Sweet Horse Herbs

11/05/2024

08/01/2024

So important! And proper dental balance and alignment of the occlusal surfaces directly affects this

When your horse extends through their AO joint [the articulation between the base of the skull and C1], their lower jaw retracts - you can feel this yourself if you point your nose to the sky, notice how your bottom jaw glides back.

When your horse flexes through their AO joint, their lower jaw protracts - you can feel this yourself if you press your chin to your chest, notice how your bottom jaw glides forwards.

When your horse flexes through their AO joint, their laryngeal diameter decreases - you can feel this by pressing your chin to your chest and taking a deep breath in, notice how much harder that is.

If your horse has tension in their jaw, they lose range of motion through their AO joint - you can feel this yourself if you clamp your jaw shut, notice how much harder it is to point your nose to the sky or point your chin to your chest - your neck feels tight and immobile.

And the same can be said if your horse has tension through their AO joint or neck, they will lose range of motion through their jaw.

-

Now do all of those movements again and notice how, when you drop your chin to your chest:

It's difficult to inflate your ribs to breathe,

It's hard to round your back,

Your hips tighten up.

This is because you've impinged your deep ventral line.

We do this to horses when we ride with a rein length/tension that doesn't accomodate and support their anatomy.

So if we compress their jaw and neck, we compromise their ability to:

Breathe

Lift their back to carry a rider

Activate their hindlimb.
..Gives us quite a lot to think about with how many horses are ridden and trained, doesn't it?

-

Want to learn more?

The recording for Train Your Eye - How's Your Bit Affecting Your Horse? is now live on my website.

❤️✨️

06/15/2024

🐎 Neuromuscular Equine Dental Balances 🐎

Call or message me if your horse

▪️hasn’t see a dentist in over a year
▪️is struggling with keeping weight on
▪️head tossing while riding
▪️has trouble bending both directions
▪️has trouble with collection
▪️has a poor top line
▪️underdeveloped hind end
▪️won’t stand square
▪️visible hooks on the incisors (front teeth)
▪️grumpy/ behavioral issues
▪️trouble taking the bit
▪️chiropractic adjustments don’t hold

I use hand floats, and specialize in balancing the teeth to provide proper A/P motion and anatomical alignment of occlusal surfaces to provide stability and guidance to the TMJ allowing maximum motion for neuromuscular, proprioceptive, and bio-mechanical performance.

05/10/2024

🐎 Now booking Equine Dental Balances 🐎

Call or message me if your horse

▪️hasn’t see a dentist in over a year
▪️is struggling with keeping weight on
▪️head tossing while riding
▪️has trouble bending both directions
▪️has trouble with collection
▪️has a poor top line
▪️underdeveloped hind end
▪️won’t stand square
▪️visible hooks on the incisors (front teeth)
▪️grumpy/ behavioral issues
▪️trouble taking the bit
▪️chiropractic adjustments don’t hold

I use hand floats, and specialize in balancing the teeth to provide proper A/P motion and anatomical alignment of occlusal surfaces to provide stability and guidance to the TMJ allowing maximum motion for neuromuscular, proprioceptive, and bio-mechanical performance.

05/10/2024

I am so passionate about this! Not all dentistry is the same.
I’ve just finished up 2 weeks at the Center for Neuromuscular Equine Dentistry where we focus on Providing proper A/P motion and anatomical alignment of the occlusal surfaces to provide stability as guidance to the TMJ. This allows for maximum motion to give neuromuscular and proprioceptive and biomechanical performance

In equine practice, teeth corrections by means of motorized grinding systems are standard procedure. The heat resulting from that treatment may cause irreparable damage to the dental pulp. It has been shown that a 5.5°C temperature rise may cause severe destruction in pulp cells. Hence, the capability to continuously form secondary dentine is lost, and may lead, due to equine-typical occlusal tooth abrasion, to an opening of the pulp cavity.!!!

The heat from power tools used in equine dentistry, needs to be more spoken about and the fact it will definitely contribute to cavities in horses, the teeth being more prone to fractures and early periodontal disease…..

To read the full article click here https://bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1746-6148-10-47

05/10/2024

This is so important, and not all equine dentistry is the same. What doesn’t mean to “float” teeth? Float actually means to smooth out, make flat, make even. Proper equine dentistry will balance the horses mouth to that individual horse. Providing proper A/P motion and anatomical alignment of the occlusal surfaces to provide stability as guidance to the TMJ. This allows for maximum motion to give neuromuscular and proprioceptive and biomechanical performance.

