makes it town of amber craft. Conference hall was located in the forbidden coniferous forest, very close to the sea shore. In the end of first conference day, all participants were invited for sightseeing tour over Old Town in Gdansk.

As always, conference gathered together most advanced in equine sciences people of the world: veterinarians, SHP and responsible horse owners, who strive to do their best for horses by holistic treatment. During lectures, participants had learned new ways of horse treatment, like aromatherapy, magnetotherapy, Equine Breathing technics.

Academia Liberti presented itself in the first day of conference, after presentations of the Strasser Hoofcare country managers. The new movie of the Academia Liberti, directed and produced by Maksida Vogt was shown to the paticipants of the conference. After video review discussion with participants followed. Some people wanted to know, are relationship with horse and it’s following after human only a question of food reward? Or what is the purpose of the horse existence if not for riding? Iren was in charge for all this questions. Most interesting question was asked by Glenn Ramsey, when he suggested that horse in Academia Liberti is regarded not like animal for work or riding, but like companion animal, friend and playmate, like dog or cat.

Chris Gehrman shared his experience of working with doubting clients (humans, not horses, of course!) and the way he manage acute situations with them. Also, several lectures had shared with participants results of their researchings and observations. Glenn Ramsey (New Zealand) presented his animated mathematical hoof model and researching about brakeover biomechanics. Last one researching showed that there is no corresponds between toe length and navicular decease in horses, but his calculations confirmed that long toe worsens contraction One of the most expected lectures was Brian Hampson’s and Chris Pollit’s observations of wild Australian desert brumbies. Their observations and dissections of wild cadaver hooves had found that horses in Australian desert suffers from chronic laminitis and sinker, that in brumby’s hooves hoof mechanism is almost totally blocked. So, it is common mistake among natural trimmers to take brumby’s hoof as a perfect model how a healthy hoof should looks like.

Iren Bastholm presented lecture about new way of treatment horse teeth, Natural Balance Dentistry. It shows the new point of view to teeth management and what is “normal” or “abnormal” in horse’s mouth. SHP from different countries presented their case studies of rehabilitation horses from navicular decease and other deceases by Strasser natural lifestyle and trimming. Doctor Strasser presented her unique case studies about healing severe bone fractures in horses: bone fractures of humerus bone, hock and both coffin bones in hind legs. In the end of third conference day Thorsten Kaiser managed workshop on different hoof themes, which raised hot discussions among participants.

In total, conference gave to all participants from all part of the world (New Zealand, South Africa, Poland, Finland, Norway, England, Czech Republic, Russia, Latvia, Australia, Germany, Sweden, US, Ireland and Austria), to meet each other and share their experience and knowledge. The rumors says, that next Worldwide Conference going to be held in South Africa. We all give many thanks to Dr. Strasser for opportunity to have better knowledge about horse and holistic equine management.

We are happy and proud to announce our new movie "Following Spirit of the Free Horse", which was presented at the 4th World Conference for Natural Hoofcare and Holistic Treatment, to be available soon for purchase.

They execute horses, don't they?

2010-07-26T14:41:00.000-07:00

by GEORGE KNAPP

It would not be much of a surprise if the Bureau of Land Management decides to hold its next wild-horse roundup out at the super-secret Area 51 military facility, maybe down in the underground bunkers where they keep the corpses of extraterrestrials. The way it looks, BLM has decided to turn the mustangs into a black program, a classified, off-limits, shadowy mystery, something no one in the government can talk about and no one in the civilian world can access.

An exaggeration? Not by much. In previous years, horse roundups could be viewed by just about anyone so long as the observers didn't interfere. After all, the mustangs belong to the American public, the ranges where they live are public property, and the millions of dollars spent each year to capture and corral the animals are all taxpayer dollars. So why wouldn't the public have a right to see what's going on?

Because BLM doesn't want you to, that's why.

Over the past few years, BLM has tightened the screws on its roundups, making it more difficult for both the press and the general public to keep an eye on what unfolds during these inherently violent operations. Apparently, the feds are tired of being eviscerated for their actions. Every time one of their hired wranglers is shown kicking a young colt, and every time a band of horses nearly collapses after being driven in terror by roaring helicopter blades over miles of rough terrain, BLM gets pummeled by an angry, horse-loving public. Who needs that?

BLM tried out its new strategy during the disastrous Calico Hills roundup last winter. The bureau went ahead with the operation even though horse experts warned it was a bad idea to drive horses for miles and miles over snow-covered volcanic rocks and in the coldest time of the year. BLM went forward anyway, and to keep prying eyes to a minimum, it found the only private land inside a half-million acre ocean of public range. That's the spot that became Roundup HQ. By putting most of the central operations on private property, BLM had total control of who was allowed to enter, and when. It made a point of inviting lots of cattle-friendly, pro-hunter emissaries to join the festivities, along with a small assortment of mainstream journalists and a few horse advocates. But still, BLM called the shots and put limits on which days would be available for observers.

The fact that the Calico roundup turned into the bloodiest in memory is not lost on BLM. Most of the 100-plus horses that died didn't keel over at the gather site. Rather, they died slower deaths at a holding facility BLM had authorized near Fallon. And, wouldn't you know it, that facility was also constructed on private land, which means BLM (through the land owner/contractor) can control access to the horses 24/7, which is exactly what it has done. Before they were barred, horse advocates subsequently found dozens of mustangs with horrible wounds, inadequate food and water, and hooves that fell off from being run too hard. After a smattering of those stories hit the media, BLM decided it had enough. The Fallon corral is now completely off limits to everyone except BLM.

The privatization of the wild horse program has reached its zenith with the roundup now underway in Northern Nevada. BLM announced at the beginning that it planned to close off public access to the public lands where the horses live. This was done "for the good of the horses," of course, and has nothing to do with BLM wanting to limit the bad press it gets every time one of its roundups results in the agonizing deaths of beautiful mustangs.

BLM can perhaps teach its fellow three-letter agency, the CIA, a thing or two about subterfuge. The current roundup in Northern Nevada is sort of a natural evolution of BLM's spycraft tendencies. The bureau announced a few weeks ago that public lands in the vicinity of the Owyhee range would be off limits while the roundup was underway. BLM even declared air space over Owyhee would be closed to all traffic. Whether or not the bureau even has the authority to pull something like this is a question that needs to be answered in court one of these days, but shutting out the public from public lands with only the vaguest justification is pretty serious stuff. The last time I checked, BLM employees work for the taxpayers. The contractor who will be paid roughly a million dollars for the roundup is also working for the American taxpayer, but we're not supposed to be able to see what they do? What the heck is the big secret out there in the high desert?

My own suspicion is that BLM doesn't want to see video of any dead horses on the evening news. See, there were no dead horses on the Owyhee range, not until BLM started driving them like a bat out of hell across the desert. Once the horses started dying, BLM went to court and declared that the routine roundup, which had been in the planning stages for more than a year, is now an emergency rescue. Without BLM's quick action, 75 percent of the horses would die horrible deaths, the agency claimed. But whatever emergency exists is there because of BLM's own incompetence. Plus, it seems to spend more of its time trying to outwit horse advocates than taking care of the land.

The final move is a doozie. After horse advocates went back to federal court last week and got a judge to order BLM to allow for outside observers, BLM pulled yet another fast one. The entire Owyhee gather operation was again put onto private land, and BLM then lifted the ban on visitors to the public range. How magnanimous. Except the horse people who tried to find the private ranch were not only given the runaround but were repeatedly warned that if they crossed onto the private property, they would be arrested. Sheriff's deputies followed them wherever they roamed. This is heavy-handed, totally unnecessary bullshit, exactly what BLM has been doing over the past several years.

The public pays for those roundups, it pays BLM salaries, and it pays for the management of the public ranges. We have every right to be out there to watch what BLM is doing with our money and with the horses. Whether you care about wild horses or not, those are your dollars being spent.

Of the 600-plus horses captured this week, BLM admits 21 have died so far. Of course, we don't know what the real numbers are. We'll just have to take BLM's word for it.

George Knapp is a Peabody Award-winning investigative reporter for KLAS-TV Channel 8. You can reach him at gknapp@klastv.com.

[Academia Liberti watches with growing concerns BLM activities and their efforts to destroy wild horses in their country. Who has interest on this land, which belong to the mustangs? Who has interest that wild horses are removed there? These horses are heritage of American people, it is treasure of their country, it is treasure of our Earth. We hope they can be saved.]

Dr. Cook "'I should have recognized this years ago!"

2010-06-20T22:47:00.000-07:00

"Thank you and congratulations on your excellent and perceptive article about "Who represents the horse?" This clarifies so much. No wonder that we are having no luck with the FEI or the USEF on welfare issues. They are just entrepreneur businessmen, interested in selling their product. ... I should have recognized this years ago. The USEF used to be known as the American Horse Show Association. This was a far more truthful label. Now they are masquerading as the wise mandarins of equitation. But they are not interested in sport. They are in show business. This knowledge and awareness will help us fight them in future."

Dr. Robert Cook FRCVS, PhD
Professor of Surgery Emeritus
Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine

Chairman and CEO, BitlessBridle Inc.
www.bitlessbridle.com

We were so touched to receive this supportive note from Dr. Cook. And wish that we had thought and realized the pertinence and relevance that the USEF used to be known as the American Horse Show Association and had thought to include that in the original article!

http://horsesforlife.com/TheTruePurposeoftheFEI

The following is a few excerpts from the original article "Who Represents the Horse":

"Protests, petitions, and letters have poured into the FEI as efforts continue by so many riders who want only to help the horses that they see suffering, realizing that what is happening at thetop competitive level has filtered down to all levels — all over the world.

Since the attention has been on many of the top competitors, it only made sense to approach and express our concerns with the FEI.

Or does it?

I started to wonder, after seeing the latest results of the FEI completely ignoring a petition of 40,000. If the FEI continues feeling they have no responsibility to listen to 40,000, then who do they think they have to listen to?

Well, obviously they are listening to the competitors. They are putting the competitors ahead of not only the tens of thousands that have signed the petitions, but all of those that are voicing their concerns all over the world. It is frustrating and disheartening.

I have seen the depression, sadness and even frustrated tears that the latest announcement of the FEI has brought about. I was stunned that the FEI should pull such tactics, that they completely dismissed 40,000 riders!!

Which got me thinking. Why is the FEI not responding? What gives them the gall to so ignore so many? Where is their responsibility to their membership?

But hold on a moment! I am not a member - really. The national federations are members, the American Quarter Horse Association is a member, but personally I am not. So I went on a quest to become a member, if I am going to protest, I wanted to become a full-fledged member of the FEI."

...

"And I came to realize that so many of us have been working on a complete misconception. Not only us, but perhaps even the FEI as well.

We think the FEI owes us something. We think they should respond to us. We think that they are responsible for the horses’ welfare. Perhaps they think the same thing as well. After all, they do at some level listen to us, respond to us and even occasionally answer our emails. They even hold meetings on rollkur when we get loud enough.

But....

Many of us believe that the FEI belongs to all of us. After all, the membership is composed of national organizations from all over the world, and almost a fifth of the revenue that the FEI gets each year is from membership fees from the national federations. So we think, or is it we believe, that the FEI represents us.

But it will come as a surprise perhaps to many that this is not really true."

It was shocking to realize the true purpose and mission statement of the FEI which leaves us with no international representation. The horse needs a voice.

As stated in the original article

"Do they not deserve representation? Someone who is out there to protect them? Someone who at an international level can speak out as a voice for the horses?

Once we understand the discrepancy between what the FEI actually is and what our expectations of them have been, it helps us understand why we have exactly the kind of conflict with the FEI that we have been experiencing."

Take the time to read and share the entire article which we have made available for free. Part of our continuing efforts on behalf of the horse. All you have to do is register and then login to see all of our free articles. Many of our most important articles are often made available for free, so that the horses can find a voice.

http://horsesforlife.com/TheTruePurposeoftheFEI

We continue to do all we can, here at Horses For LIFE, with your help, to be an international voice for the horse, through awareness and education. We couldn't do this without the financial support of our subscribers, and the incredible contributions from a caring equestrian community.

Please share this link with everyone you know, and together we can make a difference and be that voice.

For the horses that we love.

[Academia Liberti does not acknowledge FEI as organisation which would care for the welfare of the horse. This organisation has shown that the only interest they represent is that one from equestrian sport industry, which uses horses as object for profit. Thankfully there are more and more organisations who stand up for the welfare of the horse, the people are educated and informed, they do not want to harm their horses. The time has come to show FEI and similar organisations where is their place — in the past. Let us leave them behind us and build up more humane future for our horses.]

10th Anniversary of the iron-free horse

2010-06-10T14:39:00.000-07:00

By Dr. Robert Cook

In the year 2000, the horse industry first became aware of two welfare advances. Both freed the horse from metal accessories, bits and shoes. Since then, many thousands of equestrians, worldwide, have carried out what can be regarded as a natural experiment. Each horse has acted as its own control. The ‘demetalling’ experiments have confirmed that the crossunder bitless bridle provides a painless and safer alternative to the bit and that barefoot management vastly improves the horse’s quality of life. The removal of these metal artefacts has revealed that they are the cause of many accidents and diseases.
There is something about the inside of a horse’s mouth that dislikes the touch of a metal rod and something about the outside of a hoof that contracts and shrinks when shod. Sadly, there is something about the inside of our brains, as veterinarians, that prevents us from understanding this. Many life-long riders – all of whom love their horses - also find this difficult to accept. Yet, if one asks the man-in-the-street to consider the horse’s viewpoint, he understands immediately. Why is this?
Metal rods have been strapped into horses mouths for 5000 years. Late arrivals on the scene, veterinarians have been blind-sided by a Bronze Age invention. We have been traduced by tradition and have failed to question received ‘wisdom.’ Each succeeding generation of horsemen has also been brain-washed into believing that a bit is necessary for control and safety. Similarly, a thousand years of shoeing has deeply embedded the medieval idea that horses need metal clamps nailed to their hooves. Every equine veterinarian living today was infected by the metal-meme as a student. Few have recovered. Veterinary schools, riding schools, the FEI and racing administrations worldwide continue to promote and mandate the black arts of bitting and shoeing. What hope is there for the horse?
Plenty! Ten years have passed since the crossunder bitless bridle was introduced and we can now look back and congratulate an army of bitless equestrians, all over the world, who have had the foresight and courage to free themselves and their horses from the generational mind-set. Similarly, a decade of barefoot pioneers have successfully liberated innumerable thousands of horses from stall and steel. Consequently, if you now consult a certain cohort of the very youngest group of riders - they understand immediately. Who are these mental giants?
They are equestrians with minds undamaged by false dogma. They are the children of the bitless and barefoot pioneers. Let’s call them the sons and daughters of the iron-free-horse revolution. Now that they are talking to their metal-minded friends, the future of the iron-free horse is assured. It is only a matter of time before administrators at the FEI, the national equestrian federations, and the Pony Club become as enlightened as the youngsters. But there is no excuse for delay. There is an urgent need to improve horse welfare, enhance rider safety, and reduce costs. This could be achieved if the organizers of horse shows (i.e., the FEI, etc.,) and administrators of racing would update their rules to permit research which has been field tested for a decade to be applied. Riders and drivers should have the option to compete their horses bitless and barefoot, pain-free, happy and sure-footed.

