COMMON HERBS USED IN EQUINE APPLICATIONS
Most herbal preparations used in horses are designed for specific applications. Common uses include digestion aids, normalizing hormonal fluctuations in mares and stallions, temperament adjustments (HYGAIN CALM N COOL), bone and joint therapy (HYGIAN ATOMIC), respiratory therapy (HYGAIN RESPIRATOR), muscle therapy and recuperation from exercise and to give a good sense of well being via anti microbial activity and immune system stimulation. Listed below are individual herbs used in equine diets. For simplicity, they are arranged in alphabetical order under specific function headings. Note that some herbs appear under more than one function heading.

Herbal Digestion Aids

Aloe Vera:   Juices from the Aloe Vera plant contain anthraquinone derivatives, which are converted to emodin in the intestine. At low doses (10mg) Aloe Vera acts as a digestive bitter, at moderate doses (100mg) it works as a laxative and at higher doses (1,000mg) Aloe Vera acts as a purgative. Effectiveness is not lost with continuous use.

Aniseed:   Dried seeds are commonly used to stimulate appetite and the secretion of digestive juices. Therefore, aniseed is used to treat poor appetite and digestive disorders like colic.

Burdock:   The root of the burdock is a digestive bitter and stimulates liver function. It is especially useful for horses that exhibit poor feed utilization and or reduced appetite.

Celery Seed:   Celery seed provides a warming effect and acts as a digestive bitter. It is useful for horses that have become 'run down' as a result of transportation, overwork and exposure to cold.

Fenugreek:   Fenugreek contains steroidal saponins that can help horses put on condition as well as act to stimulate appetite and reduce complications caused by gastric ulcers.

Golden Rod:   The leaves and flowering tops of golden rod have anti inflammatory and astringent effects and can be used in horses exhibiting irritable bowel.

Lemon Balm:   Lemon Balm has a sedative effect on the gastrointestinal tract and therefore is useful for helping horses with chronic mild colic.

Licorice:   Licorice has been used for over 3,000 years as a digestive aid. The active ingredient in licorice is glycyrrhizin. Licorice reduces gastric acid secretion and is recommended for use with horses with gastric ulcers.

Marigold (Calendula):   Marigold is rich in sulfur and is valued for its ability to treat gastric ulcers.

Meadowsweet:   Meadowsweet contains salicylic acid and is know as herbal aspirin. Meadowsweet has astringent actions and has proven especially useful in treating ulceration caused by such drugs as phenylbutazone.

Mint:   Mint contains flavinoids that act to relax the digestive tract. Mint is commonly used as a digestive aid in horses. Horses also find the aroma and taste of mint to be particularly appealing.

Hormone Effector's

Aniseed:   Aniseed has estrogenic activity and can be used to help normalize estrus in mares.

Chaste Tree:   Seeds from the Chaste Tree have been used for almost 2,000 years to help menopausal women and women suffering from PMT. It is also considered an anti- aphrodisiac and hence received the nick name "Monks Pepper'. Mare exhibiting performance problems during estrus have benefited from receiving Chaste Tree.

Licorice:   Licorice has estrogenic activity and has been used to help increase fertility in mares.

Raspberry:   Raspberry assists uterine contractions during foaling, aids in placental cleaning and reduces hemorrhage associated with the foaling process.

Sage:   Sage has been used to depress milk production in mares. In addition, sage is a relatively strong uterine stimulant and therefore should not be given to pregnant mares.

Temperament Modifiers

Clover:   Clover has been used for its sedative and calming actions for decades. It can also be used as a tonic for horses that are in poor condition due to illness.

Chamomile:   Chamomile is used as a sedative for horses that are high strung due to nervousness and stress.

Lemon Balm:   Lemon Balm has sedative effects and is often used in combination with chamomile to calm nervous horses.

Poppy:   More specifically corn poppy is used as a sedative for nervous horses. The opium poppy is distinct from corn poppy and is not recommended for equine diets due to its narcotic like components that will show up in blood tests under competition rules.

Valerian:   Valerian is commonly used in sweets and soft drinks. Valerian has a sedative effect on horses, however it is especially favoured by those managing performance horses due to its ability to calm nervous horses without hindering its ability to perform. It has also been widely used to aid in recuperation in horses suffering from nervous fatigue. Valerian may be banned in sport horses in the United States due to its ability to effect performance horses.

Vervain:   Vervain is commonly used to help keep horses calm during recuperation.

Bone and Joint Therapy

Buckwheat:   Buckwheat is a relatively strong vasodilator and can aid in the treatment of arthritis due to its ability to help repair capillaries.

Clivers:   Clivers is slightly diuretic and is commonly used to treat horses with swollen legs and joints.

Comfrey:   Comfrey contains allantonin, which stimulates cell production. It has been used for decades to heal bones, cartilage and connective tissue. Comfrey is also an anti-inflammatory and is used as a treatment for arthritis.

