Casbourne Equine

01/05/2025

01/02/2024

This…👇

Protein facts;

- Did you know that horses with a healthy gut can make proteins themselves in their gut. Just from eating hay and grass. If horses wouldnt have this ability then they would have been meat eaters and they arent!

(ps for those who have read the nutribaloney post from another nutritionist who attacked my post. She says that the liver makes amino acids..... But....The liver does not make amino acids, it metabolizes them. The intestines convert the proteins into amino acids and via blood it travels to the liver. Bacteria in the gut produce and metabolize amino acids, the liver has the ability to convert the amino acids )

- They say that there are only 10 essential amino acids that horses cant make themselves. But its Methionine, lysine and threonine that are the most essential. They are the once that they can most likely lack.

- Horses get proteins from eating hay, grass and herbs from nature.

- A lot of bags of concentrated feeds contain added proteins/amino acids. If fed too much of this then these can travel to the hind gut and cause acidity. These horses usually have a strong smelling urine and f***s!

ps; again for those who have read the nutribaloney post. She says that they cant travel to the hindgut..But....Yes they can travel to the hind gut and can provide nitrogen!
Proteins that arent digested and used in the small intestine travel to the cecum and large intestine.
Too much protein and bad quality protein will be excreted by kidneys and will be converted to urea and uric acid.

It has a negative effect on the pH and there will be excretion of nitrogen in feaces and urine.

You burden the kidneys that way and disturb the flora in the cecum and large intestine.

- The quality of the protein that is fed is very important!

- Yes proteins are needed as building blocks and to supports muscles. But by feeding proteins it doesnt mean that your building muscles. Feeding proteins can produce more fat in muscles, so it looks like the horse has muscles but its all fat!

Ps: if professionals have comments on each others posts or different opinions, Then the professional thing to do is contact each other personnaly and not go and post nasty stuff about the other person on their own page




Source;

My own studies from college and;

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8110859/ #:~:text=Additionally%2C%20bacteria%20colonizing%20the%20intestine,et%20al.%2C%202012).

06/09/2023

Food for thought!

Ph is the degree of acidity. You have a PH value between 0 and 14. So 0 is very acidic and 7 is considered to be neutral.

12/08/2023

Well now. If you like a little sparkle and a dash of Italian-made individuality, look at this beauty! 🤩 Hand sewn design created by a client, and €1,600!

These lite-weight Suomy hats have a starting price of €475, come in a variety of colours and to keep your hat smelling as fresh as daisies the internal padding is removable for ease of laundering! There is even a hat-box-back-pack to keep your hat safe from knocks and drops! The Italians think of everything 😄

02/07/2023

More of what lies beneath!

For those whom believe training horses - in any discipline - at such a young age, this is just ONE of the many reasons why we shouldn’t!

01/07/2023

What lies beneath!
Too amazing not to share 🤩

25/04/2023

A really cool video and great explanation by Becks Nairn

09/03/2023

15/02/2023

Gentleness. Permission. Connection.
That’s all that is needed. 💕

09/02/2023

💫 Stretching 💫 What, why and how and the differences between passive and active stretching

The importance of stretching has become well documented; like humans, our equine friends experience muscular problems - muscle imbalance is a significant cause of injury and myofascial pain in the ridden/driven pony/horse – caused by exertion and strain. Like us they can benefit greatly from Sports Therapy including stretching; maintaining and regaining optimum mobility and suppleness, which in turn not only may improve performance and stride, but reduces the capacity for injury by minimising tension in the joints, tendons, muscles and ligaments.

BUT…

Know WHY you are stretching, WHAT you are stretching and HOW to stretch! Different stretches target different muscles. ALWAYS have a Professional show you how because if done incorrectly and/or forcefully injury can occur; as can over-stretching in hyper-flexion or hyper-extension. Soft tissue groups need to be elastic and supple…WARM, as stretching at any other time will likely cause tears and bleeding within the tissue. Likewise, ligaments can be over stretched – as can the joint capsule leading to instability of the joints - and tendons damaged, all of which can have a major impact on the respective joint. Guesswork is dangerous work!

Did you know that…

Suppleness without strength can lead to instability of the joints, while strength without suppleness can lead to muscle and tendon injuries and nerve compression.

