Proactive verses Reactive

I find one of the more difficult things for people, when learning to integrate herbal healing and health into their lives and the lives of their animal companions, is the change needed to one's mindset. Western medicine is based on the idea that we react to what is happening to our bodies. When our head hurts, we choose from a number of pills on the market designed to alleviate pain. When our stomach is upset, once again we choose from numerous products that can be taken to soothe heartburn, indigestion, or a variety of less than pleasant dietary upsets.

A more Eastern or holistic approach would be to look at the problem as a symptom, clue or small piece to a larger health paradigm. What type of headache is it? For example, is the pain dull or stabbing, general or localized? Diet plays an important role in most health conditions, so when people come to me for nutritional consults for their animals the first place I look is diet.

The reason holistic medicine is often referred to as "complimentary medicine" in modern society is that it tends to work over a long term integrative period. While there are many things that can provide immediate relief it is not the same as taking a pill. Frequently, when something is out of balance in a system, a critical key to success of any treatment is identification and changing that which is causing the disharmony in the first place. This requires most of us to take far greater responsibility for our lives, health and the health of our animals then most of us are accustomed to doing.

Long term change takes time and commitment. One of our goals with our Herbal Classes is to find ways to help, teach and support people in this process. Once people are able to get past what can sometimes feel like an overwhelming and impossible amount of information, understanding the needs of our bodies and those of our animals can stop being frustrating and start being fun. The geeky inner mad scientist in me loves discovering and researching new herbs and then going about trying them on myself or the horses to see if I have found better and more effective means of health enhancements. I love having a journal and documenting the changes I find and tracking the data. Perhaps because I am terrible at crosswords puzzles and these are puzzles I can solve that I find them a relaxing and enjoyable way to spend my time. Herbs are powerful and can have extreme side effects, so make certain that if you choose to experiment with them, that you do so from an educated and responsible place.

Animals as Herbalists

I have been extremely fortunate lately to have the opportunity to connect with a number of excellent Herbalists, (just one of the many good things that have been made possible from our friends at Mountain Rose Herbs), but for most of my previous herbal education I found some of the most influential teachers to be the animals themselves.

My first introduction to herbs for horses was from my first horse Tahoe. She had an affinity for Dandelions and Red Clover and whenever I would hand graze her she had this knack for locating them both. I remember asking my trainer at the time about it and she said it should be fine, but not to let her have too much clover because it can make them sick. There was nothing about what Dandelions or Red Clover could do to enhance Tahoe's health or why this horse might be craving them and seeking them out. I frequently feel as though I should apologize every day to Tahoe for my ignorance and Thank her for her patience. It is amazing to me that even though she died in 1997 the lessons she tried to teach me still affect me today, both in herbs and in working with other horses.


When we open ourselves up to guidance I feel that it shows up sometimes in unexpected places so we have to keep our eyes and our awareness open. My most recent guide to herbal medicine has come in a feathery form. Our neighbors have peafowl and for reasons I can't quite figure out, I adore them. This young male in particular has started hanging around every time I am making the horses supplements. It started out with him coming up to the doorway and watching me, but I have noticed this Fall he is doing a lot more than watching. He tips his head, clucking slightly and shakes his top notch. I began to offer him Borage, which now he will take right from my hand. I was concerned initially with just how much of the fresh Borage he ate, but I reminded myself that he probably knows what he is doing. This behavior I have seen in the horses and dogs as well. They will gobble up a bunch of an herb fresh, sometimes for several days in a row and then not want it at all for awhile. I know it frustrates the volunteers and people I try and help with herbal formulas because they always want ratios and timelines and more structure then I can provide. Herbs are personal and individual and we have to listen to those little voices and pay attention for them to be the most effective. Or, if all else fails, take advice from a peacock.

Mountain Rose Herbs Scholarships

We recently received a very generous donation from Mountain Rose Herbs, an organic herbal company based out of Eugene, Oregon, which provides, among other things, a large variety of organic herbs and herbal supplies. Mountain Rose Herbs graciously provided a monetary donation and all of the supplies we need for all of our 2012 Herb Walks!

We rely heavily on donations like the one from Mountain Rose Herbs to provide funding for our various educational programs. As a way of honoring their contribution to our 2012 Herb Walk series, we will be providing special Mountain Rose Herbs Scholarships which will allow us to create three additional scholarships per Herb Walk. Scholarships will be awarded to disadvantaged youth and people who are within the horse industry working with youth and or rescue horses.

Disadvantaged Defined: People have less and less resources - especially in this economic decline. One of Three Treasures Farms goals is to teach sustainability and we feel that no one needs that assistance more than those on the bottom of the economic pyramid. For many it isn't a question of whether they want to live a better life so much as it is a question of not knowing how to make changes that will assist them in creating a better life for themselves. The children are very much our future and we focus what resources we receive on helping kids who are interested, but unlikely to have access to the kind of educational and life skills assistance that Three Treasures Farms programs provide for students.

Horse Rescue: Most horse people feel a strong commitment to horses and at some point in their lives come in contact with a horse or pony in need of rescuing. Few people are trained or qualified to lend rescue horses the assistance they truly need to heal. Now more than ever there is a need for qualified rescue workers and it is our goal to share the knowledge we have with others who are helping not only horses, but animals in general. We have developed many cost saving techniques to health care in our rescue work that we try to share with people whenever possible. Our Herb Walks educate animal guardians on sustainable cost effective herbs that assist in many areas of health care (including parasite control), which translates to saving the average horse guardian hundreds of dollars each year for the lifetime of their animal companions.

It is our goal to continue to create more scholarships and eventually have the funding for additional herbal educational programs that promote sustainable health to people and pets. If you would like to join Mountain Rose Herbs in helping us meet this goal by making a tax deductible donation please contact us directly or simply utilize our Donate Now button.

To find out more about dates and locations of future Herb Walks, please visit (and Like!) our Facebook page or contact us at ThreeTreasuresFarms@gmail.com.