For more information, visit http://www.bitlessbridle.com and http://www.TheHorsesHoof.com

[Academia Liberti does not support or promote equestian sport, however we realise that many of our readership may be and it is our aim to help horse owner to come to a better understanding of their horses needs.]

Treatise on farrier occupation. Part I

2010-05-28T13:08:00.000-07:00

by Maksida Vogt

Shoeing — a case for animal protection?

In the horseworld there are so many popular and vital errors existing, it is very difficult for the horse owner, who searches for the truth to find it. This begins with the intention to get the correct picture about the hooves of your horse to be able to judge their condition. What is the first thing an average rider does for the hoofcare of his horse?
He calls a farrier.

But does the farrier have the necessary knowledge to understand and treat the hoof at all? This is doubtful.

My own experiences with the farriers and in the discussions with them made me write this down, to help other horse owners to a better understanding of this matter. I believe, for a horse owner, who cares about welfare of his horse, it is of crucial importance first to understand why shoeing is so harmful for the horse.

When you shoe your horse, you will first of all incapacitate this ORGAN in its function. The hoof of a horse expands when it touches the ground under the weight of the horse and contracts when the hoof is non weight bearing. This has one name — hoof mechanism, and it helps the horse to pump the blood back to its heart and to have good shock absorption, so the joints are not harmed. What happens when you allow your horse to be shod?

Then the hoof will be able to widen only minimally in the heels (which is to be seen by the wear of the iron shoes) and I suppose everyone can imagine the pain caused by the iron shoes when hoof tries to widen under the horse’s weight. The feeling you have caused by the shoeing is to be compared with the feeling you would experience if you would be forced to walk in a size smaller shoe! This situation causes disruptions in blood circulation inside the hoof capsule. Firstly blood circulation in the toe area is affected. Due the lack of blood supply in the toe, the nerves also stop functioning there and the toe becomes numb. Due to the specifics of the circulatory system in the horse’s hoof, the heels could continue receiving a more or less full blood supply for a longer time, that causes a horse to feel pain from damage there for much longer. Eventually, the lack of the blood supply causes tissues inside the hoof capsule to die.

When you allow your horse to be shod you harm his heart, which is dependent on the functioning hoof mechanism in order to function properly, as the hooves do 60% of the pumping job in the horse body.

There is a long list of physical HARM which you cause to your horse, if you allow it to be shod. The coffin bone will cause bruising trauma on the solar corium, due to inability of the solar vault to spread on weight-bearing. In time other things will appear for example: ossification of lateral cartilages; cell metabolism and the circulation are sorely afflicted, which again causes bad horn quality; waste products are not used for producing hoof horns and stay in the body, which stresses and damages the metabolic organs such as liver, kidneys, skin, etc.; impact shock is increased, which causes damage to the joints.
This was “only” a short extract of the harm which you cause to your horse if you allow it to be shod – harm, which happens in his body and about which you will never be told by the farrier.

Why?

Why does the farrier not tell you this?

It is his obligation to ensure the HEALTH of your horse hooves.

Do you trust this man?

One of the reasons of this sad and terrifying truth is that the majority of farriers do not know this. They have never been taught this. Another reason, and this is also sad, is that farriers make more money shoeing. This is repeatedly confirmed by farriers in many discussions I have had with them.

“If I do not do it, then someone else will do it.”

In numerous discussions with the farriers there was NOT ONE who could give the reasons which would show why shoeing would be good FOR THE HORSE. Quite the contrary many have admitted they would not shoe the horse if the owner did not explicitly ask for it as they want to use the horse for some purpose, like riding for example. So with this we come to the third sad truth, that all those farriers, and every farrier who is ready to shoe your horse, will do this only for only one reason:
Because he/she has nor enough knowledge to trim the hooves of your horse correctly AND to inform you about the appropriate species keeping, so that your horse can grow healthy hooves and go over all terrain without any difficulty.

The scientific facts, the ethical facts, the anatomical facts that speak against shoeing are indisputable. Thus we can say that shoeing represents bodily injury and that it is criminal assault.

In the decision of the Federal Constitutional Court Germany from 3. July 2007 it says:
“2. Judging after reference of the licensed veterinarian L… shoeing the horse is always to be seen as ‘necessary evil’. The functional necessary hoof mechanism, also the elastic strain of the hoof capsule by load and easing of the limbs, is through the iron shoes extremely limited or even completely stopped and the blood circulation of the limb is therefore disabled. Furthermore, because of the shoes, nails and harmful influence of horn growth tensions are created in the hoof, which damages the horn capsule and will also lead to pain and lameness. The best possible way to keep the horse sound is to let the horse remain unshod. Farriers and barefoot trimmers are not enemies, but specialists in each subject. The horse owner should have a choice between different alternative hoof trimming methods. From the owner’s own veterinary experiences, he/she sees no harm through the work of hoof orthopedists and hoof carers but his/her own experiences have shown that badly placed iron shoes can cause harm to the health of the horse.

48
3. For the first Association of the German Farriers Prof. Dr. A… points to the fact that there is correspondence between professionals of the veterinary medicine, that horses if possible should be left barefoot.”

Those veterinarians are only few but there is a long list of responsible veterinary professionals, who understand their subject and do not misuse their oath, but who stand up for the health of the animal and speak out against shoeing. Among the scientists who know about the harm of shoeing the following should be mentioned: Dr. Bracy Clark, Dr. Luca Bein, Prof. Lungowitz, Prof. Smedegard, Dr Rudolf Zierold, Prof. Chris Pollitt, Dr. Hinterhofer, Prof. Robert Cook, Dr. med vet Hiltrud Strasser, Prof. R. Adams. With Xenophon leading the way, who so many riders acknowledge as father of the riding skill, has prescribed, horses should move as much as possible on gravel so that their hooves get “dressed to size” and hardened. Even at that time it was recognized, that hooves need movement and hardening so that the horse stays ridable.

Please let me underline this again:
“Hooves need movement and hardening so that the horse is ridable. It is not other way around, that a horse with ill or sensitive hooves must be shod to be ridable!”

Be aware that if your horse is shod, then it will probably have badly functioning hooves, which need correctional treatment first.

And then let us repeat this sentence again:
“…that if possible horses are to be left barefooted.”

Is it possible?

Why would it not be possible?

You have heard made farriers telling you that it is not possible because they are missing the knowledge that correct trimming of the hoof would make this possible. It is difficult for them to explain to some riders, that horses need species appropriate keeping; open stables, movement over different types of ground to be ridable without shoes because around the corner is already the next unscrupulous colleague waiting to shoe the horse without any questions. Fear of loosing the client is big.
“If I do not do it then someone else will do it.”

To illustrate what consequences this can have for your horse in the worst case, I will show you the work of one farrier. Do not make the mistake of thinking this must be the work of a dilettante. Far from it. This farrier is in great demand and has the reputation to be able to “set a horse on its feet.” The sad thing about it is that he really is the best one in the greater vicinity. The others are even less qualified for the job.

The horse with shoes:

It has to be mentioned, that aforesaid farrier had shod this horse for years (the horse had not be ridden or used in any other way) and the hoof wall could not grow in all those years. It was also missing part of the frog, but this is not surprising with such treatment. Rather it is the consequence of incompetent hoof treatment and a lack of knowledge.

After this horse was entrusted into my care and the shoes where removed, the whole extend of the disaster to her hooves was revealed.

It should not go unmentioned, that farrier tried it hard to sabotage my intention to free this horse from shoes by telling to the horse owner and everyone who wanted to hear, that this horse would never be able to walk without shoes, that he would be lame and would surely… die. The reader can imagine how much persuasiveness was needed in order to ease those scared people and only through absorption of some costs was it possible at all to convince the owner to trust us. With this I want to state explicitly, the methods used by almost every farrier when finding himself in such or similar situation, when the actual aim should be to help the horse!

After removal of the shoes and some correct trimming, the hooves were in this condition:

Here again for direct comparison:

This is the same hoof!

The left photo is of a hoof treated by the same farrier, who stated that this hoof wall can not grow so fast because the hooves were in such bad condition.

The right photo is the same hoof after a few months of correct hoof care, trimmed in the Strasser manner.

How can you as a horse owner be able to recognize if your horse has hoof problems?

At first you watch the body posture of your horse, allowing him to stand free and relaxed. The following photos show shod horses and you will notice that the majority of such horses show same pain signs:

As we can see these horses put their legs obviously under their body. Why do they do that? That is not the normal posture for the horse’s body, it is even a very strenuous and unhealthy posture.

Farriers trim the hooves in general differently when they shoe the horse for the horse to go barefoot. The heels are let too high, which makes the blood supply inside the hoof capsule partially or fully cut off. At such time the shoe is nailed and the horse has to stand and walk on it. Anybody can imagine this unpleasant feeling when the hoof should widen and it can only do so minimally in the heel area fixed by the shoes. The blood can only minimally reach the toes or not at all. Because of this circulation is alarmingly reduced or even cut. With time the toe gets numb and the horse does not feel pain there anymore.

However the heels, which are still high and cause painful pressure on the corium, remain sensitive to pain for much longer due to the specific of circulatory system of the hoof. A horse still feels pain from the non-physiological pressure and damage to the living tissues in the back of his hooves. To avoid this pain, the horse puts his legs further under his body, in this way shifting the weight more to the numb toes. The harm which this causes in the hoof is enormous. The horse is in pain.

You can clearly see this on the photos below which shows another such horse and the thermo shots belong to this horse:

Among the other diseases one can see in those images, it is clear to see how blood circulation is reduced in the hooves and legs. These are symptoms to be looked for in all shod horses.

Some horses are shod in such way, that the whole hoof becomes numb.

Some horses aquire bucked knees as muscles become too exhausted to keep this unnatural painful posture and they shift the carpal joint forward. Pay attention to the marks on the photos and learn to recognize pain signs which horse shows. The posture, the tensed body, leg position, shoulder, ears and this all together. Also face of the horse is telling very much, like the face belonging to this horse:

Notice the ears position — “dull ears” — the horse is listening “inside itself”, deep holes above eyes, asymmetrical nostrils indicating stronger pain on one side, the pronoucing blood vessels in the resting horse. This face and eyes show pain very clear.

The other point on which you can focus is the shoulder of the horse. Through examination it can be documented that the angle of the shoulder of healthy horses is less steep than of the horses who are shod with high heels and have hoof deformation. Those horses showed less of a steep shoulder angle after correct treatment and becoming pain free.

The angle of the shoulder of a healthy horse should be between 45° and 55°. The bones of the limbs have certain angles supported by tendons, which influence the angle of the shoulder. In all anatomy books the coffin bone is shown parallel to the ground which is the correct position. That means if the horse stands in the correct position he then uses only his tendons to keep himself upright and does not need any muscle work for it, and the shoulder shows the correct angle.

In shod horses with painful heels, as well as horses with incorrect trimmed hooves, the shoulder angle is much steeper. The muscles have to carry out unnatural work and are mostly strained. This is often to be seen on bulged and bumped muscles which such horses show even when allowed to stand as free as they want. The muscles are also correspondingly hard. Why should one animal go into the unnatural posture, which costs energy, if not from pain?!

Maybe your farrier can answer those questions for you and say why such problems disappear with the correct hoof care?
If so please be kind enough to send his answers to me.
Also ask your farrier if we can publish his answers and his name. :)

This is the posture of correctly trimmed horse:

In this first part I would like to finalize by telling parts of the conversation with a farrier. He had just shod a horse and tried in the presence of the horse owner to justify shoeing. He said that horses walk much better when shod and that the horse could not go without shoes.

“Yes, shoeing is so good for the horse, so good that all horses are born with shoes. Nature is so wise, it gives horses shoes on their hooves, because they can not walk without them.” — I answered.

He had to admit that horses walk best barefoot and after the horse owner had walked away, he even told to me, that many times he advised a horse owner not to shoe their horse, as it would be better for him, but the owner wanted to ride and did not want to hear any reasons why the horse should not be shod.

And there are great examples of people, who worked as farriers, and recognized harm of shoeing. People who have choosen way for the horse, barefoot, like Ramey, Jackson to mention only few of them.

I would like to recommend an article of an ex-farrier John Graves “My conversion. A farrier's journey to natural hoof care”, www.LiberatedHorsemanship.com.
He describes his experiences being farrier and finding right way to the natural hoof care, which made it possible for him to really help horses:
“The pain and suffering I’ve seen domestic equines endure through ‘well intentioned’ conventional hoof care needs to be ended.

I know why horseshoers do what they do, and why most veterinarians prescribe what they prescribe. I was taught the exact same methods and belief system. For some it's ignorance of hoof mechanism function and physiology. For others it’s job security and financial need. For others still, it's an addiction to the iron — they must feel the job satisfaction received from performing well at an art that is very old and very difficult to master. Almost all farriers will tell you, ‘It’s all about horses’ at some point in any discussion about what it is they do. Some are sincere in that belief. Some are giving lip service. They all believe their antiquated occupation is a very noble, honest, ‘salt of the earth’ endeavor. And that would be true if it weren't based on a foundation of misinformation stretching back a thousand years.

I often tell horse owners, when asked about why I believe horse shoeing is wrong, that when horse shoeing was invented, they thought the world was flat and the center or the universe.”

If you have a specialist, who has a knowledge of trimming hooves correctly, then your horse will walk and run over any ground as the healthy hoof is able to do so. The hoof is nature’s masterpiece, it adapts to any ground when a horse is given the possibility to move over such ground regularly.

