Sage By Nature honors a special horse as well as being a nice fit for my belief that every living being has the wisdom inside of it for health and healing. It is the very nature of animals to have internal wisdom about what they need and to then seek it out - be it herbs, minerals, vitamins, rest, or even death. Horses are no exception, and in fact are very good at it; a lot of what we know about herbs came from observing horses (also called herbivores). They listen to their bodies and seek out what they need. You cannot heal your horse (or other pet); they do the work themselves if they have everything that they need. The modern domesticated, stabled horse, however, is severely restricted and incapacitated in their abilities to help themselves. Mostly what we do is damage them further. Here on this site you will find information and links to resources to help you help your horse get and become as healthy as possible.
By building your knowledge base in the following areas, you set yourself up to make better decisions about the care of your horse.
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Know the horse's nature - its physical make-up, health requirements, and its emotional needs, instincts and ways of communicating
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Know the basic principles of holistic medicine and have some working knowledge of nature's remedies
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Know the nature of your own horse
If you choose to keep horses (and other animals), you owe it to them to learn as much as possible about how they communicate and how to keep them healthy and happy. I am still learning and feel that I will always be learning; I am just trying to narrow the gap somewhat between myself and equines. Humans tend to be very arrogant about what they think they know about species (including their own), yet most of us do not even understand ourselves fully.
Something to remember in all this, though, is that it does no good to learn about natural horse care and then get paralyzed with guilt or feel down in the dumps about what you have done to your poor animal unknowingly, just by doing what everyone else was doing. Nor does it help to become holier-than-thou with your new-found knowledge and make other people feel guilty or bad. Its all about balance and your relationship with your horse. Start where you are, and do what you can. (For more on this, see my article on boarding.) I am developing the Sage By Nature store specifically with products in mind to help those of us who for whatever reason(s) currently need to board our horses in a stable; let's try to support our horses physically and emotionally without being burdened with guilt ourselves.
Fortunately, you don't have to be a horse in order to have a great relationship with one (but it wouldn't hurt to imagine or think it sometimes). A lot of horse trainers and books will talk about feel, but when it comes to health you really cannot substitute for knowledge. Your instincts will then help you with the direction that you need to take or decisions that you need to make with that knowledge. You are the needle of the compass; you determine the kind of care that your horse gets, which includes coordinating the expertise of veterinarians, farriers, trainers, and anyone else coming in contact with your horse. It is up to you to voice your concerns, pay heed to your instincts, and never give up. Do not be intimidated by degrees, either, because no one has the same degree of experience with or intimate knowledge of your horse as you do. And finally, trust your guts - your horse does.
- "Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity" - Hippocrates
Check out the Sage By Nature blog for holistic news. If you have cats and/or dogs, please check out the page on holistic care for dogs and cats. I just couldn't leave them out. Also, for Cody the dog's story, click here.
Who is behind the site? Read the story here. If you find the site's information of value, please help support it by visiting the advertisers' sites and shopping at the Sage Book Store and Sage Gift Store. Looking for some humor? Check out horse husbands. I could not get my husband to wear boots and take riding lessons, so I ended up buying golf shoes and taking golf lessons...read more on my experience with horses, health, and husbands here.
Sage
1: wise through reflection and experience; one distinguished for wisdom2 : proceeding from or characterized by wisdom, prudence, and good judgment <sage advice>
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French sauge, from Latin salvia, from salvus healthy; from its use as a medicinal herb; Latin salvere means to heal or save.
Disclaimer: I am not a veterinarian, and I am not suggesting that this site be used to replace veterinary care; therefore I cannot accept any liability with respect to any loss or damage caused or allegedly caused by the information I am providing in this website. I have provided links to other organizations and suppliers of products that I think may be of value to those of you on your quest for information; this does not mean that I recommend every product they sell or agree with all of their views. As with everything else, please use your best judgement.