Why Feed Your Mare Or Filly Herbs?
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There are many reasons why a filly or mare would benefit from being fed some herbs.
The reasons range from coming in and out of season multiple times, which creates imbalance, to a mare with PMS.
Herbs can help with mild cramping or a severe attitude problem.
Horse lovers should pay heed to the possibilities of herbs; their mares and fillies will thank them for it.
Lets say you have a filly that has gone into season for the very first time.
She may do so multiple times in a month’s time. The difficulty may be minor imbalances in the hormone levels that a little lemon balm, raspberry leaf or chamomile flowers will set right pretty quickly.
You will want to have the filly checked out for cysts on the ovaries by your horse vet.
Chaste Tree berry, Dong Quai root, Licorice root Red Clover and also Raspberry leaf are excellent herbs to use if a mare if between the ages of 5 and 16 years of age.
If you are noticing attitude problems, lack of concentration, or suspect mild to severe cramping which as you know could lead to problems similar to colic, aggressiveness or depression you may want to consider using one of the above herbs and see if there is any improvement.
These herbs are safe to feed your horse, if you have any qualms, ask your vet. Passionflower is also good to use with a mare experiencing aggression issues.
If the mare is experiencing hormone imbalances you may wish to feed herbs such as chickweed herb, dandelion root or nettle; they work well as a diuretic and can be helpful.
If you think you need to flush out her liver you may use milk thistle seed or yellowdock root and burdock.
Check with you vet to clarify that a hormonal imbalance is the issue first, if that makes you feel better about giving her the herbs.
When breeding, getting the hormones balanced and working correctly can increase fertility. If you are having difficulty with getting a mare in foal, she may benefit from hormone balancing herbs during the fall and winter months.
Mares who are suffering from PMS or older mares that may be menopausal can use the same herbs to help with the menopausal mare being on a higher dose of Dong Quai and Black Cohosh.
An older mare may also benefit from Wild Yam. Something else that is of great value regarding mild cramps and regulating the reproductive system is 2,000 IU of Vitamin E (d-alpha and mixed tocopherol).
Bee pollen can also be very beneficial to feed to the older mare. The menopausal mare that is experiencing mood swings or having nervous issues may benefit from Spirulina, which has a high level of Vitamin B and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA).
The GLA helps with not only the hormonal imbalances but will also help to prevent osteoporosis type conditions in your older mare.
If you are wishing to aid the immune system of the older mare consider using an herbal tonic such as Siberian Ginseng and Astragalus.
Being cautious is good, you can always check with your horse vet before feeding herbs to your filly or mare.
Previous Articles By This Author
- Buying Your First Horse
- Equipment for Horses
- Basics of Horse Care
- Grooming your Horse
- The History of Horses