💫 The Four Nevers:

- Never stretch cold muscles – stretching cold muscles will likely cause tears and bleeding within the tissue
- Never force or pull the neck / limb into a stretch – irreparable damage can occur
- Never bounce a stretch
- Never stretch on hard ground – for your horse’s safety as much as yours!

Stretch slowly and very gently - the first stretch should only be held in position for up to 5 seconds and should not be a full stretch. Stretching should be gradually increased – up to three stretches if possible - as well as the duration up to about 10 seconds depending on the horse. If your horse has had an injury e.g., carpal, deep digital flexor tendon or suspensory ligament you’re going to want to exercise caution with regard to particular forelimb stretches, or not do them at all. Nobody would expect you to be able to do the splits first time – this would take months of training – and some people physiologically won’t ever be able to! Range of motion is as different in people as it is in horses.

Any tension in your body will transmit to your horse! Position yourself correctly and….relax and breathe!

Too much of a good thing? Well, yes and no. Up to three times per week is suggested for stretching to be helpful; anything more and studies show that it can actually decrease the ROM (range of motion) in some horses.

🌟 PASSIVE vs. ACTIVE? Target exercises?

Muscles have attachments at each end: an ORIGIN which tends to be the less moveable part and the INSERTION which is the more moveable part. Muscles are attached to bones by tendons – think of them as cables of thick dense connective tissue. Muscles contract to bring about movement. They are supplied with blood vessels, which carry oxygen and nutrients to the muscles as well as carry waste away.

Muscle imbalance can develop when mobility and suppleness are not maintained in exercise, or when there is inactivity / little exercise, leading to muscle overload / uneven loading and injury. Tonic muscles – which are responsible for postural control, stability and balance – become shortened while the phasic muscles – which produce movement – become weakened.

💫 When a Muscle is Shortened it Becomes Inflexible and the Tendon is Constantly on Stretch, Pulling on Bones and Causing Inflammation and/or Strain to the Joint. This has a Cumulative Effect on the Entire Body 💫

🌟 The ACTIVE STRETCH: What is it? (See photos for examples)

When a horse does one of those big leg stretches after a long trailer ride or when getting up from lying down, the horse is effectively performing an ACTIVE stretch. In an active stretch, just like you and I, THE HORSE CONTROLS just how far his muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joints get pulled; the odds of the horse hurting himself doing an active stretch are very low.

🌟 In contrast, the PASSIVE STRETCH means that someone else (in this case, you) is controlling the stretch through a hands-on approach; you physically move the limb slowly through its entire range of movement, thereby inhibiting the horses stretch reflex.

To Carrot or Not to Carrot?! 🥕 A little encouragement from a carrot isn’t a bad thing for particular stretches but it will depend upon your horse. Lunging at / grabbing / sudden or prolonged movement/stretching for the carrot / treat is NOT good – stretching should be slow and gentle.

Watch your horses breathing, facial expression and body language; they will tell you much. 😊 The more you listen, the more they will tell you. The aim is to work at YOUR horse’s pace and what YOUR horse is capable of at that particular time. Always consider your horse and the safety aspect of what you practice!
🙂

Photos courtesy of Google.

Send a message to learn more

20/01/2023

🌸 PART TWO: Beautiful Life: The Rise of the Phoenix! 😄 A yard move and the powerful, positive physiological and behavioural changes it unleashed for this 25 year old ex-racehorse, Johnnie Luna. Too much, too good not to share…

Without going into detail re: anatomy, the influencing and influenced factors, I have collated information for the purposes of this post listed under the following titles:

💫 The Initial Five Fundamentals of Change
💫 Day One, Two and Three
💫 Within Week One
💫 Week Two
💫 After Five Months:
- Physical
- Hooves
- Nutrition
- Behaviour

Observing and recording the behavioural and physiological changes of both my horses (different breeds, different needs and backgrounds) these past two years (and more earnestly these seven months) has taken me on quite a journey. Examples of what we know but rarely support: that when the domesticated equine is given the chance to live in its most natural state, the more he/she thrives and the healthier they are.

💫 How did I get here? 💫

Seven months prior I thought my time with Johnnie Luna (see previous Post / Chapter One) was racing to the finish line. Everything was wrong. And so after 15 years at the same yard, I moved him to the yard where I moved my other horse to, two years previously. Huge consideration, decision and risk but THE best decision that I think I have ever made for him. Within the first week I was catapulted into some unknown territories and, frankly, wonderment, intrigue and shifting boundaries of thought and learning not just as an owner but as a Practitioner also.

