Skode's Low Sugar Horse Treats

Another Reason to Celebrate!

 

Last Friday I received an email -- and a phone message -- from a woman who needed her pony's Carrot Snips to arrive within two days. 

I didn't ask why -- Skode's has quite a few customers with Special Needs horses, so I am accustomed to rush orders.

Luckily, we had a freshly baked pound on hand. I rushed to the Post Office to send the cookies by its afternoon shipping deadline, praying that all its inner workings would bring the woman her treats when she needed them.

A few days passed before I received this email: 

Hi Lori, 

Well, the cookies arrived on Friday, which was perfect.  We used them today (Saturday) to celebrate the birthday of a little foundered pony named "Star". 

Of course, Star loved the cookies, as did several of her equine friends, and also a llama named "Vallentino", who is one of Star's buddies.  We don't usually celebrate the birthdays of our horses, but this celebration was especially meaningful today because the vet had suggested to put Star down a few months ago, and she is still hanging in there and improving. 

Thanks so much, 

Lynn and Star:

 

Beautiful Star

Star with Lynn and other birthday party members!

 

When I received this email I stopped all that I was doing. I walked over to my shop door and looked over at my own horse playing with the mares next door. Years ago, Vashka, who is Insulin Resistant, suffered from laminitis and also received negative pronoucements from a vet that, thankfully, never came to pass.

Then I closed my eyes and thanked God for blessing me with a company that allows me to be part of  so many positive outcomes and celebrations in this world. 

 

Lori -- aka -- "SKODE"

Skode's Horse Treats, Inc.

 

www.SkodesHorseTreats.com

Extreme Nutrition in the Form of a Treat

Feeding your Insulin Resistant Horse Alfalfa

Alfalfa ​-- google stock photo

Horse people tend to go to extremes when it comes to this legume -- they either want to ban it from their horses' diets completely, or feed their horse nothing but alfalfa.

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One of the most mineral-rich foods known, Alfalfa has roots that can grow as far as 130 feet into the ground. It contains powerful digestive aiding enzymes and it  is one of the most bio-available sources of calcium for horses. This is very helpful in balancing primarily grass hay diets -- which tend to fall short of calcium.

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But some horses go laminitic on Alfalfa. It's sugar profile is different than grass hays -- alfalfa hay actually tends to have a lower sugar content than grass hays. However its protein content can be very high. For some sensitive horses, even small amounts of alfalfa can cause inflammation. For other sensitive horses, alfalfa is a valuable part of their nutritional program. If you do a search on the Internet you will see a great controversy surrounding alfalfa!

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So what is a horse owner to do about alfalfa?

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Know your horse! If you do not supplement with alfalfa, you may need to supplement with calcium. If you do try to supplement your horse's diet with alfalfa, start of with a very small amount -- a handful. Then slowly, over a period of a week or two, work your way up to 2 pounds per day. Try weighing the amounts you feed on a bathroom scale. You may be surprised at how little alfalfa two pounds actually is.

Lori

Lori Yearwood

Skode's Horse Treats, Inc.

www.Skode's Horse Treats.com

Extreme Nutrition in the Form of a Treat

Why It's Never "Just Grass Hay."

It's Never "Just Grass Hay!"

​If I had a quarter -- or even a penny -- for the number of people who call Skode's and tell me that their horses are on "a grass hay diet with nothing else" and yet are "still having laminitis and we don't know why..." I would be very rich.
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"Have you had your hay tested?" I ask.
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"No, it's just grass hay," they say.
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But here is the thing so many people do not yet understand. Not all grass hay is created equal! Grasses, like all other living plants, contain varying amounts of sugars and starches (and of course other nutrients). The combined sugar and starch level is called the Non-Structural Carbohydate level, or NSC. This is the level or percentage that is critical to horses with Insulin Resistance because high levels of starches and sugars can cause inflammation in horses whose metabolisms can not adequately process them.  
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When a horse has Insulin Resistance, the NSC of the hay or food consumed general needs to fall below a total of 10 percent. Some horses need that level to be even lower.
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Grass hays can easily contain NSC levels of 20 percent -- more. 
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When we get to this part of the conversation, people tend to want to generalize about certain hays. 
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"But orchard grass is pretty safe, right?" 
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No! I have had different orchard grasses test in at 15 percent, 20 percent and 10 percent. Same holds true for prairie grass, timothy grass, "mixed grass," grass "that looks stemmy and poor quality," and "grass that looks green and lush."
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Some of the lowest NSC hay I have ever found was bright green and leafy and my horses LOVED it. (Green hay simply means that they hay has a substantial amount of Vitamin E in it.)
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So -- the only way to know if the hay you are feeding your horse has an NSC level of 10 percent or lower is to have the hay tested. There is no way of getting around this. 
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If the source of the hay you feed is constantly changing and you are a horseowner with a horse who is experiencing acute laminitis or the pre-cursors to it  -- i..e, a cresty neck, fat pads or even somewhat tender feet -- soak your hay. Soaking hay can leech up to 30 percent of the sugars.  This may be the single most healing thing you ever do for your horse. 

