Herbs for Horses – Healthy, Tasty, and Nutritious
Horse feed, in general, refers to animal feed that is produced or developed specifically for horses. These days, you tailor the horse’s diet to its living conditions. Feed categories are divided into maintenance feed and performance feed. When a horse lives in the wild, it spends about two-thirds of the day—or, in other words, up to 16 hours—moving around while grazing. No matter how the horse feeds itself or how you feed it—herbs, with their various active ingredients and effects, are always beneficial for your horse. Herbs are plants whose above-ground parts are not woody. These include leaves, flowers, and shoots. Herbs can be added to any type of horse feed. For example, you can sprinkle them over hay and thus provide them to your horse’s system. As a horse lover, this raises a few crucial questions for you
- Which herbs are particularly beneficial for my horse, and what effects do they have?
- How and for how long should herbs be used?
- What is the appropriate herbal blend, and which herbs are incompatible—or, in other words, clash with one another
- … and more
Buying Herbs for Horses
Every horse is an individual with its own characteristics and traits. As a horse owner, you naturally strive to feed your horse as healthily as possible while also doing what’s best for it. When buying herbs for horses, this often involves striking a balance between cost and benefit. You can also base your decision to buy herbs for horses on specific needs, as the following examples show
Seasonal
In the spring months, the Monastery Garden herbal blend provides extra vitality and strengthens the bronchial tubes. In the fall, a “Forest Pasture” herbal blend—composed of berries, leaves, and bark from hedgerows and forests—is healthy and beneficial for the horse’s body thanks to its minerals and trace elements. It also effectively strengthens the immune system.
Herbal Treatment
You can easily feed a herbal blend tailored to your horse as part of a longer-term herbal treatment. It typically lasts four to six weeks. The exact duration depends on the herbs and the specific purpose for which they’re being fed temporarily. If you have any questions or concerns, it is recommended that you consult your veterinarian.
Herbal Blend
The term makes it clear that several herbs—which complement each other—are blended together to form a mixture. Among horse owners, they are also referred to as “herbal tea.” When properly formulated, the herbal mixture has a beneficial effect on the horse’s system, such as the bronchial herbal mixture. A good herbal mixture consists of about four herbs, and under no circumstances more than seven. The general medical principle applies here: less is more.
Herbal Formula
Depending on the specific situation, you can also create a custom herbal formula or have one professionally prepared. A formula, as such, is the preparation of [medicinal] remedies according to a set of instructions, such as a prescription. The herbal pharmacy for horses contains dozens of herbs and medicinal herbs from A to Z. The terms “herbal blend” and “herbal formula” are quite interchangeable.
Treats, oil, tea, …
You love your horse and enjoy spoiling it. Whether it’s tea, oil, or a daily treat, you can let your imagination and creativity run wild here. A lovely herbal blend for winter treats is a mix of anise, stinging nettle, sage, and thyme, combined with grated apples and carrots, as well as oatmeal, honey, and sugar beet syrup. For a warm and expectorant tea, you’ll need five to six tablespoons of the herbal blend mixed with hot water. After letting it steep for a quarter of an hour, you can “serve” the tasty tea.
Herbs for Horses – Many Types of Herbs Promote Animal Well-Being
The topic of this blog is “Herbs for Horses,” and accordingly, the focus is on the selection of herbs. Some—or many—of them are very familiar to you, while others are less so. Among the hundred or more herbs for horses, you’ll find 20 of the most common and well-known varieties listed here in alphabetical order. What they all have in common is that they’re ideally suited for a variety of purposes—from blends and recipes to treatments, oils, and teas.
Artichoke
It is one of the most effective medicinal herbs for horses with liver problems. The bitter compounds contained in the herb stimulate liver function and protect liver cells. The artichoke has both preventive and healing effects. Feeding artichoke leaves is therefore advisable during a general change in diet, as feed quality usually fluctuates initially at this stage until it stabilizes.
