How interesting is this !?!! I can attest to the ‘energy’ that organic, whole foods put out: Did an experiment not long ago. Jane brought over some ‘organic’ food and some reg. grocery market food. I didn’t know which was which, but she did. Wanted to test the ‘energy’ of the food so pulled out my pendulum and lo and behold …
NOTHING happened with the ‘grocery food’ … the pendulum didn’t move one iota. But with the organic? It circled and circled. Again, I had NO idea which was which so could not influence the energy of the pendulum at all. Now, after just reading this article, I know why! Jane Murphy Carlucci Now, think of the food YOU eat and the food you feed to your horses and other critters! “Live food” just took on a whole new meaning.
This is too cool, Gwenyth, and I’m not surprised, at all, about the pendulum. Makes perfect sense. We all need to eat more raw, and I really need to work on this for us and our horses. Thanks for all your input.
I’ll add, too, that eating chicken or fish just a couple of times a week but veggies/grains the rest of the week has saved me big time on our grocery bill and … our waistlines! *GRIN* Once in awhile I’ll get organic raised beef (can’t do the commercial — get very ill from it) and we’ll have that on a Sunday or cold, winter, stew day. But salads, rice/grain, cheese, oh! and organic eggs … plus raw milk/cheese/yogurt keep us pretty healthy and fit. 🙂 (human-speaking; not this stuff for horses.)
Interesting but am I supposed to take from this that I am to eat all veggies raw? Just can’t imagine that. While on this topic how in blazes do you afford to feed raw veggies to horses. I can’t do it for myself, just one person. The fresh veggie aisle at the super market is horrendously over priced. I cannot imagine trying to feed a horse. I am sure that a lot of yours comes from your own garden and I have to say I am impressed with the condition of your horses but Gwen, how do those who don’t have access to a garden even begin to buy enough veggies to feed a horse. How much does it take per day to ration a horse? I love veggies but I am still a meat lover, chicken, beef, pork, and of course fish. I can get along with steamed, broiled, baked and grilled. Just can’t figure out how to do all this. You need to offer a class just like hoof care.
Hey Tony. I *do* offer a “Natural Equine Nutrition” class. 🙂 The Fall Semester class begins Sept. 22nd. (http://www.horsecourses.net/educational2011.html) And no, I can’t eat all raw … but I do try to eat ALOT of raw. We eat alot of salads and fruits but also add whole grains (rice, quinoa, cous-cous,etc.) and some meats – chicken mostly and fish. For the horses? It really, truly, doesn’t take much. I feed my own guys just 2 salads a week. I chop up (for 3 horses, 3 ponies, 1 mini donk, 1 goat and 15 chickens) the following:
4 apples
2- 4 oranges
4 bananas
2 BIG yams
I add to this:
1/2 a big bag of spinach or kale
Maybe a radish or two
If I can afford then 1 avocado
2 cups of dried, unsweetened coconut flakes/chips
8 tbsp. Chia seed
1/4 Olive Oil infused with large clove garlic
Glug of organic Apple Cider Vinegar
Maybe couple handfuls of raw almonds or jumbo whole raw peanuts
Cup of raw pumpkin seeds
and whatever else I have in my garden that might suffice such as squash, melon, etc. BUT … in the winter its bare bones (apples, carrots, oranges, bananas, avocado, greens, coconut, oil, vinegar)
I usually fill 1/2 – 3/4 of a 5 gallon bakers bucket. Mix it all up then just take my scoop and scatter it all over the main paddock so they can ‘graze’. Yep, they all munch on it — horses, donkey, goat, chickens, all together.
If feeding one or two horses then generally 1 – 2 qts. of mixed salad a day. That’s all. And its not much cause its in larger sized ‘chunks’ that fill up a qt. scoop easily. Doesn’t take much. The fresh foods allow for 80 – 100% Total Digestible Nutrients vs. just 40 – 60% one gets from processed. So they get a whole lot MORE in a small salad then from a bucket of processed grain.
I’ve cut my feed bill more than half. In winter I buy from a grocer supply house – wholesale prices. ie. 50# of carrots for $12 or so. 25# of Yams for $14. kale or spinach in case lots for around $9. My total was averaging about $60 every other week; sometimes every 3 weeks. Grain was costing me over $120 a week! Plus added expenses for supplements, probiotics, prebiotics, etc.
So, its not that difficult! They don’t need much. Just one feeding a day (or a couple times a week if they get too chunky) anytime. This also allows for calmer horses and various ‘feeding’ times. I can feed the salads anytime as long as there is free choice hay afforded. The guys sometimes don’t even bother to come up to the main paddock for hay or salads for while. There’s no scrambling, fighting, kicking, or other nastiness. I’ve actually gone out and sat in the middle of a hay pile while the 3 big guys were just lazin’ around eating … right around me. !! They’ll ask for a sip o’wine now and then … *GRIN* but I wouldn’t go back to feeding grain for anything. I have to say, tho, I DO use ‘forage extender’ cubes for clicker training treats. that’s the only processed stuff I’ll use. 🙂