Lori Yearwood
Skode's Horse Treats ,Inc.
www.SkodesHorseTreats.com
Extreme Nutrition in the Form of a Treat

 

Is your horse getting enough salt?

 

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Organic Salt​

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​​​A horse's salt-water ratio is essential to the horse's hormonal regulatory system, his function of his heart, his metabolism -- and therefore his very life. 

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It there was only one sentence I could write about horses and salt it would be this: Your horse probably needs more salt!

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The average horse who is not exercising or sweating needs at least approximately one ounce of salt per day. Most people "free-choice" salt and leave it at that. The problem with this is that many horses do not eat enough of their salt blocks to meet their dietary/hydration/electrolyte needs. Consider that a single horse would need to consume a salt block every month to be getting enough salt to meet his minimum requirements.

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Appropriate hydration of your horse requires replacement of water as well as salt. But herein lies the dilemma: If your horse is not getting enough salt, than it is likely not feeling thirsty enough to drink enough water!

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So unless your horse is avidly chowing down on his or her salt block, feed salt! 

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"Force feeding salt" is not something I recommend. Besides, it probably won't work. Getting a horse to eat a meal with "too much salt in it" is unpalatabile and therefore pretty much impossible. So go slowly and feed more frequent meals to ensure salt intake.

You may also want to look into trying Skode's Salt Squares. Formulated by Equine Naturopath Dr. Cassie Schuster of Wellness Ranch, our Salt Squares are extremely palatable, whole food Salt "treats" that contain a full tablepsoon of salt per serving,naturally sweet Organic Herbs, as well as the natural electrolytes contained in organic Apple Cider vinegar with "The Mother."

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* Important: It is important to differentiate between the intake of salt and iodine. Both are different and both are critical and must be fed in adequate amounts. Excesses in iodine can lead to toxicity. Unless extreme overdosing occurs, salt is excreted through urine.

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​-- Lori Yearwood

Skode's Horse Treats, Inc.

www.SkodesHorseTreats.com

Extreme Nutrition in the Form of a Treat

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Camu Camu Berries -- A Whole Food Vitamin C Source for Your Horse!

I am always on the lookout for different varieties of whole foods to feed my horses, as it is my strong belief that horses are meant to eat whole foods -- as opposed to synthetic vitamins and minerals and/or processed feeds.

So when a web search led me to the Camu, Camu (Myrciaria dubia)  berries, I got excited. 

Camu Camu is the name of a bush which grows in the Amazonian rain forest of Peru. It appears to be growing increasingly popular in the United States, where research has shown that Camu Camu berries contains  powerful phyto-chemicals with notable health benefits, including the amino acids serine, valine, and leucine, and more Vitamin C than any other known plant in the world. Yes, even more than oranges!

Camu Camu berries (photo from Google)

This is often my experience with my horse Vashka, who is very sensitive and has experienced so many reactions to synthesized vitamin/mineral mixes that I have become increasingly wary of them.

I am not saying vitamins and minerals do not work -- I know several knowledgeable horse care providers who feed their horses minerals and swear by them. But Vashka and I are on a different path.

For us, the path has been one that I enjoy immensely, as I truly love the ritual of preparing my horses daily "salads,"  complete with organic herbs, vegetables, hays, flowers, and a small, carefully balanced ration of fruits that now contain Camu Camu berry powder!

Here is a bit of what I learned about this super fruit:

• The number of milligrams of Vitamin C, which Camu-Camu contains, is low compared to the milligrams in synthetically derived from Vitamin C tablets. However due to its natural state, many nutritionists consider it much more easily assimilated by the body, with none of the known gut disturbances that can come from overdosing on the synthetic form. 
• The camu-camu fruit has a surprising range of health-promoting effects, according to Gary Null, Ph.D., a nationally known nutritionist and researcher, (1996). He says that "Camu-Camu helps to strengthen the immune system, maintain healthy gums, eyes and skin."
• Camu-camu berries have been found to exhibit notable anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, according to a study published in a 2008 issue of the “Journal of Cardiology,” 
• In adddition to containing more Vitmain C than oranges, Camu-camu also has three times more riboflavin than an orange! 

