Barefoot Ten in Bendigo, Victoria | Medical and health

Barefoot Ten

Locality: Bendigo, Victoria

Phone: +61 428 627 959

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25.01.2022 **The following post shows images of an equine stomach post mortem. ** STOMACH SIZE I get asked all the time about feed and all manner of horse care topics. Alo...ng with all of the usual discussions about type of feed for particular horses, weights of feed etc... there is the topic of HOW MUCH to feed. How many dippers of chaff, how full should the 20litre bucket be, 1 feed per day or two??? Through the amazing process of dissections we have been involved in, we always look at the stomach. Sometimes finding ulcers or bots and varying degrees of health of the stomach lining. One thing I’ve noticed is that the larger horses of mixed breed (say between 14-17hh) is that the stomach size doesn’t vary all that much. Horses are grazing animals, we know this. Horses do well on smaller feeds more often, we also know this. A lot of people struggle to truly grasp this until they see it or it is explained thoroughly enough for them to fully understand from an anatomy perspective. Here I will show you a stomach (approx 15.2hh tb mare) she had had a normal breakfast but also a big special bucket of carrots and apples right before being laid to rest (not her daily feed, just a one off treat bucket) and then the contents of that stomach in relation to a very average sized 15 litre tub. I will also show you the absolute MAXIMUM sized feed I would ever feed a horse of that size. There are plenty of great articles around that talk about overflow of undigested feed into the hindgut and the subsequent problems, feed sizes and ulcers, gut health in all forms but I’m not here to talk about that. I am simply sharing in order to give the average horse owner a deeper understanding of the relative lack of size of the average sized horses stomach ** This post is not about what to feed or even how often. That will be very specific to each horse, it’s environment and situation. Please seek advice from your trusted equine veterinarian or independent nutritionist. ** Dissection with thanks and in conjunction with Southern Holistic Equine & Ev’s Equine Services

25.01.2022 I have been secretly working in the background on a very exciting project with a tribe of amazing horsewomen. Launch is next week. Im excited to be apart of this project Stay tuned.

24.01.2022 Today is the day, the day that most horses owners dread... It is the shortest day of the year and what does that mean to horses - it ignites in them the desire to moult and shed their winter hair. Good luck with that people.

23.01.2022 Just had a couple of requests to repost this from the ENS page. If you are planning to reseed your horse pasture to increase nutritional value and lower the car...bohydrate/WSC intake, then a grass seed mix needs to contain old grass species, legumes and herbs. Good mixes to put together are- Grasses 59% of total mix- Fescues, cocksfoot, meadow grass, timothy in equal amounts. Legumes 26%- clovers red and white, lucerne, sainfoin and birdsfoot trefoil. Clover content should be 5% for white and 1% for red. Lucerne should be 15%, birdsfoot trefoil 3% (tastes bitter fresh but very palatable dried in hay) sainfoin 2%. Sainfoin and birdsfoot trefoil will struggle to grow in low pH soils, needs to be 6 and above. Herbs-15% - Chicory 3%, chervil 3%, plantain 3%, salad burnet 3%, caraway 3%. Though clover is often not considered as a benefit to pasture, a legume of some sort is essential, both to maintain the nitrogen/minerals within the soil and to prevent the grasses taking over from the herbs. Clover will tend to take over a pasture if the grass mix balance is too weak ie. low species diversity and if the paddock has compacted or heavy soil, improve the soil quality first by aeration and applying organic matter. The NSC levels in white clover are about half of that for perennial rye, though some thought should be given to the variety of clover used regarding bacteria, virus and mould infections which cause photosensitivity in some horses, choose a disease resistant variety to reduce the chance of a bad reaction. Legumes are high in tannins which are important components of the diet for reducing worm burdens and feeding the good gut bacteria. Grasses behave differently when in a pasture mix and it is important to grow grasses/plants which thrive and support each other, the above mix is tried and tested to increase macro and mineral levels, reduce carbs and maintain sufficient protein, horses grazing on this type of pasture are unlikely to require supplemented food. Do not apply a nitrogen fertiliser to this seed mix as the balance of plants will change reducing the herbs and legumes. The wild flower content will contribute to the nutritional value as a replacement to the herbs in the above seed mix.

