Families, Tribes and Herds

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The month of May was a time of profound growth and change for us. In celebration of all that happens here, we had a Barn Warming pancake breakfast and gathering, followed by an impeccable seminar on founder and laminitis by our dear friend and tribe member, Nina Corman. The day after that, we hosted a Horse Show for students and their families/friends. It was a delightful, informative and hard working weekend for all.

Majic, our white Foxtrotter, was the subject of the Founder program - he has been back and forth with relapses of his disabling condition. With Nina's care on Saturday, he was up and participating in the Horse Show on Sunday!

The Tribe

Johnny kept us full of pancakes from a shady spot under the mulberry trees. Then we started the learning and treatment protocols with our beloved Majic. Katharine made her hoof packing putty (green French clay, honey, zinc oxide and eucalyptus oil). The putty draws out infection and eliminates odor - EVEN inside hoof boots!

The Family

At the Show, we had 30+ spectators (family and friends of students) under the Cypress trees while we ran classes from a trotting Barrel Race to Bareback on a Dollar to Hunter Hack and everything in between. It was wonderful to see almost all of the Dharma Horses together, happy and healthy with the riders! Our friend, Jerry judged the Show. We are very grateful for his time and energy.

Everyone received a blue ribbon!!

I will never cease to be amazed at the great kindness and generosity of horses. They will try their best to understand us and do what we ask of them.

I have seen horses who will challenge an adult rider and yet become total babysitters with a child on their back. I've seen horses whose mistreatment in the past should have left them suspicious and frightened of all humans, yet they could forgive and give us "one more chance" to be trustworthy.

The Herd!

Our three "toothless" horses get soaked pellets (into a soggy mush) twice a day and the expense is quite high for doing that! Of course, Vega, Peppa and Baby/Lady are certainly worth it! But we run on a "shoestring" here, blessed by the fact that we use Phytotherapy and can do most of our health care ourselves. Our sweet Vega did stop eating last week and we IMMEDIATELY got the dentist out. Vega had 3 loose teeth and some points on the few teeth he has left. A session with the dentist has him eating and perky and happy again. But the pellet situation is difficult. Mark and Johnny found us a Hay Grinder that will hook to the tractor. Our plan is to get it running and grind our hay for the soaked mush food for the three who need it. The other up side to this beyond the saving of money will be knowing exactly what goes into the mush for them. Even simple hay based pellets could have an accidental dead animal or weeds in them. And any composite feed made with the scraps swept from the floor in a place where cattle feeds are made (cattle get antibiotics and urea - deadly to horses) or heavy grains and additions of rice bran, corn oil and the like are not healthy. We never feed composite feeds. Simplicity suits us... and our horses!

The Volunteers and helpers KEEP this place going!!

Thank you to everyone who dedicates their time & effort for the horses.

And to keep these horses (and the women and children who are healed by them) thriving, we need the donations that buy hay, medicine, shavings, bran, herbs, pellets, blankets, bandages, hoof care and materials to repair the facilities. As little as $20 a month on a recurring basis from several donors can be the difference between just feeding them and truly healing them.

PLEASE DONATE

Horses like Clementine, Vega, Majic and Lady are at risk of being sent to slaughter because of their age or unsoundness. If sold privately or through an auction, they can likely move on to the killer pen. At Dharmahorse, they have a soft landing in a healing environment with no pressure to perform or be "normal". They are allowed to be themselves and heal at their own rate. Their value is recognized. Their goodness is acknowledged. They work with us in the healing of humans as well.

Mark is building us obstacles and props for the therapeutic and lesson clients. As we add possibilities, we see amazing results. This group of unwanted equines has found purpose and dignity in each doing the best he or she can (even if it is just walking because of a lameness or sight issue) to add positive experiences and build confidence and strength in the humans they touch.

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HERBAL SOLUTIONS from Dharmahorse

Herbs to prevent & eliminate parasites:

What we use:

Herbs with sulfur content are useful to keep the worms discouraged and garlic, turmeric and sea weeds are good sources of organic sulfur. Anise seed is a digestive aid added with the de-worming herbs or fed afterward to reduce flatulence. Ginger root in small amounts can prevent "griping" - simple stomach pain after treatments. Fenugreek seed fed in between "wormings" aids digestion and strengthens the stomach/intestine lining.

Wormwood: Artemisia absinthium - with an affinity for removing roundworms (ascarids), it is a good choice for young horses who are often plagued by these. I grow wormwood and dry it. I feed the ground, dry herb, one teaspoon per 1,000 pounds daily for the one week period as part of the herbal worming combination.
Thyme: Thymus vulgaris - contains Thymol which kills heartworms. Thyme is effective against all parasites. It also contains phenol and is a good digestive aid. I feed one tablespoon daily per 1,000 pounds to a horse.
Garlic: Allium sativum - is not only a "de-wormer" but is "nature's antibiotic" because it kills pathogens. Garlic can adversely affect the liver in large amounts over prolonged periods, especially given as oil. I feed the dry, granulated or fresh cloves. I add one teaspoon per 1,000 pounds per day to the worming combination that is fed for 5 to 7 days.
Pau D'Arco: Tababuia avellandae - inner bark is used for many healing applications from yeast infections to cancers. It is very useful in a mixture for de-worming. Add the cut and sifted or powdered herb by the tablespoon (cut & sifted) or teaspoon (powder) per 1,000 pounds of horse's weight per day. Pau D'Arco combines well for humans with Black Walnut, but we must NEVER feed Black Walnut to horses (and never use shavings from the tree); either will founder a horse.
Olive Leaf: Olea europaea - the dry, ground leaves are used to boost the immune system (which also helps to repel parasites) and as an anti-parasite herb. I feed the powder by one teaspoon per 1,000 pounds per day in the horse's de-worming mixture.

There are three ways of addressing dis-ease:

The Scientific Tradition uses chemistry to alleviate symptoms.
The Heroic Tradition uses herbs in a similar way to address the disorder according to the herbal effects.
The Wisdom Way nourishes the body to support its own innate healing.

Always use the herbalist's safety ways - give a small amount at first and watch for any reactions! An individual horse can be sensitive to certain herbs. If you have any adverse reaction, cease using it right away.
Remember that all healing takes time.
Bodies know how to heal themselves given the right nourishment, rest and support.

PLEASE DONATE

Every dollar that comes to Dharmahorse helps support the care of the horses and the maintenance of our Holistic Stable & organic therapies. There are no salaries paid. It's ALL about the horses.

OF ART AND HORSES:

You can also help the Dharma Horses while enjoying cool art on clothing and cups and clocks and pillows by visiting our Redbubble Store - all of the proceeds go directly into the Dharmahorse Account Hay Fund.