Why 3TF Chooses Herbs

I get asked all the time about how and why I got involved in using herbs for horses. Right after college I was lucky enough to work for two different alternative veterinarians who introduced me to a different way of thinking about horse health care. One vet specialized in Acupuncture and Chiropractics and the other was trained in Homeopathy. I think that through my experiences with these women the door was opened to all kinds of possibility. Although I spent some time studying Chinese medicine and was first introduced to herbal healing through Chinese medicine I wanted to connect more with what was going on in my own backyard, so to speak. I love the forest of the Pacific Northwest and it seems I can never live anywhere for very long without feeling the pull to come home, so about ten years ago I started studying and experimenting with more local herbs and how they might enhance 3TF horses' health and performance.

With the economic decline I was forced to get more creative about meeting the health needs of 3TF's horses and I turned more and more to herbs for filling those requirements. I noticed that the more I looked the more I was able to find ways to help our horses by the plants I was finding around our Creswell location. For a few dollars in seeds as well as receiving donations from friends with abundant gardens we were able to significantly expand what we are able to produce here at home. We not only continue to invest in our own gardens as funding allows, but we have an abundance of several herbs and have been able to help others do the same do the same by sharing that which we have extra of. Live plants as well as seeds are always available for people attending our Herb Walks.

Our Herb Walks were born out of a desire to share and support others in similar difficult economic circumstances as well as being able to share the passion and excitement that comes with re-connecting with our natural environment. It is impossible to be connected to our environment and actively harming it at the same time. I can't begin to tell you how much more satisfying it is to go into the garden and harvest leaves from the plants we have, or take the dogs for a quick hike in the woods to grab some of what I need. Using herbs I feel also better connects me to my horses, because when I am with them I am checking for subtler things. Does Poppy's coughing sound dry and unproductive? Do her eyes appear to have excesses mucus? What's her energy level like? If it all sounds too much or too hard don't worry, once you start to get the hang of it, it becomes a rewarding challenge. It always reminds me a bit of my favorite childhood game Clue.

Our Herb Walks are designed to support people on their herbal journey. As we wrap up our 2012 Herb Walks we already have our sights set on even more wonderful and empowering herbal classes for people. We couldn't have done it without all the help from our friends at Mountain Rose Herbs who have made these Herb Walks possible for a number of disadvantaged youth and people working in equine rescue and we look forward to bringing herbs into many more people's lives in 2013.

Lemon Balm

One of the difficult things for us about Fall is we seem to find ourselves looking at all the things still left to do. There is a kind of denial that happens as the nights grow colder, but for me what really drove the point home was when the Lemon Balm started to turn. It is with a heavy heart that I cut the last of it by the fistfuls for the ponies at feeding time, knowing that we will not see each other again in this way until the spring. Luckily, if I miss Lemon Balm too much I can still find a high quality, organic source of it through our friends at Mountain Rose Herbs.

Lemon Balm was the Prom Queen of herbs for the 2012 Herb Walks. One of the things we try to teach people with our Herb Walks is how to open up to their natural intuition and find the herb that most speaks to them. This is a long forgotten skill for most of us and one of the things I deeply appreciate about working with animals and herbs is animals tend to still be fairly in touch with this intuitive side of themselves. I notice with animals, as with people, the closer we are to our natural environment and way of being the more this intuition expands. I have noticed over the years the longer the 3TF horses and ponies are on herbal supplements, the clearer they become about what their needs are making it easier for me to choose their herbal formulas.

One of the things we use Lemon Balm for is to help with horses and ponies who have thyroid problems. Many horse owners have experienced either first hand or through a friend's struggle with a horse that seems to gain weight on air. Problems with the thyroid are often related to problems with metabolic function. Lemon Balm is an excellent choice to try for horses who tend to have problems with excessive weight as it is a nice gentle herb that tends to blend easily with other herbs. With it's refreshing smell and taste there is just something about Lemon Balm that feels like summer. One of my favorite ways to let our horses and ponies choose their dose is to cut it up in the water trough.

