Herbs Etc

[moosey789]

Hiya peeps, I have heard that different herbs and plant extracts have different effects on horses (calming effects ect)!!
I was just wandering whether anyone knew anything about it and could give me some names of herbs and what they do etc!! :D (alot of etc i know lol)
Thanks in advance x x

[No_Angel]

cammomile is calming i think, lavender is alwell i think.

[Zingy]

There's so many it would be difficult to list them all! Is there anything particular you're after? For general information on herbs and what they do, there's a very good book by Hilary Self. Very clear and easy to understand. Essential reading in my opinion!

[toohorsemad]

Wat about for sweet itch? Is there any for that?

[moosey789]

ummmm just some of the more common ones reli , like calming effects etc!! :o

[Zingy]

Ok, here's a brief list, though if you want to feed anything specific you should get specialist advice. You also need to be careful where you get herbs from for feeding and be aware that pre-prepared herbal remedies may work better than individual herbs due to the combinations they contain.

There are a few herbs that do an awful lot in terms of supporting the essential systems and supporting these helps maintain the health of the horse. So assuming you're working on prevention rather than cure, it's fairly straightforward to feed a general supplement which will cover most things. The more difficult part comes with treatment of a specific problem. If herbs themselves won't provide a solution though, you can use them to help maintain the rest of the horse to help them through any additional treatment. For example, it's useful to use cleansing herbs if you're having to feed something like bute in order to maintain liver function.

Calming - chamomile/ valerian (be very careful feeding valerian). Essential oils such as lavender or alternatives like Bach flower remedies can be more effective with some horses.

Overall condition/ skin/ coat/ circulation/ hooves - nettle/ mint/ dandelion/ clivers/ garlic/ meadowsweet

Digestion - slippery elm/ marshmallow can be useful for cases of gut irritation or digestive upsets (note, this is not meaning colic). Mint can also encourage horses to eat.

Arthritis - devils claw acts as an anti inflammatory. Nettle/ clivers can also help.

Immune system - ecinachea/ burdock/ garlic. Herbs such as nettle/ dandelion/ clivers/ milk thistle also help cleanse the system and reduce toxins.

Laminitis - nettle/ clivers/ dandelion/ garlic can help as preventatives

Mud fever/ rain scald - nettle/ clivers/ meadowsweet

Sweet itch - nettle/ garlic/ meadowsweet

Comfrey is also useful in various conditions, though some people are wary about long term feeding.

Also useful are remedies such as cider vinegar and aloe vera. Both work on numerous conditions and can be used either for specific issues or as general health supplements. Aloe vera/ bee propilis creams are also good for minor external injuries or skin conditions.

Hope that helps. There's an awful lot I've missed out, so other herbs will exist as alternatives - I've just put down what I can remember off the top of my head! :D

[Tangle]

Definitely worth getting specialist advice, especially if you want to compete. Valerian, for example, is a banned substance.

Natural doesn't = safe, which I'm sure you know already, but is always worth remembering. I also wouldn't want to be mixing too much without a LOT more experience/knowledge than I have ;)

[toohorsemad]

I didn't know you could use nettle for sweet itch! Cool thanks!

[Zingy]

I didn't know you could use nettle for sweet itch!

I doubt very much that it will work on its own though, so don't expect to feed it and have no sweet itch! There's a reason why most of the herbal remedies sold are combinations. If you contact places like Hilton Herbs or Global Herbs, they will have tried and tested remedies made up by experts. You stand far more chance of those working than doing it yourself :)

[toohorsemad]

Ok thanks! I'm planning to sort out the summer for Vic so I wouldn't be in a panic when it comes! Plus I like using natural stuff!

[Zingy]

No problem :) It's worth knowing that dried herbs can take a few weeks to start working, so you'd need to start feeding I'd say at least a month before any problems start, which in turn might be a while before any symptoms start to show. Liquid remedies tend to work much quicker, but they're still not immediate. I'd work on starting feeding a couple of months before symptoms start to show for a dried remedy (which normally work out cheaper than liquids).

[Anna**]

Global herbs give good advice over the phone, I havent got the number to hand as at work but you can get it off their website. :)

[moosey789]

oh thnx anna, cud I have the web address or no please!!

[Zingy]

http://www.globalherbs.co.uk

or for English herbs try http://www.hiltonherbs.co.uk

Both are very good :)

[moosey789]

Thanks v much x x :D :D

[moosey789]

I now know camomile can be used for calming :).
Does anyone know whether you can mix camomile tea in with a horses feed?? I have heard you can but not 100% sure :)

[moosey789]

anyone?? :confused: