A supplement for all conditions: LOVE

Recently, many people have been asking what supplement that I have been giving Hunter. They have been noticing the changes in him. This, of course, makes me extremely happy that people are noticing!

When I started working with him several months ago, he was shut down and uninterested. He was difficult to bring in from his paddock, his coat and eyes were dull, his hooves were a mess with retracted soles and poor wall quality. He had navicular symptoms and arthitis.

I started by trying to ride him. He would consistently say “no” for anything that I asked and would often plant his feet, not moving. He was nervous and anxious. He was not interested in anything other than being with his friends in the paddock. He lost trust with humans from his job as a school horse in his previous life.

So often in our society, we want one answer, the quick fix, or the magic pill. With an older horse, who soured as a school horse for many years and started dumping riders, the outcome is not promising. Many of these horses end up at an auction. 

Hunter had one very valuable asset: he landed at a farm that treats horses as horses, not machines, toys or pets. 

After my assessment of Hunter, I approached Corine, the owner of Hunter and owner of the farm and Sam, the barn manager. We came up with a plan. “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.”

A team was born. With Hunter’s lack of trust with humans, the key strategy was slow and steady with lots of love, attention and help him feel good. I made the commitment to spend quality time with him several days per week. Here is only a sample of some of the things I did with Hunter:

• Go on walks with Hunter and explore the property together. I would let him find his favorite patches of grass

• Visit his friends in the barn and say hello

• Let him roll in the indoor arena (this took some time until he relaxed)

• Very light exercises and always mixing it up so it was fun 

• Wash him down in the heat

• Give him Chi Equine Massage and bodywork

• Give him sound therapy with tuning forks to help with his stiffness and arthritis 

• Give him options to choose different essential oils and spray these on his body

• Fit him for adaptive boots on his front hooves

• Participate in different clinics that were fun for him 

• No riding, only ground work, with the goal to return to light riding 

AND wait for it……I gave him a Chinese herb supplement for his meals.  

This last one is what the people wanted to hear. The rest of the list was not so interesting. If you are rehabbing a horse, it takes a village with an action plan. I cannot take all the credit for Hunter’s turnaround. Corine, the owner, gave me the opportunity. Sam, the barn manager, took care of his feed and turnout. Alicia, the barefoot farrier, did trims every five weeks and taught me how to do touch-ups in between her visits. Farah, the trainer, offered exercises to try at liberty that would help build strength. Mary Ann, an author for horse welfare, helped me assess his reactions and behaviors.  Nacho and the barn staff checked on him regularly and gave me updates.

Is this too much care? NEVER! When you are searching for the one perfect supplement, reach deep and pull out LOVE. It is free and the cure for all the brokeness inside. In Hunter’s case, we are now witnessing the true spirit of the horse starting to emerge.

If you have a horse who needs some care or attention, please contact me for a free consultation. cam@camronadibi.com

Camron Adibi is a horseman, equine relationship coach and a PATH Therapeutic Horse Riding Instructor who holds a master’s degree in education. He offers equine assisted therapy, sound therapy and Chi Equine Massage. He has a mission to improve horse and human interactions through education and storytelling.