23.01.2022 CRIBBING IN HORSES Cribbing in horses is a big deal, quite often people wish they hadnt purchased the horse because they didnt know it cribbed, dont buy a ho...rse that cribs/wind sucks and the many other negative comments that abound regarding these horses and they have a bad reputation. They are addicts and addicted to the release of the feel-good hormones that get released into their system due to the constant daily practice of sticking teeth on wood and sucking in air. There are many theories as to why horses do this and there are many treatments, some of them quite horrific and dont really help the horse. Horse specialists from around the world have varying and different opinions as to the wherefores and the why fores as to why this happens, but no one really has any solid information. I was asked the other day to connect with a horse called Nancy, who has the habit of cribbing. She was wearing her teeth down and it was causing her all sorts of issue such as dysfunction of the Temporal Mandibular Joint, restrictions through her poll, and the list goes on. When communicating with Nancy, and looking at trauma with her, it was very clear that her cribbing was a direct result of trauma she had when she was a foal. She had had 5 major traumas in her life and some associated minor traumas in correlation to all of them. Her traumas were: 1) Just prior to her being born when she was in utero and what ever happened at that precise moment, stopped the mares labour although she did recommence, and it took many hours for the mare to foal. Nancy was coming, ready to be born and then nope, world is too scary as mum has stopped labour. This was classed as two traumas in one. Nancy was also two weeks overdue. 2) Once the foal was born, Mum didnt want anything to do with her and would not allow her to drink, and she constantly tried to kick Nancy to push her away. Nancy became very tired and weary and she was then bundled up and both mare and foal were taken to the vets, who then tubed Nancy in order to get food down into her little tummy. In the process of this, Nancy had to have stitches in her nose. Mum got over her shock and trauma of the having the foal and began feeding the foal after three days. 3) Everything was going great until weaning time came. Nancy (unbeknown to her person) was too immature to be weaned and wasnt mentally ready for this process to happen. Mum was taken away and Nancy was left to fend for herself at a really young mental age. Although Nancy was with other horses, Nancy ran up and down the fence line for days trying to search in vain for her mum. Nancys person did everything by the book and loved her with all her heart and did what she thought was the best thing, it is after all what a lot of people do. Mum was brought back after a period of time and they still live together to this day. 4) At the age of 18 months, Nancy had another major trauma which then brought to the fore her previous traumas and she started to crib in order to calm herself as she did not know how to self-regulate. When we look at Nancys story, this is all about Nancy not being able to digest life, and teeth are about not being able to take a bite at life. Teeth are little battery packs for the Chinese Associated Meridian lines which have a major impact on many aspects of ones body. Nancy has a history of ulcers and stomach disorders, not being able to put on weight as well as other issues and it all started with her lips, of her not being able to suckle first up, being displaced and trauma. The lips and teeth are the first part of the digestive tract. Luckily for Nancy, she is still with the same person who bred her and could confirm all of my findings and we can treat her appropriately for trauma related cribbing and hopefully we can help her so she will have some teeth left into her old age. This involves clearing the trauma from her system, Vibrational essences and a change of diet. Next time you see a horse cribbing, there is always an underlying cause for it and not just some habit they happened to pick up, so when you have the time, it is wise to listen to their story and look at the greater picture than what it is you only just see. Please book an appointment if you believe your horse has trauma related issues. I am certainly able to help you and can do it over skype. Mary Hitchcock Sacred Whispers

21.01.2022 Great article on scrambling

20.01.2022 Come and join myself and Bob Franz, Horse Dentist as we discuss all things Teeth, TMJ and the effects on the horse. Topic: Horse Dentistry Time: Sep 2, 2020 07:00 PM Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney... Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/93198978296

20.01.2022 Just in case you didnt know how to put all your Donkeys in a row

20.01.2022 Why you shouldnt Yesterday was Fathers Day where I live, and my kids and I decided to spend some time together doing one of the things we all really enjoy......skateboarding Well, I decided to goof off on my sons stunt scooter and, as often happens when acting the fool, I done f@#ked up. I dont quite know how it happened, it all happened so fast, but I dislocated my knee. Luckily it was a quick pop back in while waiting for the ambulance (I dont recommend doing it yourself, you can trap blood vessels and nerves and end up losing a leg) but mine popped back in on its own and luckily without any complications. I went to Emergency to make sure nothing was torn and there were no complications and was given the age old advice of R.I.C.E. Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. So I went home and did none of those things. Why? Because they dont work! The R.I.C.E acronym was coined in 1978 by Dr Gabe Mirkin, but like a genuine scientist when faced with evidence to the contrary, he has since changed his position and done a complete 180 on the protocol. The trouble is, in a lot of circles its still very ingrained. Its still taught in first aid courses, and even the Emergency Medicine physicians I saw gave me the same outdated advice. Icing not only doesnt work, it actually slows down the healing process and can in fact damage the surrounding tissue, possibly inhibiting stem cells and insulin like growth factor from performing their jobs of helping to repair and heal. What should you do instead? Move as soon as you can as long as it is without pain. This enables the lymphatic system to do its job and will allow for faster recover. If like in my case you cant really move, you can try electrical stimulation with an approved medical device (preferably under professional supervision)

