Herbs are fantastic to use and can solve many problems with horses and ponies. It is a natural product and often grown organically, but despite that they are not harmless! Herbs can also make a horse sick, so it is not recommended to self-medicate with herbs!
Why?
Suppose a horse is full of waste and you are going to use a specific detox herbal mix for it, then you can get various unpleasant reactions. For example, physical, such as bumps on the skin (sometimes unavoidable), swollen legs, stiff and soured muscles or mental reactions such as listlessness, lethargy or irritability. But there are also more violent reactions such as abdominal cramps that you naturally want to prevent. Often milk thistle seed is used with as much as 10 to 20 grams per day, which is a pretty heavy herb to use suddenly. It can also be done in a softer way.
What for?
How do you know for which organ or process the horse may need help from an herb? Stomach, intestines, liver, kidneys or spleen or a combination of these organs? Or is it even the case that when you use herbs for the liver, the kidneys also need help to be able to handle detoxification? Maybe the horse needs help with digestion to get back to the right balance? It could also be a hormonal problem, and then? Maybe the horse is sick and does it have Cushing or Lyme? How about pain and osteoarthritis? How do you know that, according to your intuition?
Herbs in horse feed
Nowadays, many horse feed manufacturers sell herbal mixtures or already mix standard feed with a solid composition to improve the health of the horse. Opinions in the food sector about the use of herbs in this way are divided and their health aspect is being called into question.
How long?
Can you use the same (combination) herbs for a long time in a row? One says yes, because the horses get what they need and the other says, absolutely not! You can only use herbs for a period of up to 4 to 8 weeks depending on the herb and then stop using that herb. Herbs can also have a negative effect on the horse in the long term, such as pain in the stomach.
There are a number of herbs that you can only give for a short time (max 4 to 5 weeks) or in small amounts because of the powerful or specific effect. Think of thyme and sage. Most herbs lose their effect with longer use.
You may also wonder whether that particular combination of herbs is suitable for your horse? Do you know an answer to this or what is your opinion? At The Horse Therapist, every herb mix is individually measured on the horse, so you get answers to these questions. These unique herb mixes are sufficient for about 5 weeks, because the experience is that the horse has had enough after this period and needs a different combination.
Healthy or not?
And then the health aspect. For example, garlic, buckwheat and seaweed are said to be healthy and are therefore widely sold in equestrian shops. However, various nutritionists have determined that these products are toxic (toxic) or harmful to the majority of our horses and advise them not to give them. Apparently we also have to think very carefully about what we give our horses and why! For example, feeding a lot of garlic for a long time can lead to anemia. And also for many horse foods, it can contain ingredients or components that only burden the horse in processes instead of feeding or helping.
In and around the meadow
Besides the wide variety of healthy herbs for horses, there are more than 100 different types of herbs, plants and trees in the Netherlands and Ireland that are poisonous to our beloved four-legged friends. St. John's Wort is one of the best known and trees such as the Maple(sycamore), Taxus and Oak are also very poisonous. And these look beautiful in the meadow, but the Buttercup and the Poppy are unfortunately not feed for horses!
Recognizing poisonous plants or not?
When there are poisonous plants in or around the pasture, the horses often skip them when grazing, because they are very picky. Horses are collectors and very selective in finding the right food, if available. Where it can go wrong is if poisonous plants end up in the roughage or if is offered chopped, because then the horses can no longer distinguish them. Or when seeds or leaves are spread everywhere by the wind, such as from the Maple(sycamore), which can also result in death.
Horses also become less picky when they are hungry or on a paddock or pasture where there is nothing to eat and then they will eat other plants that are not good for them. A horse must be able to eat roughage for at least 14 to 16 hours a day (and still have time to sleep), because that is what their digestion is geared to. If their stomach and intestines have no filling, they already experience hunger. They have the need to eat!
Selection of safe herbs
The herbs that we use in our herb mixes have automatically selected themselves over the years. They are largely native herbs (Europe) and almost always safe to give. Exceptions to this are pregnant and lactating mares, horses with stomach problems and certain diseases.
Pregnant or lactating mares
There are many herbs that should not be given in pregnant or lactating mares or in very small quantities, such as basil, parsley, lemon balm, daisies, monk pepper, sage, thyme and cinnamon. It can cause premature birth or induce labor. Some herbs even affect the growth of the foal, such as devil's claw, and may cause malformation.
Conclusion
Fortunately, there are many phytologists, nutritionists and holistic doctors with nutrition and herbal knowledge who can tell you more. Or you can make it even more specific by having The Horse Therapist measure the nutrition and herbs for your horse individually, so you know what you are giving and why.
If you want to feed herbs to your horse, think carefully about which herbs you will give, for what and for how long and ask advice from a professional.
Written by Jente Driessen of HorseComplete and translated by Sharon Bronsveld of The Horse Therapist