WELLNESS PROGRAM

By Gregory C. Smith, DVM Miscellaneous - Jun 18th, 02 Revised April 2008

IS YOUR HORSE ENROLLED IN A WELLNESS PROGRAM?

HORSE RIDING FOR FITNESS

Horse riding is not just a pastime for the fit, but a sport that can make you fit. Horse riding is a great fitness potion, which can be both fun and challenging. Horse riding is an enjoyable activity that helps improve fitness, balance, co-ordination and confidence. One should be warned that first few times would make you aware of the muscles that you never knew existed, reason being that they will undoubtedly ache but if you have the will power to hang on then you are bound t be rewarded with the great workout and fit body. Horse riding is fast becoming passion among the fittest physically and mentally. There are many vaunted benefits of horse riding. A riding session addresses many fitness aspects; Fat burning, Limbering up, Strengthening the core, Boosting flexibility, Quicker reflexes, Better relationships, No boredom, No exercise blues, A great stress buster.

HORSE RIDING

Horse Riding, Equestrian Weight Lifting and Strength Training are great way to bulit muscle mass that help to improve metabolism to burn more calories.
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A wellness program for your horse will save you time, money and, most of all, the headache of worrying if you’re doing the right things at the right time. But with all the sources of horse health care information available today, how do you decide what’s right for your horse? Books, magazines, the internet, your farrier, the feed store operator and other resources can make you unsure of what practical horse care is anymore.
Fortunately, you probably already know someone who has the education and experience to sift through the latest information in horse health care, coordinate with the other professionals involved in the upkeep of your horse, and develop a customized health plan just for you: your equine veterinarian.
A wellness program for horses is not a new idea, but new ideas are what make them so beneficial. The veterinary community is among the first in the industry to learn about advancements in health care as well as disease outbreaks, product complaints and other information that may affect how you care for your horse. By developing a closer working relationship with your equine practitioner, you take advantage of this “inside scoop” as the two of you work together to design a comprehensive health care plan for your horse.
A wellness program should have vaccinations, dewormers, dentistry and nutritional consultation as the cornerstone procedures. While that sounds simple and obvious, there is much controversy and change in each of these basic areas.
For example, veterinarians not too long ago were recommending that even foals from vaccinated mares begin receiving their own vaccinations within the first few months of birth. On-going research has shown that antibodies from the mare’s milk for some diseases (such as influenza) last much longer than originally thought.
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THESE ARTICLES ARE FOR INFORMATIONAL USE ONLY. YOU SHOULD CONTACT YOUR LOCAL VETERINARIAN FOR QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS ABOUT ALL EQUINE HEALTH AND CARE ISSUES.