28/01/2026
Things take time. Healing takes time.
Health takes time.
Weight loss or gain takes time.
None of us, or our horses, woke up one day with a chronic illness.
Acute illness is something that has popped up and surprised us with its pain or injury, sometimes overnight or instantly. Usually less than three months. Chronic illness or pain, has been around for three months or more.
Arthritis doesn’t appear overnight. It’s a slow and deliberate instruction from the body that there is wear and tear.
The symptoms of that wear and tear have sometimes been attributed to tiredness, age, attitude, weather or other things that we have not taken into consideration at the time when it first began.
Healing is not instant. You can by all means pop a pill and feel somewhat better afterwards.
Has that pill addressed the root cause of the problem or is it just a way to get rid of the overt symptoms?
The equine and human body is designed to self heal if given the correct circumstances.
The body’s defence mechanisms are employed every time there is interference with the homeostasis of the body, regardless of species.
We must allow the body to employ its natural defence systems.
We didn’t gain 20 kg overnight. Your horse didn’t develop ulceration, arthritis, or behavioural issues within a day or two.
This is the reason, we need to look at our horses daily. Check their bodies for cuts, lumps or abrasions, changes in weight, hydration, attitude or physical debility.
When we see the subtle signs, we must recognise and act on them. It’s preventative care. It’s how we reduce the potential for significant disruption.
The truth is, that we cannot “cure” a horse or ourselves with a pill or potion in a few days. Allow the body to do its job and help it with treatment and medicine.
The body’s defence mechanisms know what to do and what the alert signals are.
If you ignore them, the indications will increase until they cannot be ignored.