YOUR horse’s teeth health are important, BUT what’s even MORE important is how the equine dentistry is being done in your horse‘s mouth!

Why is this so important… because since your horse was born, they have what’s called a 3 point balance., which allows them to stand up shortly after being born and to walk, trot, canter, do a buck, flying change etc! Without that 3 point balance they would be more like a human baby and are unable to stand shortly after being born.. like you!😉

So, this clearly shows the deep relationships between teeth, posture and biomechanics in our horse.

Also, it’s because your horses teeth need to last him/ her there whole life for being able to eat and grind food, for balance and biomechanics!

So, what ever changes are made by an equine dentist whether by power tool or hand tool… it does amd will have an effect on your horses posture, biomechanics and digestion either positive or negative! To much change quickly, change in the top surface or structure of the tooth ie the rounding or smoothing out of the outside edge of the tooth, and or molar angle, or leaving incisors to long all do and will have a negative effect on your horse! Unfortunately, this is happening more and more!

See below the 3 pictures of examples of horse skulls showing the differences of the teeth! These skulls are from the collection of skulls Maureen Rogers, the Founder of Equine CranioSacral Workshops has collected and dissected.

Skull 1 the only dentistry done by the horse itself!

Skull 2 shows a horse who had power tool de by a right handed demtist… as you can tell by the difference in the height and slight angle change difference between the left and right side

Skull 3 shows a horse who had excessive power tool dentistry done… significant change in the molar angle and to the outside edge of the tooth smoothed and the chew surface which is the top of the tooth shine and smooth, which leaves the horse no way to break down the hay during grinding… the the horse will be prone to colic!

Seeing the teeth have a deep connection in the body both neurological, in balance and in proprioception (where we are in space) any change great or small to-the teeth.. will have effect on the horses balance, how the legs move, and posture! Human dentists know this and can only make minimal changes to a human tooth for this reason! There is NO difference between the change one is able to make in human’s teeth to horse’s teeth due to the complexity! BUT it is happening!

Having my knowledge about what is correct is vital for your horses health and longevity!!!

Copyright Maureen Rogers Equine CranioSacral Workshops 2024

02/13/2024

Laminitis…. a pain in the neck?
Laminitis causes a change in the nerves themselves as they respond to the stress of the laminitic event. During a laminitis event the nerves in the last cervical vertebrae of the neck, situated deep within the shoulder blade of the horse, are changed and actually suffer damage rather than just becoming inflamed, which makes the pain of laminitis difficult to control. The injury to the sensory nerves can be a reason why laminitis pain becomes chronic, with the horse suffering from repeated bouts of lameness even after the original bout of laminitis has been resolved. The nerve injury also causes a change in the behaviour of horses causing them to become withdrawn and spend a longer time at the back of the box.
Herbs offer a good alternative to bute as many can reduce nociceptive pain, the best nerve pain relieving plants are those containing high levels of triterpenes and quinovic acid glycosides such as turmeric and rosemary.
Offering a cocktail of anti-oxidant plants helps to alleviate the damage of laminitis as it affects many structures including the circulation, hoof tissue as well as the unmyelinated nerves.
Jones, E., Viñuela-Fernandez, I., Eager, R. A., Delaney, A., Anderson, H., Patel, A., ... & Fleetwood-Walker, S. M. (2007). Neuropathic changes in equine laminitis pain. Pain, 132(3), 321-331.

01/23/2024

Support your horse with herbs during the winter months, so they are ready to go come spring. 🌿

Winter is a great time to get on top of parasites, because often there are less parasites present in the external environment, yet they can really take hold in the internal environment if not addressed.

It’s also a great time to do gentle detox, and also, build up their body and support the immune and structural systems. Your horse will appreciate the extra love and care and tasty herbs in their feed to feed their digestive system and microbiome happy.

Curious about how herbs could benefit your horse? Comment on this post and receive $10 off your first herbal consultation/ evaluation.

