Helping horses and dogs live healthier and happier lives, naturally.
With winter fast approaching, it's time to start thinking about keeping your horses and dogs in tip top health over the colder months. Below you will find a few of the better known herbs for fighting winter ills.
Echinacea:
Fights infections, reduces symptoms of colds and flu, stimulates the immune system and heals minor wounds and burns. "The herb normalises the number of white blood cells in the blood and helps them surround and destroy bacteria and viruses," says Daniel B. Mowrey, Ph.D., director of the American Phytotherapy Research Laboratory in Salt Lake City, Utah, and author of The Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine. It also slows the spread of infection to surrounding tissues and helps flush toxins away from infected areas, he says.
Echinacea is generally considered safe, says Dr. Tyler, although an allergic reaction is always a possibility. Discontinue use if you experience any adverse effects.
Garlic:
Garlic was worshipped by the ancient Egyptians, chewed by Greek Olympian athletes and thought to be essential for keeping vampires at bay! But it is also good for zapping bacteria, keeping your heart healthy, warding off coughs and colds. Garlic is an antibiotic that can actually kill infecting bacteria and at the same time protect the body from the poisons that are causing the infection. It is known that the most sensitive bacterium to garlic is the deadly Bacillus anthracis which produces the poison anthrax. Even the forefather of antibiotic medicine Louis Pasteur acknowledged garlic to be as effective as penicillin and late studies showed similar activity to a more modern antibiotic, chloramphenicol. Even the blood of garlic eaters can kill bacteria and it is also reported that the vapor from freshly cut garlic can kill bacteria at a distance of 20 cms!
Rosehips:
Rosehips are a rich source of vitamin C as well as vitamin A, thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, vitamin K. Rosehips make an excellent spring tonic and are very useful for general debility and illness. Used with other herbs Rosehips will help horses return to health after illness. The high vitamin C content will help to fight infection and build up the body's defences. They also contain biotin and flavanoids for optimum hoof health. Rosehips play a major role in kidney rehabilitation and adrenal function and can be used to prevent Azoturia or "tying up". Rosehips can be made into a tea by mixing 2 dessertspoons of granules into 1 litre of boiling water and this is left to steep until cool. This tea can then be split in half and used to dampen down the morning and evening feeds. The dosage for a horse in work is one litre per day, fed grounds and all.
Fenugreek:
Soothes sore throat pain and coughs. From ancient times through the late 19th century, fenugreek played a major role in herbal healing. Then it fell by the wayside. Now things are once again looking up for the herb whose taste is an odd combination of bitter celery and maple syrup. Modern scientific research has found that fenugreek can help reduce cholesterol levels, control diabetes and minimise the symptoms of menopause. The ancient Greeks fed this herb to horses and cattle. The Romans then started using it, too, calling it "Greek hay." (In Latin, "Greek hay" is foenum-graecum, and that evolved into "fenugreek.") As fenugreek spread around the ancient Mediterranean, physicians learned that its seeds, like many seeds, contain a gummy substance called mucilage. Mixed with water, mucilage expands and becomes a gelatinous soother for irritated tissues.
Brookby Herbs have many herbs available to help your animals through the winter season. For horses we offer Echinacea Organic Plus, a natural antibiotic that also boosts the immune system and Breathe Free, a natural expectorant for treating respiratory problems such as viral coughs and colds. It will help to soothe away any irritations and unblock the airways.
Nature's Immune Booster for dogs is a certified organic blend of herbs which enhances your dog's general well-being and protects against common dog health problems like kennel cough symptoms.
Visit www.brookbyherbs.co.nz for a full range of natural organic herbal health blends for animals
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