Basil
This herb is just as popular and in demand among horse owners as it is among their four-legged friends. Basil is particularly well-suited for a herbal treatment lasting up to six weeks. Add one teaspoon of dried basil to the food daily. To dry basil, cut it close to the ground and then hang it in bunches in a shady, dry, and warm place.
Stinging Nettle
Your horse loves dried nettle leaves, which are rich in minerals and nutrients. Nettle contains, among other things, iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, vitamins A and C, and the fruit contains vitamin E. In general, stinging nettle supports the formation of red blood cells and stimulates the animal’s digestive tract. It is mixed into the hay for feeding.
Fennel
The components of fennel that are beneficial for horses include fatty and essential oils, as well as flavonoids—cell-protective phytochemicals. Fennel is harvested and dried in the fall. In horses, it has antispasmodic effects and helps relieve bloating. Fennel is specifically fed to horses with congested airways or digestive disorders.
Rosehip
When fed regularly, rose hips promote hoof growth. They ensure optimal blood flow to the hoof corium, which in turn improves cellular metabolism. In addition, fatty acids enhance the shine of the horse’s coat. The red berries contain vitamins A, B, C, and E. They are rich in fruit acids and unsaturated fatty acids. Rose hips contain the red pigment lycopene, which acts as an antioxidant against arteriosclerosis. Antioxidants also provide effective protection against so-called “free radicals” in horses.
Ginger
Adding ginger to a horse’s feed serves two purposes. It positively influences blood flow, circulation, and digestion. In addition, ginger has anti-inflammatory and even pain-relieving effects. The daily dose should not exceed one to two grams of ginger per 100 kg of the animal’s body weight.
Chamomile
The scent of chamomile is unique and pleasant—even for your horse. Chamomile contains essential oils and mucilages, or in other words, biopolymers. It has anti-inflammatory, calming, and antispasmodic effects. Your horse will love this tea blend with chamomile. It helps with restlessness, bloating, and general gastrointestinal discomfort.
Flaxseed
You probably know that flaxseed is considered a superfood for your four-legged friend. Components such as fatty acids and mucilage have a positive effect on the immune system. The fat content of flaxseed generally ranges from 40 percent and up. The mucilage in flaxseed protects the mucous membranes of the intestines and stomach. Flaxseed is simply ideal as a supplement to your horse’s regular feed.
Dandelion
The dandelion is not a weed, but one of the oldest medicinal plants in the world. It contains high levels of mucilage and bitter compounds, which give it its bitter taste. In your horse, these substances stimulate secretion—in other words, the release of gastrointestinal juices—and have a detoxifying and diuretic effect. However, you must make sure your horse doesn’t eat too much dandelion in the pasture or be given too much by you. The rule of thumb: mix 10 grams of dandelion per 100 kilograms of body weight into the feed daily and observe whether your horse actually likes dandelion.
Milk Thistle
Silymarin, a fruit extract found in milk thistle, promotes blood circulation in your horse and helps reduce bloating. Milk thistle contains bitter compounds, fatty oil, tannins, histamine, and other biogenic amines. By feeding your horse about 100 to 150 grams of dried milk thistle fruits per day, you provide it with up to four grams of the important compound silymarin.
Mint
Your horse may enjoy mint both fresh and dried, mixed into its feed or as tea. You can add dried peppermint to the feed in the trough, sprinkle it over the main feed, or include it in a mash as a dietary supplement with a mild laxative effect. The plant’s main component is its essential oil. It soothes the intestines and stomach and makes the feed more digestible overall.
Monk’s pepper
Chasteberry is often colloquially referred to as the “chastity tree” because it has a libido-suppressing effect—even in your horse. The right time to supplement with chasteberry is during a mare’s hormonal fluctuations. A monk’s pepper treatment should last two to three months. You’ll notice a visible improvement in your mare’s balance and well-being.
