There is nothing worse then riding on a chilly or cold day, bundling up, and 5 minutes into the ride, having to unbundle for a hot flash. It is a great way to get your horse really good at having jackets put on and taken off but really not a fun way to ride. Well, maybe riding in 80 or 90 degrees and having a hot flash burst on the scene and not being able to unbundle might be worse. Hard to decide.
I had up to 20 hot flashes an hour and they made me nauseous, and very faint. I was miserable. Not only did I not want to ride, I didn't even want to take care of the horses or be with them. For me, the doctors were no help so I took matters into my own hands and figured it out, with a ton of research and trial and error. (If you want so see my big mistake and funny story, here is a link to that blog: Toxins in the Tack Room)
1. I started eliminating toxins. I found this great cleaner, Thieves, that not only was toxin free, it cleaned really well, was much less money than my other cleaners, and the best part, it smelled like Christmas. I use it for everything, including cleaning the horses! That started me on a search for where I had other toxins around me and I was shocked. Shampoo, Soap, Toothpaste, Moisturizer, and that was just morning. Then I looked in the kitchen and laundry room: not only were there toxins in my detergents and soaps, but also in the foods I was eating! I progressed on to other areas and finally the tack room. Can you believe we pay for toxins to put on our horses? Wound care and fly spray just for a start contain a ton of toxins and horses are way more sensitive to toxins than we are. What was I doing to my precious partners? Toxins are Endocrine disruptors which muck with hormones and boy did I and my three mares have a lot of hormone issues to overcome! In a very short time, we were all feeling better. Less pinned ears, less kicking, less hot flashes, we all seemed to be heading the right direction.
I had up to 20 hot flashes an hour and they made me nauseous, and very faint. I was miserable. Not only did I not want to ride, I didn't even want to take care of the horses or be with them. For me, the doctors were no help so I took matters into my own hands and figured it out, with a ton of research and trial and error. (If you want so see my big mistake and funny story, here is a link to that blog: Toxins in the Tack Room)
1. I started eliminating toxins. I found this great cleaner, Thieves, that not only was toxin free, it cleaned really well, was much less money than my other cleaners, and the best part, it smelled like Christmas. I use it for everything, including cleaning the horses! That started me on a search for where I had other toxins around me and I was shocked. Shampoo, Soap, Toothpaste, Moisturizer, and that was just morning. Then I looked in the kitchen and laundry room: not only were there toxins in my detergents and soaps, but also in the foods I was eating! I progressed on to other areas and finally the tack room. Can you believe we pay for toxins to put on our horses? Wound care and fly spray just for a start contain a ton of toxins and horses are way more sensitive to toxins than we are. What was I doing to my precious partners? Toxins are Endocrine disruptors which muck with hormones and boy did I and my three mares have a lot of hormone issues to overcome! In a very short time, we were all feeling better. Less pinned ears, less kicking, less hot flashes, we all seemed to be heading the right direction.
2. I added a couple of products that were simple to my diet, and to my bedtime routine. These support my thyroid (Endoflex), support my hormones (Progessence Plus), and support my health (Ningxia Red and Sulfurzyme). It was easy to implement and really helped. No more night sweats for a start. I felt like I was coming back into myself, the hot flashes were dissolving away and now I rarely have one.
3. I eliminated processed sugar. This one was by far the hardest but the most rewarding! I have a love of chocolate treats and when I found out that sugar is a huge trigger for hot flashes, I was crushed. But I was done with hot flashes. So, I eliminated processed sugars. To my amazement, it was easier than I thought and I LOVE my new dessert. Unsweetened 100% Cacoa, Raw Unfiltered Honey, and then I get to pick my favorite flavor, Peppermint, or one of the citruses, or something else! It takes diligence and I have learned a ton. I was shocked to find that just about all condiments have sugar in addition to just about every other thing we had in our pantry. I now use Tapitio Sauce for all condiments or once in a while yellow mustard. For salad dressings, I just use the hot sauce and call it a taco salad or I use some spices and more of those yummy essential oils which have so much flavor.
It has been a journey for myself and my horses and I am happy to say, I now have one or two hot flashes a day, usually about 20 minutes after going to bed and I think it is trigger by the Progessence plus I put behind my knees right before bed but it helps keep them away for the whole next day so it is worth it.