18.01.2022 This is a fantastic diagram to show "energy transference". It is important to recognise this on so many levels, because not only do we open ourselves up to taking on other peoples "junk", we can also do the same thing to animals. Ever been for a ride on your horse, told him all your woes and dumped your "junk" onto your horse and then leave feeling on top of the world? You have just done energy transference. It is wise to clear your emotional state before hopping on your horses back.

17.01.2022 Mares arent always well liked and for the same reasons strong women arent. Opinionated? Those opinions are not without good cause and maybe you cant figure ...them out or maybe you just dont like her opinion of you. Change it and she will always be on your side. Stubborn? She just wont let you bulldoze her. Treat her with respect and her resilience will be an asset to you. Difficult? You just cant handle her. You dont have what it takes. Stick with geldings then, and leave the mare for someone who understands her and appreciates the same qualities society has subtlety taught you not to like. Heres to mares, to strong women, and to those who CAN and DO appreciate them! ~ The Evolving Equestrian

17.01.2022 Covid 19 Restrictions are in force in Victoria, but we are still open for business. We are still able to do house visits for horses and when that is not possible, we are able to do online sessions for bodywork for both horse and human... Bookings are essential..

17.01.2022 Perspective is everything

16.01.2022 We are now going Live with Bob Franze

15.01.2022 This is one of my favorite clinic exercises. Its Exercise #1 in my book, 55 Corrective Exercises for Horses. You ride across alternating ends of the poles each... time you circle, so you are asking your horse to collect his walk strides on the narrow, raised ends of the pole fan and then extend his strides on the wider ends. This makes great recruitment of his extensor and flexor muscle chains, which we need for balanced movement. See more

13.01.2022 Great information on dog growth plates and being spayed too early

12.01.2022 Girthy horses is a common issue amongst horses and from a Biomechanical medicine perpsective there are multiple reasons horses can be girthy that lead to the narky behaviour resolving as soon as the pain is relieved. Many people try and do behavioural modification training and look at the behaviour as to the real underlying issue, however before doing any behaviour modification ensure you have the horse checked by a vet or body worker. Possible underlying areas of musculosk...eletal dysfunction are; - Thoracic verterbral restrictions (wither and base of wither) - Pectoral scarring from old pectoral tears - Rib restrictions /diagphragm restrictions and/or lung issues - Fascial restrictions - Hoof imbalance - Postural imbalance and not being able to correctly use the thoracic sling - Other possible causes are; - Improper saddle fit - Improper girth alignment of the saddle girth points with the horses natural girth groove - Incorrect girth type - incorrectly fitting bit - unbalanced rider See more

12.01.2022 Just a reminder this will be drawn on 1st July. I am very humbled that 10,000 people like and follow Sacred Whispers. Sacred Whispers truly cares about the w...ell being of all life and especially to those animal and plants that bring meaning to our lives on a daily basis. As a way of saying thank you, Sacred Whispers is giving away a full set of our Animal Care range, which is having a tremendous impact on the health and well being of Animals and Plants all around the world. All you have to do is share this post and let me know you have shared it and you will go into the draw. I will draw this on 1st July 2020.

11.01.2022 Marshmallow is very common. Please be aware of it in your paddocks

10.01.2022 This is a great article in relation to flexion testing and purchasing a new horse. In many cases when working with the front legs and holding them in certain positions, tells me more about the horse having had trauma as a youngster than a horse that is having issues with his legs. If you treat the trauma, the leg issues has the potential to go away.

09.01.2022 Horse people be aware of the effects of horse wormer on dogs

09.01.2022 Some great advice regarding getting your horses rehydrated and colic prevention

08.01.2022 After years of working on horses and hours of personal research, I have finally come up with a product that helps horses with Laminitis and testing of these products are showing some remarkable results. H1 is to be used in an emergency cycle at the first signs of Laminitis and H3 is to be used as a preventative and needs to be given for at least 4-6weeks.... It is also advisable to do an online session with me to clear away any associated traumas. Diet and laminitis prevention is still advised, and can supply you with an effective feeding regime.

