Equine Herbalist

23/01/2025

Sprouting seeds for horses can offer several benefits, including:

1. Improved Digestibility: Sprouted seeds are easier to digest than dry seeds, which allows horses to absorb more nutrients efficiently. Sprouting breaks down complex carbohydrates and makes vitamins and minerals more bioavailable.

2. Higher Nutrient Density: The sprouting process increases the concentration of essential nutrients like vitamins A, C, and E, along with enzymes, antioxidants, and amino acids that can enhance overall health and vitality.

3. Better Hydration: Sprouts have a higher moisture content, which can help in keeping horses hydrated, especially during hot weather or when consuming dry feeds.

4. Enhanced Gut Health: The live enzymes in sprouts can support a healthy gut microbiome, improving digestion and reducing issues like colic or bloating.

5. Cost-Effective Feed: Growing your own sprouts can be a more economical way to provide nutrient-rich feed compared to purchasing commercial grain-based feed.

6. Lower Risk of Mold and Dust: Sprouting reduces the risk of mold and dust contamination found in some dry feeds or hay, which can irritate horses’ respiratory systems.

7. Natural Forage Behavior: Sprouted seeds mimic the natural grazing behavior of horses, offering them a more instinctive and enjoyable way to eat.

This can be especially useful for horses with metabolic issues or those who need lower-starch diets.

For all you need to know about spouting seeds my ebook is available at www.equineherbalist.ie

Click below for more information.

Sprouts are the ultimate in home-grown foods. Sprouted seeds are nothing more than germinated seeds which are feed raw. Sprouts are also among the least expensive foods you can buy or grow. sprouts are so inexpensive, there's really no excuse for not adding them into your horses diet. One of the mos...

22/01/2025

HEALTHY H**P.

🥰One of my all time favorite seeds to soak for my horse's is H**P.. of course you can feed it without soaking it.

👉You can grind it up into a meal if you have older horses who struggle to chew add in a splash of herbal tea to make a high nutritious mash.

What's so good about H**p?

👉It's a complete protein with all essential amino acids.
👉Excellent essential fatty acid content.
👉Rich in antioxiadants including vitamin E.
👉Excellent alternative to soy.
👉100% safe.
👉 Excellent for hay only diets as it adds so much.
👉Great for old horses
👉Safe for metabolic horses
👉can help with joint pain and inflammation
👉 Excellent for gut issues
👉 Considered a superfood for hoof and coat

🐴How to feed- depending on what else you are feeding you can just add in 4 tbsp of seeds or hearts straight into your original feed as a top dressing. I recommend soaking the seeds overnight h**p hearts do not need to be soaked.

👌 If you want to feed more h**p- Soak quarter to half a cup of seed in cold water over night (this will depend on the size of the horse and how much you want to feed) the next morning strain the seeds, rinse and feed. Soaked h**p must be used within the day, like I said above you don't have to soak it but you get more out of the seed by soaking it.

🐎For older horses with dental issues it can be whizzed up in a blender to make a wet feed.

You can source h**p seeds or hearts whichever is easier & cheaper for you to feed.

For everything you want to know about sprouting seeds for your horse my ebook "seeds to feed" is available from me now, just message me 🙏 price €14.99.

Visit my blog at www.equineherbalist.ie for lots more articles.

15/01/2025

✨We are what we eat and so are our horses.

👉Before reaching for a probiotic make sure you're prebiotics have been doing their job.

I get a lot of questions about probiotics but never about prebiotics. Everyone wants to know the best probiotic to feed. I also get asked about feeding yogurt, kefir and sauerkraut to horses which I don't advocate.

Firstly horses who live out in groups are less likely to need probiotics except maybe after antibiotics.

*Probiotics - live bacterial and yeast strains that help populate the gut with good bacteria.

* Prebiotics- found in food like complex carbohydrates or soluble fibre which cannot be digested in the small intestine they are fermented in the cecum and colon, they feed the beneficial gut microorganisms.

✨Billions of bacteria are involved in digestion, these microorganisms breakdown fibre and starches into into molecules that the horse can absorb and use.
These bacteria are also responsible for many other important jobs in the horses body including gut PH, natural antibiotics and antibacterial support, immune system health, antiinflammatory support, help.older horses hold weight just to mention a few.

