* Disclaimer: The products offered on this web site are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Rather, they are intended for educational purposes only. These treats contain simple sugars and starch levels generally found to be safe for horses with insulin resistance. However, every horse is an individual. Check with your own veterinarian. The statements presented on this web site have not been evaluated by the FDA or USDA. The use of herbs for the prevention or cure of disease has not been approved by the FDA or USDA. We therefore make no claims to this effect.
™Skode's Horse Treats ©2006 All Rights Reserved
Change is upon us. Already, our horses are shedding their Summer furs to make way for luxurious, Winter coats. For the first time in months, I must cut back my early evening trail rides to get back to the barn before dark, wear a sweater to keep from late night chill.
Yet even as Summer prepares to leave, She gives us Her heat. Into the 100's She takes us. Sometimes I stand on the land that is Skode's Horse Ranch and feel the curious juxtoposition of cold and hot air blowing over me at the same time. How odd, to order Winter horse blankets while still hosing Vashka and Sunny off with the garden hose on hot afternoons.
At Skode's Ranch, we are busy preparing our horses for the cooler months. That means seasonal herbs, teas and tinctures, many of those herbs specific to the hormonal changes that occur at the onset of Fall and which can be particularly stressful to Insulin Resistant horses. There is, for example, liquid Chastreeberry (Vitex) to help even out ACTH levels, Jiagulon to act as an adaptogen and help with circulation of the feet, and of course the perennial Peppermint and Parsley tea mixture to help ward of tummy upsets that can come with severe changes in temperature (here in Oregon our temperatures can fluctuate by 50 degrees within a single day). To find out more about Skode's Peppermint and Parsley tea, please click here.
Professionally, we are working hard to take a small, booming business solidly through its second year. While we dedicate ourselves to extreme customer care and service, we are increasing our product line -- yes that means the addition of a new, low sugar/low carbohydrate cookie :) -- hiring our first, regular employee to help with treat making, traveling to the big city for professional photo shoots (that would be Eugene), contracting with national magazines for information and advertising layouts, and last but not least, offering a new blog where you can keep in touch with all the new happenings!
We timed the premier of this new cookie to coincide with Skode's Birthday, which is September 22. (No, she isn't telling which year!)
This cookie is called The Minty Rose and wow -- dare we toot our own horn, is a true winner! We are somewhat superstitious so we won't talk about the specific ingredients until the cookie makes its debut. But we will tell you that with organic rose hip tea, this cookie is truly a gourmet celebration. Like The Nutty Seed, you can smell its wholesome goodness before opening its bakery bag. And of course this guaranteed low sugar/low starch treat meets the rigorous standards of the official Cushings and Insulin Resistance Group. The brownie-shaped all natural goodie will be available on Skode's website September 22nd. FYI: Skode traveled to Eugene for a professional photo shoot of the new cookie and the photographer said the cookies smelled so good he begged her to eat one.
So tell your horse -- in just a matter of weeks your horse will have TWO cookies to choose from, as well as our six trail mix recipes and four herbal tea combinations.
Through her new blog, Skode has found a wonderful way to connect with her readers through her writing -- her first love. Here, Skode is able to share stories with her readers about her journeys with her beloved horses, Sunny, Vashka and little Harley.
While it's an informational blog, with research on topics such as magnesium for horses, as well as tips on how to do cool things like build your own equine herb bar, the website is a lot of fun. Last I saw, Skode wrote about her travels to the California coastline with Vashka. So please check it out, and let Skode know what you think. Writers are lonely souls who crave feedback!
First Things First! Our Newest, Guaranteed Low Sugar and Low Carbohydrate Cookie!
Skode's Get Ready For Fall Newsletter!
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Issue #2. All Content by Lori Teresa Yearwood. Copyright 2007
Get Ready for The New Season With
Skode's Horse Treats 
Read About Skode's Natural Horse Journey at www.naturalhorsejourney.typepad.com
-- "SKODE" Don't Get Caught in the Crosswinds!
SKODE IN THE NEWS -- Check her out!
* Skode's nationally syndicated column, The Low Sugar Horse (TM), appeared in the May/June issue of The Paisley Pony -- Vol 3 Issue 3). The column was featured an interview with equine nutritionist Dr. Juliet Getty, who spoke about the myths and realities of feeding the fat horse. Pick up a free copy at your local tack or feed store.
* The American Horse Publication awarded Lori Teresa Yearwood Second Place in the category of Feature Articles for national magazines with a circulation of 25,000 or more! This award was for her article "Calling All Riders," in the USEF publication Equestrian Magazine (the official magazine of the United States Olympic Team). The piece is about riders of various ethnicities in the sport of riding.
* This month, Lori's newest article will appear in the USEF publication, Equestrian Magazine. This story is about equine scholarships for college hopefuls and features lots of practical tips on how to fund the college education of your dreams.
SKODE BECOMES A TRIMMER!
In June, Skode traveled to the Seattle area to study trimming with AANHCP Field Instructor Pat Wagner. They worked together for three days and three nights. Hats off to Pat Wagner --
who had the stamina to
answer Skode's endless
questions! She's one of those rare trimmers who has much heart as she has expertise -- and she has a lot of both. The two women visited several of Wagner's clients, trimmed Wagner's own horses and dissected cadaver horse hooves. For Skode, these studies rounded out more than three years of
barefoot studies that included consultation work with esteemed Veterinarian
Dr. Eleanor Kellon,
certification with professional
trimmer Martha Olivo,
and a trip to Arizona to
study with Journeyman
Farrier Jim Nesmith. Read about Skode's obssesive desire to learn to trim
DON'T FORGET THE SALT!
Some people will tell you that if you are feeding your horse kelp, you don't need to feed your horse salt. Not true! Kelp (seaweed) may fulfill your horse's need for Iodine -- which is extremely important for healthy thyroid function -- but it won't meet his needs for sodium, which is essential to heart function. Skode's horses get between 1 and 2 ounces of salt per day (depending on the weather and amount of exercise they receive.)
DID YOU KNOW.....
* That traditional salt blocks are held together by glue? It's true -- so build your own "Salt Bar" with different kinds of loose salts. Skode puts them around a tree in feeding buckets. Right now, under a tall Pine, sits: a clump of organic Redmond Salt, a bucket of organic sea salt from New Zealand (bought at a local health food store), all-natural Sea Salt and Kosher salt from the local deli. My friend Claire in Arizona says some horses really like rock salts, too.
* Please note that since Skode's is careful to feed guaranteed amounts of Iodine to her horses, the salts in her salt bar have no iodine. Iodine can be toxic if overfed!
* Horses who aren't on pasture need their diets supplemented with Vitamin E, which is lost in cured hay and is a vital anti-oxidant? (All natural human gel caps are best as they are most easily absorbable.)
HERE IS THE PART OF THE NEWSLETTER WHERE EXISTING SUBSCRIBERS WERE OFFERED ACCESS TO SUBSCRIBER ONLY PAGES THAT SAVED THEM MONEY ON THE PRICE OF SKODE'S NUTTY SEED AND MINTY ROSE COOKIES FOR THE REST OF 2007.
So don't miss out on your own special bargains -- Subscribe to Skode's Newsletter today!
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