Red Echinacea
The original name of this anti-inflammatory medicinal herb for horses is Echinacea. It has antiviral and anti-infective properties and strengthens the animal’s immune system. The entire plant—from the stem to the flowers and leaves—is used for feeding. Among the wide variety of medicinal plants for horses, purple coneflower is one of the most commonly fed. During the fall and winter months, you can mix about 30 grams of purple coneflower into your horse’s feed daily for about a month.
Sage
If your horse suffers from chronic but non-infectious inflammation or a respiratory condition, give it sage. With its constituents—such as tannins, bitter compounds, flavonoids, and steroids—sage has a distinctly aromatic scent. For the horse, these compounds have anti-inflammatory and antiperspirant effects and help stimulate secretion. You should feed sage as part of a herbal treatment for about four to six weeks. You can either mix dried sage into the feed or treat your horse to some sage tea.
Yarrow
This widely used herb aids a horse’s digestion. For daily feeding, 10 to 25 grams is recommended, depending on the animal’s size and weight. The herb can be fed either dried or as a tea mixed into the feed. And if your horse shows little or no appetite, yarrow can also help stimulate its appetite.
Ribwort Plantain
This herb contains above-average amounts of mineral salts and mucilage. These have a soothing effect on the animal’s respiratory tract. Ribwort plantain has an extremely pleasant natural flavor that can encourage even a horse with a poor appetite to eat. The recommended intake is five to ten grams per 100 kilograms of body weight. Ribwort plantain is eagerly eaten both dried and chopped—and, of course, it’s also consumed as a tea.
Devil’s Claw
It is one of the well-tolerated herbs that can be fed regularly and over the long term. Its main active ingredients, such as flavonoids and cinnamic acid, have pain-relieving properties and have a positive effect on digestion. Devil’s claw also helps animals with general musculoskeletal issues. The daily dose ranges from five to ten grams per 100 kilograms of body weight, depending on whether the plant is ground, chopped, or dried.
Thyme
This medicinal herb supports both digestion and liver function in dogs. The plant’s essential oils relieve respiratory complaints and chronic coughs. You should only add thyme to tea in small or very small amounts and not feed it to your pet on a long-term basis; the essential oils, which are abundant in the herb, can very quickly irritate the mucous membranes of the intestines and stomach.
Hawthorn
Hawthorn, with its leaves and flowers, visibly stimulates circulation in your horse’s body. An older horse, in particular, will benefit from the boost to blood flow and the overall cardiovascular system. Hawthorn primarily contains tannins and flavonoids. The recommended daily feeding amount for a period of about six weeks is between 20 and 50 grams, depending on the horse’s size and weight. Horses are particularly fond of nibbling on the fresh hawthorn bush, which can grow several meters tall. In 1990, hawthorn was named Germany’s “Medicinal Herb of the Year”—possibly not just for humans.
Herbs for Horses – Pros & Cons
Feeding herbs has no disadvantages whatsoever; on the contrary, it generally offers nothing but benefits. The key is their proper use. For one thing, most herbs are typically fed only as a course of treatment—that is, for a limited period of time. Long-term administration is recommended only in exceptional cases, and even then, preferably in consultation with a veterinarian. A break of several weeks is always recommended between individual herbal treatment courses.
Herbs for Horses Come at a Price
Naturally, your four-legged friend is dear to your heart. It’s often a balancing act to stay within your monthly budget for horse feed while still providing your horse with the best possible nutrition. So it also depends on your knowledge and skill to be able to buy the right herbs for horses in every season and in a way that’s perfectly suited to the situation. Here you’ll find our current selection of herbs for horses!
Conclusion—nothing can stand in the way of beneficial herbs for horses
Herbs are the icing on the cake for horse feed! The vast majority of herbs have healing and generally beneficial effects for your horse. From adding them to daily feed to processing them into oils or tea blends, all the way to using them as treats, the variety of options makes herbs—from A for anise to Z for horsetail—as beneficial as they are tasty for your four-legged friend.
