40: Journaling for Better Horse Health

This week, we are exploring the benefits of journaling for improving equine health.

Journaling is invaluable for anyone facing health issues with their horses or those who want to ensure they are doing all the right things for their horses' wellbeing.

Whether dealing with a challenging health condition or rehabbing a horse, stay tuned to learn how journaling will give you a deeper understanding of your horse and help you keep track of its health.

Holistic Approach to Horse Care

When working with horses from a holistic perspective, I look for everything they are sensitive to, correlate their health with events, check their supplements, and examine their diet to put all those pieces together, whether they have health challenges or not.

Tracking Progress

Journaling helps you track how your horse progresses, especially when working on rehab or recovery, as working toward health is not always a straight line and can be confusing while you figure things out.

Keeping a Positive Attitude

Keep a positive attitude, as your horse will draw energy from you. Journaling helpsyou stay positive as it reminds you of the progress made.

Eliminating Confusion

Journaling eliminates confusion. Writing down all facts and dates gives you a clear record of all that has happened and helps identify any patterns that may be crucial for managing horse health.

Tracking Patterns and Causes

Record all the symptoms and changes. That allows you to retain valuable information that you may need to prevent future issues. It is also helpful for managing chronic problems without relying on memory alone.

Allowing the Horse to Guide Recovery

Allowing the horse to guide the recovery process means recognizing improvements and setbacks as part of the healing journey. By documenting everything, you can better understand what the horse is expressing and make more informed decisions.

What to Journal

If you are new to journaling, start with all the essential information, like age, symptom profile, living conditions, hay changes, supplement changes, and lifestyle factors at the onset of any condition. Also, record the bloodwork and diagnoses to establish a baseline, always including dates, as health profiles can vary seasonally.

Recording Health Events and Symptoms

Record any significant health events, like trims, vaccinations, deworming, and dental work, as that helps you identify the correlations between those events and symptom changes.

Weight and Picture Tracking

For conditions like equine metabolic syndrome, keep track of weight and take pictures. Seeing your horse every day can make it hard to notice changes, but photos provide clear evidence of progress or lack thereof. That also applies to conditions affecting specific areas like eyes, feet, or coat.

Shedding Patterns

Comparing the shedding patterns of a horse to the rest of the herd and recording dates helps you track any improvements over time. Photos can help you keep track of any year-to-year changes.

Identifying Triggers and Patterns

Journaling helps you identify triggers for issues like infections. Record food, supplement changes, and lifestyle factors, and note environmental factors like weather to gain more insight into issues like thrush infections.

Recognizing Stagnation

Journaling helps you recognize what has not changed if symptoms persist. If a condition remains unchanged despite various adjustments, it might highlight a specific supplement or diet item you need to re-evaluate. Documenting any changes makes it far easier to identify and address those sticking points.

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