Horse blog and guide

The foal from my own mare und With naturalness against black flies and co.

With my first own horse 'Kasandra' I competed in international endurance rides, world and European championships for several years. At the 2012 World Championships in England, we were the most successful Swiss team and only just missed the podium as a team. We were able to hold the Swiss speed record over 160 kilometres for several years.

After Kasandra's active sporting career, the wish of a foal from our own mare could finally become reality. Kasandra was already 15 years old, but in the best of health. In foal to the endurance sire 'Igor de palat', Kasandra gave birth to her first healthy foal in spring 2017. I named the bright little chestnut mare 'Kaya'.

Equi-Strath helped me to supply Kasandra with important minerals and trace elements during her pregnancy. The immune system of mare and foal was strengthened and thus the risk of infections reduced.

Kaya grew up robust and as close to nature as possible in a mixed herd in France. In addition to providing Equi-Strath for balanced growth and healthy development, the pastures offered a wide variety of wild plants. This enabled her to provide herself with additional vitamins and minerals as needed.

After four years of species-appropriate and natural husbandry on huge pastures, I took Kaya home to Switzerland for training. We had already practised the basics of dealing with people, as well as getting into the horse trailer and driving. The transport went off without a hitch. This was certainly also due to the fact that their mother was with them. I was able to watch both of them in the trailer at all times via a camera. The acclimatisation to the new home also went as planned. Equi-Strath helped to strengthen their immune system while they were getting used to their new home.

With the warmer temperatures in spring, the infestation of black flies on horses begins

There are many effective and easy-to-use remedies that protect our horses from infestation by countless mosquitoes and horseflies. Other measures we can take to help our horses are stable hygiene and the choice of the location of the manure storage area. Fly masks and fly blankets can also be of help for sensitive horses. Walnut trees provide natural protection for horses as they are avoided by insects because of their essential oils. It should also be remembered that insects are particularly active at dusk and dawn.

Since my further training as a medicinal plant specialist, I prefer natural remedies to protect my horses from excessive insect bites and try to reduce chemical ingredients to a minimum.

I cool swollen and itchy bites with water, ice or cold packs. But apple cider vinegar, a slice of onion or a cooling gel can also relieve itching. Black cumin oil has an anti-inflammatory, decongestant and itch-relieving effect. In addition, insects do not like the smell. Coconut oil is effective against ticks, mosquitoes and horseflies thanks to the lauric acid it contains. It cares for irritated and dry skin and can also relieve itching. I like to use coconut oil on areas where the skin is particularly fine and therefore popular with mosquitoes. However, be careful with oil on sensitive skin areas and simultaneous sun exposure, this can lead to sunburn.
I make my own insect spray from simple ingredients. I pour a mixture of apple cider vinegar and black tea, add an extract of walnut leaves, cloves, garlic and lemon peel. Optionally, a little clove, tea tree, lavender or lemon oil can be added.
There are some plants that have an anti-inflammatory, anti-itching and soothing effect. With herbal as well as natural products, hypersensitivity or even allergy can always occur. I always test new products on a small area of the skin of each horse first.