Any farrier who is ready to shoe horses… does not have sufficient knowledge. If you trust your horse’s health to such a person, it is up to you.

'Low, Deep and Round' or a blow, deep and unkind?

2010-02-19T12:30:00.000-08:00

Dr. Cook's response to 'FEI Round table Conference resolves rollkur controversy', FEI Press Release, February 9, 2010
(http://tvwww.fei.org/disciplines/dressage/press-releases/fei-round-table-conference-resolves-rollkur-controversy)

Published in the Natural Horse Magazine, March, 2010

Once again, the FEI has rejected the evidence and another opportunity for reform has been lost. Over bending may be acceptable to the FEI but it is not acceptable to the horse. The FEI is just dodging the issue by changing the name of the shame. 'Low, Deep and Round' is simply a synonym for 'Rollkur,' hyperflexion and over bending. 'Rollkur' by any other name smells just as rotten. A semantic sleight of hand will not stop this regrettable practice.

Yet there is a way to establish a humane requirement for the degree of poll flexion to be permitted. Such a guideline already exists in the FEI rule book and it is one easily monitored by stewards in the warm-up ring. The rule book requires a horse to be 'on the bit.' Part of the FEI's own definition of this phrase reads: " ... the head should remain in a steady position, as a rule slightly in front of the vertical ... " So I agree that, in this respect at least, there is no need to change the rule book. All that the FEI has to do is to abide by it. 'Low, deep and round' transgresses the rule book. It also transgresses the injunction that a horse be "calm, supple, loose, and flexible ..." and "must not be subjected to any training methods which are abusive or cause fear."

Fig.1. Breathing through a 'U' bend, obstructed at points marked with a X

The FEI's assertion that the practice of 'low deep and round' achieves flexion without undue force' is refutable. Apart from the FEI's unfortunate endorsement of the concept that force of any sort is an acceptable part of training, how would they define 'undue' or 'aggressive'? Such words merely provide loopholes through which any lawyer could drive a double-decker bus. Furthermore, it is noted that in commending 'low, deep and round' (LDR) they are quietly substituting the word 'flexion' for 'hyperflexion.' Yet LDR involves hyperflexion and this is not a physiological position for a horse's head to be in during forward motion. Even at the walk, no horse at liberty would choose to place its head in such a position.

The statement, " ... the main responsibility for the welfare of the horse rests with the rider" is an abrogation of the FEI's responsibility. Are they washing their hands of any requirement on their part to promote equine welfare? If so, they renounce the primary justification for their very existence.

The question should have been determined on the basis of the scientific evidence, not by consensus. By all means let's have a debate, preferably an open debate. And after the debate, let the decision be based on the evidence of equine anatomy and physiology. Scientific truths are not determined by majority vote.

If we do not protest the FEI's current non-compliance with nine of the ten items in their own code of conduct, we must all bow our heads in shame that human beings have once again failed to show humanity.i

Robert Cook, FRCVS, PhD Professor of Surgery Emeritus, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine February 10th, 2010

Reference
Cook, W.R. (2007): "Why is Rollkur Wrong?" Available online at www.bitlessbridle.com
_____________________
i No. 5 is the only one in which the FEI may be in compliance. "Adequate provision must be made for ventilation, watering and maintaining a healthy environment during transportation."

______________________

Academia Liberti response

Academia Liberti opposes existence of FEI on itself. One organisation which states to be relentlessly concerned about welfare of the horse, which is paramount and must never be subordinated to competitive or commercial influences, and on the other hand allows and represents existence of such sport where one of "athletes" is forced to participate with the tools of pain, can only be taken in one way — as shame of whole human race."

An Apology to the Horse After 88 Years of Pain:

2010-01-10T04:44:00.000-08:00

an interview with Robert Cook, FRCVS, PhD

Natural Horse Magazine Volume 12, Issue 1 - Jan/Feb 2010 - Equissentials section

Congratulations to the Royal Dutch Equestrian Federation for being the first national federation to permit bitless dressage. In the next few weeks, the USEF has the opportunity to pass a similar rule and give further impetus to the reform. Figure 1 depicts the intra-oral devices that have been mandated by the FEI since 1921 for advanced dressage competitions. Provision of a humane option in the Netherlands sets an enlightened example for other federations to follow.

Figure 1. The double bridle: painful, frightening, and dangerous
(Radiograph courtesy of Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University)

NH: What is the status of the move to allow bitless bridles in the USEF?

RC: A proposal to allow the crossunder bitless bridle for dressage was filed in January 2009.

On September 1st, Breana Larson of Academia Liberti sent members of the USEF Dressage Committee a copy of their iPetition containing over 2000 signatures from all over the world. Many of the signers added comments. I particularly liked the comment from one signer who apologized to all her bitted horses in past years. The fallacious argument that a horse in a bitless bridle cannot be 'on the bit' may be cited in committee, so the members have also received copies of an article which reminds them that this misleading phrase arose out of a poor translation of the original FEI regulations in French (Cook 2009a). A more accurate translation would have been "on the aids"; something that is eminently possible with the crossunder bitless bridle (CBB) (Figure 2).

Figure 2. The crossunder bitless bridle: painless, effective, no side-effects

Members of the Dressage Committee have also received copies of a report on an experiment in October 2008 at the Certified Horsemanship Association's Annual Conference (Cook 2009b) and were asked to view the video on YouTube at
www.bitlessbridle.com/cat/Video.html.
Four riding-school horses completed a four-minute exercise test, first in a snaffle bridle and then, immediately after and with the same rider, in a CBB. None of the horses had ever been ridden in a CBB and only two of the four riders had ever used the bridle. The average score was 3.7 when bitted and 6.4 when bitless. In four minutes, riders improved their score, on average, by 75%. A statistical analysis provided strong evidence that the improvement was not the result of chance (Cook and Mills 2009).

The committee has also received a 12-page CBB bibliography (Cook 2009c). As I was the first to investigate the effect of the bit on the behavior of the horse it is not surprising that 97 items are my own articles, books and videos. As I have a conflict of interest, it is fortunate that my veterinary research contributions have been outnumbered by 133 supportive publications from independent authors.

Finally, the committee's attention has been drawn to this article - one on the prevention of accidents caused by bits, saddles and shoes (Cook 2009d), and another on the high prevalence (88%) of bit-induced damage to the bars of the mouth and teeth (Cook 2009e).

At the time of writing, the date for a meeting of the Dressage Committee to discuss the bitless rule change has not been set. It is to be postponed until early December or even January.

NH: What is the next step in getting the USEF to see the light that bits are not necessary in matters of communication or collection; bits can be a source of accidents; collection is supposed to be free and not forced by the bit; and many people do not need or want to use bits?

RC: Rule change proposals, such as this one, that have not been filed by a member of the Dressage Committee will have a harder time getting passed. The support of at least one committee member is probably vital to success. Please lobby committee members now. By the time this article is published there may only be a few days left before the committee meets. There are 20 members and most of them have posted their email addresses and telephone numbers on the USEF website
(www.usef.org, click About USEF > Committee list > Dressage Committee or go directly to www.usef.org/_IFrames/AboutUs/Committee/CommitteeDisplay.aspx).

USEF members can submit an online comment about the proposal. Find the CBB rule change on the USEF website by clicking in succession on Rules and Regulation > Rule Book > Rule Change > Currently Active Proposed Rule Changes > DR=Dressage Division > COMMENT FORM (or go directly to www.usef.org/_IFrames/RuleBook/RuleProposals/PRCChater.aspx?chapter=DR).
Enter your name, Member ID# and the Tracking# 006-09. Members and non-members can click on the tracking number (in the window prior to the Comment Form window) to see the proposal itself. Scroll down to the bottom of the proposal to see what committee action has been taken.

If the proposal is rejected, the earliest that a similar proposal can be resubmitted is 2011. If action is recommended, the final decision will be voted on by the Board of Directors during the Annual Meeting at the Marriott Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky,
January 13-17, 2010. Forums at the Annual Meeting are open to non-USEF members. The bitless dressage proposal will be discussed at the International Rule Forum for dressage, eventing and jumping from 2-3 pm on Wednesday, January 13th. One hour
provides a limited opportunity but I would be glad to hear from anyone who is able to attend.

The USEF Dressage Committee has an opportunity to make history by conferring a major welfare and safety benefit on horse and rider. Let's encourage them to grasp it.

NH: Congratulations to you on the Royal Dutch Equestrian Federation’s decision to permit bitless dressage. We are very encouraged by this news, and we are very grateful for all your efforts on behalf of the horse. We hope there will soon be further congratulations!

References (available online at www.bitlessbridle.com):
Cook, W.R. (2009a): ‘On-the-bit’: A misleading and mischievous phrase
Cook, W.R. (2009b): Bit vs. Bitless, Update
Cook, W. R. (2009c): The Crossunder Bitless Bridle's Bibliography
Cook, W. R. (2009d): Prevention of Accidents to Riders caused by Tack: Feel it, log it, fix it
Cook, W.R. (2009e): Prevalence of Bit-induced Dental and Interdental Pathology
Cook, W.R. and Mills, D.S (2009): Preliminary Study of Jointed Snaffle vs. Crossunder Bitless Bridles: A quantified comparison of behaviour in 4 horses

About Dr. Cook:
Robert Cook FRCVS, PhD is Professor of Surgery Emeritus, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University in North Grafton, MA and is Chairman of the Bitless Bridle, Inc. Dr. Cook was introduced to the crossunder principle by Allan Buck in 1998 but the idea seems to be one that a few horsemen have been aware of for generations - its history traces back, so far, to the 1950s when it was developed by 'Ink' Grimsley for a group of his friends on the rodeo circuit. Dr. Cook’s contribution has been to draw on his research into diseases of the mouth, ear, nose and throat of the horse to explain why the bit does not work and why the
crossunder bitless bridle does.
USAEmail: drcook@bitlessbridle.com Telephone: (443) 282 0472

[Academia Liberti does not support or promote equestian sport, however we realise that many of our readership may be and it is our aim to help horse owner to come to a better understanding of their horses needs]

Academia Liberti featuring Strasser Basic Hoofcare Seminar

2009-11-06T09:49:00.000-08:00

We are pleased to report about the very successful Strasser Basic Hoofcare Seminar, which took place at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Latvian Agriculture University, Riga, Latvia, September 25-27, 2009.

The Seminar gathered more than 30 participants, including 4 veterinary doctors.

Lecturer Dr. vet med. Hiltrud Strasser (Germany), a veterinarian who for nearly 30 years, of which 15 in her own clinic (Hufklinik, http://www.hufklinik.de), has been studying and researching the causes and cures of lameness and other common health problems of domestic horses. She has based her research on the wild horse and has defined the optimum barefoot model. Using her research she has developed a complete system for the care of horses in a manmade environment which minimizes the many health problems currently found in conventional boarding. The orthopedic methods she has developed have yielded unprecedented success in equine lameness rehabilitation. More importantly her techniques are successful as a daily method for maintaining horses in optimum health. In 1993, she opened the 'Institute for Hoof Health' and ESHOP (European School for Hoof Orthopedics), a center for study and learning. Dr. Strasser is the author of several text books on lameness and healing, reference books on natural boarding for horses, and many articles for both horse and veterinary journals.

During two 6 hours long lectures on the 1st and 2nd days, Dr Strasser covered such topics as anatomy, physics and functioning of the horseʼs hoof, the importance of these functions, linking the hoof to the rest of the animal and the effects of horseshoes; the theoretical basics of anatomically and physiologically correct hoof trimming (different from the trim taught in conventional farrier courses); what to expect during the transition and/or rehabilitation period of the lame or shod horse to the sound, high performance barefoot horse; the environmental needs for horse health and identifying
the harmful conditions in conventional boarding.

Lots of questions awaited Dr Strasser during the breaks and after the lectures each day.

The most exciting day! The day no 3 was spent with hands on practice.

Dr. Strasser made a full trim of one of the cadavier hooves, demonstrating and explaining trimming techniques.

Then the participants had an opportunity to trim the cadavier hooves themselves. Dr Strasser checked everyone's work, explaining problems of and the trimming techniques for every particular cadavier hoof.

Dissection of hoof biospecimens for study demonstrated the situation inside the hoof and the reason for correct trimming.

We would like to thank Dr. Strasser for this successfull seminar and for her unfailingly dedication for the welfare of the horses and we hope we can continue our work together for this aim.

Academia Liberti visits Dr. Strasser's Hufklinik in Tübingen, Germany, Part II

2009-10-21T07:11:00.000-07:00

Maksida Vogt, Rector of Academia Liberti, interviewing Dr. Hiltrud Strasser:

Dr. Strasser's Hoofcare & Trimming Seminar, Riga, Latvia

2009-08-03T16:20:00.000-07:00

Seminar given by Dr Strasser in person!

September 25–27, Veterinary Medicine Faculty, Latvia University of Agriculture, Riga, Latvia

Participation fee for 3 days — 150 EUR

Participation fee for 2 days theory only — 100 EUR

Further enquiries: Natālija Aleksandrova, natalija@academialiberti.de

Academia Liberti visits Dr. Strasser's Hufklinik in Tübingen, Germany, Part II

2009-07-29T12:26:00.000-07:00

Maksida Vogt, Rector of Academia Liberti, interviewing Dr. Hiltrud Strasser:

The Bitless Bridle Petition is back up and running!

2009-07-12T02:44:00.000-07:00

Due to a technical problem our popular bitless bridle petition has been offline. Happily the petition is now open again and ready for more signatures. Please visit the link if you haven't already by clicking on the banner to the right or on the link below. Feel free to pass on the link to all your friends!

If you have a website and would like to place a banner add to the petition on it, please contact us, we will be happy to help!

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/allow-bitless-bridles-in-usef-rated-competitions

Academia Liberti TV Channel

2009-06-26T17:35:00.000-07:00

Academia Liberti TV Channel is launched >>

First Equine Science Seminar by Academia Liberti

2009-06-22T16:06:00.000-07:00

First Equine Science Seminar by Academia Artivm Didacticvm Eqviorvm in Liberti found place in Hungary.

The city of Budapest:

At the seminars of Academia Liberti we pay great attention to the practical part and interaction with horses through the science of each department Academia teaches. It is very important to us to keep our seminars at places where the horses directly can benefit through excellent knowledge and education of Academia Liberti members.

This is the herd which could take a benefit from it this time:

This seminar had as a field of attention horse dentistry and hoof care. Member of Academia Liberti and Natural balance dentist and oral biomechanic specialist, Irén Aina Vassrusten Bastholm offered an excellent presentation with outstanding education in the horse dentistry.

