Equine Herbs
Horses are herbivores, they need natural foliage to graze and pick on if they are to maintain their mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. To maintain optimal health a horse would naturally graze on seasonal plants from pasture and hedgerows where their natural environment would provide them with various herbs and medicinal plants to supplement their diet and keep them properly conditioned. The wild horse would graze over vast areas foraging on available plants and herbs. Nature supports horses throughout their lives by providing plants that are vital to sustaining their good health.
The modern horse has been taken away from its natural habitat and does not have the freedom to roam open grasslands. Some pasture does not hold the variety of grasses and plants neither does it hold the essential minerals necessary for good health to maintain a natural balance.
Feeding is the basis of good health and modern horses rely on their owners to supply the herbs they need to keep their bodies strong and healthy. By feeding herbs, we can replace some of natural ingredients that today’s feeding regime lacks and give the best chance of helping the horses natural mechanisms function properly. Herbs provide essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals that work to strengthen and support the horse’s physiological system. Herbs are a natural medicine which help with problems such as allergies, respiratory disorders, rheumatism and arthritis, chronic pain and stiffness, hyper-excitability, lethargy, digestive disorders and nervous tension. There are specific herbs to help with stress, to support the liver and to help overcome viral infections.
Herbs are a natural medicine with its use based on thousands of years of tradition. Herbs are gentle and effective and if needed can be used over a long period. Most herbs will not produce side effects in the proper dose and will aid the body back to health. They may work more slowly than traditional medicine but they are no less potent and will assist the body to heal more efficiently and work to achieve a state of natural balance.
Horses instinctively know what they need. If they can’t access it naturally within their limited environments, it should be provided for them. Some of the most popular herbs are listed on the Herbs for Horses page, along with some general information about their properties and use. These herbs are available to order in both small or large quantities.
To order herbs phone or email Mark with your requirements.
Jo and Archie’s Story
There are four men in my life … David my partner, Archie my pride and joy, Richard Abiss my long suffering farrier and Mark Smith Iridologist/Herbs. Archie is a very heavy weight 18hh cob who I have had for 8 years but we have had terrible problems with his feet. He has cob hooves but he is shire size.
I have spent fortunes on proprietary feed additives, lotions and potions, all to no avail. In the summer when the ground is hard and dry, his hooves would split, crack and break up. In the winter when wet, they would get soft and the water would penetrate, both things resulting in massive chunks breaking off, leaving almost nothing to nail to. Richard has had to pull out all the stops and done the most amazing shoeing, even to having to put each of Archie’s feet on a piece of paper and draw round them so he could make a shoe to fit.
Normally he has the wide shire shoes but there have been times when he has had such massive hoof loss, Richard has had to have special light weight shoes made for him using only very small nails, these would have to be changed weekly. I was talking to Mark after having to miss yet another show because of his feet and he suggested I tried Kelp. We have never looked back, the difference is incredible. About 6 months ago I forgot to order from Mark and ran out of kelp. We had just a short time without and Archie’s feet started to break down again, which only proved the point that kelp does promote good, strong, healthy growth. We have now gone again from weekly visits from Richard, who has done wonders with almost nothing, to 6 weeks between shoeing, that says it all. I use other herbs recommended by Mark, not only do we now have good hooves, but a lovely shiny coat both summer and winter (even his white bits shine).
I really do recommend you getting in touch with Mark if you have ANY sort of problem, it is not expensive and it works. It’s all about diet and plain natural feeding, the sort of things that are missing from our paddocks.
I also have a dark bay horse called Joby, he has one small scoop of kelp a day and he gleams! My daughter took him on the Boxing Day Hunt at Hagley Hall and was asked by many how she got him that shiny!
Jo, Quarry Bank.
A cocktail of goodness.
Herbs for horses are essential to supplement grazing.
A restful scene.
A piece of rock salt is much appreciated.
Jo and Archie at the show.
Archie enjoying some summer grazing.
Joby shows off his shiny coat.
Joby joins the Boxing Day Hunt.