✨When might you use a probiotic.
After antibiotics
Stressful times
Weight loss
Season change-moving on to different feed.
Excessive gas and GI issues

Things to remember- not all these issues will be helped by a probiotic as each horse is so unique and so is their microorganisms. I would certainly rule out other things first before reaching for a probiotic.

Prebiotics before probiotics.
✨What about prebiotics
Remember these are foods that feed the gut bacteria. Every horse should have forage as the foundation of their diet and as diverse as possible I love hay especially long stemy stuff this is where the magic is. I also love bark, leaves and berries (All new food needs to be introduced slowly and must be fed continuously).
👉Personally I think feeding a simple natural diet it key.
Feed as organic as possible which means less toxic chemicals.
✨And again forage is the foundation of your horses diet.

10/01/2025

An unhealthy hindgut will show in the hoof?
Do you agree

06/01/2025

With this cold snap and freezing temperatures remember the best way to warm your horse is with forage preferably hay or haylage.

The ceacum acts like the boiler for the heating system and (forage) hay is the fuel.

14/12/2024

💥Click like if your horse has experienced any kind of lameness over the last few years.

💥Please feel free to comment if you found out why, or what the solution was, or is it still happening?

Ps the picture is only for visual purposes

11/12/2024

Winter Colic

Did you know that colic can be more common in the winter months.

Let's talk about some steps that could help prevent colic.

1. Water intake, make sure your horse is drinking enough. Most horses will happily drink cold water. You can use heated water buckets etc you can also add salt into feed or leave loose salt in a dry area.

2. No harsh diet changes. Everything with your horses diet needs to be done over a period of time especially if you are changing forage. For seniors you can use wet mashes wet feeds are easier to digest but don't do a sudden food change.

3. Exercise is a great way to keep the gut moving, walk your horse in hand, plenty of turnout time with friends.

4. Forage, make sure your horse has plenty of forage to nibble on. Slow feeders/ small mesh hay nets are brilliant for slowing down consumption. Or spread hay out over a large area in your field so your horse has to move and work for his supper.

5. Of course I'm going to mention herbs for digestion support that can be used on a continuous basis. Herbs like fennel, peppermint, chamomile, meadowsweet, these can be used as herbal infusions to dampen down feed.

21/11/2024

We are having a cold snap at the moment here in Ireland.
Here are 2 things you can do to help your horse.

20/11/2024

MUD RASH

Not all horses who stand in mud get mud rash and not all horses with mud rash have been standing in mud have you ever wondered why?

The skin needs certain elements to be healthy including adequate calories, protein, fiber, certain vitamins and minerals and a healthy gut.

Mud Rash has many names including scratches, greasy heel, mud fever, rain scald.

I've found a few simple things that can really help

1. Good skin health relies on certain trace minerals including zinc and copper, these are possibly deficient in the diet.

2. Essential fatty acids are important for skin and coat these are abundance in fresh forage but not in hay based diets. Good sources are h**pseeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, blue green algae.

3. Using zinc oxide cream on the areas, neem cream is also helpful.

If the symptoms persist it's always best to seek professional advice. Providing a clean, dry environment while healing can also be helpful.

15/11/2024

Name a herb or supplement that has made a difference in your horses life

13/11/2024

When it comes to looking at nutrition in horses, circulation is very rarely mentioned.

Your horse's circulation impacts many areas of their health including optimal hoof health, recovery from illness, even in reducing pain from arthritis.

✨We can provide more circulation for our horse in the form of food these include

1. Soaked pumpkin seeds
2. Chia seeds
3. Ginger tea or freshly grated
4. Hawthorn berry tea/tincture
5. Dandelion leaves help with good kidney function.

Other things that you can do to promote circulation is plenty of turnout for your horse, good grooming and good hoof care.

Keeping good circulation to the hoof is important especially if your horse has had laminitis or inflamed episodes. Keeping inflammation low in the diet is key!!

07/11/2024

Why do so many people think hawthorn is poisonous???

✨Hawthorn getting to the heart of the matter.

✨Hawthorn is beneficial for all conditions relating to poor circulation including laminitis, navicular syndrome, joint issues, wind galls, arthritis and rheumatism it is also excellent for emotional heart issues in times of shock and stress.

