Barefoot, Bitless, and proud

I love my Shire horse.  I have had him since he was a yearling; I have trained him, pampered him, and now ride him.

So why would I shove a bit of metal in his mouth, or metal shoes on his feet?

The bit – a shaped piece of metal put in the horses mouth which is attached to reins that are held by the rider in order to direct and control the animal.  Can you imagine it?  Having a piece of metal in your mouth, that you cant get rid of, that hurts your tongue and the sensitive corners of your mouth, and then someone goes and pulls on it??

You see – its like this – why would I want to hurt something that I love, something that loves me unconditionally in return, asks for nothing except a warm bed and food in winter and the freedom to run every now and again?

It is clear to most other horsy people where I live that I am completely mad.  I ride my huge horse in a bitless bridle, bareback most of the time, and he doesn’t even where awful metal shoes on his feet either!

To me it seems perfectly natural.  Horse shoes – why?  Horses have hard feet – why do they need metal shoes that damage their hooves, deaden the feeling and cause all sorts of leg problems?  If a horse is allowed to go barefoot, his feet will be healthier; he will be healthier and think of all the money you are saving on shoeing.  I have my Shire trimmed every 6 weeks, and I look after his feet in between times – it costs very little.

And a bit – why?  When if you learn to be with your horse, how it thinks, how it communicate with other horses, how it communicates with you, (if only you would spend the time to learn), and how it lives and reacts to its environment, you will have a far better understanding of why it jumps at that flapping bag in the hedge, or refuses to go through that really deep puddle.

As I see it, everyone needs to spend time with their horse.  There are some people who think of their horse as a four legged machines, that it should go when kicked and stop when yanked in the mouth – I know someone who treats his horse exactly like that.  But it doesn’t work for me.

Because of my patience, diligence and willingness to learn, I am able to ride him with the barest of equipment because I know him and I trust him.  And if he spooks when that deer jumps out from behind a tree, or runs because that herd of cattle frighten him – I understand.  It’s his nature as a prey animal to always be on his guard against predators and whilst the horse has, like the dog, been domesticated for a very long time, those inherent instincts remain.  It’s us humans who have to be taught – not the horse.

what do you feed your dog?

It’s very difficult not to fall into the role of preacher when I start telling people what I feed my dogs. But once I start, most people either think I am completely mad, or begin to realise that what I am saying does actually make sense and want to hear more.

Our dogs are fed on the raw food diet. Raw vegetables, raw meat, and plenty of bones. But it was only a few years ago that we realised what we were feeding our dogs was not good for them. It was when we came across a vet called Dr Billinghurst, and the Barf diet that we became enlightened.

The dog is an ancestor of the wolf, and as such has the internal digestive system of its wild ancestor. In the wild the wolf is a hunter and a scavenger. They eat meat and bone, and also vegetables and fruits – usually found in the stomach contents of their kill.

When I was a child our family dog was fed on table scraps, the odd tin and biscuit. Now dried complete food is recommended by everyone – including vets. But there has been a noticeable decline in dog health since the revolutionary complete food was developed including dental problems, cancer, kidney failure and so on. Some of this is also due to over breeding, but as the saying “we are what we eat” applies to us humans – why not to our animals as well?

This was highlighted one evening when I was at a garden party. I had my 14 week old puppy with me and as everyone cooed and fussed over him they all asked me what he ate.

“Minced up raw vegetables, porridge with alfalfa, kelp and a spoonful of honey for breakfast, raw chicken wings for lunch, and rib of venison for supper (also raw) ” I replied.

That created a lot of interest so I started to explain about the research that Dr Billinghurst has done. And for those who chose to stay and listen it was like watching a veil of ignorance falling from their faces. Suddenly they could see that what I was saying made total sense.

That eating raw food, as they would in the wild, will create a strong immune system, healthier bones, as a puppy they will grow at a slower, steadier pace so we won’t have the problem of hip or shoulder displacer, which is so common these days. Their teeth will be strong and healthy because they are chewing bone every day, and they won’t get anal gland problems because the eating of bones creates firmer stools, which keeps it all sorted at that end. Their stools being of natural waste will biodegrade quickly, and don’t smell. No junk food in – No junk waste out!

But it is time consuming. Twice a week we mince up a mix of fruit and vegetables (replicating the stomach contents of an animal) for the freezer and sourcing regular supplies of raw bone can be tricky at times. And not everyone is comfortable handling raw meat.
But as I watch my puppy grow, and see the health in his coat, the keenness at feeding times, and the lack of chewing of slippers, shoes or anything else he can get hold of (because he has regular bone to teeth on), I know that I am doing the right thing.
Are you?