Recent Posts
Perry after his bath
Perry is a little Newtown lad who was kind enough to trial a sample of Champet's Aromatic shampoo.
I have to thank Perry's owner as it was a brave move, as with some animal products he will get very itchy after a wash. This time, no reaction. He fluffed up and he looked 'clean' for over a week. So Perry has stamped his paw on this product, it is designed for animals with sensitive skin and it passed Perry's sensitive markers.
The product didn't lather up too much and it washed out without effort. You can see in the pic above Perry came out with a gorgeous cuddly fluff.
If you do have a dog with a sensitive skin, this product is worth testing your self.
Perry before his bath (not so fluffy)
Another bonus is Champet is Australian Made and Australian Owned.
pic from: http://www.tatazadiamonds.com.au (hint hint)
Horses for me taught me to love again, and this time without fear. My work with spiritual kinesiology has opened me up to how trusting any horse can be when layers of abuse are peeled away. They continually present themselves again and again to work with us, and if lucky they find a human being willing to learn.
The horses in my own life as friends have taught me how to give and receive the best from my partner with ease. I have so much respect for how the horses in my life assess us and our humanness, I began to use them to assess any prospective love interest. Angus, the Cleveland bay police horse, and Red the ex racehorse would give me very honest nonjudgmental opinions in nonverbal communication that always helped me become more discerning with my choice of partner. Sometimes it would be a simple offer to accept a pat, or a subtle tilt of the head to move away from their energy. They were always discreet.
The more I accepted their assessments and found they always matched my first instinct I was able to have more faith in my own inner guidance.
I now follow their example with my partner, I have become so aware of the subtle tones of his voice, the way he carries himself in different moods, sense when he is wanting something of me. I can respond as Angus and Red taught me, without judgment and accept what is needed to maintain a harmonious environment for the two of us where we come together to enhance each others' lives. Angus and Red have not been physically in my life for a few years now, but I did introduce my partner to some new horse friends. Not to check if he was acceptable as now I trusted my own choice, but to introduce him to my wonderful world and they embraced each other warmly.
In Australia we have been experiencing a long draught and plagued with bushfires, which has set up a dynamic in our pastures that have made them less than hospitable for the horse.
Now I will caution you here, if your horse has ingested a plant that has resulted in poisoning, please do not proceed with experimenting with any of these herbs unless you have veterinary supervision. Some of these plants such as Pattersons Curse (see photo), do not show in clinical signs in your horse until it is too late, so if you do suspect he has ingested a plant high in alkaloids that damage the liver, have a blood test done to give you a better indicator. I make claims of a cure or complete protection, however there are herbs that can be used to assist your horse.
St Mary’s Thistle (Silybum marianum, synonym Carduus marianus referred to as Milk Thistle in northern hemisphere texts)
Traditionally this herb has been used to help protect and regenerate the liver. Silymarin is the active constituent and seems to cause an alteration of the outer hepatocyte cell membrane to inhibit toxin penetration. St Mary’s Thistle is easily given to our horses in the powdered seed. The dose varies as to the role, be it protection or to help with recovery, and if you are using it for protection, it is wise to have a period of supporting the horse’s body with other liver herbs such as dandelion root and burdock root intermittedly as St Mary’s Thistle is considered a safe herb but some researchers have concerns of its long term use.
Tumeric (Curcuma longa, synonyms Curcuma domestica, Curcuma aromatica.) is a herb is used traditionally in Ayurvedic practices and the active constituent Curcumin and has been shown to have liver-protectant properties. Turmeric has a warm, bitter taste and a yellow colour, and it is frequently used to flavour or colour curry powders and again with this herb I prefer to use it powdered so as not to irritate the stomach if ulcer are present. If you know your horse has ulcers, this herb should not be given on its own.
Other herbs I consider using depending on the clinical signs being expressed are:
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is a herb I recommend cautiously, and tend to use this selectively as it has to be balanced carefully with the other herbs in a formulation.
Korean Ginseng (Panax ginseng) is used as an "adaptogen" for increasing resistance to environmental stress and as a general tonic for improving well-being. It is also used for stimulating immune function and has been shown to help with the speed toxins are cleared from the blood
Astralgalus (Astragalus membranaceus) astragalus seems to improve liver function and is used to help build the body’s resistance.
Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis) as Schisandra improves liver function by increasing hepatic activity and it might also have a hepatoprotective effect by inhibiting lipid peroxidation, increasing liver glycogen production, and promoting hepatocyte growth.
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) as a supportive herb to help the body assimilate the benefits of the above herbs.
Each horse is different. When deciding what herbs to select you need to consider the age of the horse, the current feed regimen, what exposure the horse has had to Patterson’s Curse, Ragwort, or another alkaloid plant in your area, and the lifestyle of the horse, and his other health issues. Some of the above herbs are contraindicated in pregnancy and if other health issues are present so please be aware of as much of your horse’s health history when you seek out the use of herbs. The above herbs are just a sampling of what is available, and if you take a sensible approach a combination of three or four carefully chosen herbs should be of assistance to you.
Note: please look at reducing the level of protein in your horse’s diet if he does consume Patterson’s curse and be mindful of buying feed that may have been fertilised with organophosphates as some feeds are very high in nitrates at the moment which could add to the stress on your horse’s body.
Spring is that time of year to get a spring back into your feet. The change of seasons brings a fresh energy in this yearly cycle and to our plants. If the body is not ‘clean’ of cluttered negative thoughts generated through the less inspirational winter months new ideas find it hard to blossom
[ Click here to read more ]
September 22nd 2009 04:35
As the days get longer, hormones and body clocks in all species start to respond to more daylight. This time of year can be distracting and in this present economic climate our minds need to be on work or study.
[ Click here to read more ]
Bruised soles in horses
Depending on the severity of the swelling and bruising anti-inflammatory herbs can be useful, a combination of White Willow Bark (Salix alba) powder and Hawthorn Berry (Crataegus oxyacantha) powder will assist the repair of damaged tissue. Many people think of using Devils Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) at a time like this, but if not used with care you can irritate the gut, whereas the White Willow Bark and Hawthorn Berry will have an effective pain relief and assist with keeping the circulation flowing well to the affected areas
[ Click here to read more ]
|
|
|
Add Comments
Read More
Comment by Catherine
on I am smitten and happy!
Natural Animals