From what I could find, there have been no reported cases of Vitamin C deficiency nor toxicity in horses. In fact, when I mentioned the possible benefits of feeding Vitamin C to my horse's vet, he basically laughed in my face. "Horses just pee it out," he said. "You are wasting your money."

However nationally known holistic vets counter otherwise (We won't tell my vet about this..)

States the document, The Nutritional Treatment of Equine Cushing's Disease and Laminitis by Joyce C. Harman DVM MRCVS, and Madalyn Ward, DVM: "Vitamin C is an excellent antioxidant that can regulate the phagocytic process in endotoxic shock, mainly by decreasing free radical production."

Vitamin C,  Harman and Ward also state:  "..is also a nutrient for collagen manufacture as well as offering some immune system support... 

The Camu Camu berry powder I bought is organic, cold pressed Camu Camu juice powder from Therapuetic Botanical in Murphy, Oregon. I mix 1 teaspoon in my horses' morning mash meals and 1/4 teaspoon in my own Cranberry Juice. It is very sweet yet tart. We all love it.

-- Lori Yearwood

Skode's Horse Treats, Inc.

www.SkodesHorseTreat.com

Extreme Nutrition in the Form of a Treat 

 

"Goodnight" Ritual

Every night before I go to bed -- no matter what the weather -- I stand outside and  call my horses to me to give them a cookie. "Vashkaaaaa," "Rayaaaa!!"

I am sure my neighbors love it (wink). But as sweet as the ritual may sound, I have a very serious intent behind it: I want to make sure my horses are okay at lights out. The first woman with whom I boarded my horses taught me this. She told me it was a great way to make sure no one was colicking -- that she had caught several colicks early by walking past everyone's stall with a treat (if anyone refused a treat, she was ON IT).

Her name was Marianne and she made a great impression on me with the way she cared for her horses. As a matter of fact I think she has a lot to do with what I do to make a living -- she laid the foundation in my mind for how treating a horse, fussing over a horse,  -- wasn't as trivial as it could appear.

What about you? Do you have a ritual that has become part of you and your horses' daily life?

 

"SKODE"

Skode's Horse Treats, Inc.

www.skodeshorsetreats.com

"It's  About a Lifestyle"

Hay -- It's Not Actually "Natural". So What's A Natural Horse Care Provider to Do?

My horses and I live in a forest in Southern Oregon. We are lucky that there is very little grass on our land, as the Oregon grass here has too much sugar and starch for my Easy Keepers.

 

Still, I am very concerned that my horses are so restricted in their eating and are therefore completely dependant on me for their nutritional needs. About 90 percent of their diet is organic, sun-cured grass hays, with a bit of alfalfa on the side. This is a healthy foundation.  But feeding a horse big piles of hay is not natural.

Horses are meant to walk 8 to 12 to even 20 miles a day, searching throughout Mother Nature for their food -- mainly dozens of different fresh grasses and herbs.  They were not designed to stand in front of hay piles eatting the same kind of grass over and over and over again.

For one thing, virtually all the moisture in the grass is gone. I have a friend who calls hay "jerky hay." It's a descriptive phrase and when you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. What if you were asked to eat only dried fruits and meats? Blecho, you would say! I know you would!

So what is a well-intentioned, "natural" horse care provider to do? 

I'm a big advocate of hay nets,  especially hay nets that allow a horse to eat with his/her head down. Hay nets come close to simulating natural grazing by encouraging horses to pluck/pull their food from the nets. Have you ever watched a horse rip grass from its stems? There is a distinct, passionate motion to it. 

The plucking from the hay nets and the ripping of grass are not the same motions. But to my mind, plucking is at least a motion that is not simply gulping, which is what Vashka does if he is set in front of piles of hay :(

But back to the issue of dried out hay.  As you will see when you watch the video, both my horses hydrate their own hay by dipping it into buckets of water.  Vashka taught Raya to do this when she was just a baby and I am grateful to him. I know it sounds incredibly simple. But try placing buckets of water near your horses hay nets and see what happens. You might be pleasantly surprised to see some happy dipping take place.