01/01/2024

Glandular Balance is such a powerhouse blend of adaptogens, superfoods, and 4 different seaweeds to help support the endocrine system. Full of minerals!!! Super nutritive blend that supports the pituitary, adrenals, thyroid, pancreas, reproductive system, immune system, and digestive system.
This blend works wonders for horses that are heavily used/stressed, horses with metabolic imbalances and inflammation, horses mildly under or overweight, horses lacking shine, and hoof integrity.

Grab some today!
SweeHorseHerbs.com

12/14/2023

Happy National Day of the Horse 🐎

12/14/2023

Happy National of the Horse 🐎 ❤️

Comment with a photo of your favorite horse!

12/13/2023

How to support your growing horse: weanlings to 3years old 🐴 🌿

Firstly: An environment that is free of stress, a pasture mate or herd, plenty of turnout time (like 24/7 if possible)

Emotional and mental health applies to horses as well as humans. That’s why we must consider and give them the best possible living situation… horses are meant to move and graze over varied terrain several mile a day to maintain good feet and teeth and metabolism. We can’t always offer that to them as a domestic animal, but we can make improvements to their environment to keep them happy.

For young growing horses, a mineral supplement is very important, in fact it’s essential! Most soils and farmland are depleted of essential minerals because of overuse. And horses cannot get all that they need from the hay you feed them. If your pasture is less than 500 acres… chances are they are not getting access to all the minerals that they need.
I like to feed Balanced to Perfection Minerals by .feed as it is the cleanest mineral supplement I have found. There are several options for mineral supplementation depending on the size of your herd and your region.
(Always provide free choice loose salt for your herd separately from the other minerals)

Neo & Growth Tonic Herbal blend (link to purchase in bio) provides overall support for the growing horse. I feed this to all Broodmares in foal, and babies from 1 month to 3 years. This blend is full of adaptogens and herbs that help the brain, tendons, ligaments, and also support gut health. Babies love this, and will often eat it right out of your hand.

That’s it! Pretty simple. Do you have a mare in foal right now? Or a weanling or yearling that is looking a bit shabby? Doing these 2 things will make a huge difference!

11/29/2023

You have multiple horses in your herd of different ages and you want to support them with their nutritional needs without breaking the bank…

I think this is one of the biggest challenges that horse owners face when maintaining a diverse herd.

There are 3 key supplements that your whole herd will benefit from…
✨Balanced to Perfection Minerals
✨Parasite Wipeout Herbs
✨Relax Herbal Magnesium

🌿Balanced minerals are essential to health. I love Balanced to Perfection Minerals because they are free of flax, wheat, corn, and soy byproducts. This is the cleanest, balanced, and low sugar mineral that I have found. Balanced selenium and camelina oil for vitamin E.
And yes, no Flax!
Flax that has been ground up goes rancid in 3 days. This is the breakdown of the fatty acids, which would otherwise be beneficial… but once it goes rancid and starts to oxidize, this creates free radicals and oxidation in the bloodstream as well. Now if the flax has been stabilized, it won’t go rancid… but… it is then laced with chemicals that dirty the blood and are harmful to the body, especially is fed over the long term. (Same for flax oil! Don’t feed flax unless you grind it yourself and feed it within the week!)
Camelina oil, on the other hand is very shelf stable.

🌿Parasite Wipeout is for most horses, with the exception of Pregnant Mares (use Worm DTX instead) PW is an excellent blood cleaner, and creates an unfavorable environment for parasites to thrive. Feed this 10 days a month to keep parasites at bay and keep the gut microbiome happy.

🌿Relax Herbal Magnesium is a Whole Foods and Herbs Magnesium supplement that is easily absorbed into the body, helps to relax tight muscles, provides excellent fiber for the gut and feeds the good microbes in the gut, and helps to balance blood sugars.

Pick up all these herbs in the shop! Link in Bio…

If you are looking to try a new mineral supplement, comment on this post and I will send you information to order directly from the company!

11/25/2023

I appreciate you! Thank you for supporting Small Business Saturday!

No, I didn’t have any “Black Friday deals”

This is just a heartfelt THANK YOU! I appreciate you so much! When I write out these posts, I am thinking about you! I’m thinking about your horses! I know or have personally spoken to 98% of my customers. You matter, your horses well being matters to me, and being able to help your horses feel their best is my favorite thing to do!

You may not know that every purchase you make from my small business, helps to feed my and clothe my kids… yep! Every time you choose to buy herbs from my shop, instead of a larger retailer, you are directly supporting my family. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

If you could share this post and spread the word about my small business, that would mean the world to me! It is the easiest way to help support my small business to grow so I can continue to offer the best herbs and energetic evaluations to you and your herd!

