tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post3548311558726586115..comments2024-03-08T16:13:12.521-05:00Comments on Journal of Ravenseyrie: Equus Ferus Ibericus and Arctium LappaLynne Gerardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16107340619393934366noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-67741008328305498962011-03-09T15:11:16.270-05:002011-03-09T15:11:16.270-05:00peter_be :
don't get to excited about europe ...peter_be :<br /><br />don't get to excited about europe Lynne ! You can easily fly around the world with googlemaps and zoom in and out to see what a devastating influence man has on the whole world ! Yes I'm rewildering my surroundings, but' do'nt think to much of that either, it's all so restricted here...vegetable country in very small parcels with constant overharvesting the same patches with the same veggies, using vast amounts of pesticides, fungicides, insecticides... it's a real horror.<br /><br />Rich Lowlands like flanders and the Netherlands have known a fast urban developement just because of the rich and wet croplands yielding enough to feed a growing population until a certain point...<br /><br />The whole of europe is in fact an agri-cultural landscape molded by ages of farming and urban and industrial development, nature is far gone .<br />Yes, 20 ha (50acres)of on farming recovered land is here (.be) called "a wood", and for once I'm not being sarcastic !!!<br /><br />Fly over Spain and Portugal (with GMaps) and you'll notice how arid it is, and it's getting worser, the northafrican sahara is moving north ! <br /><br />Good job if they are developping a natural reserve there, and it's a very good idea about the restocking with sorraias, but the Heckcattle, they shouldn't !!!! Its a complete unstable re-breed of a nazi-fantasma ; they'd better go for the nearest descendant of the aurochs, and that's scientifically proven native spanisch (and portugese) fighting bull stock (toros de lidia, reses de corrida ).<br />But of course of the right colour : bulls should be black or almost, with lighter eyeshadows, a creamy nosering and a creamy dorsal stripe ; cows schould be reddish with a darker head, and of course most important : no white !Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-6668394566725539502011-03-08T15:30:37.528-05:002011-03-08T15:30:37.528-05:00Peter wrote:
"and I'm sowing my own wild ...Peter wrote:<br /><i>"and I'm sowing my own wild plants back between my remuda, what was once fertile cropland, is back again flowering weedland....."</i><br /><br />I see you are doing your own part for "rewilding" landscapes. Europe is much farther ahead with such projects. Two are underway (one in Spain and one in Portugal) which are looking to be stocked with Sorraia along with the Red Deer and Heck cattle, similar to what has been done with the Koniks.<br /><br />Eva...your kind words made my day.<br /><br />Thank you everyone for reading and responding!Lynne Gerardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16107340619393934366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-83907389186652394552011-03-08T15:25:23.271-05:002011-03-08T15:25:23.271-05:00Monica wrote:
"It's nice to read all the ...Monica wrote:<br /><i>"It's nice to read all the interesting comments ! I added "furminator" to my vocabulary now."</i><br /><br />I did too, Monica...up until now, I was completely ignorant of the word and the tool.<br /><br /><i>"I have domesticated horses and I see this in them too since we gave them the opportunity to roam on our land free."</i><br /><br />If you and Michael haven't written about this already, I urge you to do so. (It might make a nice guest article for the Journal of Ravenseyrie...)Lynne Gerardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16107340619393934366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-74717224931511136042011-03-08T15:22:33.691-05:002011-03-08T15:22:33.691-05:00June wrote:
"Hmm. Think I might have to cook ...June wrote:<br /><i>"Hmm. Think I might have to cook up some burdocks."</i><br /><br />Let us know if you do, June. Be sure to read up on which plants to harvest...it is the first year plants (those that don't send up flower stalks) that one uses if you are going for the roots.<br /><br />Arctium lappa and its edible uses are featured in most herb books as well as many online articles.Lynne Gerardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16107340619393934366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-23815578301758362942011-03-08T15:18:38.305-05:002011-03-08T15:18:38.305-05:00Janet inquired:
"How important is it to remov...Janet inquired:<br /><i>"How important is it to remove noxious weeds from the environs where horses will be kept? Do domestic horses know how to avoid noxious weeds or will they eat them anyway?<br /><br />I am under the impression that you must have clean areas free of potentially noxious weeds in order to keep horses.<br /><br />Is this a misconception?"</i><br /><br />I addressed this in my response to Peter, and also Peter provided his own helpful comment.<br /><br />Do you have your answer now? If not let me know and I will elaborate.Lynne Gerardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16107340619393934366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-11370573107214394002011-03-08T15:16:29.720-05:002011-03-08T15:16:29.720-05:00Annemiek wrote:
"Standing in the sun, Rudolf ...Annemiek wrote:<br /><i>"Standing in the sun, Rudolf grazing and I working to get all that loose hair of him, it feels as if every sensation intensifies; the spring breeze, the sound of the birds, the smell of the trees, it’s really wonderful."</i><br /><br />It would seem that Rudolf helps you leave behind the world's troubles and appreciate the enchantment of the "Now". I wouldn't be surprised one day if science determines that being with horses, relaxed and in tune to their way of life releases beneficial endorphins. When that day comes, medical practitioners will write out prescriptions that their patients go to the great outdoors and connect with horses. Just think of it, there could be "horse spas" springing up all over the world!Lynne Gerardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16107340619393934366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-26800066068648744432011-03-06T23:16:07.038-05:002011-03-06T23:16:07.038-05:00Lynne, i love this post and how this velcro plant&...Lynne, i love this post and how this velcro plant's propensity for creating wondrous dreadlocked hairdos in the horses becomes an opportunity for intimate slumber grooming sessions. The pictures of Encantara allowing herself being groomed while napping speak volumes about the relationship between you and these animals.evahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12352450297889697710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-76018309047877541502011-03-06T09:04:07.265-05:002011-03-06T09:04:07.265-05:00Hi Lynne,
It's nice to read all the interesti...Hi Lynne,<br /><br />It's nice to read all the interesting comments ! I added "furminator" to my vocabulary now.<br /><br />Lynne wrote: "It is this type of interaction with the wild environment that may trigger particular genes to "switch on" a more primitive/wild phenotyical and morphological expression than they might otherwise. The mingling of chemical reactions that occur between what equines eat (as well as their overall relation to their environment) and how it affects them on an epigenetic level must have the potential for an infinite array of combinations."<br /><br />I have domesticated horses and I see this in them too since we gave them the opportunity to roam on our land free. I could not agree more!<br /><br />Lynne wrote: "Here is where the spirit of Burdock comes in. It is the nature of plants to have unlimited patience, to be in the moment and to take advantage of particular features of the day, and the horses themselves have a similar "go with the flow" manner of being.<br />There are times when the horses are approachable and willing to engage with me, and other times when they prefer I leave them to themselves."<br /><br />Same here too. I could not agree more! My horses too have their own lifestyle and this is important to recognize and understand.<br /><br />Just wonderful writting Lynne!<br />Thank you.<br /><br />MonicaMonica Bretschneiderhttp://www.monicasartstudio.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-71476226415006413642011-03-05T22:22:50.252-05:002011-03-05T22:22:50.252-05:00Hmm. Think I might have to cook up some burdocks.Hmm. Think I might have to cook up some burdocks.Junehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13428008814751524182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-35388331728876005872011-03-04T15:52:44.005-05:002011-03-04T15:52:44.005-05:00peter_be :
fweet... what did I started !
well, my...peter_be :<br /><br />fweet... what did I started !<br />well, my furminator is not a real one,<br />costed me no more than a fist full of dimes and works really well !<br />I 'don't use expensive oils nor wasted motorlubricants, what fits my salad, fits my horses....<br /><br />and I'm sowing my own wild plants back between my remuda, what was once fertile cropland, is back again flowering weedland.....<br />what is toxic usually doesn't taste well, only take care once it's cut for hay or to get rid of, that's the moment horses will eat it ....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-31470331335941649082011-03-04T12:25:32.671-05:002011-03-04T12:25:32.671-05:00Janet says,
Here's an article about the Furmi...Janet says,<br /><br />Here's an article about the Furminator developer's new home project:<br /><br />http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/columns/deb-peterson/article_7a1ac28a-091b-5d72-9bcc-1086f1f6dd42.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-5366364148234999812011-03-04T12:16:15.965-05:002011-03-04T12:16:15.965-05:00Janet says. . .
The Furminator 'people' ...Janet says. . . <br /><br />The Furminator 'people' are building their dream home near here -- Maybe we will see their new home some day in Architectural Digest.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-70951271190254000472011-03-04T11:55:44.066-05:002011-03-04T11:55:44.066-05:00Janet says. . .