A snowball effect had begun.

The list is VERY, VERY long but information that needs consideration and sharing!

(Note: When viewing the photos/info please keep in mind his age and that he has been fully retired for seven years!)

If you are ready, then let us begin…

💫 The initial Five Fundamentals of Change:

🌟 moved from an 18-horse yard to a quiet, private and professional 7 horse-yard with 30 acres of regularly rotated / rested land
🌟 24/7 turn-out from about April until about November (in at night during the Winter)
🌟 Access to natures offering: grass, hedgerow forage, various plants/roots/herbs/bark….and room to move
🌟 Summer months no feed is given, unless needed as a carrier for supplements
🌟 Natural shelter – trees and hedgerows – in all fields.

Those five life changes have without a shadow of a doubt influenced the changes to BOTH my horses on a mental and physical aspect.

🌟 Day One, Two and Three:

Refused all offers of feed. Grazed and foraged in the headgerows.

Sought dandelion leaves initially, then dandelion roots. These are natures liver and kidney detox/cleanser: high in vitamins A, B, C and D, potassium, magnesium and calcium.

Found small clumps of thistles and ate the heads. These are also natures detox: high in antioxidants and support healthy liver/kidney/pancreas function and lipid metabolism.

💫 In the first three days he was detoxing himself on a massive scale 💫

Never underestimate the potency of nature’s offerings nor your horses’ ability to self-select (if given the opportunity to do so) what he/she needs.

🌟 Day Three:

All heat from hooves gone and moving with continued ease. Calm/quiet. No signs of weaving have been spotted by anyone as yet. Exploring his field more. Coat has a shine (photo 2)

🌟 Within week one:

- vast majority of Winter coat shed
- all heat from hooves gone
- natural protective grease has formed on his coat
- no fly sheet needed
- no itching of mane and tail
- no dirt in the nostrils
- nostrils, lips and chin relaxed
- eyes clear and ‘soft’
- Skin cleared – specifically face and distal limbs
- no flared nostrils / heavy breathing when on the move
- walking with strength, ease and purpose
- hoof growth (we have changed farrier and he went barefoot about 4 weeks before we moved)
- End of the week, strongly objecting to Cushings medication (Prascend 1 tablet per day) through any treat. Resorted to putting them into the side of his mouth.
- Signs of new mane and tail growth.
- Moves around a lot, dozes, lies down, ding-dong out…a lot!! Haven’t seen that in years!
- Playfulness / joy has returned.
- Greeted my other horse like a long-lost friend! They hadn’t seen each other for two years. Lots of nose-to-nose, forehead to forehead, and a little chatter from both. This was very emotional for me to watch as well as my first experience of seeing two horses reunited after time apart. Since then, they seek each other from time to time to reconnect.

🌟 Week Two:

- Getting up and down with far more ease
- Peeing with ease / normal; previously he took ages to position his legs: he would stretch front legs straight out in front of himself and hind legs straight out behind, stretch his neck forwards and down and seemed to p*e with an effort.
- Rolling both sides – used to be a preferred side only - and occasionally rolls all the way over
- Feed offered again and was again refused. Bucket tipped and run away with, not once but twice! Message received loud and clear!!

💫 Collated info at the Five Month mark (October 2022):

🌟 Physical:

