MOTH E R EA RTH NEWS T H E O R I G I N A L G U I D E T O L I V I N G W I S E LY
RAISING HORSES
TIPS FOR THE MODERN HOMESTEADER
Build A Cider Press Tips and Tools
October 2011 $6.99
Start Your Own Farm Business Sell Your Own Produce
Get Ready for Flu Season 70992
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6 Natural Remedies
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INSIDE 3
NEWS FROM MOTHER Feed yourself, feed your loved ones, feed your soul
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MOTHER EARTH NEWS ONLINE Small-space growing tips; start a farm business; show off your garden
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GREEN GAZETTE
Growing Stevia; find the best fruits and nuts; compost human waste
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IN THE GARDEN
A closer look at heirlooms, fungus and other useful additions to your garden
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GROW YOUR BEST FALL GARDEN What, when and how: advice from the experts
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RAISING HORSES
Learn to rear and manage human’s most useful companion
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PICK FOR PEAK FLAVOR
When to harvest for the freshest, flavorful and nutritious produce from the garden
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PERFECT PUMPKINS How to grow, harvest and decorate the best gourds
RAISING HORSES T I P S F O R T H E M O D E R N H O M E ST E A D E R adam stanley
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Beginning farmers usually do pretty well with gardens, chopping wood and building outhouses. but the birth of that first calf or litter of pigs generally sets ‘em back a couple of notches. R.J. Holliday DVM, a veterinarian in Missouri and MOTHER contributor, intends to remedy the situation. His tool? A new handbook precisely designed to explain all the animal facts of life in language that new back-to-the-landers can understand. Horses can be a useful addition to almost any homestead. Larger farms will find many uses for a good, big team of workhorses and the owners of smaller places may be able to make use of a light, dual-purpose horse or two for transportation and for light pulling. Even if your place is quite small, your children will no doubt delight in having a docile, pet pony to ride and care for. These practical reasons for horse ownership are easy to understand and the partnership thus formed usually ends up in an arrangement that is satisfactory for both man and animal. Sometimes, however, people own horses for psychological reasons. I’ve known individuals who have spent a lot of money on the animals simply because it was “the thing to do”. This situation almost always ends in disappointment or disillusionment, since the horse becomes a “crutch” or substitute for a deeper psychological relationship. Nevertheless, there are some people who will only keep a horse around just for the sake of companionship and to serve as a simple reminder that without our association with the animals over the many millennia, out history and our civilization would be vastly different than it is today’s times. However romantic the idea of horse ownership is at the moment you read this, bear in mind thhat not everyone should have one of the animals: If you’ve an unrealistic view of the joys and the major responsibilities of horse ownership, then you’re almost bound to be disappointed and waste a lot of money. The time to really evaluate your needs in this area is before you buy! You should also remember that you cannot force someone else to fall in love with horses. Several years
D I D YO U K N OW ? Horse breeds are loosely divided into three main categories based on their general temperament: spirited “hot bloods” with strength, speed and endurance; “cold bloods”, such as draft horses and some ponies, suitable for slow, heavy work; and “warmbloods”, developed from crosses between hot bloods and cold bloods, often focusing on creating breeds for specific riding purposes, particularly in Europe, Asia and the Americas. There are over 300 breeds of horses in the world today developed a variety of different uses. ago I thought it would be nice if my oldest daughter would learn to ride a pony and, without consulting her wishes at all, I, bought her a small, spotted one complete with saddle and bridle. The first ride was a complete fiasco. My daughter was scared, the pony panicked and ran away and my little girl fell off. To this day she still avoids the mention of riding a horse. If you have a youngster that you think might like to ride, then, be sure to provide an opportunity for him to gain the proper experience without any parental or peer-group pressure. Competitive coercion frequently forces children (and adults) into areas of endeavor that are not truly satisfying and this should be avoided aht any cost. When you’ve decided that you really do want a horse, your next step is to picture—in your mind’s-eye—the “’ideal” animal. You’ll want to consider several factors before you make your final decision. Some of the points will not apply to every situation, but we do need to look at each one in some depth. Several years ago I was acquainted with a retired cowboy who had spent many years on the rodeo circuit. His knowledge of horses and people was phenomenal. One bit of wisdom that I gleaned from our many conversations is especially worthy of being passed on to you. “Stallions are only good for breedin’ mares... mares are only good for havin’ foals, and the only good workin-horse is a geldin.” (continued on page 6)
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I didn’t agree with that old cowboy at the time, since it was then popular to own and ride stallions. Today, however after having owned a stallion for several years—I know he was right. The prestige of riding a spirited stallion in no way compensates for the many problems associated with its day-to-day care and management. Stallions, just like other large domestic male animals, should never be trusted. They’re too quick to take advantage of any sign of weakness, even on the part of an experienced handler. Women, especially, should be cautious around them, since stallions are very sensitive to the changes in body chemistry experienced by women in the various stages of the menstrual cycle. When allowed to run with a band of mares, stallions are relatively, inattentive to their trainer and tend to resist any type of schooling. (I suppose they’re too worried about their harem to really pay attention!) If they’re penned away from other horses, they become unruly and often dangerously aggressive. Even seemingly gentle stallions turn cantankerous and unpredictable as they grow older. Many folks claim that stallions have more stamina and endurance than mares or geldings, but an examination of the results of the longer trail rides seem to dispute this idea. Under conditions of maximum performance, the stallions are usually the first to give up, then
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the mares. The well conditioned geldings outstrip them all,not only in stamina and strength; but also in terms of the willingness to compete. Stallions are needed of course, to sire foals, and the, larger, stables can justify keeping them for this purpose and as a means of exhibiting the advantages of their particular bloodlines. If a stallion can be trained and shown at halter, performance classes or races, this enhances the value of his offspring. Mares are only a shade better than stallions as a regular mount. Even though temperamentally more docile, their usefulness is impaired by their femininity; they always seem to be either, pregnant, nursing a foal or in heat! Most people are unwilling to subject a pregnant mare, to very hard or prolonged work, nor are they willing to put up with the troubles associated with having a foal tag along when the mare is being used. During their heat period, many mares become unmanageable and, in any event, are not safe to ride in the presence of a stallion at this time. Most mares also undergo some sort of character change during pregnancy (some become vicious and others more docile). The only obvious advantage to owning a mare is that replacement horses can be produced by the expediency of breeding her to the stallion of your choice. Due to the nature of their sex, mares are either “stallion oriented” or “foal-oriented”.