And also horses could benefit from her work:

There was also place for one or other surprize in a mouth of a horse:

Most of the horses had accentuated transverse ridges and rims on all molar arcades which limited both the lateral and the anterior/posterior movement of their jaw. Their incisors should have been kept at the proper length and angle (about 8-10 degrees) and both incisors and molars needed to be balanced to restore full biomechanical range of motion.

After treatment most of horses got close to full range of motion, which means that they now have possibility to move their body in all directions and use it to its full potential as determined by the jaw.

The second very important part of this seminar was hoof care presented by Natālija Aleksandrova.

Excerpt from presentation "Wild horses' hooves — are they different?":

[...]Now back to the conditions when such happens that a hoof in the wild horses could loose its optimal form, thus making even a wild horse not sound anymore.

I believe there're two main factors, which affect badly wild horse hooves soundness, thus the overall body health.

First — human activity.

Such examples we can find in so called 'semi-wild' horses, leaving often on limited areas of land.

For example, report 'Laminitis in Przewalski horses kept in a semireserve' by Klaus-Dieter Budras and others, Institute of Veterinary Anatomy of the Free University of Berlin, 2001.

According to the report:
— all the horses were from zoo initially, what means the optimal hoof form was already compromised in them;
— the limited area of living — limited number of plants, partly cultivated pastures, limited movement;
— the herd consisted only of mares — what suggests they never could have enough proper kind of movement received usually from the wild games.

So, the laminar connection was already compromised in them through the not optimal hoof shape they had at least part of their lives. All the limitations their area of living brought them became the trigger for developing bad inflammatory process in their hooves and the following inability of quick self-healing.

[...]And up to not so obvious, not so direct influence, which was observed by Brian Hampton in Kaimanawa wild horses and mentioned in his paper "Morphometric features of the feral horse foot":

"Natural selection may play a part in differences in foot health and morphology observed between populations of feral horses. While the Kaimanawa horses live a relatively protected existence free from predators and with little pressure on feed and water resources, the feral horses of North Queensland must endure attack from predator dingos and crocodiles, culling operations carried out by man, and severe periodic drought which kills horses regularly. Greater variation from the ideal foot type may then be better tolerated in the less demanding environment of the Kaimanawa Ranges but not in the more extreme conditions where survival is a greater challenge."

Humans put them under such conditions, when there're no more so tough natural selection rules applied, so they can afford poorer hoof shape as far as it doesn't create too big discomfort and make them unsound even for living such 'laid back' life.

Freshly mustered Kaimanawa horses (notice undistorted coronary band in their hooves again!):

[...]So, a purpose of our trim is to give to a domestic horse the same what nature gives to a wild horse — such optimal hoof form, which would secure comfort in its hooves, which would not create health problems in its body. Even doing our best, we mostly can't provide our horses the same lifestyle as the wild horses have: the same amount of movement on different terrain and the same style of movement, the same variety of plants to eat, possibility of mating in spring, when spring grass is intended to cause a hormonal response in the body to activate it towards breeding season, etc. So, under domestic conditions correct trimming becomes of the utmost importance for our horses. Correct trimming — it is trimming for removing any tiniest levers which could bring damage to the hoof and consequently to the whole body. This is why we need often shorter bars, deeper concavity and more of such nuances, which, as it seems, nature doesn't always care about so much in the wild horses hooves.

__________________________________

The whole team of Academia Liberti had to deal with such hooves:

Under excellent guidance of Natālija Aleksandrova and thanks to Academia Liberti members it was possible to help those horses.

Mud bath between days of trimming and obvious changes in the posture of horses even after initial trim. Result, proper trimmed hooves, the essential part of the health of the horse.

***As a very interesting part of the semianar was also the lecture on history part. The focus which was presented told about connection between old riding schools and secret sociaties (or the lack of it).

***It was very successfull seminar which proudly carries the name of Academia Liberti and we are looking forward to our future seminars. We are very grateful for the wonderful members of Academia Liberti and their valuable contribution for the wellfare of horses.

Summer Eczema. Part II

2009-06-18T07:42:00.000-07:00

by Maksida Vogt

Colloids have proven themselves beneficial in healing different kind of diseases including allergies, as the body can utilize them very easily and also expel them without problems if necessary.

Colloids
by Wolfgang Bischof, Colloid expert and researcher
info@O3-e.de

Colloids have a 1:1 bio availability for the body and the body needs no energy to use it. Here is some information about colloids which is also valid for animals.

Colloidal copper

Copper as an element is ineffective in our body. Connected with certain proteins it caters for important metabolism reactions. Already as a part of a transport molecule it attacks oxygen radicals outside the cells. Together with the trace element zinc it fights against free radicals also inside the cells. The earlier mentioned transport molecule carries iron particles into the medulla. There iron is important for the production of erythrocytes. Copper is necessary for converting iron into hemoglobin. Copper makes the amino acid tyrosine utilizable. Copper caters for the structure and flexibility of bones, ligaments, conjunctive tissue, blood vessels and cartilage. Connective tissue cells excrete a copper protein, which connects collagen- and elastin fibers.

In that way copper caters for an elastic strength of the blood vessels. The pigment, which causes the browning of the skin under the influence of sun rays, is controlled by a copper enzyme. Copper is also involved in the destruction of excess hormones like histamine. Histamine produces the swellings and redness that occur at inflammations.

Vitality, euphoria and happiness are the simplest biochemical processes, built on enzymes and protein. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter, is responsible for producing cheerful and harmonic moods.

At the same time dopamine is the precursor of norepinephrine (also called noradrenalin). This neurotransmitter caters for senses of pleasure and optimistic enthusiasm. The converting of dopamine into noradrenalin requires an enzyme that contains at least two, probably even eight copper atoms.

The same enzyme is also involved in the production of the important stress hormone epinephrine (also called adrenaline).

Copper also participates actively in construction of myelin, a membranous wrapping, or sheath around the axons of neurons.

The degree of humidity of this protective cell coat is of vital importance for the function of the nervous system. For this purpose a copper enzyme is responsible.

If the body is supplied with too little copper over a long period, the protective coat of all nerve cells thins down. This can lead to nerve inflammations or tissue death in the nerve tissue. That’s why copper supply is so important.

Warning symptoms

A lack of copper can cause the following problems:

General weakness

Negative mood

Early graying of the hair

Tendency to skin inflammations

Breathing trouble

Colloidal chrome

Our body just needs a nominal concentration of vitamin B12, iodine and also of chrome. A daily mass of 80 µg is enough to supply our body with chrome.

A lack of chrome leads to symptoms like fatigue, nervousness, tenseness and indications of diabetes mellitus (diabetes). These are all problems which affiliate to a disturbed glucose-(carbohydrates)-metabolism.

Nerves and brain cells require only glucose as fuel, in contrast to all other body cells. This carbohydrate is burned much faster and thus delivers its energy content much faster than for example fat.

The brain- and nerve cells need a lot of energy quickly, because they often have to react as fast as lightning. If the provisioning of glucose works well, then you are well-adjusted, wide awake, high concentrated and your nerves work well. But if glucose is missing in the blood, the contrary is the case. Chrome plays an important part in the control of blood sugar level. Chrome also works closely with the pancreatic hormone insulin, which regulates the integration of glucose in the cells.

During slight hypoglycemia we often use sweets to raise the blood sugar level. As a byproduct of sucrose (=granulated sugar) increase, glucose gets to the blood immediately and brings nerves and brain the longed for freshness impetus.

At a blood sugar level less than 90 mg per dl blood first disorders start. You will feel inexplicably fatigued, even if you sleep for a long time. You will also always feel irritated. At a level of about 70mg you can’t concentrate any longer, and every wrong word makes you extremely annoyed. At a level of 60mg you could hit the roof.

Of course chrome can’t regulate the blood sugar level all alone. By ongoing hypoglycemia there are often other reasons too. Still, when the level is right, chrome is involved.

The exact chrome level can’t be measured because the concentration in the blood doesn't say anything about the quantity in the cells. Tissue concentrations are 10 to 100 times higher than blood concentrations. Excretion through urine is not helpful either.

With increasing age chrome admission reduces in the body. That’s why people over forty more often have problems with their blood sugar level.

Scientific studies show that the insulin excretion increases again in age-related diabetes mellitus when molecules, which contain chrome, are received through the food over a longer period. This indicates that chrome is an important component of a successful diabetes mellitus therapy

Substances which lower chrome

So-called stress factors raise the chrome rations thus leading to an increased chrome excretion. All physical activity (for example at the job, sport, and contagious diseases) will influence this.

Simple sugar in foods detracts chrome from the body (present in for example pasta, dumplings, white bread, cookies, everything sweet, drinks containing sugar).

Warning symptoms

A lack of chrome can cause following trouble:

Permanent tiredness

Nervousness

Loss of motivation

Restlessness

Bad temper

Sleep disturbances

Concentration disturbances

Depression

Dizziness

Headache

Cravings for sweets

Alcoholism

Colloidal manganese

Manganese is one of the small motive powers of our bodily engine, although we just need 2 to 5 thousandth of a gram of this trace element per day. Liver- , kidney- , pancreas- and heart cells need a lot of manganese, because these cells perform on a higher level than any other. A deficiency will affect these organs first. Also the pituitary gland (which produces most of the hormones), the epiphysis (produces the sleeping hormone) and the mammary glands are pumped full of manganese. Furthermore manganese activates enzymes, especially those that make certain vitamins operative in the metabolism. As an example; you can eat as much fruit as you like, but the vitamin C it contains is still just worth a fifth of what it could be without manganese!

Manganese plays an important part in the protein- , carbohydrate- , fat- and cholesterol metabolism. Both the skeleton and the blood also need manganese badly. This trace element also supports the nerves and the brain, and it is important for the production of thyroid hormones.

Further manganese is needed among others for the production of melanin in the skin and hair and also for biosynthesis of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine caters for calmness, ease of mind and cheeriness.

Only about 5% of the manganese in food is affiliated into the blood. Calcium, phosphorous salts, iron and plant acids inhibit the bio applicability of this trace element and they hinder it from getting into the blood through the bowel mucosa. The protein module histidine (mostly in animal food) and citrates (salts in the citric acid, which can be found mostly in citrons) ease the access of manganese and increase its bio availability.

On the inside of a cell manganese stimulates enzymes, which put protein together. Therein lays the secret of our youthfulness. When manganese is missing a wealth of protein production centers are degraded by the cells. Protein is very important for the cell reformation. If there’s a lack of protein, the cell nuclei and other cell parts can’t be regenerated properly, and they age prematurely.

Manganese is also essential for insulin production and excess fat in the bloodstream can’t be involved in miscellaneous metabolism processes without this trace element. Manganese helps to degrade blood fats and protect against arteriosclerosis and heart problems.

Manganese can, together with vitamin C, work against the disease lupus erythematosus (the body's immune system attacks its own tissues and organs). This disease causes the destruction of collagen in skin, blood vessels and other elastic conjunctive tissues.

Warning symptoms

A lack of manganese can cause following trouble:

Ear noises and deafness

Dry and cracked skin

Pessimism and despair

Fatigue

Lack of libido

Loss in weight

Joint pain

Restlessness

Decreased hair growth

Colloidal selenium

Selenium is one of the biggest confederates of our immune system. Selenium is contained in the enzyme glutathione peroxides, which protects cells from free radicals. Free radicals come up through the agency of oxygen and UV light and affect destructive the tissue and all cell components. Furthermore free radicals are responsible for the cell age, that defines why selenium can keep the cells fresh and young.

While vitamin E as a immune substance primarily protects the greasy-wet protection coat of a cell, the GP-enzyme containing selenium is employed in the watery cell inside, the cell nucleus and many energy combustion chamber — typically there where free radicals attack very aggressively, for example in the eye.

Selenium cater for that the tissue stays elastic, that arteries don’t clog, that the blood pressure don’t increases excessively and that the muscle cells (among other the heart muscle cells) are always supplied with enough oxygen. The trace element prevents troubles and diseases and caters for an accelerating healing process.
Also the production of antibodies against germs and serotoxins are depending on selenium.
Together with vitamin E selenium hinders heart dysfunctions and so it prevents angina pectoris. When the ECG raises the alarm selenium can possibly help.

Selenium precipitates also the excretion of toxic heavy metals like mercury, cadmium and silver and perhaps remedies in fecundity. The function of the male testes depends on a high concentration of proteins containing selenium.

The selenium-dependent enzyme denominate, which is responsibly for the activation of the thyroid hormone, is important for our vitality.

Deficiency signs in at-risk groups

Based on many scientific studies it was found out, that special at-risk groups have too little selenium in their bodies. For example people with

heart complaint
cancer sufferers
Diabetic
Alcoholics
drip-fed patients
Chronic indigestions
Infection of the gastro-intestinal system
Vegetarians and vegans
Premature, and not nursed babies.

The baby food made of cow's milk reaches just one third of the selenium level of the mother's milk.
Also the baby food with fruits contains just very little selenium. It shows again how important breast feeding is.

The selenium level of grain depends on the selenium share in the soil. The fields in Europa are relatively selenium-poor, especially in the uplands and the alps, where as time passed the glaciers and the rain wash out a large rate of the trace elements out of the soil.
Also the for years practiced monoculture and the use of chemical manures are accountable for the selenium poorness. Selenium can be easily, like most of the other trace elements, overcooked. That is why one avoid long cooking times with intense heat.

Warning symptoms

A lack of selenium can cause following trouble:

Increased susceptibility to infection
A lack of mental freshness
Defects of vision
Heart dysfunction
Skin sallowness and loss of hair
brittle nails
Muscle troubles
Joint troubles

Colloidal zinc

In former times the soil was full of zinc, a bluely glinting metal. By the formation glacial during the ice age big parts of the minerals and metal, which were occurring in the soil, were washed out. the long succession of crop cycles and the wide-spread monoculture grain farming did one last thing to reduce the concentration of precious trace elements in the soil. Nowadays the lands, fields and gardens are mostly so depleted, that their product aren’t enough for our inner metabolism, not to mention the pesticides, insecticides and tons of other toxins, which will strain our farmlands for many decades.
Compared to the lush grain of our forebears our today's grain supply just one third of the utilizable organic material.

Afflictions, diseases and sensitivities disturbances of all kinds are just often down to a simple lack of vitamins, minerals and trace elements.

