Cavalia Odysseo International Stars Rate their Diet

(Gerry Furth-Sides, photos courtesy of Cavalia Odyssey) Show star Arabians, Bravas, Pearl and Shade, steal your breath away, even in an image.   Watching them perform confirms that these three proud animals define talent, effortless grace and beauty.  We wondered what these almost ethereal creatures eat – and what they think about what they eat.  So we sat down recently with internationally known animal readers, Dana Dvorak, and separately with Dr. Sarah Larsen to find out.

Dana reported reported first (//www.danadvorakanimalcommunicator.com)   All three  of them told me that they love their lives and are happy.  The horses mainly feed on grains, hay and carrots.  Shake requested more carrots. He also likes fresh grass and would like more apples.  Bravas also said he would also like more grain. That is his favorite.

“When I checked for the health issues, I was told that  Pearl has a sensitive digestive system and can be prone to bloating.

“All three horses feel they are very special and their training puts them into a different league than other horses. It is almost like they would have graduated from a horse college; they feel educated. They consider themselves very refined, and all of them are very intelligent.

Medical intuitive, Dr. Sarah Larsen (www.dr.sarahlarsen.com) added,  “The three tell me that they are well kept and they get more than grain, hay and carrots.  They have fruit and supplements as well.. key for them is getting the supplements in because it looks like Pearl can be more or less influenced by the food.  Pearl sometimes has a digestion issue and sometimes will eat more.  If Pearl has something that doesn’t agree with him it shows up in his personality…And they get treats… like apples and other treats.

All three horses are saying they “they love being together and part of this family.  …They are very happy and they love positive feedback…they get down time as well.  Their performances are traded out with other horses so they get play time and down time.”

When we talked to the show management, they agreed.  “The well-being of the horses is the primary concern of Cavalia and they show this off during the show, where they are so pleased to express their natural tendency to play. A team of 20 people, including a stable manager, two veterinary technicians, a blacksmith and several grooms, takes care of the horses’ well-being. Together they provide a balanced and personalized diet, a training program, care for their hooves, etc. Every day horses get their share of pampering, including a shower, grooming, massage, outings to the paddocks and workshops with their riders.

“The horses eat eight meals daily — a diet of Timothy hay five times and Purina grains three times per day. On Sundays, they receive special treats including apples, carrots, bananas and pears. Depending on a horse’s role in the show, their diet may be modified by one of the three technicians responsible for feeding them. Some horses receive oats instead of grain or have supplements added to their diet.

The Cavalia Odysseo show is performed Under the White Big Top, 16576Laguna Canyon Road, Irvine, California, 92603.

For details and ticket information, please see  //www.cavalia.net/en/