Astonished! Had to share - my clever boys self medication!

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shellonabeach

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I have owned my gelding for 15 years, he is now 20 years old. He has always had windgalls in the summer and the last couple of years they have been all on four legs and much bigger. He is in work but his legs really do not like this hard ground.

I have never fed him anything for them except his Glucosamine. I use bioflow boots to try and help him.

I am an owner who does not like my horses eating with the bit in their mouths (save the odd sweetie at a show etc). My gelding has been getting rather cheeky lately about snatching at the hedge in the gateway when I am opening / closing the gate - I put it down to him being a bit greedy as he is on restricted grazing.

After reading posts on here I decided to order him some Clivers online to see if it will help with his windgalls. A quick google search tells me I can pick some fresh Clivers and feed them to him. I then go to a picture and description of Clivers (yes I'm rubbish) and low and behold what he has been grabbing mouthfulls of in the gateway are Clivers - he has been picking this over bits of hedge/ grass / cow parsley!

I am astonished that he has been self-medicating as such. The dried Clivers are now ordered and I will be letting him pick at the fresh Clivers in the gateway daily until they arrive.

Now if only he could self medicate and eat so he stays slim (and teach my fatty mare the same!)

Pic attached of the clever old boy after his wash off and fatty mare in said gateway last year (one of my fav pics!) - sorry pics are massive I have fought photobucket to try and resize them but its not working!

rosswashed.jpg


stargate.jpg
 
Aww bless him! My boy loves the stuff! eats it by the armfull if I pick enough! ... yes I am bonkers! I also have a bin full of dried nettles... now they were fun to pick and dry! ;o)
 
My old boy loves clivers too. At our old yard we could let the horse browse the hedgerows and he was always pulling this plant out to eat. I have been feeding him the equus health clivers and marigold as he is prone to fluid retention around his sheath. I try and pick as much fresh clivers (aka sticky willy!) but a lot of it is in with nettles so can be a bit tricky.
 
they love it, we are lucky to have it growing around the feilds so they often pop their head over and eat it. I do find though that they dont get enough of the fresh stuff to make the windgalls go down so I top up with dried as well
 
Are clivers the sticky long stuff straggly stuff you find in hedges? Hope so as that's what mine's been going for in the gateway into the field too. He's also into sallow (willow - which I believe is like natural aspirin?), wilted nettles, current fave is the just emerging thistle flower heads and hazel leaves. I'm another one with a good do-er who wishes they could pick a natural slimline diet :)
 
My greyhound used to eat sticky willy whenever she was feeling unwell.
On a different note, none of mine seem to get windgalls now they don't wear shoes.
 
Mochadun - yes that's the stuff - can't believe I didn't know what it was called! I do remember sticking it to people as a child!

soloequestrian - he is shod in front and barefoot behind. Used to be barefoot all round but has poor leg conformation and ended up wearing his toes and footsore in front when his work was upped so ended up shoeing him in front. His unshod back legs are def less affected by the windgalls.

Still can't believe I ignored this wonderful plant before and only educated myself about the "bad" ones
 
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