Patients with one or more single symptoms are treated with different medicine for a long time, although in many cases it‘s just a lack of zinc.

Similar to the most other trace element the zinc level in the blood is sparse important. Especially in the cells the zinc concentration is important. That’s why one can’t correct a zinc deficiency overnight like it is possible at a vitamin C lack.
Conversely the zinc concentration in the blood decreased 12 hours after a absolutely zinc free dinner up to 50%.

The zinc in this food is affiliated much better from the body, because in this food are many protein modules, which build solid complexes zinc and then it can get easier to the blood through the intestine.

Compared with animal zinc suppliers grain and roughage contain a vegetable protein and extra acids, which build insoluble complexes with zinc.

Furthermore zinc competes with other metal for the most effective way from the bowel to the blood. For example zinc and iron need the same protein carrier, to get from the bowel to the bloodstream.
Vitamins get essentially easier in the blood as minerals and trace elements.
This problem is also one of the main argument for colloids, because for example the mentioned rivalry don‘t occur.

Every of our somatic cells is belted by a greasy-wet protective coat. Here bustle among other things antibodies, enzymes and proteins. The cell‘s inside is supplied through the cell protective coat. Without zinc there would be chaos in the cells and also in the cell membrane. The trace element prevents that foreign molecules hang themselves on the protective coat.
But zinc provides for stability in the cell‘s inside, for a strong structure of the ribonucleic acids and deoxyribonucleic acids (=DNA), which save our hereditary factors. So-called zinc fingers at genes and chromosomes provide that variations of the zinc concentration through the food don’t affect the work of the DNA. Just like that the nucleus or single cell parts can be regenerated.
That is the most important requirement for our health and that we don‘t grow old too fast.

An other task zinc performs as an enzyme activator at the setup of the thyroid hormones, the growth hormone, the generative hormones in the hypophysis and of cortical, a anti-inflammatory stress hormone. Zinc depending enzymes add to many chemical reactions. The carbohydrate- and energy metabolism, the construction and destruction of protein molecules, the producing of erythrocytes and the health maintenance of skin and pancreases are supported.

Zinc also activates a concentration hormone out of the hypophysis and cater for that we can be attentive and quick. With the activation of this hormone the output of Euphoriaelite Beta-Endorphin starts simultaneously, which get you in the right mood for the daily tasks.
Another task of this trace element is the supporting of the immune system with its defence mechanisms, it invigorates the different leucocytes.

The zinc concentration subjects to vigorous fluctuations. The resorption of zinc in the body is reduced through phytin acid and raised through proteins.

Warning symptoms

A lack of zinc can cause following trouble:

growth disturbance
loss of hair
skin diseases
anxiety states
lack of libido, erectile dysfunction
depressive alienation
troubles in motor function
delayed wound healing
defects of vision

To be continued...

Summer Eczema. Part I

2009-06-03T15:49:00.000-07:00

by Maksida Vogt

What is summer eczema?

Summer eczema or summer dermatitis is a seasonally occurring, usually chronic disease in equines accompanied by a strong itching sensation. This problem does not only affect Icelandic horses as is often erroneously stated, but is becoming increasingly common in all breeds.

Icelandic horses are not more often, nor more badly affected by the disease than all other breeds (except imported Icelandic horses, but we will come to the explanation of this later). The Icelandic horses were erroneously considered especially susceptible to this disease only because it was discussed among Icelandic horse enthusiasts at an early stage.

Clinical manifestation

Intense itching forces the animals to heavily scratch and bite and may even go as far as self mutilation. This itch can be with, or without, building of slough, and may spread dorsally over the mane, croup and tail. Eventually even the head, shoulder and trunk will be affected,. Long term illness and symptoms may cause the skin to appear thickened and flaky (SCHÄFER et al. 1999, REES 2004). This clinical manifestation is usually shown during the pasture season in summer. During winter all symptoms are fully reversed. (Schäfer, 1999).

Cause

First, be aware that summer eczema/sweet itch is an allergy.

This allergy is usually triggered by salivary proteins carried by biting midges (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae). Many horses react to this with Type- I allergy which leads to local skin reactions. (Baker, Quinn, 1978, Fadok, Greiner, 1990). Another trigger can be metabolic disorders or food incompatibility.

The causes for summer eczema are thus numerous, and they all influence the body, but the common denominator is always stress.

Stress is the CAUSE of all allergies.

It is the same as in humans. A healthy organism, a healthy immune system can cope with stress. On the other hand, if many triggers occur at the same time the body will endure enormous stress which weakens the organism and an outbreak of a disease, no matter which, is the result.

Not all horses have this allergy despite the fact that they live together at the same place, under the same conditions. This indicates that horses that have the disease must have a weakened system compared to unaffected animals. In imported Icelandic horses the rate is high because these animals live in completely different surroundings, with completely different and worse keeping than they were used to. Further their movement is reduced about 70%, they miss their homeland… the stress is enormous. It is thus a natural and logical consequence that imported Icelandic horses are more affected.

The typical human behavior is to avoid the trigger and to “protect” the horses. That often means keeping affected horses in stables and often even all year round. The horses are blanketed, sometimes to the degree that their eyes are the only visible part left. Improper feeding, which does not support the horse’s health, is also a widespread problem. This obstructs recovery. This can for example be protein rich grass from fertilized pastures, or processed, unfit food. This is too heavy a burden for the metabolic system which is not able to cope with it, especially if the horse does not live in a species appropriate environment. It is actually a wonder that horses do not have more serious diseases.

It should also be considered that in these horses the skin is the affected organ, but in other horses, suffering under the same stress, the problem might manifest itself somewhere else. A bigger problem, as I see it, is that especially Icelandic horses, and not only affected animals, show serious liver stress and increased liver values. Through my work with psycho kinesiology and studies of energetic causal relations in the body, this problem is easily comprehensible and moreover an unavoidable process. Emotions like disappointment, frustration, anger, desperation, fear and being unlucky is directly connected with the liver and the kidneys. Any emotional load in this field influences the function of the liver. The organs responsible for detoxification of the body cannot fulfill their function anymore, energetic blockages appear. The intestinal function is affected and the expulsion of toxins does not work properly anymore. This transfers to the skin because it is increasingly used for the expulsion of toxins. In this situation the immune system is impaired and the bite of just one biting midge is enough to trigger inflammatory processes with which the body can no longer cope.

Here we are only discussing the problems that appear through wrong keeping, but we should not forget that horses are used for riding and other things (which create pain and negative emotions) and this multiplies the risk. The body of the horse has to fight with many unnatural factors.

Let us consider one fact: there are NO reports about summer eczema in wild horses. The outbreak of the disease always happens when those horses come into contact with humans.

This alone shows the solution of the problem.

The best example for this is wild horses in Dülmen, Germany. In free keeping they show no eczema despite being surrounded by biting midges and swampland, and despite the fact their pastures are chemically fertilized to let enough grass grow. When they are captured and sold, then some of them develop eczema.

Surely there is a genetic disposition for eczema similar to humans too, but this does not appear under natural conditions. Nature would already select them out.

Treatment

Living conditions are the biggest problem and it is always advised to improve these, affected horses must have the possibility to live in species appropriate conditions to give the body a chance to recover. The horses have to fulfill their natural requirement to move and eat according to their own natural rhythm, fulfill the need to live in a herd; this creates positive feelings and mobilizes healing energies. Horses must be able to move in order for their organs to work properly. The hooves should be kept in a natural shape, with working hoof mechanism which can support the healing mechanism.

Without this no healing will be possible.

Many affected horses show lack of zinc, especially when wounds cannot close and heal. Still it is not enough to offer feed that contains zinc; it should also be controlled if the body can use it. Regular blood tests can help investigate this.

It is not recommended to feed silage or any similar food, this is, among other reasons, also because lactic acid changes some metals and makes feed intake difficult and unnatural for horses. It is not advisable to use processed food, only natural, untreated grass, hay and oats as well as salts and minerals in their natural form. These should be offered to the horses on a free choice basis.

Even after providing these optimal conditions it should be considered that it can take up to 3 years until the desired healing occurs and all minerals have been restored to the normal level again, especially if the kidney was already damaged.

There are different products which can support healing. For example EM technology, tissue salts or homeopathic remedies. Colloids have proven themselves beneficial as the body can utilize them very easily and also expel them without problems if necessary.

The conclusion is, that healing is only possible through optimal, and species appropriate living conditions, optimal hoof care, and no purposely harm to the horse’s body (like riding without free collection, using horses for pulling carriages, bits, iron shoes, etc). Depending on the horse and the seriousness of the disease, one or more of those conditions must be met. Otherwise the allergy remains as incorrectly stated by many — incurable.

To be continued...

Story of a young racehorse

2009-05-03T15:37:00.000-07:00

by Kamila Olbromska

...It only happened the other day and it will stay with me for a long time. It is only one example of many out there, within an industry that is governed by money and greed, and the heartless use of an innocent soul that, given half a chance, would give anything to ensure our happiness.

There is a lot written and said on the internet and on television and I know that at times we are met with people that say that many acts of cruelty are simply speculation and propaganda. I'm here to assure you all that it isn't and I'm here to speak from personal experience.

The friend in this story has been dear to me for many years. Her father trained racehorses and she took on his dream of breeding and training a Melbourne Cup winner, so her decisions to leave the industry were not taken lightly. When I was a young nursing student and when my friend was first starting out as a trainer, I worked for her for a couple of years. I was disillusioned into thinking that all horses on the track were treated like hers so nothing prepared me for what I saw with my own eyes on this Autumn morning. To use horses for our own gain is always abuse and many of us have been the abuser in the past through ignorance but changed through education. This story is one of deliberate cruelty and not an isolated case. The cruelty behind the glamour of racing is very real and, unfortunately, legal. Let's make it a thing of the past.

I have a friend who is in the process of dispersing her Thoroughbred Stud up in the Hunter Valley. She has become disillusioned as a trainer in the racing industry and is winding down her whole set up. The property has been leased to a very rich owner for a couple of years and as I was helping her pack her things, a truck with horses arrived. Over these last couple of months, I have been telling her a lot of what I have learned, about bits, shoes and what racing does to a horse. Despite her family background, which is strong in the racing industry, she has always taken what I have to say on board. Perhaps I had some influence in her decision to stop training, I'm not sure but I like to think so.

The people that have this place leased already had about 40 horses there. Twelve more on the truck, some straight from the sales. I watched as they were unloaded and ticked off a list, no names, just identified by brands, sex and a number. They had spent $50 million on horses at the sales in the past year. Poor, terrified babies, bits in their mouths being man handled off a truck. I have seen my ex husband;s family with their race horses and those that used to be owned by this friend in the past, but never this side of it. To look at it on a screen on tv or on the net is so different to seeing it in real life.

I put the box I was carrying on the truck and watched as the truck driver yelled at a colt in the truck, then came out to tell the foreman that this colt had just been bought for $2 million and is a total mongrel. He then went back in the truck and yelled some more, followed by kicking in the truck and I saw him swing a lead rope and heard it connect with this poor colt. He then lead him out, wild eyed and terrified, dragged by a bit and called every name under the sun for being scared. Then when they both got to the bottom of the ramp, the handler gave the colt a few hard yanks of the lead rope, pulling at his mouth. The colt reared up, striking with his front legs, only to get beaten more and called more names. The new owner's staff laughed as the handler beat this poor baby all the way to the stallion yard. I asked my friend how she could look at that daily. She said that's why she's leaving, she can't look at it anymore.

After everyone had left, and our truck was packed, I went to see this colt before we left. He stood in the corner of his yard, looking at me suspiciously. So young and already so scarred. Curiosity got the better of him in the end and her came to say hello. Gentle young soul. My heart went out to him. One day they would break every ounce of spirit in him, for he was labelled by them already, and they would try to squeeze everything they could for his price tag. I wondered if deep down he knew his fate. I hoped that as he stood there, playing with my jumper and my hair, that for even a moment he had some peace, away from the reality of his world.

So I'm sitting here now, still thinking about him, wondering how badly he was treated after I left, how much he will suffer getting broken in and then during his career as a racehorse, then a sire and then what? Part of me wishes I'd never gone to help my friend pack the last of her house. That I'd never laid eyes on that colt, that he never looked me in the eye as he walked up to me in that yard, for I just can't get him out of my head. But then part of me is grateful to him, for putting a face to the large scale operations and how cold they truly are. I'm sure I will see him run on the screen at the local pub from time to time, hear his name mentioned, his character discussed and I'll always remember how he tried so hard to fight for the injustice of his treatment, and then the kindness in his eye when approached by someone who knew his pain. I just wonder, who gives these humans the right to think they can do this to another soul. Money truly is the root of all evil.

Truth about vaccination. Part II

2009-04-28T11:28:00.001-07:00

by Natalija Aleksandrova

Because more and more reports are appearing on vaccine failures, their manufacturers' answer is to make the vaccines more potent. They do this by making the immune adjuvants more powerful of adding more of them (basically, vaccines contain either killed viruses or bacteria, germ components, toxic extracts of live organisms that have been made less virulent — a process called attenuation. To stimulate an enhanced immune reaction against these organisms, manufacturers added powerful immune-stimulating substances such as squalene, aluminium, lipopolysaccharide, etc. These are called immune adjuvants.). The problem with this approach is that in the very young, the nutritionally deficient and the aged, over-stimulating the immune system can have an opposite effect — it can paralyze the immune system.

Another problem we see with modern vaccines is that the immune stimulation continues over a prolonged period of time. This is because of the immune adjuvants. They remain in the tissues, constantly stimulating immune-activating cells. With most natural infections the immune activation occurs rapidly, and once the infection is under control, it drops precipitously. This is to prevent excessive damage to normal cells in the body.

Adjuvants can actually lead to serious side effects themselves. The side effects of adjuvants themselves include hyperactivity of B cells leading to pathological levels of antibody production, as well as allergic reaction to the adjuvants themselves (as demonstrated in Gulf War I soldiers injected with vaccines containing the adjuvant squalene, to which antibodies were found in many soldiers). Note that the pathologically elevated hyperactivity of antibody production caused by adjuvants also results in a distraction from the other antigens that the immune system encounters "naturally", which must be addressed to maintain health.