If you are interested in finding out the nitty gritty details, I would love to have a chat with you, every person is different, and every hot flash is unique. Just know, there is hope, there are things you can do, and you can take control of your hot flashes. If you would like to chat about your hot flashes and/or rider health, click here and put it on my calendar! (It is called bundle conversation because I use one calendar and also talk about how CBD helped me and set up bundles for people and horses). Schedule a chat!
I remember the excitement to go see this 3 year old filly at the track that would replace my heart horse I had lost. She had unlimited potential.
I would ride her for 20 or 30 minutes with a lovely trot and canter and then all of a sudden, she would REAR to full height and come down like a BRONC in a rodeo. It would last 20 or 30 seconds and if I could ride it, she would go right back to the lovely trot that we has started with, if not, I hit the ground.
Then after just a few months, diagnosis and Devastation! KISSING SPINE! I felt like I had been punched and all the air had left my body. My new amazing horse that I planned to start competing with in the Spring of 2014, had Kissing Spine (along with a fractured skull). I felt completely helpless!
Everyone I knew didn't even hesitate, they all said put her down! She will never be SAFE, she will always be in pain. The more I learned, the more I felt CRUSHED. She was just the sweetest young mare and I had bonded with her immediately at the track when I went to look at her and our bond had only grown.
On top of that, the treatments were THOUSANDS of dollars! I just couldn't fathom putting this sweet young horse down, I had to find a solution.
Lots of research and an Amazing Chiropractor and we had a GLIMMER OF HOPE.
THE GAME PLAN:
1. Teach her to carry herself to build her "ABS", yes, you read that right…."ABS" to support her back. We did this with free lunging, no side reins, no lunge line, it had to be on her terms so that if she did hit that spot, she wasn't confined, she could move through it on her own. No trotting, this was all WALK and CANTER. There are a lot more details if you would like to know more Contact me.
2. Monthly Chiropractor work at first and in the end, it was every 6 months (this took THREE YEARS!)
3. Fix her feet. She had really low heels as most horses in the US do these days. I am now trimming myself because I could not find one trimmer that didn’t take too much off the heels.
RESULTS:
A sound horse, cleared 100% for everything, even jumping. I still have to do maintenance when I see her abs letting down but for the most part, she is MY HEART HORSE, no rear, no buck, just amazing riding partner!
I would ride her for 20 or 30 minutes with a lovely trot and canter and then all of a sudden, she would REAR to full height and come down like a BRONC in a rodeo. It would last 20 or 30 seconds and if I could ride it, she would go right back to the lovely trot that we has started with, if not, I hit the ground.
Then after just a few months, diagnosis and Devastation! KISSING SPINE! I felt like I had been punched and all the air had left my body. My new amazing horse that I planned to start competing with in the Spring of 2014, had Kissing Spine (along with a fractured skull). I felt completely helpless!
Everyone I knew didn't even hesitate, they all said put her down! She will never be SAFE, she will always be in pain. The more I learned, the more I felt CRUSHED. She was just the sweetest young mare and I had bonded with her immediately at the track when I went to look at her and our bond had only grown.
On top of that, the treatments were THOUSANDS of dollars! I just couldn't fathom putting this sweet young horse down, I had to find a solution.
Lots of research and an Amazing Chiropractor and we had a GLIMMER OF HOPE.
THE GAME PLAN:
1. Teach her to carry herself to build her "ABS", yes, you read that right…."ABS" to support her back. We did this with free lunging, no side reins, no lunge line, it had to be on her terms so that if she did hit that spot, she wasn't confined, she could move through it on her own. No trotting, this was all WALK and CANTER. There are a lot more details if you would like to know more Contact me.
2. Monthly Chiropractor work at first and in the end, it was every 6 months (this took THREE YEARS!)
3. Fix her feet. She had really low heels as most horses in the US do these days. I am now trimming myself because I could not find one trimmer that didn’t take too much off the heels.
RESULTS:
A sound horse, cleared 100% for everything, even jumping. I still have to do maintenance when I see her abs letting down but for the most part, she is MY HEART HORSE, no rear, no buck, just amazing riding partner!
Here is a bonus that has helped on our journey to health! If you would like to get my "3 Snippets of Removing Toxins from the Tack Room!" and to stay in touch!
Detoxing Your Tack Room SNIPPETS!
Disclaimer - I am not a vet and do not give medical advice for horses. I am just sharing what I went through and what worked for me.
Detoxing Your Tack Room SNIPPETS!
Disclaimer - I am not a vet and do not give medical advice for horses. I am just sharing what I went through and what worked for me.