o Cushings medication halved (July) and stopped beginning November 2022 (under veterinary supervision/discussion). His objection and tricks to avoid the medication increased with intensity; by July I took a step back and looked at the entire picture of him: what his body and he were telling me. The result was that we took steps to work towards ceasing the medication altogether. I will explore that further in another post, but it is possible that he has been either 1) one of the low percentages of false-positives or 2) the original Cushings was on account of prolonged stress-induced symptoms. I have spent time in deep reflection over this.
o No irregular sweating – sweats as normal
o Body temperature has normalised / normal regulation (particularly noticeable since medication ceased in November)
o Muscles stronger overall
o Carries tail up and straight in all gaits, as opposed to one side or clamped
o Ears forwards / up all the time; mechanically they move with greater ease, full motion and are softer at the base.
o Shed Summer coat same time as others and one of his best Winter coats ever grew in!
o Does have preferred chewing pattern but will now chew both sides.
o The one-sided tension through particular upper neck muscles – from the repetition of the grab, twist, pull-back action from everyday haynet use – has gone. In the Winter months, they have hay at night when they come in and all are fed on the floor.
o Rubbing the left side of his face lessened and then ceased altogether once medication ceased
o Shifting of weight ceased
o Tension caused from weaving has eased. Weaving minimal and I have never seen him so relaxed in a stable! He loves the peace of this yard, the position of his stable and whom is stabled either side of him. I have never prevented his weaving as it is a coping mechanism and believe that if he wasn’t able to express it, it would be expressed some other way or worse, be internalised.
o Doesn’t object to being groomed anymore, specifically around his shoulders or underside of belly
o Drinking improved
o Appetite better/normalised – I’m not sure whether this is the switch in feed / correctly monitored amounts / cease in medication / time of year (i.e., actually needs the additional feed at present) or a combination of.
o Continued new mane growth
o And this is a very interesting one: after about the first 4 weeks, his mane started to straighten and the hair softened! In the latter years it had become curly and course to the touch. Seven months later (end December) it has returned to its former glorious straight and shiny self and his forelock has thickened.

🌟 Hooves:

o Still barefoot; needed farrier every 2-3 weeks due to growth in the initial months (he has never before grown so fast and healthily), growth started to slow down in October.
o Hooves the healthiest I have seen for a long time:
• no battle with thrush
• no heat
• no bruising on the hoof wall or ‘laminitic / fever rings’ growing; hoof walls are smooth and the strongest I have ever known
• No keratex (hoof hardener) has been needed since our move.
o No over reach boots have been needed since our move
o Hooves grow how they want to grow; my fantastic farrier works with him and his body and as his body has been changing so have the hooves. Absolutely fascinating to observe.
o Decided to remain barefoot through the Winter dependent upon him; keeping options open
o Hooves picked out every day and Red Horse Products sole cleanser applied daily (at present) to the frogs/soles.

🌟 Nutrition: Gut health and function allows proper absorption of nutrients!

o Self-selects plants: initially dandelion / thistle
- And then, from the hedgerow as and when he decides/needs, hawthorn (aids formation and elimination of urine / supports blood flow and heart function)
- blackberry leaves (very delicately picked! Whiskers are handy!) – highly nutritious: vitamin C, calcium and iron, supporting intestinal flora, calming inflammation and is cleansing and detoxifying for the blood
- blackberries – high in vitamin C and a great source of fibre and nutrients…and delicious to eat!
- and rosehips (rich source of vitamins and antioxidants, supporting healthy hooves, respiration and gastric function).
- Periodically selects twigs / bark for chomping on (as do the other horses)

o Has two patches of earth that from time to time he licks: one by the gate and the other nearer the end hedge. I monitor. These areas changed as of end of October and ceased to be used by end of November.

o Accepted morning feed beginning of September. Although I am on livery (a boarder), I buy in my own feed. I choose Thunderbrook as both my horses enjoy it. It has no cereal/grains, no GMO’s, no chemicals, no molasses, no added sugars, binders or fillers.
- Grass pellets / CushinEase (herbal supplement) / Ulsa-X pre-and pro-biotic….as a mash which he absolutely loves! Teeth are good for his age. He continues, as always, to have the dentist 2 x per year.
- Won’t accept mineral mix / individual minerals at all.
- October (week 2) – finished Ulsa X and started on micronized linseed/flaxseed
- End of October – accepting full scoop of Thunderbrooks herbal chaff in the evening
- November (week 3) - refused CushinEase Supplement on several occasions (medication ceased beginning of November) and refused offerings of CushinEase on three more occasions in December. I like to check with him!
- Last week of November - switched to herbal chaff a.m. and p.m. as refusing mash/grass pellets (this coincided with visit from the dentist!). Now has chaff a.m., and p.m., 1 x cup per day of micronized linseed plus soaked sugarbeet.
- End December – added a lunchtime feed: large scoop of herbal chaff plus Autumn/Winter herbal mix which I give to him in his field.
- Winter months: 8 – 9 hours turnout time on grass every day in all weathers (rugged as needed) increasing as evenings become lighter. Once weather settles / clocks go forward, they will go out 24/7 and still have a feed initially dependent on grass.
- Hay at night, no haylage (haylage effects the PH balance in the hind-gut…and not in a good way!).

