You Wont Want to Miss Watching Doc Hammill on RFD TV Feb. 17th

2012-02-07T08:02:00.000-08:00

Doc Hammill provides essential advice and rulesto follow to prevent wrecks and accidents when driving horses. Go here and learn all about it.

Watch The Events Page on The Natural Gait website for Our Upcoming Doc Hammill Clinic, held in June, DBA!

It's an Annual June Event You Won't Want to Miss!

The Natural Gait - Horse Trainer

2012-01-23T10:50:00.000-08:00

Hi Terri,

I just wanted to send apicture of the 3 year old gelding Nieche, that you started and we bought fromyou when you lived in MASS. He is such a nice horse. He is betterthan most of the older horses we ride with! You helped a lot of us with our horses. You have a gift! Ifeel blessed to have been able have lessons that has totally changed my horsemanship for the better. I cant not thank you enough,for everything and of course the most important Naiche! Thank you Theresa J,

You can contact Terri at The Natural Gait

Happy Holidays from All of us.

2011-12-21T09:57:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays from The Natural Gait
The Natural Gait * Ion Exchange, Inc.
1878 Old Mission Drive, Harpers Ferry, IA 52146
877-776-2208TheNaturalGait.com * TNGmercantile. ntrlgait@acegroup.cc
Ion Exchange Inc. A Native Seed and Plant Nursery
Hbright@ionxchange.com

Learn About Echinecea the Beautiful Purple Coneflower

2011-12-20T11:17:00.000-08:00

Purple Coneflower

What Is Echinecea?