Devils Claw:   The anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of Devils Claw have been reported to be equal to cortisone and phenylbutazone without the noted side effects such as gastric ulceration. Devils Claw is often used as an aid in the healing of degenerative bone disease and developmental orthopedic disease.

Nettle:   Nettle is a mildly strong stimulant of the circulatory system and is therefore recommended for laminitis or arthritis.

Kelp:   Kelp or seaweed is a rice source of trace minerals that aid in cartilage and connective tissue formation. It is generally recommended for growing horses, performance horses as well as pregnant brood-mares.

Muscle and Exercise Recuperation Therapy

Buckwheat:   Buckwheat's vasodilatory properties aid in muscle function and exercise recuperation.

Celery Seed:   Celery seed helps relieve joint stiffness and has warming effects which make it useful for horses that are a bit sore following a hard workout.

Clivers:   Clivers is excellent for toning the lymphatic system, especially when combined with Marigold. It is widely used in horses that exhibit muscle tightness during and after exercise. Chamomile: Chamomile possesses anti-inflammatory, analgesic and vasodilatory properties and is quite effective at treating muscle soreness during and after exercise.

Dandelion:   Dandelion is diuretic as well as a rich source of potassium, magnesium, calcium and Vitamins SA, C and B complex. Dandelions will help cleanse the blood in horses after exercise and provide needed levels of potassium, magnesium and calcium during exercise.

Marigold:   Marigold is historically been known as a blood tonic that has anti-inflammatory properties. Used with Clivers, Marigold can help prevent muscle tightness during exercise.

Nettle:   Nettle is a rich source of sodium and has a stimulatory effect on the circulatory system. Nettle is excellent for horses competing in very strenuous or power demanding activities.

Kelp:   The trace mineral composition of kelp helps the horse increase its anti-oxidation activity during and after exercise. Minerals needed for co-enzyme functions in the metabolism of protein and energy are also provided by kelp.

Vervain:   Vervain has anti-spasmodic properties and helps to steady the nervous system after illness or hard exercise.

Respiratory Therapy

Aniseed:   Aniseed has expectorant properties and is recommended for horses with chronic coughs.

Garlic:   Garlic is one of the most popular herbs used in horse diets. Garlic has expectorant and antibiotic properties that make it very useful as a prophylactic as well as a treatment for horses with respiratory tract irritation.

Golden Rod/Echinacea:   In combination these provide an excellent anti-inflammatory and astringent making the combination useful for horses with respiratory congestion.

Marshmallow:   Marshmallow has expectorant, relaxing and mucilaginous properties which make it valuable for use in herbal mixtures designed for horses with coughs and respiratory congestion.

Anti-microbial and Immune Stimulants

Echinacea:   Echinacea is fast becoming one of the most popular herbs used in equine diets and is one of the most effective immuno-stimulants for horses available. Echinacea provides antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, immuno-stimulant and wound healing properties. Echinacea has proven to be highly effective as a prophylactic against infection in show and racehorses that are constantly exposed to viruses and bacterial agents.

Garlic:   Garlic has anti-bacterial properties and can be used to aid in treating and preventing skin problems due to insect bites and fungal agents.

Radish:   Radish seeds contain raphanin, which has antibacterial activity against a relatively wide range of bacteria. It is primarily used as a general prophylactic against infection.

PRECAUTIONS ON THE USE OF HERBS IN EQUINE DIETS
Though herbal preparations have been used in equine diets for centuries and their effectiveness proven on the basis of repeatability over time, the active agents in many of the herbs are still ill defined. It should be remembered that, unlike modern medicines, herbal preparations often provide their effective action due to a multitude of agents present and not due to one specific concentrated or purified chemical. As a result, individual horses can sometimes have quite opposite reactions to a particular herbal preparation than what is expected. Care should always be taken when first introducing a herb or herbal mixture to an individual horse. The morning of an event is not the time to try out new herbs on your horse. Many time horses will voluntarily reduce their intake or refuse to ingest more of a particular herb. This is an instinctive reaction by the horse resulting in its body informing it that it no longer requires the agents found in the particular herb and or its body now contains sufficient amounts of the agent. Since elevated doses of some herbs can stimulate undesirable side effects. It is usually not wise to force such a horse to consume additional doses, especially without first consulting a medical professional. Since many herbs can have hormonal properties and or effects on uterine or mammary tissue, care should be taken before giving herbs to pregnant or lactating mares.

CONCLUSION
When purchasing herbs for you or your horse, you should ensure that the manufacturer is using the highest quality grade of herbs, which will ensure that you get is what you paid for. HYGAIN FEEDS only uses the best quality human grade of herbs, which are formulated to be as effective as possible using the latest equine research possible. When using mixtures of herbs and you are unsure of the dosing rates, please contact myself, or a recognized herbalist to ensure that you are treating your horse right.