Lemon Balm is also good for spasmodic colic and is considered a good choice for treating depression. Anyone who has smelled Lemon Balm can attest to it's uplifting quality. Like most herbs it is not a suitable choice for those who are pregnant and I would encourage and assume anyone who is pregnant to consult a professional before adding any supplements, herbal or otherwise to their diet.

T'Pring on Easy Stride

From our nutritional corner:

Most people who are familiar with Three Treasures Farms know of our great teacher, T’Pring. A former Hunter/Jumper all star, turned lesson horse, T’Pring frequently is the “Horse That Could”. When Ferronato first began her rehabilitative work on T’Pring, six years ago, many people thought Ferronato had finally bitten off more than she could chew. T’Pring’s lameness was so severe that it looked to most that there was simply no hope for the horse to live a productive and pain-free life. After two years of intensive therapy, T’Pring went from being a horse who couldn’t even trot to the left to winning in the local dressage show ring at Intro level. Not bad for a stiff old lady mare!

Ferronato attributes a great deal of T’Pring’s successful recovery to good nutrition and the excellent body work she has received. T’Pring receives several massages each week and was getting chiropractic adjustments sometimes as often as twice per month. Sadly, with Dr. Lindberg’s relocation to the Medford area, all of the Three Treasures Farms horses and ponies are missing her magical healing touch.

Given the recent financial climate, we at Three Treasures Farms have been forced to make some difficult financial choices. With T’Pring’s supplements costing more than several other horses’ put together, we have been forced to cut back on hers so that other critical bills could be paid. Over the last few months the lack of supplementation has contributed to several setbacks in her soundness.

T’Pring’s heart often over shadows the rest of her body and she has a tendency to give it her all, even when she shouldn’t, only to end up laming herself and needing to be off work for periods of time. Those periods of time were becoming longer and more frequent, causing her to lose much of her muscle tone, and creating a downward spiral. We were starting to worry that this great matron might no longer able to teach in the way she was accustomed.

At that time we had run out of her Earth Angel Herbs’ Nublada’s Formula (given to treat her melanomas) but had a tub of their Easy Stride formula donated. Ferronato elected to try the Easy Stride until funds could be raised to purchase more of the cancer treatment formula. A remarkable thing happened, though: T’Pring got her game back. She began to become more and more sound, having more and more energy and showing a high interest in teaching again.

When Working Student Alyce Miller tacked her up to do some under saddle walking, T’Pring literally pranced into the arena and has been convincing Ferronato to let her work every day since. Her soundness has improved by leaps and bounds (even jumping around when Ferronato asked her to do some free movement to assess her soundness, AFTER teaching a full hour lesson).

Although we are continuing to proceed slowly and cautiously (even if T’Pring is not) we are so amazed and excited by what we are seeing that we couldn’t wait to share the good news with everyone. The Easy Stride formula is significantly cheaper than what we had used previously for T’Pring’s joint and muscle health, which allows us to save money and provide more supplementation to our other horses in need.

For those of you wishing to contribute to T’Pring’s continued recovery, Earth Angel Herbs generously provides Three Treasures Farms with a $40 discount on the four-month-supply size of all their wonderful products, including both Easy Stride and Nublada’s Formula. They also make it very easy for Three Treasures Farms’ supporters to help us. People wishing to donate simply contact them directly: they’re on the web at www.earthangelherbs.com or toll-free at (877) 898-8098. Just let them know you wish to make a donation to us and provide your payment information; they already have all the shipping information to deliver the product directly to our door. Since we are a 501c3 non-profit, if you email us a copy of your receipt from Earth Angel Herbs, we are able in turn provide you with a donation receipt for your taxes.

We offer many thanks to everyone who has assisted with donations in the past, and to those of you who continue to support us in the present and future. Thanks to you, we can look forward to being able to share this amazing horse and teacher with many more of you in the years to come.