July 2010 Archives

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Does your horse itch and scratch constantly?  Is the coat dull, dry or flaking with areas of scabs or crusts?  If this sounds familiar for your horse, it’s likely that you’ve experienced one of the two most common skin conditions in horses, Rain Rot or Sweet Itch.  These conditions are known by many names, such as summer itch, girth itch and Queensland itch.  Horse owners are constantly searching for the best ways to keep their horse’s skin and coat as healthy as possible.  Treating the underlying cause of Rain Rot (an infectious condition) and Sweet Itch (an insect bite allergy) is important but there are many ways to go about it.

No matter what skin condition your horse has, red or irritated skin, scabs and crusts are uncomfortable, visually displeasing and sometimes quite difficult to resolve.   Many topical preparations, prescribed medications and home remedies are available for these conditions.  Considering natural alternatives for treatment can be extremely effective for these conditions.

When it comes to Rain Rot, the organism that causes this condition is infectious and it is a major environmental contaminant.  It only takes a single scratching post to ensure that all horses in the area contract this nuisance condition.

Sweet Itch is also a product of its environment as it is caused by a hypersensitivity or allergy to insect bites.  Experts will recommend strict hygiene practices for all barns to reduce the number of insects and prevent spread of Sweet Itch from horse to horse.

Luckily Rain Rot and Sweet Itch are treatable. Good grooming practices and products to enrich the quality of the skin and coat are helpful.  Antiseptics or medicated baths are often utilized to help clear the scabs or crusts and eliminate the organism that causes Rain Rot.  While Rain Rot is not often a cause of severe itching, the scabs and crusts can cause local skin irritation and inflammation.  This secondary inflammation is responsible for the itching or irritation associated with Rain Rot.   Sweet Itch is responsible for major itching and irritation for horses.  When horses are allergic to something, the body responds inappropriately and the itching often spreads and worsens with each scratch.

Many over-the-counter medications proposed to treat Sweet Itch or Rain Rot contain antiseptics, chemical compounds and often steroids to reduce inflammation.  Despite the fact that you can purchase these products over-the-counter, there are definite concerns for prolonged or repeat use. It is often suggested to utilize insecticides to prevent Sweet Itch and keep the biting insects at bay, however the side effects of these chemical compounds are poorly understand and may represent an unnecessary risk for horses.

All natural compounds can be just as effective for soothing itchy skin, relieving inflammation, promoting a healthy skin and coat, repelling insects and eliminating infection.  Looking for a natural remedy replacement is one way to protect your horse while providing the much needed relief from the itching and scratching that comes with Rain Rot or Sweet Itch.  Ingredients such as lavender, eucalyptus and tea tree essential oils are often key to the natural treatment of these common skin conditions in the horse.

About the author: Heather Stern is the Director of Communications for Calm Coat provider of all-natural pet health products for dogs, cats and horses.

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In case you match up a picture and music made by harp, violin or Alexandria Doumbek and ask yourself, which among the two speaks the better language, you’ll possibly choose the picture over music. Because pictures can easily let people show their meanings, they instantly become atop our listing of ‘languages’. Nonetheless, the point is, a picture can have diverse meanings across different individuals as well as throughout nationalities. Just as the cliche goes, “a picture paints a thousand words.” So, instantly you still need to ask, which word?

Evidently, photos do not express a universal interpretation, in contrast to music that stirs common human feelings to their audience. In fact, one research indicates that audience will identify three emotions such as pleasure, misery and dread if they play Western songs. In addition, the survey concludes that songs having higher tempos are categorized as happy songs and those types with lower tempos as scary and miserable songs. This finding is presumed as the reason why music whether in western or eastern is named being the universal language.

The encounter of being touched by music internally involves both natural and cultural reason.  The actual auditory cortex, the certain portion of the human brain, connects into the frontal lobe of the brain, where our capabilities for abstraction, interference and anticipation develop.  Both auditory cortex and the frontal lobe are generally passageways that may generate emotions.

Music passion, in addition, is really a culture-related phenomenon, yet there are actually related factors that define it throughout different nations in the globe. Every single music and tune is related with particular meanings and sentiments. Observing this fact, several investigators suggest a principle that all humans have an innate ability to process music. This concept, however, isn’t accepted by some other scholars because there are actually no bases which will confirm it. Just one point that is sure will be the fact that most individuals, every time they listen on the music, they’re carried by it or respond to it.

 This Alexandria Doumbek, in particular, is not only a piece of drum made to create an awakening tone. It is a piece of equipment that generates music enhanced by lifestyle and heritage.  The actual doumbek device originated during the Neolitic time; nonetheless, scholars typically are not certain what specific location it started. Many would claim that it came from the Middle East; others would claim and say it came from Egypt or Ireland. Nonetheless, one particular point is certain; Alexandria doumbek is among the oldest instruments in the planet. It really is great for belly dance along with other upbeat dances. Simply because it’s tapped by human hands, its music can be manipulated and may quickly be modified.  It could stimulate people to dance and a lot more importantly, it will help make any celebration unforgettable. Doumbek is popular in Ireland.  It is an instrument which is part on the country’s abundant customs and heritage. Anytime Irish individuals play the device, they will be reminded of their enriching past.

Music definitely endears people. “It is the language of the soul,” as many individuals will define it. It has a string that hooks up all people to be able to feel and to react exactly the same way if they listen to either good or bad music.

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