Taken from Hair Boutique.com (Health and wellness tip of the week)
At this time of yearcolds and influenza becomes a big concern.   Especially during theHolidays when people mingle in larger groups than normal. Due to the economy, changes in health coverage and other issues, more people are searching for alternative treatments forminor health concerns such as colds and flu.
Echinacea has become more popular as an option. It's often combined with goldenseal as a herbal alternative for amping up the immune system to block cold and flu viruses from taking hold. Used By Native Americans Echinacea angustifolia was widely used for its generalmedicinal qualities by the Native North Americans who lived in the Midwesternstates.
Native Americans learned of E. angustifolia by observing elk seeking out the plants and consuming them when sick or wounded. Theyidentified   those plants as elk root. Echinaceawas one of the basic antimicrobial herbs of eclectic medicine fromthe mid 19th century through the early 20th century. Its use wasdocumented for snakebite, anthrax, and for relief of discomfort. In the1930s echinacea became popular in both Europe and America as a herbalmedicine. EchinaceaIs A Flowering PlantEchinacea pronouncedek-i-NAY-sha is a genus of herbaceous flowering   plant in theAsteraceae daisy family. It's a popular alternative herbal style of treatment believed by many to help with cold and influenza  prevention and/or treatment.The generic nameEchinacea is rooted in a Greek word echinos,     meaningsea urchin. It references the spiky appearance and feel of the    flower heads. Echinacea plants reseed in thefall. New flowers   will grow where seeds have fallen from theprior year. Echinacea still falls under the categoryof folk remedy. You should always consult with your primary healthcare provider before taking any type of herbs oralternative treatments.Species Of EchinaceaIt's also known as thepurple coneflower. It's a North American plant group with nine species,three of which are commonly believed to help with cold and influenzaprevention. ColdAnd Flu Properties
The three speciesvalued for their cold and flu properties include: 1. Echinacea angustifolia – Narrow-leaf Coneflower
2. Echinacea pallida – Pale Purple Coneflower
3. Echinacea purpurea – Purple Coneflower, Eastern Purple Coneflower The flowering plant is generally found in easternand central North   America. It thrives in moist to dry prairies andopen wooded areas. It   blooms from early to late Summer and istolerant of drought   conditions. Does Echinacea Really Work? Many people swear by echinacea (or combination remedies)as their go-to herb for preventing or minimizing the impact of colds and fluattacks. Does it really work for everyone who takes it? Absolutely not.
There is not one single remedy - prescription or alternative -  which works 100% for all people of all ages. There are a vastnumber of   variables which have to be considered for any type ofremedy. The same   holds true for echinacea. While some users ofalternative treatment swear by it, others find it doesn't help themat all.
The truth of whether echinacea works or not, and who it works for, is  generally a matter of personal experience. I personally have been  taking echinacea or echinacea goldenseal formulations for close to30   years. I believe it helps me when I am fighting off a cold orflu. But it definitely doesn't help some of my family and   friendswho've tried it. After much research I found the liquidcapusules available from Gaia Herbs work best for me. Herbal teasor herbal pills have not proven to be as effective which confirms my opinionthat everyone needs to do their own research, talk to their own health careprofessionals and make their own decisions before taking any type ofalternative treatment.
Note: We do not sell Gaia Herbs at HairBoutique.com<http://www.hairboutiquemedia.com/emailmarketer/link.php?M=13681&N=803&L=52&F=H>. I mention Gaia products because they work well for me and I have usedthem for many years. I am sure other brands may work just as well, but Ican not recommend any which I have not personally tried. Not A One Dose Treatment Proponents of echinacea assert it is not a"one-dose" treatment. In order for echinacea to workeffectively, a dose should be taken at the very first sign of coldsymptoms.
Subsequent doses are called for every two to four hours after thefirst dose, including during the overnight   sleeping period, untilthe cold symptoms have disappeared.The several species ofechinacea differ in their precise chemical   constitution, and mayprovide variable dosages of any active   ingredients. Be sure to readthe suggested dosages contained on the product labels or follow instructionsfrom your health care provider.
Possible Side Effects?Always consult with yourprimary care health consultant before taking echinacea to make sure you are notat risk for any side effects.When taken by mouth,echinacea does not usually cause side effects.   One of the mostextensive and systematic studies to review the safety of   echinaceaproducts concluded that overall "adverse events are rare,   mildand reversible" with the most common symptoms being  "gastrointestinal and skin-related." Although rare, echinacea may cause nausea, abdominalcramps, loose bowels, itching and rash. Nausea and abdominal discomofrtare more pronounced when the product is taken on an empty stomach. Echinacea has also been linked to rare  allergic reactions, including asthmatic attacks, shortness ofbreath, and one case   of anaphylaxis.
Muscle and joint aches has been associated with   echinacea, but itmay have been caused by cold or flu symptoms for which   theechinacea products were administered.Isolated Cases Of Rare Side Effects There are isolated case reports of very rare andidiosyncratic reactions including thrombocytopenic purpura, leucopenia,hepatitis, renal failure, and atrial fibrillation. It is not clearthese reactions were specifically due to echinacea and may have been partof a larger medical issue.
Experts have expressed concerns that by stimulating immune functions, echinacea  could potentially exacerbate autoimmune disease and/or decrease theeffectiveness of immunosuppresive formulas, but this warning is based ontheoretical considerations rather than human data. To date there have been no case reports of any interactionswith   echinacea. The "currently available evidence suggestsechinacea   is unlikely to pose serious health threats for patientscombining it   with conventional formulas." As a matter of manufacturing safety, one investigation byan   independent consumer testing laboratory found that five ofeleven   selected retail echinacea products failed quality testing.
