Just a few little herbs... (Cara)

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Notebook firmly tucked under her arm, pen in her pocket, and refusing to let herself be distracted by the antics of horses in the field's either side of her, Jess made good time down to the pasture which she remembered being Cara's. At least, she really hoped it was Cara's or she was going to look really stupid standing just inside the gate to it.

And Cara wasn't here. But then, she realised, checking her watch, she had made very good time, and Cara had had to do things with her mares, first, so it made sense that she would arrive first. So, no need to worry. Unless she was in fact in the wrong place.

Dismissing that thought, she clambered up onto the fence, seating herself on the top rung - almost managing to drop her notebook in the process - and waited there patiently, idly swinging her legs as she watched clouds zip by overhead. Must be a strong wind up high, she thought, but down on the ground, only a gentle breeze ruffled the trees, and the weather, Jess decided, was just about perfect.

[Ω-Admin-Cara-Ω]

Cara slipped into White Oak and into the tack room where she grabbed her mares' rope halters, matching leads, notebook and pen, she then slipped into the feed room room and grabbed a bottle of lavender oil, some rosemary, a jar of chamomile and a clove of garlic. The herbs and notebook she tucked into a fabric bag before she headed down to first Arlette's stall and then Phoenix's.

She walked out to her assigned pasture, her hand securely on the Chincoteague's lead and the Avengelise mare calmly following at her shoulder, lead slung over her neck. She grinned at Jessica when she spotted the girl sitting on the fence waiting for them. "I see you have your own notebook." She noted as the trio reached the gate and the girl swung it open. She laughed as Phoenix laid her ears back toward the other girl as she walked wide and through the gate, standing obediently while her human closed the gate and removed the golden mare's halter.

After removing the skewbald's halter as well, she turned to Jessica. "Let's go and sit under the trees by the river." She suggested, looking forward to the shade under the Twisted Willow that stood down by the river alongside the Weeping Willows. "I could teach you how to read a horse's face too if you would like?"

Once under the tree and settled on the ground, Cara opened the cloth bag and tipped out the contents. She pushed the notebook and pen back inside the bag with a sheepish grin. "I don't want to overload you with too much at once so I just brought a few. Today I have brought; Garlic, Rosemary, and Chamomile." She pointed to each as she said it's name. "Before I do all the talking, do you know anything about any of these herbs and what they're used for?"

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Waving as she saw Cara approaching with her two horses, Jess let her sort them out herself, knowing the Phoenix, definitely, wasn't too keen on human company. Agreeing with a nod to the comment about her own notebook - of course she'd come well supplied! - she jumped off the gate, falling in behind Cara as she led the way down to the trees by the river. "Read a horse's face?" she echoed, surprise tinging her words. "Beyond, like, ears back meaning discomfort or anger?"

Sitting down next to Cara, cross-legged, she uncapped her pen and prepared to take notes, listening intently as she looked closely at the three proffered herbs. "Uh, well, rosemary," she began, preparing to spill her very limited knowledge of herbs, "I know it's used a lot in Mediterranean cookery, and used to be associated with weddings in the Middle Ages, but nothing useful about it for healing. And chamomile... isn't that put in tea, to calm people? So I'm guessing a calming agent, and garlic... I have no idea, other than that it's also used in cooking. And to ward off vampires."

[Ω-Admin-Cara-Ω]

Cara nodded about the reading of a horse's face. "Everything you need to know about a horse, is on her face." She said, using the female term as she had two mares in the pasture. "The shape of their face, eyes, nostrils, ears... things like that. They all tell you bits about their personality. We'll get to that though at another time."

She listened to Jessica's limited information about the herbs and what they were used for. Cara laughed gently at the younger girls cooking reference for Rosemary and nodded that the girl knew that chamomile was used as a calming agent. "Okay. Rosemary is used as an anti-inflammatory, tonic, antiseptic, and a stimulant. It's used to stimulate circulation and as a blood cleanser. The essential oil is used for it's antiseptic and antifungal qualities. Most importantly, it can't be used on pregnant mares." Next she pointed to the Chamomile. "As you said it's used for it's calming properties. It's also an anti-inflammatory. Used for all cases of tension, restlessness and stress." She then lifted up the clove of garlic, being careful not to squash it in her hand as she didn't want to attract the attention of Phoenix - who ate garlic like it was an apple. "Lastly we have the garlic. Other than being a great antiseptic and an antibiotic, it's also a great boost for the immune system and also a wonderful natural insect repellent - that works from the inside out. It's rich in sulfur and is an all-around really good herb." She laughed as she finished. "Are you managing to get any of this?"

Notes: The information above came from the book A Modern Horse Herbal by Hilary Page Self. I religiously feed my boys garlic year round and never have to worry about things like bot flies, lice ot anything like that.

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Concentrating fiercely, Jess began to write almost as soon as Cara began to talk, making sure to hopefully commit the look of the plant to memory, as well, just in case she was ever in a situation where garlic, rosemary and chamomile weren't helpfully labeled. Maybe she'd have to find some pictures, later, that she could put in beside her notes. She was sure there was probably a book or two in the library, as well, that would tell her more about all of this - though getting it from Cara was, in many ways, better than that, as she was getting the benefit of practical experience. Still, doing extra research never hurt anyone.