I appreciate you so much!!

Share this post to your stories and I will send you a discount code for 10% off your next order! Thank you!!

📸

11/15/2023

5 Reasons to feed your horse HERBS

🌿Your horse is stabled, or lives most of its life in a paddock, or has less than 12 hours of grazing time everyday
🌿You feed mostly one type hay, or your hay is commercially grown
🌿Your horse has less than 1000 acres to graze and forage on
🌿You horse does not have access to hedgerows, or different types of shrubs and forbs
🌿Finally… your horse is an herbivore… feed them herbs!

Herbs provide a variety of phytonutrients that help support the immune system and provide biodiversity for the gut bacteria. Several types of herbs are high in naturally occurring minerals.

Horses naturally select certain plant species to fulfill nutritional deficiencies if they have access to them… a small amount of herbs makes a big difference in your horse’s overall health.

11/14/2023

Do you have an older horse that gets a little stiff in the cold weather?

Painaway is an excellent blend to have on hand for those days when the weather gets cold and the older horses move a little slower. It’s also a great product to keep your older horses comfortable year round.

Painaway is like an all natural BUTE. This blend should be in your barn whether or not you have older horses or young ones. The herbs in this blend address pain and inflammation, with a emphasis on nerve support. Use Painaway when hauling, or for recovering from a minor injury, after heavy exercise or as a preventative. This blend is great for horses that are heavily used, under stress, horses with inflammation or swelling, nerve damage, new or old injuries, etc. This list goes on! Stock up on this one today, because it’s a good one to have on hand.

11/12/2023

I am expanding Sweet Horse Herbs this next year! I really want to serve horses in a bigger way.

Every time I do an herbal evaluation on a horse, I always ask or consider the balance of the mouth, especially if the neurological system or metabolic system comes up with a weakness.

The correct functional balance of the teeth affects the whole entire body.

I love geeking out on teeth!! I didn’t realize I would love it as much as I do when I took the first two modules!

I am a single mom of 3 kids on a single income, and also have 3 horses… this year has been difficult for me financially with finding a work /life balance, while also pursuing what I love, with the desire to help horses in this way, and also providing for my family.

Now I am asking for your support to help me serve the equine community with a highly sought after skill.

Please share this post!

https://gofund.me/4682e9c0

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

📸

11/01/2023

This is the blend you want to have for those extreme weather changes, or when you’re going to be traveling with your horse.

If you have a horse that is prone to ulcers, this will clear them up.

The herbs in this blend soothe the digestive tract, and support the digestive system.

09/01/2023

07/09/2023

I am so excited about this product!
You know I am always rounding up the best products for your herd, and for you too!

Liquid Biocell Collagen is a bio identical collagen supplement that is having incredible results, and is backed by several clinical studies.

This is a must have if you are competing on your horse, or if you have a horse with any joint issues, or hoof growth issues.
This supplement will grow a hoof back!
This supplement may reduce or eliminate the need for injections.

It is clinically proven to increase hyaluronic acid by 6000%!

Helps to strengthen and repair tendons, joints, and ligaments.

Helps with soreness, may reduce inflammation, and aid in faster muscle recovery.

Improves the gut lining, reducing acidity.

Improves coat shine and hair growth! Makes stronger and harder hooves.

Liquid Biocell collagen also comes in a pet formula for your dogs and cats!

And in a human formula, with several different flavors. I absolutely love taking my liquid collagen, and have noticed significant hair growth and reduced wrinkle lines in my face, and a more youthful glow on my skin.

Try some today!!
https://www.modere.com/?referralCode=9133980&mpweb=1463-157-3289390

09/02/2022

The barefoot movement is growing amongst top professional riders worldwide, and finally a comprehensive Swedish research project is to determine exactly why there are so many benefits from ditching your horse’s iron shoes and going barefoot instead. By Helle Maigaard Erhardsen Since the Olympic Go...

08/13/2022

This is a great article on the importance of minerals, and what they do for the body.

This list of ten minerals and their benefits will help you gain a better understanding of your horse’s nutritional needs.

08/12/2022

An annual webinar uniting equine osteopaths, professionals, and practitioners interested in expanding their whole-horse knowledge.