Four of the failing products contained levels of phenols below the potency level stated on the labels. One was contaminated withlead. Ultimately only select products whichare known for their manufacturing safety and guality practices.
Scientific ReviewsMultiple scientificreviews, trials and meta-analyses have evaluated the   published peerreviewed literature on the immunological effects of echinacea. Reviews of the medicinal effects of echinacea are often complicated by the inclusion of a wide range of mixtures. Someformulas are based solely upon echinacea while others are combinations. Also, some formulations are offered in higher potency ordelivery systems than others. Some use the roots versus other parts ofthe plants and some are offered as extracts and expressed juice. There are also three of the nine species known to helpwith cold and flu conditions and may be used alone or in combination witheach other herbal ingredients.
Contradictory Claims Of Echinacea Effectiveness
Evaluation of theliterature within the field generally suffers from a lack ofwell-controlled trials, with many studies of lower quality. The results tend tobe contradictory. Depending upon what studies you read, echinacea worksor it has no effect. A 2007 study by the University ofConnecticut combined findings from 14 previously reported trialsexamining echinacea. The study concluded echinacea can cut the chances ofcatching a cold by more than half, and shorten the duration of a cold byan average of 1.4 days.A 2003 controlleddouble-blind study from the University of Virginia School of Medicine anddocumented in the New England Journal of Medicine stated that echinaceaextracts had "no clinically significant effects" on rates ofinfection or duration or intensity of symptoms. Theeffects held when the herb was taken immediately following infectiousviral exposure and when taken as a prophylaxis starting a week prior toexposure. An earlier University of Marylandreview based on 13 European studies concluded that echinacea, when takenat first sign of a cold, reduced cold symptoms or shortened theirduration. Use OfExpressed Juice And SimilarThe European MedicinesAgency (EMEA) assessed the body of evidence on echinacea. The EMEA approved theuse of expressed juice and dried expressed juice from fresh floweringaerial parts of Echinacea purpurea for the short-term prevention and treatmentof the common cold. According to their recommendations: 1. It should not be used for more than 10 days at atime
2. Children under the age of one should not take it because theyhave immature immune systems
3. It is generally not recommended for children between 1 and 12years of age
4. Echinacea is not recommended for use by pregnant women andduring lactation EchinaceaAs Immunostimulator
Echinacea ispopularly believed to be an immunostimulator, stimulating the body'snon-specific immune system and warding off infections. It is alsoutilized as a laxative. A study commonly used to support that belief is a2007 meta-analysis in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. The studies pooled in the meta-analysis used differenttypes of echinacea, different parts of the plant, and various dosages.This review cannot inform recommendations on the efficacy of anyparticular type of echinacea, dosage, or treatment regimen.
The safety of echinacea under long-term use is also unknown. History Of Echinacea Use
Echinaceaangustifolia was widely used by the early Native Americans for itsgeneral medicinal qualities. Echinacea was one of the basic antimicrobialherbs of eclectic medicine from the mid 19th century through the early20th century. Its use was documented for snakebite, anthrax, and forrelief of aches. In the 1930s echinacea became popular in both Europe andAmerica as a herbal medicine.According to WallaceSampson, MD, its modern day use as a treatment for the common cold beganwhen a Swiss herbal supplement maker was "erroneously told"echinacea was used for cold prevention by Native American tribes wholived in the area of South Dakota.Although NativeAmericans didn't use echinacea to prevent the common cold, some Plainstribes did use echinacea to treat many of the symptoms which could becaused by the common cold.The Kiowa used it forcoughs and sore throats, the Cheyenne for sore throats, the Pawnee forheadaches, and many tribes including the Lakotah used it as relief forcongestion. ActiveSubstances Like most crude formulas from plant oranimal origin, the constituent base for echinacea is complex, consistingof a wide variety of chemicals of variable effect and potency. Somechemicals may be directly antimicrobial, while others may work atstimulating or modulating different parts of the immune system. All species have chemical compounds called phenols, whichare common to many other plants. Both the phenol compounds of cichoricand caftaric are present in E. purpurea. Other phenols include echinacoside, which is found in greater levels within E. angustifolia and E. pallida roots than in other species. Whenmaking herbal remedies, these phenols can serve as markers for thequantity of raw echinacea in the product. Other chemical constituentsthat may be important in echinacea health effects include alkylamides andpolysaccharides. Summary Does echinacea work to help boost the immune system andhelp block cold and flu viruses from attacking? There is a lot ofconflicting opinions about the value of this herb. Ultimately you need todo your own research, form your own opinions and always check with yourprimary care provider. Warning: Always consult your health careprovider BEFORE you undertake any new type of vitamin,mineral program or herbal program of any type to make sure it does notinterfere with any medical treatment you may currently be on. References Foster, Steven, "Cold Comfort" LongevitiyMagazine, February 1996, 32
Canlas J, Hudson JB, Sharma M, Nandan D.,"Echinacea andtrypanasomatid parasite interactions: Growth-inhibitory andanti-inflammatory effects of Echinacea". Pharm Biol. 2010Sep;48(9):1047-52 Image courtesy HaapMedia, Ltd.

The Natural Gait Blog

You Wont Want to Miss Watching Doc Hammill on RFD TV Feb. 17th

The Natural Gait - Horse Trainer

Happy Holidays from All of us.

Learn About Echinecea the Beautiful Purple Coneflower