• Improper nutrition
• Cleansing and rebuilding
• Evacuate, rebuild and strengthen
• Dealing with infection
• Water, Hay and Whole Oats
• Good health is not an accident

Improper nutrition will cause various problems

In the case of the horse, the most abused feed source is the, much publicized, sweet feed, or molasses additives. People's addiction to sugar leads to wanting to feed more sugar to their horses. It is, however, quite the opposite. The more we feed these sweet foods the better their chances of feet and leg problems, intestinal disorders, kidney problems and most all of the other unhealthy conditions. Let me put these conditions in a more recognizable light. Navicular and ring bone, lamenitis, arthritis, colic, tying up, glandular obstructions, blood disorders, weak lungs, infertility, infections, liver problems, bone and teeth deterioration, are all nutritionally related. The reasons that these feeds are so tough on the body are that the system finds them very difficult to assimilate, and they are acid building. Therefore, they tend to cause an unnecessary toxic buildup, which needs broken down and evacuated from the body.

The first matter of good health is to clean these unwanted and unneeded toxins out of the body. The way these toxins evacuate is through the urinary tract, colon, or skin, via the lymphatic system.

Cleansing and rebuilding is important

We need to evacuate these toxins by using herbs known as diuretics, to increase urine flow. We also need a mild laxative to aide in cleansing the bowel as well as giving nutrition to the digestive tract. In the event that we have a blockage we will probably need to resort to a purging herb, known as a purgative. (Which is generally used with other herbs to control action. Such as a demulcent or soothing and coating herb.) Lastly we need to make sure the lymphatic system and the skin is healthy, so as to be able to perform their task of ridding the toxins through the sweat process. For this we can look to the herbs we refer to as diaphoretic herbs, which induce sweating. The blood also needs to be clean, accomplished by sending the impurities into the urinary tract via the liver. This organ will need to be strong and in good working order to accomplish this task properly. (One of the things that you may see if there is a problem with the lymphatic or blood systems is a skin rash.)

Evacuate, rebuild and strengthen

Each herbal combination should work to accomplish three things. They are, first, to evacuate toxins second, to rebuild tissue and third, to strengthen or support tissue, or to keep it as it is. Let's look at the first of these three important aspects. Getting rid of toxins. Knowing which part of the body we are dealing with is our first priority. We then work on getting rid of the toxins and then we need to rebuild strength. For example, if we are dealing with a horse that has infection in his blood, we also know that that blood is going to pass through the liver. Whatever impurities taken out of the blood in this wonderful filtering device, will need to go out through the kidneys via the lymphatic and the urinary tract. Therefore we need to make sure that our herbal combination contains a good diuretic, to increase the flow of urine. As the toxins are filtered from the blood, they will have a place, and a means, to evacuate the body.

Dealing with infection

Now, in the case of the infection, we will need to do something to deal with it. Is it bacterial or viral? (Many times the horse owner already knows this, as per a veterinarians' diagnosis.) As we learn this we can then address it. There are certain herbs that are anti- bacterial, and there are certain herbs that are anti-viral, and there are certain herbs that have both antibacterial and anti-viral properties. As we know which of these we are dealing with we can add the desired herb to address the infection. I may add, at this point, that herbal antibiotics work much differently than do synthetic antibiotics. Synthetic antibiotics kill all bacteria they come in contact with, good (or friendly) as well as bad (or unfriendly). Herbal antibiotics, on the other hand, strengthen the friendly bacteria and thus the friendly bacteria overpower the unfriendly bacteria and merely move them out of the system. This is a much safer way to eliminate the infection.

As we pick the toxins loose and evacuate them from the body we need to build strength back in place of weakness. Consider the added stress the liver, and kidneys are under. These organs need some additional nutritional support, so you add herbs that will strengthen these vital organs. The entire body is under a certain amount of additional stress due to this infection, and must be supported, so as to keep the infection from spreading to other parts of the body. To render this support, an herb, known as a tonic, will be added. A tonic is an herb that invigorates and stimulates tone and energy in the body.

Water, Hay and Whole Oats

Of course I have not mentioned one of the ingredients that is most beneficial to the cause of urine, that is clean water. Clean water is essential to the health of all mammals, also it is crucial to make it available at all times. Good quality hay is also of utmost importance, whether it is alfalfa, grass, clover or a combination of all of the above. As the horse is a creature of flight and needs his lungs for this, it is imperative that we do not feed any dust or mold. Hay raised without herbicides and insecticides is better for your horse. His body will view these as toxins and will want to evacuate them.

The grain that is being fed is, as I have already mentioned, one of our biggest problems. If you want to see your horse strong and healthy, with more air capacity, fewer digestive disorders, better attitude as well as fewer teeth and gum problems, you need to consider the whole oat. The whole oat has a better shelf life than does the crimped or rolled oat. The whole oat also has a beneficial factor to the teeth and intestinal tract that the crimped and rolled oat does not have.

If you are ever in the situation where you can sit and watch your horse graze in a natural environment, take note of the way he does this. You will note that variety is of utmost importance to him. The reason for this is that he needs certain ingredients from multiple plants. Remember, each plant gleans different vitamins and minerals from the ground and each one effects the horses' system in a different way. I may also add that these vitamins and minerals are in their purest and easiest assimilated form, as they are being picked by the horse. The closest second, that we know of, is when we harvest the plant and make it into a powder form and feed it directly to the horse in his feed, as a top dressing.
Healing takes patience. It has taken some time for the condition to degenerate to the point that we recognize the horse has a problem, or show outward symptoms. A good rule of thumb, for healing is one month for each year the horse has bad the problem, with a minimum of three months.

Good health is not an accident

This is a short overview of the reason why it is a good policy to feed the feeds that are best for your horse. It is my desire to be able to help you, the horse owner, better understand some of the natural laws that have real consequences, if broken.

I give you these few quick ideas to think about so that you start to realize that there is a lot that goes into a horses' natural grazing habits. What we are doing with these supplements is putting back some of the ingredients that it takes to help the natural mechanisms of the horse function properly. I hope I have given you food for thought. Contact me for your horses' nutritional needs. Remember, your horse is at your mercy, it is up to you to know what he needs, to be healthy.