Soon, her notebook was filled with the following:

*Rosemary: anti-inflammatory, tonic, antiseptic & stimulant. For circulation and blood cleansing. Oil is antiseptic & anti-fungal. Not for pregnant mares.

*Chamomile: Calming & anti-inflammatory - for tension, restlessness, stress.

*Garlic: Antiseptic, antibiotic, immune system booster & insect repellent. Lots of sulphur, generally v. good.

"Ah, most of it, yes," she said, as her pen came to a halt and she looked up. "So, would you just feed these to a horse in their normal feed? Or like with chamomile for people, in a kind of tea thing? And how do you know how much to use?"

((I'm definitely going to have to look into this, more. I'll have to see if I can find that book in the local tack-shop...))

[Ω-Admin-Cara-Ω]

"Ah, most of it, yes. So, would you just feed these to a horse in their normal feed? Or like with chamomile for people, in a kind of tea thing? And how do you know how much to use?"

She smiled. "Yes, you mostly just add the dried or fresh herb to their feed, where possible, I will use the fresh herb over the dried unless I have dried it myself. Funny you should mention Chamomile tea. If your horse has sore or inflamed eyes, or a mare with mastitis, you can brew a handful of the flowers in 2 pints of boiling water and once cooled bath your horse's eyes. As for dosage, a handful of the dried flowers is what you'd add for as long as they are needed." She waited a moment while Jessica finished writing down what she had said. "With Rosemary, you give them either a handful of the fresh leaves or 15 grams of the dried herb." She offered the Rosemary she had brought. "It has a sweet scent that remains on your hands after you've picked it, so it's easy to spot. With garlic you can feed six to eight cloves daily or 15 to 30 grams of pure garlic powder. Oh, one more thing with garlic, you need to be careful of the amount you feed nursing mares as it may taint the milk and this may upset the delicate digestive system of the foal."

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Continuing to scribble, Jess added the following to her notes, sticking the information related to each particular herb - as opposed to herblore in general - under her previous details about each herb, mentally priding herself for her forethought in having left spaces.


To use: Dried/fresh herd to feed (fresh better?).

*Chamomile as tea for sore/inflamed eyes or mare w' mastitis - handful of flowers in 2 pts. boiling water, bath eyes once cool. Other uses, handful of dried flowers as long as needed.

*Rosemary handful of fresh leaves/15g dried. [/font]

Taking the proffered Rosemary, she stuck her nose to it, immediately picking up on the mentioned sweet scent. "Both fresh and dried Rosemary smells like this?" she questioned, adding
Smells sweet. to her section on Rosemary.

*Garlic: 6-8 cloves, or 15-30g powder. Be careful with feeding to nursing mares - may taint milk.

"So," she asked after a moment's thought of reviewing what she'd just written. "I guess you wouldn't really feed these things to foals, would you? Or would you? When would it be okay to start feeding herbs to young horses?" She was guessing when they actually started eating solid feed, but she thought she'd better ask, and check first. Admittedly, the first time she ever used any of these herbs she'd be sure to ask someone, first, just to make sure she wasn't doing any harm - and Acorn was far out of foalhood anyway, but it was best to know everything one possibly could, she was certain.

[Ω-Admin-Cara-Ω]

Cara nodded. "Yes, both the dried and fresh herb release the same sent. If you want to be sure, just rub it between your fingers." She sorted through her memory as she listened to Jessica's next question. "Pretty much from day one, as they will be ingesting the herbs that their dam is taking through the milk - so always watch what herbs you are feeding a mare."

She picked up the bottle of lavender oil. "This is a bottle of lavender oil. One of the herbs that is for external use only. It is used as a relaxant, antidepressant and circulatory stimulant. It is also the one essential oil that doesn't need to be diluted in a carrier oil." She gave a whistle and smiled as the heads of both of her ponies shot up before they both ambled over. "The best thing about animals is that they can tell us what treatment they need." She opened the bottle of oil and inhaled the bitter but sweet scent of the herb filled the air around them and offered it to Phoenix, making sure she had a good hold on the bottle. "See, she's telling us that she doesn't need it." She pointed out as the mare's ears went back and she turned her head away from the bottle before she walked away. The fifteen year old then offered the bottle to the skewbald mare. "Whereas Arlette here is saying that she could do with a massage." She slipped her thumb over the top of the bottle as the mare's mouth sought out the bottle.

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Continuing to scribble, Jess added the following before pausing to ask any questions, and watch Cara's mares reactions to the lavender oil Foals also affected by herbs fed dam - so be careful! [/font]

"Wow," she murmured, watching as Phoenix made it very clear that she wasn't interested in the strong smelling bottle, while Arlette attempted to eat it, almost instantly. "How do they know what's good for them?" she wondered, half rhetorically, "I guess that makes it a little easier to know what to use..." She thought for a moment, then posed another question. "But what if you know that a herb is good for something your horse is suffering from, and they're giving you all the signs that they don't want it? Should you try and find a different herb that does something similar?" She asked this as she wrote a few things down about lavender oil.

