Hawk's Haven Horses Launches Trial of Herbal Remedy for Cribbing and Head-Shy Horses; 100 DC Area Horses Sought for Six-Month Trial.

Business Editors

MILLWOOD, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 17, 2002

Horse owners experiencing the tragic consequences of cribbing and head-shyness may have new hope in an ancient but overlooked remedy - herbs replacing the natural nutrients that were once plentiful in America's fields and open ranges.

Hawk's Haven Horses will be conducting a six-month trial of an herbal formula specifically designed to counteract and eliminate the cause of cribbing and head-shyness. Hawk's Haven Horses proprietor Gwen Edsall seeks 100 horses from interested owners for the trial, which will be conducted throughout the greater metropolitan Washington area beginning in January, and extended throughout the East Coast during the first half of 2003. Edsall, an established equine practitioner, has developed the new herbal remedy over the last four years through her interest in the cribbing syndrome. D'Arcy Naturals of Natick, MA, has been engaged to formulate and produce the new herbal remedy.

"Horse owners who have experienced cribbing know the utter uselessness of most traditional forms of treatment, and seek alternative therapies that work," said Edsall. "The answer is right in front of them - the fields and forests whose native herbs once provided the natural forage horses thrived on. In today's equine environment, where animals are stalled and put out to pasture on beautifully manicured but sterile fields, cribbing becomes the horse's misguided attempt to fill a nutritional void. The trial is inexpensive, and based on our early findings, we believe our remedy will replace the missing elements in the horses' diets."

The cribbing habit destroys the value of a horse to the extent that many farms will not allow them on the premises. Owners find it difficult to sell them for full value. The habit also affects metabolism, is destructive to property, and annoys people. Typical symptoms include the horse grabbing a wood rail or other object, arching its neck, constricting the larynx and "sucking air," which releases endorphins that produce an unnatural "high." Endorphin levels in cribbers are typically three times the norm, and cribbers often change their eating habits, lose weight and have less energy.

The six-month trial will encompass individual treatment of each horse at the horse's location, and will involve a detailed questionnaire, extensive interaction with and commitment by the owner/caretaker, as well as regularly scheduled follow-ups, with in-person visits based on the horse's locale. The trial will center on controlled studies using a combination of herbal-only and combined herbal and laser to determine the most effective approach. The cost of the herbs will be $85, plus shipping, for participants in the trial.

Hawk's Haven Horses is located in Millwood, VA, 60 miles west of Washington, DC. For further information on participating in the trial, please contact Gwen Edsall at 540-837-2838.