Memory Lane

When I was mixing up the herbs for Sophie's new owner to take with her, it crossed my mind yet again what a wonderful addition herbs are to our lives; not only for what they offer in terms of medicinal value, aesthetics and culinary, but just to our overall senses. Every time I open up the container of rosehips, I can close my eyes and easily believe I'm in a luscious sunny rose garden. Sprinkle a little peppermint or spearmint leaves over someone's grain, and I can make myself believe it's almost Christmas. Almost every smell brings back a wonderful memory or can transport me away from the dreariness of everyday life to someplace special.

The scent of wormwood doesn't bring a lot of memories, but it does bring back the ahhhha moment when I first read that wormwood is the main ingredient in absinthe. For those of you that are interested in trivia, it might be interesting to note that Van Gogh was drinking a tea made from wormwood (some reports say he was simply overindulging himself in absinthe) when he cut off his ear, and throughout the ages it has been used as an enbalming aid. Obviously, wormwood is an herb we keep away from uneducated hands, but it's very advantageous when modern dewormers don't seem to be doing the job. Also, when a tincture or concoction of wormwood is worked into the skin of a horse suffering from fungal or bacterial issues it can work absolute wonders.

Dandelion doesn't have much of a scent, but when we're doling it out to our older horses who need a mild dieuretic or are suffering from inflammation of some kind, just seeing the label brings thoughts of springtime and those sassy little yellow flowers. I know that those of you that prize your lawn hate dandelions, but I have always loved them. Their cheerfullness in full bloom, their puffability when they go to seed, and for the benefits our horses reap from both their leaf and root.

Garlic not only keeps away vampires but should be a staple in any natural horse's diet. Of course after opening that cannister you may be transported in memory no farther than the local Italian restaurant, but the benefits of feeding garlic to almost any horse (or other animal) can't be disputed. Got a finicky eater? A sprinkle of garlic on their food may increase appetite. Bothered by insects? Most insects won't bite an animal that has garlic in its bloodstream (guess there aren't any Italian mosquitos and flies?) and most internal parasites apparently find it fairly non-tasty too. Garlic naturally contains Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), a supplement that is commonly used on people and animals for joints and allergies, so it's a great additive for a horse that is feeling his age in his joints on cool mornings. Maybe that's why we all love pizza and spaghetti so much? Can I include it back in my diet now that we know that I'm really eating it for medicinal purposes?

Alfalfa leaf is an excellent choice for almost any diet. Bury your face in an open container and you're instantly in a sunny meadow filled with fresh-mown hay. It can be beneficial as a dieuretic and laxative, replaces vitamin K that is depleted during a lot of traditional medications (such as antibiotics etc), it acts as a blood purifer and detoxifier and is a great source of alkaline minerals that aid in digestion. It can be used in greater doses to treat ulcers (Dan was on a steady diet of it for a long time) because it includes vitamin A which helps to maintain the stomach's overall health and can help a horse with a problem balancing sugars to keep things in order.

One of my favorite places to visit used to be a true "herb shop." Not one of those pristine shoppes you see in the mall that have nicely lined up bottles of brightly labeled pills and capsules and tinctures, but the herb shops of old that have now, thanks to Uncle Sam and legislation been put out of business by the well-regulated and FDA-approved markets. When you opened the door to one of the old shops you became instantly able to travel through time to mystical, magical destinations, or maybe just back to your grandmother's knee as she washed her face with rose glycerine and patted her shoulders with lavender powder. The scents being used in today's products cannot come close to the smells of yesterday. I understand the need for regulation, and I understand how dangerous herbs can be in the wrong hands, but....I still long to be able to walk up a stone path, push open a creaky heavy old oak door and have those scents waft about for a moment as I stand there on the step in the sunshine and inhale as deeply as my lungs will allow. Occasionally, I still follow a hand-lettered sign down a dusty road to an almost-hidden greenhouse and garden where a smiling gardener may invite me in for a glass of tea before I head back home with my bounty (usually small pots of herbs for my own garden) and when we walk through that door and I inhale with a look of bliss on my face, for just a moment I can see my grandmother smiling at me through a veil of powder after she's blotted my nose with her powder puff.

Memory Lane. What a wonderful journey.





PS: Plagued by blackflies? They hate the smell of lavender oil. Put a drop or two on your horse's coat where the flies seem to be attracted and watch them scatter!