This hyperactivity of the humoral (antibody producing) pole of the immune system is the sole cause of all autoimmune diseases. The only thing which determines which autoimmune disease you develop is which tissues in your body are attacked by auto-antibodies. If the inside lining of the gastrointestinal tract (the mucosa) is attacked by auto-antibodies you develop leaky gut syndrome (which leads to food allergies when partially digested food particles are released into the bloodstream, are recognized as antigens foreign to the body, and elicit an antibody response against those food particles that becomes heightened every time that same food is eaten and released into the bloodstream partially digested again). Crohn's disease and colitis are also caused by auto-antibody attack on the mucosa of the GI tract itself. If the islet (insulin producing) cells of the pancreas are attacked by auto-antibodies, you develop insulin dependent (juvenile) diabetes. If the respiratory mucosa is attacked by auto-antibodies, you develop "leaky lung" syndrome where, just as with leaky gut, antigens recognized as foreign to the body which are inhaled are able to traverse the lining of the respiratory tract, causing the creation of antibodies against those antigens (usually dust, mold, pet or pollen antigens). When these substances are inhaled again, the allergic response producing constriction of the bronchioles is called asthma. If the components of the articular surface of the joints are attacked by auto-antibodies, you develop rheumatoid (or juvenile) arthritis. If the skin is attacked, you develop "leaky skin" syndrome, where contact antigens which could not otherwise traverse the skin are allowed in, leading to skin allergies to contact antigens. Additionally, depending on which level of the skin is attacked by auto-antibodies, (i.e., the epidermis or dermis), you develop eczema, psoriasis or scleroderma. If the kidney tissue is attacked by auto-antibodies, you develop one of the many types of nephritis, depending on which component of renal tissue is attacked (for example, with glomerulonephritis, the basement membrane of the glomerular apparatus within the kidney (which filters blood to form urine) is attacked by auto-antibodies, thus allowing protein to escape from the serum into the urine). And on, and on, and on...

In domestic horses, who usually already have their metabolic system compromised in one way or another, vaccination could trigger such problem as laminitis or heaves for example.

Well, why then does vaccination still takes place in the light of such evidence? Simple. Money. Vaccines mean enormous profits for the pharmaceutical industry.

Just one more interesting fact. All positive statistical researches on vaccination are made by...? Right, by the pharmaceutical companies themselves. All opposite evidences are brought to us by medics, who used vaccines in their patients for long time and started noticing the negative effects of these.

(Used materials by:
Rebecca Carley, M.D., Court Qualified Expert in VIDS and Legal Abuse Syndrome
Russell L. Blaylock, M.D., a board-certified neurosurgeon, http://www.russellblaylockmd.com)

Vaccinations reduce our immunity in many important ways
by Dr. Joseph Mercola, a member of Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, http://www.mercola.com

1. Vaccines contain many chemicals and heavy metals, like mercury and aluminum, which are in-themselves immuno-suppressing. Mercury actually causes changes in the lymphocyte activity and decreases lymphocyte viability.
2. Vaccines contain foreign tissues and foreign DNA/RNA which act to suppress the immune system via graft-vs-host rejection phenomena.
3. Vaccines alter our t-cell helper/suppressor ratios ... just like those seen with AIDS. This ratio is a key indicator of a proper functioning immune system.
4. Vaccines alter the metabolic activity of PMNs and reduce their chemotaxic abilities. PMNs are our body's defences against pathogenic bacteria and viruses.
5. Vaccines suppress our immunity merely buy over-taxing our immune system with foreign material, heavy metals, pathogens and viruses. The heavy metals slow down our immune system, while the viruses set up shop to grow and divide. It is like being chained and handcuffed before swimming.
6. Vaccines clog our lymphatic system and lymph nodes with large protein molecules which have not been adequately broken down by our digestive processes, since vaccines by pass digestion with injections. This is why vaccines are linked to allergies, because they contain large proteins which as circulating immune complexes (CICs) or "klinkers" which cause our body to become allergic.
7. Vaccines deplete our body of vital immune-enhancing nutrients, like vitamin C, A and zinc, which are needed for a strong immune system. It is nutrients like these that primes our immune system, feeds the white blood cells and macrophages and allows them to function optimally.
8. Vaccines are neurotoxic and slow the level of nervous transmission, and communications to the brain and other tissues. Now we know that some lymphocytes communicate directly with the brain through a complex set of neurotransmitters. Altering these factors will also depress our immunity.

A list of medical professionals and researches, and organizations standing against vaccination http://www.whale.to/m/critics.html

Truth about vaccination. Part I

2009-04-23T13:09:00.000-07:00

by Natalija Aleksandrova

Germs exist in our bodies as well as outside, and it is only when there is an imbalance within the organism that infections and diseases come about.
— Professor Antoine Béchamp, Doctor of Science, Doctor of Medicine

Any living body has its own natural immunity to fight disease (otherwise how would all the wide variety of living organisms have survived over millennia?). Why then do we need to add artificial immunity?

As it's been proven by researches, any living body contains a certain number of micro-organisms, which have an ability to become pathogenic under certain conditions. Until there is a forced imbalance in the body, one is able to keep these micro-organisms under control naturally by producing antibodies on its own. The balance is gone and a disease could start, when the body is exposed to unnatural physical or psychological stress. In human history, great epidemics are linked to wars, revolutions, etc., when some great part of the population of one or several countries start suffering physically and mentally, and their living conditions drop significantly. So, being allowed to live a proper lifestyle, any living organism has a natural ability to take care of itself, and this ability is quite strong as to withstand even greater stresses, and there is also such the wonderful gift that any living organism has an ability to develop acquired immunity through fighting diseases naturally and keeping copies of viruses to quickly manufacture the correct antibodies later.

There is no reason why not to allow a healthy body to cope with the micro-organisms it contains in a natural way — producing the antibodies in a natural way, not injecting them from outside. Moreover there is a great deal of medical evidence showing how vaccination actually harms the healthy body, and throws an already unhealthy one into even deeper trouble.

If the environment is correct within the body, the virulent viruses and disease-causing germs will not grow. To make the vaccine, the manufacturers have to get the virus from 'somewhere', so they get them from individuals who have a disease (from their blood, urine, pus, etc) or from the dead tissues of such individuals. To produce vaccination lymph in laboratories, unhealthy animals are used. For example, mice bred to get cancer don’t get cancer unless they are fed a nutrient deficient diet.
What makes us then to do such an insanity as to inject something like this into the healthy living body when no disease is there, instead of concentrating on improving the living conditions to allow immunity to get stronger naturally?! Isn't it just our own fear? The fear, which stimulated by pharmaceutical industry and then used by it in the highly profitable way?

For those who still consider themselves to be fear-free, and think vaccination can prevent disease, let’s look a bit deeper look into the problem.

The observation that mammals who recover from infection by microorganisms acquire natural immunity from further infections became the foundation for vaccinations. Whenever T cells (the little packman cells which kill viruses, bacteria, and cancer cells, thus conferring cellular immunity) and B cells (antibody producing cells which confer humoral immunity) are activated by various substances foreign to the body called antigens, some of the T and B cells become memory cells. Thus, the next time the individual meets up with that same antigen, the immune system can be quickly triggered to demolish it. This is the process known as immunity.

This observation gave birth to a belief that if a foreign antigen was injected into an individual, that individual would then become immune to a future infection. This belief was given the name "vaccinations". What the promoters of vaccination failed to realize, that in ALL mammals (since animals are just as devastated by these inoculations with disease as are humans) almost no disease enters the body by injection. Most enter by way of the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth, pulmonary passage of GI tract. The membranes lining these passages contain a different immune system than activated by direct injection. This system is called IgA immune system — by IgA antibodies found in the membranes. It is the first line of defence and helps reduce the need for intense activation of the body's immune system. Often, the IgA system can completely head off an attack. Bypassing this mucosal aspect of the immune system by directly injecting organisms into the bloodstream leads to a corruption in the whole immune system itself. As a result, the pathogenic viruses or bacteria cannot be eliminated by the immune system and remain in the body, where they will further grow and/or mutate as the individual is exposed to ever more antigens and toxins in the environment which continue to assault the immune system.

The mechanism by which the immune system is corrupted can best be understood when you understand that the two poles of the immune system (the cellular and humoral mechanisms) have a reciprocal relationship. Thus, when one is stimulated, the other is inhibited. Since vaccines activate the B cells to secrete antibody, the T cells are subsequently suppressed. This suppression of the cell mediated response is a key factor in the development of cancer and life threatening infections. So, the mechanism by which the vaccination works on the molecular level isn't prevention but suppression — it suppresses the body’s natural ability to expel pathogenic organisms from the body. So the disease is just prevented from being resolved, but it still stays inside the body, just waiting until there are more favourable circumstances for it to burst out in other forms affecting the weakest body parts. After injecting a vaccine, the pathogenic micro-organisms still continue circulating through the body, getting stronger mutating and transforming into other organisms (as demonstrated by the work of Professor Antoine Bechamp ), depending on the acidity and toxicity of the internal terrain of the body. Thus, treatment of infection with antibiotics as well as "prevention" of disease with vaccines are both just examples of cutting off the branches of disease, when the root of the cause is a toxic internal environment. However, since Pasteur's germ theory was conducive to the profits of the burgeoning pharmaceutical companies who only manage disease, no mention of the work of Professor Bechamp has been made in medical school curricula.

Due to their mechanism being immune depressing, vaccines may cause cancers, leukaemias and even have been linked to AIDS...

Part II >>

Pasture Management for Everyone, Part II by Dr Garry Holter

2009-04-20T13:43:00.001-07:00

At the moment (and I am working on what I have seen on so many occasions at so many yards and equine establishments) many of you will be following the usual program of fertilising herbiciding topping rolling and lord knows what else to try and get grazing nirvana. Actually you are probably doing everything to move away from where you want to be.

All this activity is preventing the establishment of a type of grazing that your animals need. You are knocking out so many beneficial plants from your fields, and you have to replace what you have lost nutritionally with feeds that our equine friends don’t really have the ability to digest. Boy this must cost you a fortune as you having to pay for things from both ends. More importantly this is a system out of balance; you have to try (really hard) to keep it in balance by artificial means and the stability of the system is fragile to say the least.

Of course if the field is out of balance it stands to reason that the horse or any grazer placed upon it will be too. After all it is ingesting very few different plants and is relying upon you to top up what is missing and even then it is probably missing out on so much. This attempt to fill in the gap usually occurs in a twice daily shot of hard feeds or stuff out of a bucket which is not good for the equine gut or equine health or indeed any grazer come to that. Equines are trickle feeders not gross feeders like cats and dogs, and giving feeds in a bucket really is not going to help them.

So what is needed then, can you really give your horse a balanced energy giving, low sugar, high fibre all singing all dancing pasture? Yes, you can and by working with Mother Nature as opposed to against her it won’t cost as much as it does at the moment to provide an unbalanced one.

The more species present in pasture (that is to say healthy non toxic ones) the greater the balance of the fields is going to be. Also it will be far more stable and be able to endure grazing pressure far better. All this has been in place for millennia and if we would just let Mother Nature do her stuff I guess a lot of the health issues of domestic grazing animals would not exist.

The mixture of plants provides so many different elements need for grazer health and in variable amounts so that taken as a whole the amounts of say vitamin A are correct, not too much not too little. You have not had to do anything, you’ll note, you have not provided a lick or some other artificial means of giving the animal what it needs, or you perceive it needs.

Almost every time I visit a client I visit the feed room and note all the different packets of this and that. Sometimes I even have clients asking me if they are really needed, I simply walk outside and look at a horse dull of eye and dull of coat and say what do you think? Horses feed in a natural way with lots of vegetables and a good mixed pasture will have a shiny coat and be bright of eye, don’t believe me look at pictures of either Mustangs or Brumbies, they don’t get fed on supplements, yet they have to face far more dangers than your horse. They are fleet of foot, strong fit and more than a match for any stabled over-vitamined, over-sugared, over-mineralised horse that we may keep.

I am not going to argue that horses need to be turned out as much as possible preferably all day and night because I hope by now you might know that is where I am coming from anyway. Many owners will argue that the money they have tied up in the animal far outweighs the animal’s needs for being able to be a horse! And if this means they are stabled for 24 hours a day then so be it. To my mind this is the cause of so much distress and misery in what should be a happy and wonderful animal.

All I am going to say is this, horses and indeed all grazers are meant to eat vegetation of all types, they need to be able to move run graze socialise and do all the things such animals are meant to do. It is our views that makes this impossible for many to do so, and the results of almost 24 hour stabling can be seen by animals that weave in their boxes, wind suck, and do other monotonous and repetitive behavioural activities.

We all complain about bears and other zoo animals behaving in anything other than a natural way because of their environment, yet it is to many a horse owner acceptable to treat horses in this same restrictive manner.

I always say to people if you don’t turn out as much as possible you are confining your horse to the same sort of space as if your were to live in your lavatory. Just think about that for a moment you’d be expected to eat sleep and get whatever exercise you could in that very small room. I think you too would be doing some very odd behavioural things, and some human torturers around the world use very similar techniques to get what they want from their victims. Is this acceptable?

All grazers need to be able to eat natural vegetation, they are meant to do so, should be allowed to do so and by allowing them to do so you will have a much more balanced and happy animal.

If you are not racing or competing at the top level your horse does not really need or want all the sugary feeds read hard feeds we seem to give horses and other animals. Be honest with yourself if you ride only once or twice a week stop feeding as if your horse is going to be competing at the top level week in week out. Your animal will get all it needs from its grazing, after all, if a Brumby, or a Mustang gets all its needs from its grazing and is still able to run jump and evade predators surely your horse can do the same!

Finally I would like to discuss something which I often hear about and often find annoying as, as usual we as human beings will try and change something which we should really just accept.

This subject is the so-called Bad-doer or Good-doer, you know the horse or pony that can either live on fresh air or needs so much food as to send its owner into the bankruptcy courts in an attempt to feed it.

Given that horses like all animals and plants on this planet are genetically driven that is to say they are what they are because of their genes. Why on Earth do we try and change something we fundamentally have no way of actually succeeding in, short of introducing a new set of genes into each and every cell of the animal concerned.

Please, please let your horse be who he or she is, if Mother Nature through their genes wants them to be slightly under or overweight then let them be. After all we human beings come in all shapes and sizes and so do our equine friends. If he/she is healthy, can run, jump and lets you ride them what does it matter that they are not the weight or size the judges or whoever thinks they should be.

Garry Holter of Demeter Grassland Management is available for consultations for most of the year and may be contacted on 01273 515474 or by Email on dgmholter@btinternet.com.

