Our featured herb this week is Yarrow (Achillea millefolium). The flowers are used mostly and Yarrow is an important healer for our horses, our dogs and for us, too.

 

I hope you and your animals are well and that Nature provides good health and wellbeing to you through the properties of the blossoms, leaves, roots and berries of PHYTOTHERAPY. Even the carnivores need plant therapy and are wise self-healers, seeking out grasses and roots for ingestion. It is often believed that dogs and cats eat grass to cause regurgitation, but they actually are seeking the chlorophyll and nutrients of the plants. If the grass is broad and edges are sharp, it will cause vomiting.

 

Of course, horses cannot vomit and everything they eat must make it all the way through a very long digestive tract. That is why "gut motility" is so important to them...keep things moving!!

 

And keep an open heart to the nature based needs of all our animal companions. Their health is in our hands.

 

Sincerely,

 

Katharine Chrisley
Natural Paths

 

 

 

Reputedly used to treat wounds during the Trogan wars, it's Latin name is derived from the Greek hero, Achilles. I have used it as an infusion to drench (dose horses orally) my horses when the barn where they boarded was overcome by a severe respiratory tract infection. My geldings were the only horses not on antibiotics and they recovered first. A strong tea brewed from the flowers was used many times per day and I actually bathed their bodies with the "tea" and covered them with anti-sweat coolers to break their fevers. On this occasion, I added colloidal silver to their drenches, as well.

 

Yarrow tea is a profound healer of colds and flu in humans (boneset herb is added for flu to reduce aches and pain). Yarrow steam from a pot of boiled water can be inhaled to break up mucus. Yarrow blossom infusions are used orally after giving birth to slow the bleeding. It is styptic in its actions externally as well. DURING PREGNANCY, Yarrow is contraindicated.

 

Yarrow infusion can be used as an ear lotion for dogs. If your dog has external allergies, avoid Yarrow as it might cause a reaction.

 

Yarrow flower essence is used to alieve a sense of vulnerabilty, for shyness.

 

Of course, these statements have not been evaluated by any modern agencies like the FDA or USDA. My story is anecdotal (and true and I have many, many more!) and most plant based therapies are from hundreds to thousand year old traditions from cultures who depended upon them to maintain and heal their animals and families. There are many things we accept without evaluation or scientific testing... yeast will make bread rise, a potato will absorb the excess salt from a pot of soup. And our ancestors used nature based medicines effectively. I believe we need to take the best from all worlds and elevate our medicine to the least toxic, most nourishing it can be.

 

We are an information based company that cherishes Nature, Dogs, Horses and People!

Thank you for your time today.