a bit garlicy

[Tuff_up]

so i read a post on supplements given to horses and almost every one said they put garlic in there horses feed why and what does it do. i am new to horses so i am wondering should i try it kinda thing and what kind of garlic do you put in there feed. any other supplements i could try would be gladly excepted

[Jessey]

I feed garlic in the winter, it is a mild natural anti-biotic so helps keeps all those coughs and colds at bay and also helps keep skin in good condition (well helps stop my boy from getting mud fever :D ).
There has however been some talk reacently (there was a thread on here) that garlic, being part of the onion family could be toxic to horses.
Personally I have been feeding garlic for well over 10 years and not seen any ill effects, I have however seem it help my old horses breathing and clear up my boys mud fever when even a vets visit couldn't (did help but it wouldn't go).

J x

[Tuff_up]

how much if i start feeding garlic should i give a day and where do i get it can it just be garlic found in super store kinda thing

[Jessey]

Yeah, I used to feed fresh garlic, now just for ease I buy it from the tack store (dried and crushed) but fresh I would feed 1 clove (segment) a day.

J x

[Tim]

Garlic is excellent for horses, it is, as already said, a natural antibiotic, it helps with the circulation and also the respiration. Fresh garlic is best, I use about 3-4 cloves a day for a harry size hoss, (16.3hh). Powdered garlic also has other things added to it, but is very good also, and is fed at the rate of two scoops a day, scoop included in the garlic tub.

[Bay Mare]

I used to feed garlic but stopped when I read some reports that said that garlic can cause problems (can't remember what they are ... duh!) and is accumulative. It's also supposed to be contraindicated for horses who have skin conditions or who have 'sensitive' skin.

[Mareish]

I just had a magazine (Horse Matters) come through and it says you can feed 6-8 fresh cloves a day.

I feed Baileys as Lily finds it more palatable than the others, it aids respiritory as well as digestion.

[Ginger Thing]

I used to feed garlic but stopped when I read some reports that said that garlic can cause problems (can't remember what they are ... duh!) and is accumulative. It's also supposed to be contraindicated for horses who have skin conditions or who have 'sensitive' skin.

Yes, it does say on the tub 'do not exceed recommended daily amount' so there must be a reason - I read it might cause anaemia. I haven't fed it for a couple of months, but Carlow doesn't seem to have more energy, so I've bought some more today.

In summer it's supposed to be beneficial as an insect repellant.

[Tim]

Yes, it does say on the tub 'do not exceed recommended daily amount' so there must be a reason -

That would be because of the additives in powdered garlic, ie the added minerals and stuff. Horses have RDA's just like we do. The garlic itself is not harmful, I've fed it to horses for ages with absolutely no ill effect.

[Libbyo]

In summer it's supposed to be beneficial as an insect repellant.

Just got a tub of garlic for my two because I thought it was good as an insect repelant. Does any one have any proof either way?

I dont feed either of the supliments, just because, but if there is a benifit they can have it.

Thanks

Libbyo :0

[hedgehunter]

heya,

Yeah I heard that about garlic is "bad" for your horse, but what I cant understand is that we have given garlic to all of are horses for years. :) We have never had any problems with it, apart from the fact it makes your horse breath freely......etc. I also have to say it use to fizz up my irish sports horse. :rolleyes: ( but anything does with him) yeah try it, I use baileys.

xx

[amandal]

It's added to a lot of feeds so I don't add any more as it's an anticoagulant and I don't want to give her too much and thin her blood, especially at the mo - settling into a new herd she's getting lots of knocks. It does work as a fly repellent.

[becs]

I understood it was beneficial in the above ways but only if fresh - not v. practical for some of us.

Have always wondered how much is needed to make them smell enough to keep flies away? - guess that may be a huge amount and wonder if that might not be so good for them in other ways? 'spose I'm just saying they're huge animals and what we think is a lot may be tiny to their system. Though all chemicals work in certain ways, some more potent than others. Hmmm... perhaps that's why we can feed it for years to no harm - it may not do a lot but isn't enough to harm them either??

[eventerbabe]

if you want to feed garlic go for the freezedried granules/flakes or fresh stuff. not these awful powders that are bulked out with fillers and chemicals. i've always fed mine on garlic and after 10 and 14 years of owning my 2 they are still in excellent health. Garlic is, as has been mentioned, a natural anti-biotic, is good for circulation and the respiratory system (the main reason i feed it). haven't been convinced of its anti-fly properties as mine were plauged last year.

I read in one horsey mag recently that a foreign scientist did a study into the toxic effects of garlic, but he was feeding over 12g of the stuff a day. about 10 times as much as the average horse would get!!!!

[purrrfect]

i used to feed up to 6 fresh cloves a day, as i read somewhere that this was a healthy amount but an excessive amount can cause anaemia (sp?) in horses. now i feed the crushed dried garlic you can buy

[chickflick1066]

Thanks for this post. I was going to start feeding garlic to Stumps soon, mainly as a fly repellant.

She is soon to be on Seaweed - for her hooves. And Oestress - for her hormones.

[knockaroo]

Yes meant to help keep flies away, my aunty feeds it to her dogs they never get fleas, think it taints the flavour of the skin, its meant to be part of the onion family & raw onion/garlic are good for opening the air ways (lungs ect.) my sister and my son suffered with very bad ear problems, and to aleviate the preasure and congestion we used to warm a small piece of onion and place it just inside the ear the heat & vapor used soothe the problem.