* Lavender oil: External use only (use undiluted). Relaxant, antidepressant & circulatory stimulant. Massaging.

Horse tell us what they need: disinterest in herbs means they don't want them, so no point using them. [/font]

"So you use lavender as a massage oil, then," Jessica concluded, logically, before turning a look to Cara halfway between hopeful and intensely interested. "Could I learn how to do that, too? Massages, I mean."

[Ω-Admin-Cara-Ω]

"Could I learn how to do that, too? Massages, I mean."

Cara laughed gently. "Yes, lavender is used for massaging, or for inhaling due to the antidepressant properties. As for massaging, there's nothing to learn. Everyone massages their horses every time they groom them. Just massaging an oil in, you use a little more pressure. Almost like when you use a rubber curry comb." She capped the bottle of oil and rubbed the skewbald mare's muzzle. "I think Arlette here may have wanted the oil because she is feeling a little out of sorts about being here. I get the feeling that she was a weekend pony, and isn't used to being worked so much." She looked at Jessica with raised eyebrows. "Is there anything new or strange with Acorn's behaviour that you have thought to be a little odd for this time of the year?" She knew that her just bringing random herbs along and telling the other teen the textbook details about them, she wanted to know if there was anything the girl could be using now. "Or even any habits that he has that you wonder if they have a pin-point reason to them?"

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Leaving her notes be for the moment, as Cara seemed to have stopped just imparting information, and was now expanding on what she'd said before, applying it to the here and now. Rather chuffed at the fact that grooming was almost massaging, she was silent for a few moments as she thought about the answer to Cara's question. There had, in fact, been something that had been niggling at the back of her mind for a few days now.

"Yeah, actually," Jess replied, nodding. "He's been a bit... subdued, I guess. Not terribly, but he used to always be quite enthusiastic when I'd enter the stable - I think he knows I always bring food - but he's not been so... bouncy, lately. And when I'm riding him he seems a bit subdued too. Not unhappy, really, just not as happy as he can be." She worried at her lip, rather glad that she was getting the chance to voice something that had been bothering her for a little while, now, but that she hadn't thought was really tangible enough to ask anyone's professional opinion about.

"I was wondering if it was something to do with the fact that where he used to be stabled was really quiet, and it's much busier - and larger - here. Maybe he doesn't like the bustle? I've been trying to spend more time with him, and turn him out into the paddocks, more, but he still seems slightly... off." She shrugged, trailing off unsurely, then looked at Cara hopefully.

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Cara listened with interest as Jessica explained what had been bothering her with Acorn. Her heart went out to the gelding who had been pulled up from his old life and shoved into the bustling world of an equestrian academy.

Cara was silent for a moment as she took a chance to soak in all the information and sort through her memory stores. "It sounds like Acorn might be feeling a little unsettled. Maybe being in such a busy, bustling place has him out of sync." She smiled to show that she had a couple of ideas tucked up her sleeve. "When we go back to the barn, I want to give you a couple of Bach remedies to add to his water. Walnut and Rescue remedies. The walnut will help him to adjust to his surroundings and the rescue remedy will help ease any stress that he is feeling the atmosphere around him. I'm also going to give you your own bottle of lavender oil and an atomizer spray that you can spray into the corners of his stall to help him chill out." She stopped talking for a moment to give the younger girl a chance to take it all in. "To his feed, I would like to suggest that you offer him some chamomile, dried mint and pure apple juice. Has he at all been off his feed, or fussy about what he will eat?"

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Brightening as Cara came up with a significant list of things that might help, Jess found herself leaping to her feet in her eagerness to get started on them. "So there are things that will help?" she said, relief obvious in her tone as she considered her usually spunky pony, who'd been slightly less spunky lately. "Oh, good - I guess I should have brought this up earlier," she admitted, rather sheepishly, "But I kept hoping he'd get used to things, especially once I started making sure I was turning him out in a quiet paddock away from the main centre of activity."

Retrieving her notebook from where she'd managed to topple it into the grass, she quickly scribbled down the list of things Cara was suggesting, handwriting rather less neat now she was standing up. "No, he's been eating fine," Jess said. "Not at all fussy. That's a good thing, right?"

Realising she was standing, she felt a flush begin to redden her cheeks, and smiled rather bashfully as she asked, "Er, would you mind if we went and, er, got started on all that now? I wouldn't want Acorn to be stressed out for longer than he absolutely has to be."

[Ω-Admin-Cara-Ω]

Cara stiffened as the girl leaped to her feet, but relaxed when she realized that Jessica was just excited. She leaned back and laughed at the girl's enthusiasm. "Him eating well is great." She assured the girl as she packed the things away into her cloth bag. "If he was being finicky about his food I had a few suggestions to entice him there too. If he doesn't like the herbs, try adding walnuts or sunflower seeds to his feed. They are a really nice treat and I have yet to meet a horse to refuse them."

She grinned as she rose to her feet. "No time like the present." She said as she motioned for Jessica to lead the way.

OOC: Shall we take this to the barn?