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I N THE GARDEN
A C L O S E R L O O K AT H E I R L O O M S , F U N G U S AND OTHER USEFUL ADDITIONS TO YOUR GARDEN G R E AT B U R D O C K
HYDRANGEA
The name hydrangea comes from the Greek word meaning water vessel, very appropriate due to its action on our water processing organs. Hydrangea is indigenous to the United States where it grows from New York to Florida and then west to Iowa and Oklahoma. Several varieties of hydrangea are cultivated around the world to adorn gardens with their splendor, such as Hydrangea hortensis. This variety is native to North America, although it is widely found in gardens in China and Japan for its aesthetic beauty. Hydrangea macrophylla is of Asian origin and is used medicinally. The Cherokee Indians used hydrangea for kidney and bladder
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stones and introduced it to the settlers. It became very popular with the unique American herbalists of the 19th century. The root is the part of the Hydrangea plant that is used internally for medicinal purposes, and root can be dug in the fall and used as a syrup with honey and sugar, or steeped and drunk as a tea. The root becomes hard and difficult to work with once harvested, so cut into pieces and dry for long-term use. Externally, Hydrangea bark can be peeled and used as a compress or ointment for treatment of bruises, burns, sprains, and sore muscles.
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Look in any ditch along any country road in the Eastern part of the United States and Canada, and you’ll find Great Burdock Arctium lappa. Look in many back yards and you’ll find it there, too. Burdock is one of the most common medicinal plants. It is easily found and is one of the most useful. Arctium lappa grows to be 2 to 9 feet tall depending on where it is in its growth cycle.1 It is a biennial plant, whcih means a plant will generally live for two years. In the first year it remains quite low to the ground with large, fuzzy leaves which are slightly heart-shaped. The leaves resemble rhubarb, complete with reddish tint to the stalks. In its second year, Burdock grows its infamous burrs that almost every dog
owner has had the pleasure of removing from his or her pet’s fur. Before the burrs, this plant has pink to red flowers which look similar to the blooms on a thistle plant. Great Burdock has been used medicinally for hundreds of years; in the 17th Century, Burdock was used to reposition a woman’s uterus. Besides being a useful medicinal plant, Burdock is nutritious as well. The roots, young leaves and flower stalks can also be eaten in many different ways. The roots of a first-ear plant can be gathered in early to mid-fall, peeled and served with butter. After the green rind is removed, the pith of the flower stalks may be prepared in the same way as the root, or it may be simmered in sugar syrup and eaten as candy.
HEDGEHOG MUSHROOM
FIREWEED
The delicious Sweet Tooth or Hedgehog mushroom (Hydnum repandum) is about as close to “foolproof” as an edible wild mushroom could be: If it’s orange, several inches wide, grows on the ground in the forest, and has a stalk bearing a cap whose undersurface is covered with downward-pointing, yellowish to pale orange spines or teeth, you’ve found a wonderful, firm mushroom that’s closely related to the highly esteemed (but far less “foolproof”) Golden Chanterelle! The only mushroom that comes close
This herb is often abundant in wet calcareous to slightly acidic soils in open fields, pastures, and particularly burnedover lands; the name Fireweed derives from the species’ abundance as a coloniser on burnt sites after forest fires. Its tendency to quickly colonize open areas with little competition, such as sites of forest fires and forest clearings, makes it a clear example of a pioneer species. Plants grow and flower as long as there is open space and plenty of light, as trees and brush grow larger the plants die out, but the seeds
to matching its description is its little brother, H. umbilicatum, which is quite a bit smaller but (if you find enough) equally worth a few minutes in a sauté pan. As it is symbiotic (mycorrhizal) with various trees, it can reasonably be expected to fruit in the same spot year after year after year, so don’t forget where you found it! In areas where there are plenty of Eastern hemlocks, that’s the best place to look, and late summer through mid-autumn is the right time.
remain viable in the soil seed bank for many years, when a new fire or other disturbance occurs that opens up the ground to light again the seeds germinate. Some areas with heavy seed counts in the soil, after burning, can be covered with pure dense stands of this species and when in flower the landscape is turned into fields of color.
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