Passion Flower's chief asset is that it assists in the breaking of nervous system habit patterns as opposed to normalizing a particular nervous system type. It is almost always used in conjunction with the dominant nervine. It ís is not advisable to attempt to treat a horse with a severe problem without professional advice, but if a horse's nervousness is due to a slight imbalance, feeding him a mix of herbs will usually effect a long-term solution. Antibiotics reduce the diversity of gut microbiota species, and may stimulate the development of bacterial antibiotic resistance. 4

Senior or dentally challenged horses can still get plenty of fibre by feeding the soaked hay replacer, this tops up hydration levels too. It also provides some variation to any horse’s diet if they are confined to the stable for most of the day. The root is used in herbal preparations as a sedative to relieve nervous tension – such as when a horse arrives at a new yard – or to calm over-excitable horses, without affecting performance. Nettle leaf: considered a rasayana tonic in Ayurvedic medicine for its nourishing and rejuvenating properties; supports healthy kidneys and adrenal glands, and helps reduce excess heat (pitta imbalance).

Will hedgerow items make a nutritional contribution to my horse’s diet?

Giving him the herb Hops allows him to calm down mentally, and to become focused. In this balanced state, the Hops horse will be able to concentrate on the job at hand, and given the right direction he can shine in his chosen field. A good winter-warming remedy, garlic can be fed as a pure herb or in powder, oil, granulated or shredded form. As a general additive, two cloves of garlic can be put in your horse’s feed daily. For those suffering from a viral infection, feed four cloves per day. We beta-tested Hedgerow GI with ponies and horses of various breeds including Thoroughbreds, Warmbloods, Morgans, Friesans, Arabians, and Quarter Horses. The only challenge we ran into was that once many of these horses were on Hedgerow GI, the owners and riders didn’t want to take their horses off the product! Hedgerow GI: The next generation of GI tract support Prebiotics are a type of soluble fiber that feed beneficial microbiota. Common prebiotics are inulin, chicory, MOS, and FOS. Prebiotics work in the hindgut by providing nutrients to the beneficial bacterial colonies naturally found there. Colony balance is important in maintaining the correct pH of the hindgut.

These days, a large number of performance horses are highly strung to the point where it impedes their performance, and, in some cases, makes the animal dangerous. Many riders and trainers have resorted to the use of chemical sedatives and tranquilizers to calm their horses, but not only are these products often illegal to use in competitive situations, they can damage the horse's overall health and well-being...

Are there any plants I should avoid feeding horses?

The VERVAIN horse's anxiety is processed through the skin. He is very sensitive and twitchy on the skin and is generally very nervous and jumpy, without necessarily being afraid, upset or angry. This is the horse that is constantly agitated and highly reactive, always moving and fidgeting. Sometimes it seems it is almost impossible to make this horse stand still, and he is the equine equivalent of a person who constantly taps a foot or chews on their fingernails. Peppermint leaf: known in India as pudina, this herb can help clear stagnation in the stomach, liver, blood, and lungs. We can help to relieve boredom in several ways. Including making more daily visits to them or arranging a rota with other liveries, so each horse gets attention, a treat ball or small section of hay placed in the stable. Some horses love having the radio on, classic fm is a good one, calming music and some talking seems to be a good choice.