✨Both berries and flowering tops improve blood flow through the coronary arteries to the heart. Hawthorn contains several substances that actively support the health of the arteries ❤️

✨How to identify hawthorn-
Hawthorn is a large shrub or deciduous tree with branches that are armed with large thorns. It is native to America, North Africa, central Asia and all over Europe. Its fragrant flowers in early spring time are small and white with pink tones the berries are in the autumn they are deep red to a crimson colour. Hawthorn is in the Rose family and in Ireland it takes up principal structure in most hedgerows.

✨Parts used- flowers berries and leaf.

✨Actions- antioxidant, heart tonic, circulation, relaxes blood vessels just to mention a few

✨ Harvesting - Hawthorn leaves and flowers are usually ready to harvest in early may the berries will be ready to harvest from September on. The berries should be harvested once they turn red at this stage the level of active constituents are at their highest. Strip berries off, gloves are advisable.

✨How to use-
The fresh berries can be dried or they can be turned into a fresh berry tincture.
Personally you can't beat having a tincture on hand 👌

✨How to make a fresh berry tincture.
Bash up the Berry's or slit with a knife place the fresh berries into a glass jar and completely cover with raw organic apple cider vinegar let it sit for at least four weeks shaking daily and then straining with a Muslim cloth.

✨ Directions
You can give 10 to 20ml daily added to your horses feed.

01/11/2024

✨Feeding the Equine Joints.

Yes there are foods and herbs that can be beneficial for joint support.

🦴Dried nettles.
🦴Soaked pumpkin seeds.
🦴Chopped celery.
🦴Chia seeds or flax seed.
🦴Any sprouted seeds.
🦴Tumeric & a twist of black pepper for best results combine with flax seed.

✨Making a nice warming ginger tea to dampen down feed can help with circulation.

Prevention is the best cure- and keeping your horse at a healthy weight is key.

31/10/2024

Spooky season is upon us!!

🎃How to keep your horses safe🎃
Feel free to share things that have worked for you.

🎇If possible move your horses out of any area where there will be bonfires and fireworks.

🎇Dampen down feed with a relaxing herbal tea, you can also add in dried herbs for anxiety. Some great herbs to use are chamomile, passion flower, vervain.

🎇 My horses are always left out with plenty of forage this may not suit everyone. You know what's best for your horse, I know a lot of people leave a radio on in the stable overnight to help with the noise.

Picture taken from nutriscience.ie

26/10/2024

✨Have you thought about making a herbal tincture?

✨Now is a perfect time to make some herbal tinctures for your horse.

✨In the blog below is a step by step guide on how to and a reference guide to what herbs can be used for whet system.

    Making Herbal Medicine for your Horse.     A herb is anything that grows in the ground and that is used in food, medicine and perfumery.   Why do we process a herb? To make the active ingredient available to us for use, we use different extraction methods to do this.   Different extraction...

18/10/2024

Haylage for Horses: The Good and the Bad

The Good:

1. Nutritional Quality: Haylage typically has higher moisture content and retains more nutrients than hay, especially protein and energy. This can be beneficial for horses needing extra nutrition, such as performance horses, pregnant mares, or growing foals.

2. Palatability: The moist texture and smell make haylage more appealing to picky eaters, increasing the likelihood that your horse will consume enough forage.

3. Dust-Free: Haylage is nearly dust-free, making it ideal for horses with respiratory issues like heaves (COPD). It reduces the risk of airway irritation, which is a common problem with dry hay, particularly if it’s not well stored.

4. Convenience: Baled haylage is often available in smaller, easy-to-handle wrapped bales. This can be helpful for feeding in wet conditions or areas where good-quality hay is scarce.

The Bad:

1. Spoilage Risk: Because haylage has a higher moisture content, it’s more prone to spoilage if the bale is punctured or improperly stored. Spoiled haylage can produce mold, which is harmful to horses. It must be used quickly after opening to prevent fermentation.

2. Digestive Issues: The moisture and fermentation process that haylage undergoes can sometimes cause digestive upset in some horses, particularly those with sensitive stomachs or prone to colic.

3. Cost and Availability: Haylage is generally more expensive than dry hay due to the specialized baling process and storage needs. It may also be harder to find, especially in areas where dry hay is the traditional forage.

We all know forage is the foundation of our horses diets so weather it's halage or hay you are feeding once you are meeting your horses basic needs and your horse is having no issues I don't see a problem. I know loads of people feeding haylage and their horses are thriving. Haylage can be a highly nutritious, dust-free forage option for horses.

11/10/2024

❄️Preparing your Horse for Winter❄️

❄️1. Weight check before going into winter, this will help you keep an eye on a hard keeper or older horse.