How important is it to remove nox...Janet says. . .<br /><br />How important is it to remove noxious weeds from the environs where horses will be kept? Do domestic horses know how to avoid noxious weeds or will they eat them anyway?<br /><br />I am under the impression that you must have clean areas free of potentially noxious weeds in order to keep horses.<br /><br />Is this a misconception?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-63161730898996209412011-03-04T07:47:03.119-05:002011-03-04T07:47:03.119-05:00O yes the Furminator! I love that thing! VERY expe...O yes the Furminator! I love that thing! VERY expensive yes, but I am addicted to it. I just got mine out this week because Rudolf started shedding his winter coat for serious now. All the horses are very itchy, so when we go out for a walk and Rudolf starts grazing somewhere I get out my Furminator and start to brush him with it. Indeed it feels as if we go into some sort of trance after a while. Standing in the sun, Rudolf grazing and I working to get all that loose hair of him, it feels as if every sensation intensifies; the spring breeze, the sound of the birds, the smell of the trees, it’s really wonderful.Annemiekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09962378758056371983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-35806013398409101992011-03-03T12:46:04.656-05:002011-03-03T12:46:04.656-05:00Peter wrote:
"The burrs can be removed easily...Peter wrote:<br /><i>"The burrs can be removed easily by pouring on some vegetable oil, let it soak for some minutes and comb them with a dog-furminator (great tool too !)."</i><br /><br />I used to use baby (mineral) oil in the manner you described, but now I use Absorbine ShowSheen in which I mix some Cedarwood essential oil. Even though I say I'm "pulling burrs", my present technique is to actually pull strands of hair away from the burr until it is free. The ShowSheen mixture makes the hair nice and slippery. Typically then there is less breakage of the hair and I can extract the burrs entire and my overall "touch" is gentler and better accepted by the horses. In the event that the burrs are already degraded and breaking apart, I will use my fingers and brush to get the broken filaments out.<br /><br />I had to look up what a "dog-furminator" is. I'll bet they do work really well with the method of burr removal you practice, Peter. Boy howdy, though, those furminator brushes are pricey!<br /><br />ShowSheen is pretty costly too, but since I'm only using it to help detangle manes and tails and not as a body shine product, it lasts a long time. It's not a natural organic product, so doesn't really fit in with the wilderness concepts Ravenseyrie espouses, but...oh well, I've checked and it is at least considered a benign synthetic.<br /><br />Maybe someday Kevin and I will concoct our own organic alternative to ShowSheen. I think we should put some bug repelling essential oils in it while we are at it! ;-) <br /><br />I used to know a farrier who recommended spraying burred and knotted manes and tails with the lubricant WD-40! Imagine how that made the horses smell!<br /><br />Peter again: <i>"Hounds tongue is toxic for horses, it contains pyrrolizidine alkaloïdes just like in senecia jacobaea (and other sen.var.). They culminate in the liver and can at a certain amount be lethal."</i><br /><br />I was unfamiliar with Hounds Tongue until moving here. It is just one of many potentially harmful plants that the horses live among. I have to trust that they will avoid toxic plants or ingest them only as a medicinal in rare instances.<br /><br />One wouldn't want these types of plants growing in limited, overgrazed pastures where horses have a habit of eating them because all good grazing is long gone. <br /><br />And then, of course, even in wilderness settings with ample good grazing one reads about horses that have developed a "taste" for the toxic plants and eat them anyway, much to their detriment. Sharron Sheikofsky of Caballos de Destino (where Belina and Bella came from) had a mare who developed a taste for Bracken Fern (<i>Pteridium aquilinum</i>) and died from the accumulated toxicity.<br /><br />Ravenseyrie has <i>Pteridium aquilinum</i> growing here (as well as senecia jacobaea) but so far, I've never witnessed the horses dining on these two plants.<br /><br />Thank you for reading and leaving your always-interesting comments, Peter!Lynne Gerardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16107340619393934366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-25162263613579476422011-03-01T17:49:56.110-05:002011-03-01T17:49:56.110-05:00peter_be :
arctium is a fantastic plant with very...peter_be :<br /><br />arctium is a fantastic plant with very nice flowers, it grows over here in my non-standard (but expensive Oh yes) grassland to. My horses don't eat it. The burrs can be removed easily by pouring on some vegetable oil, let it soak for some minutes and comb them with a dog-furminator (great tool too !).<br />The oil can get a little rancid, but that doesn't last long, it's cheap and absolute organic.<br /><br />Hounds tongue is toxic for horses, it contains pyrrolizidine alkaloïdes just like in senecia jacobaea (and other sen.var.). They culminate in the liver and can at a certain amount be lethal.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com