The above article was composed of excerpts from his book which is available from the author in CD format. Please contact the author for availability and prices

Pasture Management for Everyone By Dr Garry Holter

2009-04-03T05:48:00.000-07:00

A great many equine owners seem to have forgotten just how or what is needed to feed the modern horse. Most people (incorrectly) assume that horses and ponies eat grass and that’s the end of it and as we shall see this is a very damaging theory on several fronts. Even Zebra Wildebeest and other African savannah grazers eat more than grass; but just think, if grass is all you provide what else are they going to eat.

The Daily Telegraph in September 2005 ran a very short piece on zoo kept Zebra suffering health issues from eating sugar rich European agricultural grasses as opposed to the fibre rich vegetation (please note not just grasses) of Africa. When given the choice between the sweet Euro stuff and the coarse fibrous material of Africa they chose the tough stuff!!!! And so would your horse and he would still be able to compete at most levels if that is what you wanted.

Many people also have the view that the vegetation in the field must be kept topped, fertilised if necessary and weed free. By doing this you believe the animals get what they need, and you sit contentedly in front of the fire thinking you are doing the right thing by your animal(s). Sorry but a grass only diet is just not healthy even if supplemented with various licks powders and even “hard feeds”.

If I gave you a given ice cream every day without a choice you will eat ice cream and your health will suffer as a result, the same can be applied to your animals just substitute grass for ice cream. In reality grazing animals should eat far more than grass or rather have the ability to choose what they want to eat from a broad variety of vegetation.

Competition horses like all athletes need a nutritional boost BUT they also need a healthy diet and that does not come from a bucket of processed feedstuffs. Ask an Olympic champion (any discipline) if they ate hamburgers or junk food and still became a champion and they would not stop laughing.

Your fields should and can provide all the stuff in those bags of processed supplements and in a form that Mother Nature actually meant for your animal to eat. It has taken many million of years for the horse to evolve to eat and digest vegetation. Such animals are not really able or meant to digest processed pelleted food and whilst it may have all the nutrients supposedly needed they may also be causing problems in the gastric action of the animal, leading to who knows what. Look at gastric ulcers in racing thoroughbreds for example. Like many things we do in this modern age, feeding this way is for OUR convenience or erroneous belief, which isn’t fair on our animals on so many different levels.

Also such feeds can be loaded with the wrong sugars, and /or too much salt (they act as a preservative) which are in human terms a no-no. The same is true for your animals and matters such as Insulin resistance, high blood pressure etc are as much part of animal health as they are for human health. It also may explain why your animals will not eat long stringy grasses and vegetation, it is not sweet (but it is very healthy) so by giving them sweet stuff you encourage picky feeding, and the supposed need to top fields to keep the grass short. Short grass is very sweet.

Mother Nature through evolutionary time has produced a system of interactions and counter balances within all ecosystems, such as grassland, that in turn have produced as a result a balanced energy flow for the organisms that live there. (That comment makes it sound as if the whole process was designed, but of course in reality it has evolved and will change as time passes). This energy flow decreases the further up the food chain we look as differing organisms take their share of that energy.

Your horses are fairly low down in the food-chain but need to extract energy from a difficult source, the plants, that’s why they are so big. We in our infinite wisdom (often encouraged by slick advertising or threats of cataclysmic failure or because this years champion of whatever discipline uses it), deem this energy flow as unsuitable or lacking enough goodness or even energy (!) for as many reasons as there are blades of grass in a paddock. If that’s not true why do we head to the local feed merchant and buy the stuff off the shelves only for most of it to reappear in the droppings of the animals?

Now I’m going to say something which will cause uproar especially for those who persist in herbiciding and fertilising their fields in the belief they are providing good forage. A monoculture of grass especially modern agricultural mixes is even if balanced by supplements, I believe dangerous. Good grief I can hear you say but it is true.

In Spring and early Autumn these grasses due to human intervention (selective breeding and genetic manipulation) produce large amounts of sugars (fructans), and it is these sugars that have been implicated in the growth of the number of cases of nutritional Laminitis in horses since WW2. The exact mechanisms of how this comes about, is complex and still being investigated but there is very strong evidence that the sugars and gut flora interact releasing other chemicals (toxins) that in turn cause the condition by destroying the Lamina of a horses foot by reducing blood flow to the tissues in that part of the “foot”.

Oh! I am not saying ALL cases of Laminitis are caused by such high sugar levels or some such; horses may suffer from Toxic Laminitis or injury related Laminitis. Listen to your Vet, he/she will have a good idea of which type your horse has. Wild horses do not suffer the condition by the way, any that are, are usually taken out of the population by predators, isn’t Mother Nature wonderful!

During the time I was writing this, the subject of plant height and grazing was raised by a client. She was adamant that her horses were going to graze grass with the height never being allowed to exceed 3 inches or 75mm (it was topped if it dared to get any taller). The grass was fed with fertiliser and was very green. The horses however, preferred to eat the long grasses over the field boundary and seemed to be prepared to destroy the fence to get at what they wanted to eat. When I pointed this out, the client issued an instruction that an electric fence was to be placed around the field edge to stop them eating “that rubbish”.

The arrival of a vet (one of her ponies was Laminitic!) took her away for a short period but soon lead to an interesting conversation between the client, vet and me.

Instead of agreeing with the client (much to her chagrin), the vet (in a voice slightly louder than might be normal, probably to get their point across unhindered), began to agree with me saying “the wretched grasses in the pasture are not helping with Domino, and you should be listening to this man who is helping you”. After handing over a £50 note to the vet (no not really) I talked and the client began to listen more intensively to me (with vet in tow). I told her feral or wild grazers do not eat manicured grasslands and it is only our sense of tidy that sees horses eating the wrong type of vegetation. Let your fields get long and seedy it won’t do any harm and is better for your animals than short grass.

Horses need a much more diverse group of plants to provide them with their nutritional needs than they actually have access to. If the truth was told all grazing animals do so, but it is very difficult to explain to a cattle farmer that his animals would do better on a broad spectrum pasture or Medieval Pasturetm than the monoculture they currently eat. For one thing the time taken to put on weight or for producing milk (the issue for agriculture) is considered too slow, this is not or at least should not be an issue for the equine owner even those engaged in producing the next Derby or Oaks winner.

To Be Continued...

Garry Holter of Demeter Grassland Management is available for consultations for most of the year and may be contacted on 01273 515474 or by Email on dgmholter@btinternet.com.

The above article was composed of excerpts from his book which is available from the author in CD format. Please contact the author for availability and prices

[Academia Liberti does not support or promote equestian sport, however we realise that many of our readership may be and it is our aim to help horse owner to come to a better understanding of their horses needs]

The truth about the circus

2009-03-20T01:45:00.000-07:00

Do you think that circus means loud clowns, lissome acrobats, skillful conjurers, colourful dresses and bright lights? Brave trainers and obedient tigers? Horses in a beautiful bridles and elephants, balancing on a huge balls?

Unfortunately, not only this

The circus also means animal cubs, torn apart with their mothers in the first days of their life: the training begins from early childhood since mature animals are not trainable. Often, when it is necessary to get a specific “example” of wild fauna, the mother is killed, because no mother would ever give up her child without a fight. There are some well-known cases where circuses have bought animals, which are included to “Red Book of Rare Species”, captured by poachers.

This also means loneliness in a cramped cage for its entire circus career. There is no required space for animal’s free movement in circus, especially in mobile circus. Elephants are chained to walls, they can’t even walk. The circus ring is the only place where they can stretch their legs.

The circus means constant stress for the animals because of travelling. Tours are the main profit of circus. For saving some money, they convey their animals in most cost effective fashion, not giving necessary protection to the transport. In one case, during a winter on tour to China some dolphins were transported from Kiev’s dolphinarium. Because of a car crash the dolphins spent some hours in the freezing cold lying on the asphalt.

This also means humiliating and painful procedure, which people call “training”. You never thought why people stopped using word “animal-tamer” as regards to artists of circus? Right, it’s because this word most correctly represents process of transformation from wild animal to “circus star”. Animals are being broken by humans in literal and metaphorical sense just to acheive the required results. Often, circus veterinarians have to heal animals from the consequences of beatings and other “trainings methods”. So, to force a bear to dance “Kalinka”, the trainer turns on loud music and puts him on a burning-hot metallic surface. To save his paws from burning, the bear shifts from foot to foot. Reflex consolidates not only by this one lesson. Bears are not very obedient creatures, so they are more frequently beaten by the trainer.

The training of elephants no less cruel. You can pay some attention to that fact, that during the performance of this peaceful giants, the trainer often will touch their body with a fringed stick. Not many people know, that there is a sharp hook, hidden in this fringe, which is used for stabbing animals in sensitive areas on their head and armpits if they do not hurry to perform a trick. Horses also are terribly abused. Electroshock is used on their genitals to make the horse stand long enough on the hind legs when trainer raises his hands. The Horse simply rears because of the excruciating pain. If horse lowers before trainer puts his hands down, electroshock will be used again. And this abuse is repeated until the result is achieved.

This also means dumping old and/or aggressive animals animals on the "scrap heap". Did anyone eve ask a trainer where their animals go to when they have no more strength for public performances? Where is this sanctuary, in which four-legged “actors” are enjoying their hard earned rest and pension? You can find the answer in museum of “Beast theatre of grandpa Durov” or in any mobile menagerie, which is on tour in your town. As a rule, the fate of circus pensioners is to become a new speciment in stuffed animals collection of “kind grandpa Durov” or to become the prisoner of a stinky and starving menagerie. Sometimes “exhausted circus material” gets to private “animal lovers”, who keep them in cages on gas stations, near road cafés, in spa towns or near their cottages for customer’s attraction. To keep for free a tiger or a bear simply as a pet is too expensive for the circus budget.

Are there other circuses in the world, you ask? Yes, there are! Circuses without wild animals, where actors demonstrate their skills, but not their ability to break wild animals for the entertainment of the public. In England, for example, in most of towns circuses with wild animals performances are forbidden.

Cirque du soleil in which only people perform

Do you still want to go to circus? Think first before you buy ticket for you and your child. You still want to learn him compassion to animals, right?

Circus animal photos by kind permission of www.zhestokosti.net

Academia Liberty on Youtube Winter 2009

2009-03-17T13:14:00.000-07:00

We're pleased to announce that Academia Liberti launching a new video on YouTube!

Academia Liberti Channel on youtube >>

Respect Nature

2009-02-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

By Maksida Vogt, Academia Liberti

Do we still know what this means? Do we remember or is this feeling completely missing? When we look around at the way we keep our horses nowadays, we can only conclude that it is missing. How else could we explain stables in which we hold our horses captive, behind bars? How could we explain minimal pastures where our horses exist from day to day. Yes, it is merely an existance... it certainly cannot be called living.

Let us start from the beginning. Domestication makes horses unsuited to their original habitat, the steppe, and to this way of life. It is only for the advantages it brings to the human. It makes horses agreeable, easier to keep, to ride and to drive and with this, easier to abuse. And this is a human requirement, the horse should perform in the manner of a machine, as and when needed by the human, and not to expect too much in return. Keeping horses in stables is a normal situation for us. But, we should ask ourselves why do we keep our animals in stables?

Because it is for us safer, more convenient and cheaper. There is no other reason, and not one of these reasons respects even the most basic needs of the horse. Horses do not need a stable, we need it. Even worse than that. We make our horses ill. Many colds and inflammations are the result of warm stables and rugging. We rug our horses to keep them from growing a winter coat which they need for their protection. And because of this we can see rugged Haflingers in the middle of Allgäu, Bavaria...

We scar these wonderful animals, cherish them to death, shave their feathers which protect their legs from the moisture, we cut their mane which they need for protection, we remove the natural grease from their skin which protects horse from the reduction of body temperature with body brush, we remove his hooves from ground contact which is the best natural care for hooves, we destroy the thermoregulatory mechanism of the skin with rugging, we clip his coat... We abuse them... We make our horses ill... We must wake up finally...We must realise that no expenditure, cleanliness, knee deep hay or colour co-ordinated accessories will ever replace the pasture for the horse. Only there can a horse stay healthy and feel like a horse.

Horses have rights and they have needs and we trample on them. For a horse it is only possible to live appropriately for the species, when he can literally feel as horse. He must be born outside, at pasture, in a herd and there he must grow up. He should be parented by the lead mare and stallion, he should play and frolic around with his buddies, he should experience pseudo fights and races with them, he should win and maintain his rank in the herd. All this the young horse needs to grow up healthy, both mentally and physically... This is natural, a basic need, it is essential. So why is this not respected? Why are foals deprived of their needs from the first day of their life? Why are they separated from their mother within 6 months as a rule?

The most important condition for species appropriate keeping of horses is keeping them in herd led by a good stallion. The horse as a flight animal can only relax psychologically and rest knowing that higher ranking horses, a lead mare or lead stallion guard, and watch over them and warn of imminent danger, and defend if necessary. The young horse can meanwhile calmly graze, play, doze or sleep. Horses who have never known this, can not do this and are mostly very nervous. Following experiences from for example Mustang reservations a herd should contain not less than six horses.

The second important condition for species-appropriate keeping, and this is very close related to the first condition, is the size of the pastures. It is a need of a horse to train his stamina, his heart and lung function and circulation regularly. This is one need that keeps him healthy. The pastures here in Germany are deplorably small. They are more suited to a prison than to benefit the horse. Oh, of course it is still better than a box, this is self-evident, but not enough for even a basic approach. It is time to rethink, change here is urgently needed.

The pastures should be arranged in as diverse a manner as possible, with trees and bushes, hills and valleys. And a continuous stretch, at least 1000-1500m long should be always provided. Only to give an insight into example how natural horse keeping should look like to be called species-appropriate keeping of horses, it would be like this: twenty till thirty horses with 40 cows on 150 till 500 hectare hilly wasteland overgrown with trees and bushes, full time outside of course. And when this sounds like fiction, then it should ring another alarm bell which shows how fatal our idea about species appropriate horse keeping is.

The horse is flight animal, he must develop and preserve his flight impulse, his flight reflexes and his physical mobility in the same way as his relaxation phases. For this reason foal games are so important but much more important are expansive pastures, which are wide enough to invite the whole herd to run even longer distances and to support and benefit flight reflexes and stamina.

And I am asking why is this not respected? Why is this not realized? When a horse loses trust in his flight ability, physically, because he is tied, jailed or feels trapped, or his psychical trust because he is injured, lame, underfed or overfed, chronically unchallenged or overworked or because he is ridden to the point that every movement means pain... then this horse loses his will to live and courage to face life...