07.01.2022 Excellent video showing the progression of distortion that happens gradually over time when someone repeatedly trims heels too low on a horse. This is an epidem...ic problem among domesticated horses. This is what we in TACT trimming work to reverse those distortions and restore the heel buttress. This video was made by one of our mentors where English is not her first language so you will have to understand there will be some words mis-spelled See more

06.01.2022 Did you know that the best time to worm your horse is on a full moon?Did you know that the best time to worm your horse is on a full moon?

05.01.2022 To clean on or not to clean your horses Sheath As a body worker for horses, I see many a horse (namely geldings) drop their penis out as a normal reaction to the relaxation process of muscle work for horses as they enjoy their dopamine fix and it is not uncommon to see them in all stages of health and well-being, from the really manky kind to the very healthy . The horses penis is housed in what is commonly known as the sheath, which is a double fold of skin that covers the ...Continue reading

04.01.2022 If you have a belly button piercing, it has and does have the potential to turn off your core muscles and other muscles in the body.

04.01.2022 Just a reminder for our talk tonight at 7.00pm on all things related to horses teeth. Look forward to seeing you there.

04.01.2022 Nothing is missing, it just changes form. I believe this to be true, when we feel something is missing, it isnt really, it has just changed form, and we as hum...ans are wise enough to open our eyes and hearts in order to see this. This morning, whilst out for my walk with my beautiful Ms Daisy, we happened upon an elderly gentleman watering his garden. We stopped to say hello and enquire as to his well being and how was he coping during the craziness of the world. He told me he was fine, he was physically fit, he was 87 years of age, could still drive to the shops and looked after his wife full time who was quite unwell and confined indoors. She was the one who was having problems with the isolation but they relied on the daily visit of the health nurse for companionship. We got chatting and he asked about Daisy, which led to the conversation of him once being a cattle farmer, and he had one of the biggest cattles stations both in Victoria and outback QLD and we spoke of cattle and cattle breeds and farming and his fond memories of those times. He told me of his love of dogs, and training sheep dogs and cattle dogs, and how they spoke to his heart and how he cant have a dog now. He motioned to his garden full of flowers and full of love. "This is my dog, this garden gives me the same love I got from my dogs, this garden teaches me as much as my dogs taught me, this garden is tended to just like I tended my dogs and this garden when I work with her, tends to my memories of the love of my dogs." Nothing is ever missing, it just changes form. Where are you missing something and not yet seen its new form?

03.01.2022 Slow motion of feet

02.01.2022 In fact, it might be partly responsible for the growing conflicts in our societyin politics, in race relations, in schools, in religion, and our mental health ...crisis, kids poor academic performance, and even our rising prison population. When I started digging into the research, I was shocked by the data linking our ultra-processed diet to bad behavior, conflict, mental illness, and even homicide and suicide. Heres what some of the studies show: Junk food makes kids act violentlybullying, fightingand suffer more psychiatric distress including worry, depression, confusion, insomnia, anxiety, aggression, and feeling worthless. Those who consume high levels of refined oils (currently more than 10% of our diet and found in all ultra-processed foods) and low levels of omega-3 fats from fish have higher rates of depression, suicide, and homicide. In another experimental study of 3,000 incarcerated youth replaced snack foods with healthier options and dramatically reduced refined and sugary foods. Can you guess what happened? Over the 12-month follow-up there was a 21% reduction in antisocial behavior, a 100 percent reduction in suicides, a 25% reduction in assaults, and a 75% reduction in the use of restraints. Considering suicide is the number one killer of kids between 10 and 19 years old this should be headline news. This is stunning! Clearly crime and anti-social behavior arises from a complex set of social, economic and environmental factors. But what if a big part of the solution to our increasing social strife, exploding rates of depression, mental illness, ADHD, bullying, violence, crime and our overflowing criminal justice system is fixing our broken food system? Should we regulate the ultra-processed food that is driving a greater loss in quality of life, productivity, and direct and indirect costs from mental illness than any other disease, including obesity and type 2 diabetes? I say yes. In my new book, Food Fix, I outline practical solutions to some of our biggest problems driven by bad food, including how we can fix our personal health and the health of our communities, youth, schools, and more.

01.01.2022 Please see link in comments for an article on this.