Equine Naturopathy & Muscle Therapies

06/04/2022

05/03/2022

03/03/2022

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) has been detected in piggeries in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.

JEV is a mosquito-borne viral disease that mostly occurs in pigs and horses, but can cause disease in people and rarely other animals...

Read the full article here: http://www.equestrianlife.com.au/articles/Japanese-Encephalitis-detected-in-Eastern-Australia

03/03/2022

Horse virus alert

Japanese encephalitis is an acute mosquito-borne viral disease that occurs mostly in pigs and horses.

The virus has recently been confirmed in piggeries in NSW, QLD and Victoria.

In horses, the disease is usually mild but severe encephalitis can occur which may be fatal. Signs include fever, jaundice, lethargy and anorexia.

Neurological signs include incoordination, difficulty swallowing, impaired vision, and rarely a horse can become over excited.

Some horses can be infected with the disease but not show any signs.

This is a nationally notifiable disease so it must be reported to biosecurity authorities. If you see signs of Japanese encephalitis in horses or donkeys, immediately call the Emergency Animal Disease Watch hotline on 1800 675 888.

Horse owners can help their horses avoid mosquito bites. Put a light rug and fly mask on your horse and apply a safe insect repellent.

The virus does not present any food safety issues from eating pork meat or products.

https://fal.cn/3mAik

21/02/2022

Once in every equestrian’s life, they will meet a special horse.

This horse wont necessarily be a Badminton winner or dressage champion. They won’t always carry multiple titles or be the most talented with the best breeding.

Very often, these horses are nothing more than ordinary. They might have the odd lump here or a strange marking there. They probably won’t tick all the boxes for conformation and they will probably have some character “quirks” that not everyone will be able to see past.

You don’t find these horses, they find you. They can come to you by accident or hide in plain sight. They are the one rescued from the meat man or the one in the last stable at the dealing yard. They are the last horse you go to see before you give up searching or the scruffy three year old stood in a field of mud. They are the horse you never even knew you needed.

People will raise an eyebrow when you say this is your “best horse”. Not everyone will see what you see and that’s ok because this horse will be special to you. They will unlock little things inside you and make you feel more at home than you’ve ever felt anywhere else in your life.

They may not always be easy, in fact they might be anything but easy, but it doesn’t stop you loving them. I’m not saying the will follow you round the arena with no lungeline, or that you can ride them tackless down the beach... but you’ll have your own connection that is hard to describe and even harder to explain.

There is no rhyme or reason as to why this horse is so special. You don’t have to have won at every event or defied death together to validate your relationship, it just happens.

You won’t feel this way about another horse. Sure, there will be ones that come close and it doesn’t stop you loving any other horse just as much as this one, but this one is special. This is your heart horse.

Some people stumble across their heart horse early on in their life, others wait a lifetime to meet, but somewhere out there is a horse that was made for you, so if you haven’t met them yet... be patient, they will find you.

They might not always be the horse you want, but they will always be the horse you need.

What special horse has found you? Share your photos in the comments! 🥰

05/02/2022

A horse in the New South Wales Hunter region has died and more across the state have been infected with West Nile virus in numbers not seen since the outbreak of 2011.

01/02/2022

FREE DOWNLOADABLE PDF AT THE BOTTOM

SO FAR as we are able to determine this is the first book, first published in 1950 to be written in praise of weeds. According to Joseph Cocannouer, weeds — the common ragweeds, pigweeds, pusleys and nettles, to mention four — perform the valuable services
https://savoursoilpermaculture.com/weeds-guardians-of-the-soil/

31/01/2022

West Nile virus has been detected in a small number of horses across NSW.

West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne virus which can affect horses, people and other animals. Only mosquitoes can spread the disease.

The early stages of disease may be mistaken for colic. Initially horses may appear depressed and reluctant to move but these signs are soon followed by neurological signs.

Horse owners are encouraged to take extra precautions to reduce exposure to mosquitoes through rugging, insecticides and restricting grazing times when mosquitoes are most active.

West Nile virus is a notifiable disease in NSW. If you suspect a horse is showing signs of the disease, call the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.

More information on West Nile Virus can be found on the DPI website at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/animals-and-livestock/horses/health-and-disease/west-nile-virus

Local Land Services NSW

18/01/2022

After visiting a market garden battling this particular aggressive grass I was keen to know if it had benefits as well.
Beneficial: Palatable fodder. Stems and root have been known to be eaten.
Leaves and shoots eaten as cooked vegetable. Family: Asteraceae which is
known to attract beneficial insects like ladybeetles. Can be used as a sacrificial
plant
https://savoursoilpermaculture.com/weedy-wednesday-kikuyu/

15/01/2022

credits to the original poster and original photograph

11/01/2022

Beneficial: Used as an antidepressant in herbal medicine. Source of red and
yellow dyes. Herbal tea for melancholy. Ornamental.
Toxicity: Toxic to horses, sheep, cattle and goats. Horses are most sensitive
and goats least sensitive. Causes contact dermatitis in people. Both leaves and
flowers may be toxic
Detrimental: Fire hazard in plantations. Relatively unpalatable. Taints milk.
Affects fleece quality and causes vegetable fault. Toxic.

04/01/2022

Bracken
Life cycle: Perennial. Spores germinate in ash beds and complete the sexual
portion of their life. Asexual ferns form and produce patches. Shading or
allelopathy (the production of toxins) usually eliminates other plants within the
patches. New fronds emerge from underground rhizomes in spring, and mature
over summer. These fronds die in winter (usually after frost) and fall, smothering
other plants. Patches spread about 1 m per year.