❄️2. Forage forage and more forage. your horse should have access to continuous forage 24/7. If this seems like too much trouble, try using slow feeders. Remember horses burn calories to stay warm hay/forage helps support an increase in body temperature far greater than grain. 1-2% of horse’s body weight should be feed in forage.

❄️3. Don’t shock the digestive with feed changes, all feed changes should be done slowly over a period of a week.

❄️4. Winter pasture and dried hay will be lacking in essential fatty acids and vitamin E so adding these to your winter feeding programme should be a must. Some wholefood sources of EFA include chia seeds 1-2oz daily per horse, EFA are vital for the immune system to function correctly. Wholefoods sources of vitamin E are wheatgrass fodder, whole sprouted oats, whole soaked almonds or source a good natural vitamin E.

❄️5.During the winter months most horses have a decrease of antioxidants and live enzymes in their diet, by incorporating sprouted seeds you can cheaply & easily keep antioxidants and enzymes toped up. For more information on sprouting for your horse go to my blog at www.equineherbalist.ie.

❄️6. Free choice salt can be left in a dry area for horses to consume what they need. This will help stimulate a drinking response and keep your horse hydrated over the winter. I also like to add celery into my horses feed. I chop & add to the daily feed. Do your own research on the salt you use. On the topic of hydration heated water buckets can be purchased and simple steps like insulating water trough may help.

❄️ 7.Before you reach for the oil as a fat source remember most oils including soya, canola, and corn are cheap GMO sludge -extracted with hexane (neurotoxin) and high in inflammatory factors so quality matters. Good sources of fat include grass, seeds, soaked nuts, coconut meal and cold pressed oils like h**p.

❄️ 8.Try to maintain exercise over the winter which is good for circulation & joints. If exercise is limited you can add wholefoods and herbs for circulation, warming food include ginger, cinnamon, cayenne, turmeric, yeasts, soaked almonds and spirulina. For joint health over the winter use chia seeds, turmeric, msm, nettle powder or tea, rosehips, plenty of options for herbal pain relief if needed.

❄️ 9.Blanket or not to blanket- that’s up to you. (Inspect hooves and body on a regular basis).

❄️ 10.Now is the time to stock up on things that you’ll need over the winter months check your first aid box and replenish stock. why not make a winter tonic now.
❄️Recipe- raw apple cider vinegar, large glass jar with a lid to your jar add herbs of your choice but try to include at least two herbs from my list into your mix - elderberry, rosehip, thyme, garlic, fenugreek seed, ginger, peppermint, honeysuckle flowers. Cover your herbs completely with raw apple cider vinegar.

This needs to steep for 6-8 weeks then strain the herbs from the liquid, bottle the liquid & label it use 10 ml at onset of any symptoms or use a super food boost over your horses feed.

Rachel Kelly Irish master herbalist who specialise's in treating all horse conditions with herbs, my formula's are specifically designed to meet the individual needs of your horse. I do not do ready made herbal products for horses. Equine Herbalist Ireland

19/09/2024

Knowing a few basic things about HAY can help you supplement your horses diet better. (Especially if your horse has little or no access to grass)

1. When hay drys it will lose essential fatty acids and vitamin E. So using chia seeds daily 2/4 tablespoons can help with essential fatty acids- to really get the best out of chia seeds, sprout them. For vitamin E their is nothing better than sprouted fodder aka wheatgrass or barleygrass. Sprouted vitamin E aka REAL vitamin E is 10 times more absorbed & assimilated than synthetic. (More information on www.equineherbalist.ie)

2. Certain trace minerals will be deficient in your hay. Until you analyse your hay you have no real way of telling. It may not be feasible to analyse your hay especially if you buy in small quantities from different suppliers. This is why I love using sprouted seeds in my horses diet, especially sprouted grasses. Because they are so mineral rich they can help provide some of the missing elements in a very natural and absorbable way. REMEMBER in nature no nutrients are found in isolation!!

3. Hay will be low in sodium- I like to use celery as an excellent organic sodium choice. Free choice loose sea salt or loose himalayan salt can be left for the self service horse buffet.

Remember minerals play a big role in the health of your horse. Your horse may be on hay and a feed supplement which is calorie rich...but your horse may be starved of certain important nutrients.

Analysis hay if possible, read feed labels know what your feeding and why.