The
use of Herbs for Horses

Veterinary Advice by Stephen Ashdown

CALMING

Stress and worry are some of the main causes of ill
health and poor performance in horses. Incorrect feeding and environmental
conditions or even toxins can be the main causes. Some horses will become
obviously agitated even aggressive. Others will behave badly whilst some
will under perform or become weak and unhealthy.

Tip:

Once management issues have been dealt with
consider using herbal calmers
for your stressed horse.

DIGESTIVE
SYSTEM OF YOUR HORSE

The way that your horse makes use of the food that
you give it lies at the heart of performance, health and fitness. A
healthy liver and normal digestive system impart vitality and energy to
other parts of the body and enable the body get rid of toxins and
undesirable chemicals that often lead to ill health, lethargy and poor
performance. Other herbal products can do their work much 
better when the digestive system is working normally.

Tip:   

Use RESTORE
to prepare your horse for any herbal health regime or routinely supplement
with RESTORE throughout the
year.

BREATHING & DUST
PROBLEMS

Breathing concerns are becoming more of a challenge each year, perhaps
due to increasing levels of pollutants and pollen in the environment.

Respiratory
products are particularly useful. Clear airways are essential for quality
of life and best performance. The atmosphere and general environment of
the modern world now results in many breathing concerns which were much
less common in past generations. Pollution from traffic and cultivation of
crops like Rape make life very difficult for a lot of us.

Tip:

Try AirwayPlus
and Zephyr products and see the
difference in your horse.
 

SKIN

Herbal
skin preparations are invaluable in all manner of conditions.
The
condition of the skin and coat reflects the way the body is working within
so make sure your horse’s digestive system and liver are also
functioning normally and consider the regular use of products such as Restore.

Tip:

Use
internal herbal products as supplements for lumps, itchy skin and
bacterial infection from wet, muddy conditions; external products for
minor wounds, scratches, abrasions and bites.

HORSE
JOINTS, MUSCLES, LIGAMENTS & HOOVES

Herbs
are invaluable for horses with movement difficulties.

Tip:

How
to keep your horse supple and comfortable.

Joint
products are designed to provide nutritional assistance to help the body
repair itself and soothe discomfort. Whenever your horse walks or gallops
it puts strain on its joints. This strain causes damage every day but when
it is healthy the body is able to repair itself quickly. Joint problems
occur when the body’s ability to repair itself is weakened and daily
damage occurs faster than the repair processes. Getting your horse back
into balance with herbs and minerals is essential both in the short and
long term. You will be surprised what is possible and how quickly you
notice the difference.

Tips: Have a  basic
strategy for all horses as follows:

1.    
Supply the best source of food with high levels of minerals and
vitamins.

2.    
Use herbs to support strong bone in all ages of horse.

3.    
Provide herbs to support
synovial fluids which feed the inside of joints that may be not quite
right.

4.    
Use soothing herbs which calm joints down and support natural
circulation when all is not going well. Herbal rubs can also help a lot.

Consider
using a liver tonic to help detoxify the body. Use as a one off or
regularly
every few months. 

For
more details on herbal products mentioned above use the
Veterinary
Advice Horse Supplements  Menu 

Above
information is supplied by Stephen Ashdown’s Veterinary
Advice. Use the helpline if you need free
veterinary advice for your horse or if you are not sure what herbal
products to use.

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