02/01/2022

We're always on the lookout for symptoms of snakebite in our dogs, but what about our horses?

"I caught my son’s pony Mounty with the intention of having her saddled and ready to ride when he came home from school. Thank goodness I did, because I doubt I would have noticed the very slight tremor in her front legs had she been left undisturbed in the paddock," writes Rosie Merrin...

Read more: www.equestrianlife.com.au/articles/Snakebite-in-horses

29/12/2021

Broadleaf Dock
Beneficial:
Used in herbal medicine for rubbing on skin to neutralise stinging nettle and other skin irritations.

22/12/2021

Thank you to our valued friends and clients for your ongoing support. Best wishes from Ron, Di, Jazz, Lexi & Jack

21/12/2021

Caltrop
Toxicity: Dense infestations may be toxic to stock causing photo sensitisation
of skin around lips, ears and eyes followed by swelling of the head. Sheep are
more commonly affected than cattle.
Causes a chronic staggers mainly in the British breeds of sheep.
Spiny burr may cause injury to feet and intestines of stock and form p***y sores
where they pe*****te the frog of horses hooves.
It can accumulate nitrate and oxalate levels high enough to cause nitrate
poisoning and oxalate poisoning in stock especially after spraying with industrial
chemical herbicides.

07/12/2021

Hedge Mustard
A bristly, annual or biennial (lasting 2 years) herb with a rosette or deeply divided leaves with toothed margins with a much larger rounded terminal lobe that grows to 90cm high. The stems are wiry with pale yellow terminal flowers.

30/11/2021

Johnsons Grass
A tall, relatively hairless perennial grass with broad, long leaves with a prominent midrib underneath, jagged membranous ligule and erect stout stems arising from a creeping, rooting, scaly rhizome. It produces a purplish-brown pyramidal, seed head about 25 cm long in summer. It is listed as one of the 10 worst weeds in the world.

28/11/2021

I flinch too when I see horses (and dogs) being slapped, with the person thinking they are petting and being nice. I realise the intention is not to scare or hurt, but have a think about what actually feels good and what doesn't...
I hope you choose to stroke your horse with love and kindness.

How to pet/pat a horse…

Ray says, “Oh hell boy! You don’t even know how to pet a horse!”

I looked around at him like maybe I’d misunderstood. I hadn’t.

Ray said, “You didn’ do nothin’ but scare him! You see him flinch?”

Ray is ridin’ toward me. I didn’t say anything, but I’m thinkin’, “Why, heck! They all do that to start with! He’ll get over it one of these days.”

Ray rode up beside that c**t and looked down at me.

“Think!" (That was one of my daddy’s favourite words too!)

"What’s the first thing he ever felt in his life?”

I shrugged.

“He felt his momma’s tongue lickin’ ‘em off.”

Ray rubbed the c**t along his mane, and the c**t just melted and worked his mouth.

"She didn’t take her tongue and go to bangin’ on ‘em like you did!”

I said, “Oh.”

– From a wonderful story ‘First Words’ by Buster McLaury - http://www.bustermclaury.com/stories.php

23/11/2021

Ribwort
Beneficial:
Palatable fodder while other fodder is limited, Insectary, Nectary, May eat young leaves as a spinach.
Detrimental:
Host for some plant diseases. Host plant for light brown apple moth
Toxicity:
May cause hay fever. May have a mild laxative effect

16/11/2021

W**dy Wednesday - Giant rat's tail grass
Biological control:
Bundaberg Regional Council and the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (DPI) have investigated a naturally occurring crown rot fungi’s (Nigrospora oryzae) which has had success on giant Parramatta grass to assist with giant rat’s tail grass management. Biosecurity Queensland is investigating other potential pathogens. To date no agent is proving effective on rat’s tail grasses.

16/11/2021

Today is World Horse Appreciation Day, a day to celebrate the powerful connection we have with these magnificent animals. ❤️

Who did you spend today with?

10/11/2021

W**dy Wednesday - Blackberry

Beneficial:
Blackberries are picked for food, preserves, jam, pies, wine, liqueurs. Leaves are used as a tea substitute. Canes are used for securing thatch. Fruit is rich in vitamin C. Pollen and honey are produced from it.
It has been used as a hedge plant and for controlling stream bank erosion.
Provide a refuge from feral cats for native birds.
Used in herbal medicine for coughs, diarrhea and blood cleansing..

02/11/2021

W**dy Wednesday looking today at Bracken as as a soil indicator:
Very low Calcium, High Potassium, High Zinc, High Aluminum Very little organic matter, More common in Sandy or well drained soils.

28/10/2021

Any nasal drainage can be an important indicator of a horse's health and can even herald an emergency. Here are six scenarios and possible causes.

26/10/2021

W**dy Wednesday
- this lawn grass can be very difficult to deal with but look at the benefits it brings.

22/10/2021

20/10/2021

Rag W**d - Annual. Seeds germinate in August to October after rain and grow quickly. Flowering starts in late summer and continues to May. Plants die in winter. Produces an average 3000 seeds per year with some producing up to 62,000. Seeds won't germinate for some time after maturity. Exposure to light and alternating temperatures improves germination. Seeds become dormant with high temperatures and may survive for over 40 years.