There are horses who are broken after a short time because of incorrect treatment. People say to that, horses lose their soul...And indeed, if we look around, is there nothing more soul destroying, more sad to behold than horses weaving, wind sucking or with tongues outstretched? Look at them!Can we take responsibility for this? How can we let this happen? Are we going to support this?

Or... are we going to live with respect to these incomparable beings and to give them back their birthright...

With respect and love...

Maksida Vogt following Sadko Solinski

Contracted Hooves

2009-02-05T15:24:00.000-08:00

by H. Strasser, Dr. med. vet, PhD

Most horses have some sort of contraction to some degree; the contracted hoof is so common it has become accepted as normal.

A contracted hoof is one that no longer expands upon weight bearing, or in extreme cases becomes narrower. This reduces shock absorption, with all its attendant effects on the muscular-skeletal structure. Contraction inhibits and changes the pattern of blood through the foot which has an obvious impact upon the health of the tissues in the hoof. It also overstresses the heart which is half the size, comparatively, of a cat’s. Disruption of circulation in the corium, and as a result of protein excretion (the corium continually excretes metabolic protein in the form of hoof horn), can lead to serious consequences for the liver, kidneys and skin. Poor circulation and unphysiological pressures on parts of the corium also result in poor horn quality. A contracted hoof is not as effective at providing the traction on different types of terrain that the horse needs, both for what we demand of it, and for its own psychological health — as a prey animal it’s primary response to danger to flee. Finally, contraction causes pain. The physical and psychological effects of severe, chronic pain on any animal, let alone a prey animal, are devastating.

Shoeing and/or incorrect trimming of unshod hooves combined with a lack of sufficient movement or unsuitable ground causes what is commonly known as "contracted hooves."

In contracted hooves, the hoof capsule has become narrower. Now the foot becomes even narrower during weightbearing instead of being expanded. This constricts the blood vessels, nerves, bones, cartilage, tendons and ligaments within the hoof. This leads to compression and inflammation of the front lateral lamellar corium, the solar corium, and parts of the lateral cartilage. Contracted heels also cause painful compression of the bulbs of the heel.

In an attempt to ease the pain, the horse tries to relieve the hind region of the hoof, and the coffin bone stands more steeply. This overloads the front regions of the corium and the front edge of the coffin bone presses on the solar corium. The blood flow through the sole is reduced and as a result poorer quality horn is produced. Because of the decreased weight put onto the heel, the pressure on the heel is reduced; it grows more quickly, making the hoof steeper still. Such a change in the angle of the hoof also affects tendons, joints and ligaments.

After removing the shoes, these alterations show themselves as pain, because with the blood flow returning to the hoof, the nerves regenerate and report the damage that is already in existence for a long time.

Since the whole lamellar corium can be inflamed, rotation of the coffin bone must be considered. The more the hoof deviates from the form of a normal, healthy hoof, the more painful it is. The horse walks stilted, carefully, or lame.

The hooves must be trimmed at frequent intervals, in such a way that the hoof capsule can broaden. Inflamed hooves especially must pump regularly, i.e. they have an absolute need for constant movement, day and night. Until the inflammation has subsided, the horse should be kept on even ground or on pasture, since vibrations are additionally painful and slow down healing. The horse owner must show consideration for the horse at this time and refrain from riding or driving for a while.

Contracted hooves are a serious and complex problem. Reshaping contracted hooves into healthy, natural hooves can take weeks, months or years. The timeframe depends on the individual circumstances and the damage already in existence.

Contracted hooves:

Normal not contracted domestic horses hooves:

Academia Liberty on Youtube

2009-01-28T01:32:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/user/AcademiaLiberti

The Academy is proudly presents its first short video featuring, Maksida Vogt and her friend Hera.

We hope you enjoy watching it, as much as we did making it!

French horse lovers petition the FFE to allow bitless bridles in competition

2009-01-25T04:43:00.000-08:00

http://www.petitionduweb.com/voirpetition.php?petition=2803

We discovered that french horse lovers are also petitioning their national regulatory body to allow bitless bridles into the dressage arena.

Please support their cause by signing the petition (at the link above) and passing it on to your friends and contacts.

Their petition closes at the end of February, so time is of the essence. So please let's pull out all the stops for the french horses!

And if you are new to the blog, may I take this opportunity to draw your attention to our own petition located here:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/allow-bitless-bridles-in-usef-rated-competitions

Thanks for reading.

AADEL

Horseshoes Totally Indefensible

2009-01-24T02:28:00.000-08:00

Published as a ‘Viewpoint’ article in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, July 2004, p266.
Volume 24, Number 7 and reproduced here by kind permission of Dr Robert Cook.

“All really new ideas” said Alfred North Whitehead, “have a certain aspect of
foolishness when they are first proposed.” Similarly, an old medical adage
warns, “Today’s nonsense is tomorrow’s common sense.” I hope that Dr. Steve
Hicks (JEVS, p 98, March 2004) will live long enough to witness tomorrow and
experience a tinge of regret that he did not see it coming. The number of
barefoot horses is going to increase, because this enlightened equestrian
movement is not going to fade away. A veterinarian should be unsurprised to
learn that, if horses are not imprisoned for 23 hours out of 24, and if their feet are
not permanently clamped in irons, a large number of serious, common, and
previously intractable problems can be solved. A veterinarian committed to the
welfare of the horse should surely welcome such good news.

In attacking my support for what he regards as a piece of nonsense, Dr. Hicks
fails to recognize that, in acting as a witness to the validity of Dr. Strasser’s
research, I am merely a messenger. Dr. Hicks does not wish to hear the
message. Instead, like a cross-examining counsel faced with defending a totally
indefensible case, he chooses to try and destroy my credibility as a witness. But
even if he succeeds, this is not going to stop the sound of the unfettered foot
becoming more and more insistent. The barefoot movement has already
gathered enough momentum to ensure that it will keep advancing, thanks to one
courageous veterinarian in Germany and a host of determined owners
worldwide. The very fact that Strasser’s methods are successful in rehabilitating
horses with navicular syndrome and laminitis, two notoriously recalcitrant
problems hitherto, proves their principles.

Nevertheless, I am aware that many veterinarians, even a majority, currently
share Dr. Hicks’ opinion that today’s horses cannot work without shoes. But an
opinion that something cannot be done carries no weight when the evidence
shows that it has already been done. Dr. Hicks can discover this for himself by
visiting www.thehorseshoof.com and many other websites. To those who are not
like the man who said, “Don’t bother me with facts, my mind’s already made up,”
I say … please read the facts. For several years, barefoot horses have been
working impressively well in disciplines such as 100-mile endurance races. This
is a fact and as plain as a red nose on a bishop.

James Lovelock considered that it took about 40 years for a big scientific idea to
become accepted. Dr. Strasser has been developing her ideas on the horse’s
foot for the past 20 years. Thanks to the publication of her first two books six
years ago, a substantial body of perceptive horse owners have already
enfranchised their horse’s hooves and improved their management. It may take
another 30 years for the majority of horse owners to follow suit, so the present
generation of veterinarians will not be sidelined immediately on the subject of
hoof care. But their continuing education should not be delayed. A veterinarian
saying a barefoot horse cannot work is like an engineer saying a bumblebee
cannot fly.

W. Robert Cook, FRCVS, PhD.
Professor of Surgery Emeritus
Tufts University, School of Veterinary Medicine

Calling all Horse Lovers!

2009-01-19T15:33:00.000-08:00

Academia Liberti calls all horseman and competition organizers worldwide to allow the use of bitless bridles in competition.

All organizer who allow bitless bridle and support its use please write email to: office@academialiberti.de. Your name will appear at our blogs worldwide.

The FEI will not be able to ignore what masses of horseman think is right for their horses anymore. Horsemen make the rules and decide for their horses.

Please use this power.

A simple administrative reform to reduce accidents in Equestrian Sport

2009-01-13T11:04:00.000-08:00

On 31 October 2008, during the annual conference of the Certified Horsemanship Association held at the Kentucky Horse Park, Dr. Robert Cook, a veterinary researcher, gave a demonstration of relevance to the improvement of welfare and safety for horses and humans.

The demonstration took the form of a scientific experiment in front of witnesses. Four volunteers, all of whom were CHA certified riding instructors, rode four horses that were offered by owners for the purpose. A four-minute, exercise test was first completed using a bitted bridle (jointed snaffle). Immediately afterwards, the same rider/horse partnership repeated the test using the BitlessBridle. Prior to the demonstration, none of the horses had ever been ridden in a crossunder bitless bridle. The horses' behavior and performance were evaluated and a videotape recording supplemented the 'laboratory notebook.'

An independent judge scored the tests on a scale from one to ten, for each of the 27 phases of the test. The average score when bitted was 37% and, when bitless, 64%. It was a revelation for the horse's owners, riders and spectators that such a significant improvement in performance could be achieved in four minutes by removing the bit and replacing it with a painless method of communication. The experiment also demonstrated that the transition from bitted to bitless was instantaneous.

The results provide further evidence of the need for rule change proposals to be submitted in order that the crossunder bitless bridle, a safer and more humane method of communication than the bit, is made available as an option for competition. In the past ten years, the crossunder bitless bridle has been thoroughly tested on horses of all types, temperaments and stages of schooling; by riders of all ages and ability; in nearly every discipline; and under diverse conditions, worldwide. The scientific, humanitarian and practical equestrian reasons for providing such an option are compelling. The option should not be denied on the grounds of tradition. The bit is a Bronze Age invention. Horsemen now have a better way to communicate with their horse's head. Use of the bit triggers over 100 negative behaviors and causes 40 different diseases.

Members of pony clubs, national equine federations, the international equine federation (FEI), and administrators of racing are urged to submit the necessary rule change proposals in order that the rules, for all disciplines, embrace this historic advance in welfare and safety for horse and rider. The Royal Dutch Equestrian Federation (KNHS) has led the way by approving the crossunder bitless bridle for dressage and for certain driving competitions. The South African National Equine Federation (SANEF) launches a year's trial for separate bitless dressage competitions, starting in 2009. Much suffering, many accidents and a host of diseases could be avoided if other federations would follow their example and introduce this simple administrative reform.

Committee officials now have a chance.

A stroke of the pen will make horses dance.

For additional evidence visit www.bitlessbridle.com or contact Robert Cook FRCVS, PhD, Professor of Surgery Emeritus, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, Massachusetts, USA; Chairman, BitlessBridle Inc. Present address: 206 Birch Run Road, Chestertown, MD 21620 USAEmail: drcook@bitlessbridle.com Telephone: (443) 282 0472

Announcing our Patrons!

2009-01-10T14:45:00.000-08:00

It is our very great pleasure to welcome Dr. Hiltrud Strasser, Dr. Robert Cook and Dr. Edward De Beukelaer as patrons of Academia Liberti. We very much appreciate the work and dedication of these outstanding and prominent scientists and we are very happy they stand with us for the much needed changes in horse world, against abuse of horses in equestrian sport, for species appropriate keeping, for the change of terrible circumstances horses are kept and used.

It is honour to have them among us.

Petition to allow the Bitless Bridle In competition

2009-01-10T03:30:00.001-08:00

Dear Friends,

We would like to draw your attention to a petition to allow the bitless bridle in competition. Whilst the academy does not support the uses of horses in sport, it does support initiatives to reduce pain in horses by campaigning to remove bits from horses mouths and shoes from horses feet.

The text of the petition is re-produced below for your convenience. We hope that you will support this campaign by signing at the link below:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/allow-bitless-bridles-in-usef-rated-competitions

"Allow Bitless Bridles in USEF Rated Competitions

While bits have been a main piece of equipment for controlling horses for centuries, modern times have brought many new ways to communicate with horses that don't require bits, and national and international equine governing bodies should keep up with the new times.Many people do not need bits to work with their horses, and they should not be required to use one in competition when they have found a better way for themselves. Collection is supposed to be free and not forced by the bit, so to make a bit necessary in matters of either communication or collection is contradictory to horse education ideals. "

Thank you!

Welcome to Academia Liberti

2009-01-10T02:34:00.000-08:00

Academia Artivm Didacticvm Eqviorvm in Liberti (The Academy of the Art of Equine Education at Liberty) is a non-profit organization.

Our goal is to gather here the most developed horse people in the world, who will strive with us for the change of the circumstances in which horses are kept nowdays and also for the own development and education in order to be able to perceive the horse as a conscious, intelligent creature who terribly suffers through the way of keeping and using by human. The horses are noble creatures and through this very easy to abuse. It is our responsibility to develop to better persons which will not use their position to abuse other creatures, but to respect nature and to respect life. It is each of us own responsibility to develop to better person who does not need to satisfy own desires at the cost of another being. It is each of us own responsibility to develop that we are able to have one fulfilled life and not to strive for our own profit or advantage which is common in this world, but to reach another awareness which makes it easy for us to learn how to reach this in our life for ourselves and moreover to learn how it is to give without expectations and to experience the rewards of life to such one attitude.

We do not want to scratch on the surface but to remove cause of the suffering of the horses in our world. Almost all horses are kept to serve the human in one or other way. Human wants to do something with the horse... the wishes are different and they depend on development level of each human... but it is the reason for all. Only if we are able to start to think in one other dimension, only then we will also develop and be able not to use (misuse) the horse in this way.

This is the main aim of this Academia... to help people to reach another awareness, to be able to live in harmony, to have an ease of mind. To be strong and reliable personalities.

We do not want to have followers, we would prefer to have people here who think and make their own conclusions, who are able to make own congruent decisions and to stand behind it out of conviction.

The health of the horse has priority for us, it goes over every human desire for any kind of performance or results human wants to achieve. We support optimal natural keeping of horses, as close to the nature as possible. The horse must be given the possibility to live in species appropriate conditions and to feel as a horse.

The Academia gives profound and comprehensive knowledge about advanced horse management, hoof care and trimming, anatomy and physiology, dentistry, history, self development, Haute Ecole elements and so on.

The knowledge of The Academia is free. We do not ask for money, we ask for integrity, self responsibility and advanced thinking.

The Academia is based on the free will of horse and human, friendship, love and freedom of choice which is given to the horse. We teach Haute Ecole elements to the horses from this basis.

We are looking forward to thoughtful discussions and exchange of experience in order to develop and learn and to strive for the same aim.