f Horse Arena Maintenance - Zeitgeist Equestrian

Maintenance

No detail has been overlooked when it comes to the maintenance of our horses. Every aspect of care is done with precision and attention to detail. Through years of research, we have developed a diligent program that ensures the optimum mental and physical health of each horse.

Below are some key examples of the routine care in which we provide our horses...

  • Shoeing/Farrier: Upon purchase each horse is x-rayed, ultra-sounded and has a heat signature recorded for every leg. A photograph is then taken of each hoof from front, behind, left side and right side. We believe in preserving the horse’s historical method of shoeing and not changing anything too fast because that typically stresses a horse's tendons and ligaments. We preserve the historical data and refer to it from time to time to ensure that we always make progress towards balance, flatness, reduced inflammation, better hoof growth and hoof care. We are very concerned about bad footing at shows and attend only competitions with excellent footing. When we show, we pack all hooves with magnesium sulfate, Epsom salt paste and or Magic Cushion to relieve any form of inflammation or sole bruising. We do not change farriers at shows nor do we allow changes to the shoeing, and all of our shoeing guidelines are approved by the vet. We carry a complete farrier’s box which includes an anvil and oven so if the horses need shoeing we can fly in our farrier.
  • Travel: We designed a trailer especially for our horses. It is pulled behind a huge W900 semi-tractor so that we don’t waste time in uphill climbs. It has water on demand and stalls for our horses so that they travel with their heads free and not tied up. The entire trailer is heated and air conditioned so that the horses are not exposed to any sudden temperature changes. The trailer contains night vision cameras so that the driver can always monitor their condition and is also equipped with air-ride suspension to give them the smoothest ride possible. The horses are fed twice a day when traveling long distances and with free water. They typically travel stress free and arrive in much better health.
  • Diet: We are constantly in touch with Kentucky Equine research and leading nutritionists in the equine world to ensure that we are feeding the best quality grain, hay and supplements to our horses. We weigh our horses every quarter to ensure that they are maintaining optimum weight levels. When we buy a horse, we immediately scope for ulcers. Typically, every horse comes in with ulcers and, through our care, we reduce the ulcers to zero. We are focused on ensuring that our nutrition supply to the horses is checked regularly and that there are no sudden changes, so we evaluate our hay every time we buy it, and evaluate our feed program with a nutritionist every quarter. Each horse has a nutrition program that is best suited to its type, workload, size and temperament. We monitor temperature and water intake twice daily and feed three times per day and before we head to a show we administer Gastro Guard. We truck our own first cut hay from Nevada, and buy from the same field every year. We evaluate and monitor the contents of each supplement down to the elements and then track fortification levels in each animal to ensure the optimum performance of our nutrition program.
  • Early Detection: Our horses receive joint support weekly at every show. At home we do not jump very much so we prefer to let their natural immunity kick in to relieve any inflammation. Our horses are wrapped at the end of each day in special ceramic wraps that reflect heat and promote circulation. Every day each horse is scanned with a heat camera to detect any unusual heat patterns so that we can monitor any swelling or inflammation. Every three months each horse is routinely flexed and a detailed physical examination is carried out to determine the horse’s inflammation, fatigue and if any changes have occurred since last check. If we detect any problem that is not routine, or based in fact, we then examine and probe further. We believe strongly in early detection, and believe a small problem not investigated can lead to a catastrophic one. We plan our year in advance so that every six months the horses can rest and have a detailed physical examination. We routinely administer Bisphosphonates to our horses and treat joints that show signs of inflammation. We also routinely perform x-rays, ultra sounds and perform scintography to make sure that we are dealing with the source of the problem and not treating a secondary problem. In some cases, we MRI horses to be sure of diagnosis. We ice our horses every day at shows with special ice boots and we carry a freezer to ensure that the ice boots stay cool. Where necessary we will treat the horses with PRP and with Stem Cells to avoid any problems in the future. We fly in the French Equestrian Team’s dentist from France to do all of our dentistry. Each horse is treated by a chiropractor, masseuse and acupuncturist. We are focused not just on the legs of the horses but also the backs, hips and SI joints, so from time to time we treat these areas. Each horse is fitted for a new saddle when it arrives and each has their own working bridle, show bridle and leg boots for walker, practice and show.