So in addition to being almost moistureless, hays are also missing the important Omega 3s and 6's of fresh grass and often, lots of important minerals as well.

I supplement my horses' nutritional programs with seeds, nuts, fresh veggies,  Skode's flax-based cookies (flax fulfills that need for Omgea 3s and 6's missing in hays)  -- and of course organic herbs.  My company's Herbal Terrain Hay Mixer "Woods" is sprinkled throughout the hay in the red Nibble Net.  Formulated by Australian herbalist Catherine Bird, the herbal mix is based on the herbs a horse would normally forage for in the woods (Organic Elder Flowers, Golden Rod, Wood Betony, Barberry and Rasberry leaf) are included in this fluffy, aromatic mix.

The hay in the blue Nibble Net is mixed with a handful Skode's After Care Cookies. These human-grade, flax-based treats were formulated by Naturoapth Dr. Cassie Schuster and contain the healing, anti-inflammatory whole foods of Organic Turmeric, Apple Fiber and Organic Parsley. 

These whole foods in the form of treats are wonderful ways to enrich the value of my horses' nutritional programs. Both horses are healthy and strong and every bit as importantly -- they are happy. 

As you will see in this video, Vashka and Raya really enjoy their hay meals! 

 

Oh! Wait! Before you go -- you will notice that the Nibble Nets are set on top of platforms. My friend, Linda Love, created these paltforms for her own horses. Linda is a professionalm, barefoot trimmer in Florida.

She has a lot of experience with rehabbing foundered and laminitic horses. She drew up the plans for these platforms after a lot of resaerch.  They are very effective and have lasted me many years. If you would like a plan, they are avilable for a very affordable price on Skode's storefront, under the category: Lifestyle. 

"SKODE"

Lori Yearwood

 

Skode's Horse Treats, Inc.

www.skodeshorsetreats.com

"It's About a Lifestyle"

Formal Rules for Skode's Bakers

Skode's bakers must follow strict rules on the job! 

In fact we are so serious about this that we are making the rules official by sharing with our new relief baker. 

 

 

 

• The name of Skode's Company Spokesman is Vashka.  The name of Skode's Company Spokeswoman is Raya.  Please memorize these names on your first day work.
• Always listen for the sound of horse noses and tongues rubbing against the shop door bell, as this means a horse needs cookies! (Vashka rings with his tongue. Raya rings with her nose.
• Please answer the door with cookies in hand. (Bucket of cookies is to the left of the door).
• If you are baking and feel  tired, try to take a break outside with the horses. Please take cookies!
• When finishing one kind of cookie and transitioning into another cookie recipe,  do not throw away any ingredients  away. Insteads put peels, rinds, vegetable chunks, and seeds, aside in bucket next to cookie bucket. Feed these to the horses every other time the horses ring the bell!
• Realize that mistakes happen! Don't panic.  Place odd-shaped cookies in cookie bucket and feed to horses!
• Do not waste any time picking up cookies that accidentally drop on the ground during the baking process!  Simply sweep into a pile, take to the front door and shout: "Luna.....Alley..." Then relax! Your canine cleaning crew is on it's way!
• When it is time to leave, please remember to take the bucket to the left of the door with you to your car (you can bring it back the next time you come to work) and thank your equine good-night crew with any left over cookies!

 

    

           Thank you for remembering these important aspects of your job.  The horses appreciate you very much!

-- "SKODE"

Skode's Horse Treats, Inc.

www.skodeshorsetreats.com

"It's About a Lifestyle"

 

The Special Ones Come To Us on Purpose

They Come to us for a Reason

 Kristen and Seven

 

 I received an email today,  from a horse woman who was unknowingly sold a horse with some physical challenges she didn't know about until the horse was hers.

 Does this sound like a story you have already heard or experienced yourself? I think virtually every horse person on the planet can relate very strongly to this woman.  I know I can, as both Raya and Vashka came to me with serious health challenges I wasn't privy to until their checks were written and they were mine.

Vashka had tremendous back pain, feet issues and Insulin Resistance. Raya, even though she was only 6 months old, had a knee injury! I believe every horse who comes into our lives does so on purpose. And I believe that the horses with "issues" -- the Sensitive ones -- are guided to us with Divine Help.

When you read Kristen Hall's story you will feel her open heart -- her gratitude at being able to help her new horse,  Seven -- as opposed to feeling burdened by his problems.