🌟 Behaviour:

o Content and playful!!
o Mutual grooming with me and neighbours
o Sitting in the field with him (I do this with my other horse too), he will amble over, nuzzle and blow on me, sometimes groom me and/or doze, amble off, graze, and periodically check in again with me. I think he has missed this as much as I have.
o Allows me to touch and groom his body all over and at any time; body-wide sensitivity has ceased.
o Has allowed me to resume gentle soft tissue release, acupressure and Reiki in recent months which very rarely was allowed in the latter years at the other yard. Having always enjoyed complementary therapies – acupuncture, Osteopathy and Sports Therapy – throughout his years with me, the fact that he no longer took pleasure in it was upsetting. Things creep up on you, but it should have been my first Big-Red-Flag moment!
o Very engaged and communicating a lot with me through body language…when he saw I was picking blackberries he came over, sniffed the bowl, blew gently on my face and then herded me to another area where there was an abundance of large, juicy ones!!
o Tries to entice me to play!
o In the 20 years I have known him, he has lost four field companions – three died and his friend of eight years left for another home. I have ‘nursed’ him through weeks and weeks of grief for three of those four companions. I was no substitute. I have also seen his reaction to my not being regularly present in his life i.e., not every day. Horses feel an absence as much as we do and grieve as deeply and as uniquely as us. They like continuity, stability and companionship just like you and me. They align with chosen companions, just like you and I 💕 You cannot force a friendship….nor love!

……….

It’s an extraordinary thing to find a home where all three of us are thriving! And a testament to good management! I am happy because my horses are happy; they are happier when I am happier. It is a cyclical thing. We affect equines on all levels.

Environment – this includes people! – vastly impacts the equines wellbeing and overall health. ALL roads lead to Management. Management controls The Who, Why, What, When, Where and How of the domesticated equines very existence.

JJ and I are writing our last chapter together; age and time are now against us both but I hope this chapter is the longest yet, if not then I shall be eternally, deeply grateful for this window of time; to remember the essence of who he is and to know that he has lived a good life right to the end. It has been a profoundly thought provoking, enriching period in my life and a remarkable time of reconnection and peace for us both. I owe him a debt of gratitude and I thank him for being the gentle soul that found me all those years ago…

Copyright Casbourne Equine / Charlotte Lloyd-Williams. All rights reserved. 2022/2023

13/01/2023

BEAUTIFUL LIFE 🌸

Chapter One: THE BEGINNING

There is always a beginning, middle and an end for any story and any life. When a horse patters around any soul for 20 years, two lives become irrevocably entwined and therefore the beginning of this story cannot be told without some of mine; a story which may well resonate with you on different levels and in various forms. I write this not just as a tribute to a living horse but to share with you the powerful, positive physiological and behavioural changes that occurred with mind-blowing swiftness (Chapter two of this post) after changing yards seven months prior. This is a sharing of knowledge gained and to perhaps provide hope to those whom may need it.

🌸 If you are ready, let us begin…

Once upon a time a beautiful chestnut c**t was born at the Perkins’ Wimborne Farm on February 8th, 1997 in Paris, Kentucky, USA. They named him Johnnie Luna. He was nominated Breeders Cup; his Dam was Preludes of War, his Sire was Talkin Man and his Sire of Dam was Lord of War who was a champion in his native Argentina, a multiple Grade I winner in the USA before going on to a successful stud career in Kentucky. Johnnie Luna inherited his Grandfathers light, fluent action, shoulder depth, colouring and height….and troublesome feet most comfortable on turf!

Johnnie Luna transferred to Sunrise Stable in Florida in 1999. In 2000 his maiden special weight and maiden claiming were at Belmont Park and Aqueduct, then his claiming races at Rockingham (won two races) and Suffolk Downs. Johnnie Luna experienced a knee injury that ended his racing career. He was donated to NYHR – New York Horse Rescue - for rehoming. And so began the next chapter of Johnnie Luna’s life…

On a very cold, snowy February morning, on his sixth birthday (2003), a woman full of hidden grief entered the barn of NYHR, unaware her gentle blessing awaited. Johnnie Luna stilled and watched the woman with intent. The woman stilled. The woman had come to see another horse but circled back to Johnnie Luna. The woman said it felt like she had found home.

That woman was me.

On a snowy Valentines Day 💕 he arrived at the barn and came off the trailer in a plume of excitement and energy, announcing his arrival to all!

