Equine Salt Therapy
Marcus Schlabach of Millersburg, Indiana is a horseman. He mostly leaves the training and shoeing of horses to others, but what he has to offer is quite unique. It’s called salt therapy. On his farm he has two rooms: one to tie in two horses at a time, and one to house the equipment that turns the 99.9% pharmaceutical salt into an aerosol that the horses breathe into their lungs to help clear their respiratory systems. Heavy breathers, coughers, bleeders, all of these can benefit from salt therapy. It might take five 20-minute sessions, or it might take up to 20 sessions. Or some horse owners may want to approach this kind of therapy for their horses like they do shoeing. It needs to be done every six weeks or so, depending on the horse.
Marcus has been doing this kind of work for about two years now. Sometimes he is able to help his customers by scheduling appointments with equine dentists or chiropractors when the horses are at his place. He also has a walker he can use to evaluate the horse’s breathing before and/or after the therapy sessions. Those who are interested in peak performance from their horses will want to hear what this seminar presenter has to say.
Equine Dentistry
MDM Equine Dentistry is the name of the company under which Myron Miller does business. Caring for those all-important food mashers is an art he learned at a dental school in Michigan. Wolf teeth in young horses often interfere with the bit. Caps that are lost by young horses as permanent teeth replace them can be intrusive and make it hard for a horse to properly chew its food. And teeth with sharp edges in older horses can make mouths sore where they rub against a cheek. So you see, there is no age when a horse owner should completely ignore a horse’s teeth. That once-a-year visit can add years to the life of a horse and can lead to that sleek, healthy look that all conscientious horse owners take much joy from. On the Miller farm there are Morgan horses; mares with babies, and a stallion to breed them. Come and learn from this full-time equine dentist who now has four years of experience in his chosen field.
Shoeing/Farrier Work
First Choice Farrier Services is the name LaVerne Mast has given to his horse business. He will be doing a seminar supported by a video presentation of his work. Most of his work is with buggy horses who run on hard surfaces with anti-skid things like drill tek applied to their shoes. He will be drawing on his 17 years of experience to show and talk about the effects of foot and leg confirmation, most notably deviation from sound confirmation, on a horse’s comfort and ability to stay sound. All horses, he says, do have confirmation problems. It is part of the farrier’s job to see them and understand them and then to trim the foot and apply the shoe in such a way that there is as much correction as possible. The ultimate goal is to have all four of the feet land squarely on the surface each time. Take this seminar to learn what to look for in a basic shoeing job and what a good foot looks like on a horse.
Horse Chiropractic
Lonnie Yoder is our chiropractic treatment presenter for 2022. He spent about 12 years doing the work part-time, first by going around with his uncle, and then working on horses without charging. Then he got to the place where he had something to offer that customers were and are willing to pay for. This has now been his full-time work for two years. The most common ailments on the mostly buggy horses he treats are shoulder, spine, and sometimes back end. He has learned that feeding programs make a difference in how easy a horse is to treat for a good outcome. A well-balanced diet leads to good muscle tone rather than a skinny and boney horse whose tendons and muscles have little to offer. A good and nutritional feeding program, and especially good hay, make a big difference. Different natured horses with different confirmation and a variety of feeding programs keep the job interesting, or challenging, or both. And then there are limits to what chiropractic can accomplish. EPM for example, is not generally helped with chiropractic treatments. Sit with Lonnie to learn more about this method of horse care.
Horse Training
Ray Yoder has been messing with horses since age four, some 56 years. After a significant time spent in the RV factory, he came home to work with horses fulltime. Training, standing stallions to breed his own and other people’s mares, preparing problem mares for breeding, foaling out mares of his own and others, and making stallion breeding recommendations is what his customers value from him. Making sure that horses are properly cared for is an important part of the Yoder program. Putting a good mouth on a horse is something his training program takes very seriously. Ray always tries to use methods that are at once disciplinary, as well as good give and take methods between horse and handler. Consider the challenges of working with fully developed horses as a 13 or 14 year old boy and use some of the same methods as a fully grown man, is a type of barometer that promotes the proper relationship between a horse and a handler.
Another good discipline is providing work for the several youngsters that work at the Yoder farm every summer. Seeing young people take an interest in horses as they develop into adults results in feelings of satisfaction akin to seeing a young horse develop into a steady and dependable partner. Join Ray in the round pen to learn more. ✸