" My friend Wendy and I had been thinking about rescuing a horse together. We weren't really actively looking for a horse, but we had seen some pictures of horses at the local feedlot; the pictures were posted on the Facebook page of a horse rescuer we know. We actually saw a nice Paint gelding that we liked, but he was adopted by someone else immediately.

Two weekends ago, I went over to the rescuer's barn to meet some of the recent rescued horses. She said if I came out to the feedlot with her that day, that she would rescue a pregnant mare from there for her daughter. Well, how could I say no?? All I had to do was go and it would save the life of the mare and her unborn foal.

On our way there she mentioned that at the feedlot they just got in a black gelding that was a broke trail horse I might be interested in. I said, "Oh, we're not actively looking for another horse..." Anyway, long story short I fell in love with him that day, and my friend Wendy came out to meet him the next day and fell in love with him, too. So we decided to get him. He was only $500, although that's a little expensive for a horse at the feedlot. After we paid for him, we noticed that he had a gash on his back left leg.

The person at the feedlot hadn't noticed it (yeah, right).
We brought Seven, (we call him this because of the white blaze in the shape of a 8 on his face) home to our barn that day. Meanwhile, the rescuer posted pictures of Seven and me on her Facebook page. This is where the drama begins.

A local horse trainer saw the picture and posted this comment on Facebook: Oh wow that black gelding is Seven from X stables. If anybody would like the back story on him let me know. He is potentially dangerous and someone could get hurt. his sore on his back leg has been treated by Dr Paul Wietz from Northfield, MN and last I had heard he was gonna need a very expensive surgery to fix him.

As you can imagine, my heart sank when I read that. Not so much about the expensive surgery, but that he was potentially dangerous. I was very worried that our barn owner would get hurt being around him. And I was worried that I could get hurt! Wendy and I got on the phone with this trainer.

She claimed that he had hurt several people, but she couldn't give us any specifics. She had never trained this horse, but she knew a trainer who does "the old cowboy ways" (in other words, abusive training methods) who couldn't break this horse. We found her credibility to be sorely lacking. I did some research and found out that she had been kicked out of 3 barns in the last year for safety violations. The good thing that came from the conversation is that she knew the vet who had been treating his leg since June.

We were able to contact the vet, who was lovely. He told us that this is not a dangerous horse, but he's in pain and is tired of being poked and prodded in his wound. The vet was also horrified that anyone had ridden this horse wounded. He did recommend exploratory surgery with another vet to find out if there was a foreign body in the wound that was preventing it from healing. He offered to give us all of Seven's medical records so that we didn't have to spend a lot of money coming to the same conclusion he had come to.

Meanwhile, I have spent quite some time with this horse and I can tell you he is the most gentle horse I've ever met . Our barn owner says he is a true gentleman! He is getting along very well in the herd and seems really happy and relaxed. So, he's going to the vet Sunday afternoon and will be looked at on Monday.

Another blessing is that since we are sharing this horse, we will split the cost of this surgery. I also find it serendipitous that this is happening the same week I get my bonus at work. I told Wendy the other day that this horse is a gift, and I truly believe that.

I will keep you posted on how it goes! He has really liked the "Flower Power" I add to his vitamins, and I know he will love the After Care cookies and the new trail mix too!!!

Kristen and "SKODE" -- aka -- Lori Yearwood
Skode's Horse Treats, Inc.

www.skodeshorsetreats.com

"It's About a Lifestyle"

951-572-0709

The Power of Projection

Exhausted, I forgot last night, that my young mare, Raya, is so shy and skittish. I walked straight into her space and swung my arms around her neck to give her a hug. Too tired to remember to moderate my motions, the flannel shirt that I had been holding flopped wildly around her neck.

My previously spooky mare simply melted into my embrace, flannel shirt and all.

We hugged under the moon and I kissed her on the check. 

"I love you Raya," I said as I walked away.

Then I remembered. Raya doesn't like to hug that close! Raya doesn't really like to hug at all! 

The entire episode has me wondering: How often do our projections of how we think our horses will act, effect our behavior and then their behavior? Vashka doesn't like to be scratched around his face-- unless a stranger who doesn't know this scratches his nose. Then Vashka bends his face in the middle of my admonition: "Oh, he doesn't really like that."

Horses are so unpredictable. At least, that's what we're told. 

Just maybe, though, it us who predict their behavior with our unpredictable projections. Maybe I should be too tired to project my thoughts around my horses more often!

 

Lori -- aka -- "SKODE"
www.skodeshorsetreats.com 
"It's About a Lifestyle"