Within the first few weeks a North-East snow storm hit and the roof of the indoor school collapsed (no human or equine was injured). In that moment I knew ours was not to be a typical journey!! I left the hunter/jumper world and moved to the Classical Dressage barn where I worked at the weekend. He liked this place! 😍 And we started our foray into a new realm of life, thinking and training…

In November 2002 my mother-in-law was killed from a catastrophic car accident. My father-in-law survived in a little bubble perfectly carved for him amongst the crushed wreckage that was the rest of the truck. God – or whatever you believe in – works in mysterious ways. His Alziemers nose-dived following the accident, the consequence of which he went into a home where he sadly died a few years later. Central to the family, my mother-in-laws death left a maelstrom of devastation in its wake; violently wrenching, shattering and changing lives and a family forever. Aside from one snap-shot blurred memory, to this day I have no recollection of her funeral nor the weeks following. In November 2003, almost a year since her death, I lost my job and then four days later my husband left; seven months later I was selling my home and leaving the life I had known for 10 years. My sister-in-law disowned me for divorcing and with that I lost my nieces and nephews too. An entire family and life, all gone inside of a year. A little light fluttered out in my younger self’s soul.

🌸 In June 2004, with special permission from NYHR, Johnnie Luna’s registration papers and passport in hand we set off into the unknown on a flight from NYC, USA to Amsterdam, Holland. We then travelled across land through Holland, Belgium and France, eventually sailing across the English Channel to England. Home. My birthplace.

🌸 His trust in me was humbling.

We existed for several days and nights together, in limbo between our past and our future, cementing a relationship we both needed but one that had been born from a life changing event. During those days with him and five other horses onboard, everything I had come to learn was consolidated: when you stop and listen, they will communicate with you through sound, body language and expression. If you allow them to be who they are, you will see them for who, not what, they are. They will tell you everything you need to know. Everything. It is all there right in front of us.

Four weeks after arriving home, my Aunt was killed in a car accident and once again a tornado of destruction blew in, slamming us all into a corridor of grief.

Twenty one months later I left my London job, closing and locking the door on Corporate life for good. Johnnie Luna and I moved yards and I took care of him myself for the following seven years. Once again together where we belonged and happier for it.

Fast forward…

Johnnie Luna will be 26 years old 😊 in February and has been fully retired for seven years. He has been my constant. I have been his. We aligned and stayed with each other. He is my memory; my past and my present; my link to another life and to this life. We have been there for each other through the good and the bad and have many memories to tell. He is super gentle, has a wicked sense of humour, is prone to over-excitement and loves to run free. He is hugely sensitive to his environment which doesn’t always make for an easy life; it is my job to find the source of angst and eliminate it, or switch his mindset, and in that he taught me to listen and observe, to be present. He has always known his own body and was the most naturally balanced horse I have ever ridden; beautiful and very expressive. Sometimes too expressive! The larger his audience the more he performed: a true showman! He has always known who he is. The first time we galloped I thought I might p**p my pants! 😄 His ground covering stride was exhilarating but more than that he came into his own and I could feel all that knowledge beneath me. He has tested my knowledge, my comfort zone and ingrained teachings; has made me laugh out loud, given joy and a place for me. He has always asked me to dig deeper in myself, to find another perspective and answers where once there were none and has spent a lifetime teaching me. In my own need and ignorance I asked much of him, particularly in our early days together; now he can ask of me and I will always give .

In essence he opened me and my mind.

🌸 The way ahead is often obscured or distorted when you are in the depths of despair. This too shall pass. Silver linings decorate every cloud. They come in darkness or in light, whether you look for them or you don’t. But they eventually always come in some form or other. Something beautiful can be born out of tragedy 🌸

You cannot quarrel with the past. We all have our journeys. Sometimes the answer to our question ‘why?’ is forever missing. Not all things in life can, or should, be explained and that is that. The road of ‘what ifs’ and the ‘should ofs’ is an engulfing pit; the past is done and nothing can change what was. All we can do is move forwards without repetition. We make decisions based on what we have and what we know and hope that the consequences of those decisions have good outcomes. Life is life. Life is full of adversity and tragedy but it is so very beautiful and full too. Life, in all its forms, is a gift. It is for striving, for living, for giving and for loving.

Never take more than you are prepared to give! 😊

Next - PART TWO: The Rise of Phoenix! Environment/management/nutrition/medication/physical and behavioural changes