Feeding Oily Herbs - pros and cons

[Dave's Mam]

Sorry to revive an old thread...but I kinda didn't think was too old.

Would D&H Hedgerow Herbs suffice re Oilt Herbs...or in people's opinion are they lacking.

Quite curious about all of this...

Thank you

It's a good thread!
D & H Hedgerow has thyme & oregano in it, along with nettle, rosehip, mint, red clover & dandelion in, according to their blurb. However it's £18 for a kilo which is more expensive than the oily herbs, but it has some extras, but is missing the rosemary.

 

[BMA2]

So do people mainly make their own...of just thyme, oregano and rosemary

 

[Tiddlypom]

It’s easy and cheap enough to make up your own base mix of a third each by weight of rosemary, thyme and oregano. Then you know just what the horse is getting.

I add additional herbs to that, but those are the main three you need.

 

[SEL]

I make my own but I also have a variety of other herbs around too. Marigold & cleavers for the feathery ones for instance.

Camomile sprinkled over feeds with a bit of warm water on a cold morning gets me gold stars all round.

 

[BMA2]

How much would a 16.2hh TB need per day pls

 

[Jambarissa]

I can't find the article I used but feeding rates were 50g-75g for the horses in the trial.

It is a lot more than you think, 2-3 50g sized scoops for me.

 

[lynz88]

I feed 2 x 60ml scoops per day. I also noticed mine started maintaining weight

 

[shanti]

A few really dumb questions!
Is it dried herbs that people are feeding? Like the supermarket ones?
If so, would fresh herbs straight from the garden work just as well?
Has anyone dried their own herbs and used them?

Sorry, I'm a bit dim about this stuff

 

[Tiddlypom]

Fresh herbs are great! I only feed dried herbs (just like the ones you get in little jars in the supermarket) because I don’t grow them at home. When seasonly available I’ll pull and feed fresh hedgerow herbs such as cleavers and nettles.

 

[shanti]

Thanks Tiddlypom, I have tons of these herbs growing, and have been trying to figure out what to do with them

 

[Surbie]

I don't feed woody herbs fresh (rosemary/oregano/thyme) because they are stronger and I'm not sure about my horse eating them but rosehips, mint, nettles, thistles and cleavers I do.

 

[canteron]

Are oregano, thyme and rosemary the main ones to feed? Any others to add in?

The work in the hut gut suggest 30 different plant based foods a week is ideal.
I know horses have different digestive system, but the only research is on humans, so I have quite a range of herbs etc (rose hip, marigold, mint, turmeric, bosweilla, etc) and feed slightly different mixture every day!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

A few really dumb questions!
Is it dried herbs that people are feeding? Like the supermarket ones?
If so, would fresh herbs straight from the garden work just as well?
Has anyone dried their own herbs and used them?

Sorry, I'm a bit dim about this stuff

Yes you can dry them but you need tons of it as it dries to nothing and a massive faff.

 

[BMA2]

Does away just feed the D&H stuff and recommend it...it just seems so much easier

 

[marmalade76]

Does away just feed the D&H stuff and recommend it...it just seems so much easier

Probably costs a lot more.

 

[expanding_horizon]

It's a good thread!
D & H Hedgerow has thyme & oregano in it, along with nettle, rosehip, mint, red clover & dandelion in, according to their blurb. However it's £18 for a kilo which is more expensive than the oily herbs, but it has some extras, but is missing the rosemary.

I feed the three oily herbs all year round, bought in bulk from food shop. https://www.buywholefoodsonline.co.uk/ 2 x 60ml a day. 1kg of each lasts a couple of months, and I buy 6kg at a time. Works out at three orders a year, and about 7.50 pounds a month.

I buy one D & H Hedgerow herbs for horses 5kg for 45 pounds each winter and feed that as well over winter when grass is less a part of the diet. 5kg lasts me all winter fed at about 30gms / 50ml a day.

Composition guide here - https://www.dodsonandhorrell.com/storage/DH-Equine-HS-Daily_Hedgerow-Herbs.pdf

Nettle, Mint, Dandelion, Thyme, Rosehips, Oregano, Red Clover Heads

I think have to list ingredients, largest first legally, so would assume the majority is Nettle, Mint & Dandelion so I not duplicating too much.

 

[GrassChop]

Does away just feed the D&H stuff and recommend it...it just seems so much easier

It's honestly not that bad. I have an old 2kg sized supplement tub, like the Equimins balancer one, I just pour in 250g of each rosemary, thyme and oregano, lid on and shake it to mix together and it's done.

 

[Roxylola]

I fed it for most of the last 12 months. There could be no link at all, but one of Bon's sarcoids has sort of mostly disappeared while on it (no change previously on sarc - ex)
I'm about to try doing my own mix to save money a bit but it is a convenient way of doing things for sure

 

[Surbie]

I feed the three oily herbs all year round, bought in bulk from food shop. https://www.buywholefoodsonline.co.uk/ 2 x 60ml a day. 1kg of each lasts a couple of months, and I buy 6kg at a time. Works out at three orders a year, and about 7.50 pounds a month.

I buy one D & H Hedgerow herbs for horses 5kg for 45 pounds each winter and feed that as well over winter when grass is less a part of the diet. 5kg lasts me all winter fed at about 30gms / 50ml a day.

Composition guide here - https://www.dodsonandhorrell.com/storage/DH-Equine-HS-Daily_Hedgerow-Herbs.pdf

Nettle, Mint, Dandelion, Thyme, Rosehips, Oregano, Red Clover Heads

I think have to list ingredients, largest first legally, so would assume the majority is Nettle, Mint & Dandelion so I not duplicating too much.

That website has nettle, rosehips, dandelion, red clover, peppermint and hawthorn berries all in the tea section, so you could make up a D&H batch to your own tastes, though it costs a (very) little more. Might be less dusty as it's human grade.

 

[expanding_horizon]

That website has nettle, rosehips, dandelion, red clover, peppermint and hawthorn berries all in the tea section, so you could make up a D&H batch to your own tastes, though it costs a (very) little more. Might be less dusty as it's human grade.

Interesting when I looked 5kg of tea grade looked quite a lot more than £45.

 

[BMA2]

And updates from the folk that ordered the herbs? Can you see a difference?

 

[lynz88]

I fed it for most of the last 12 months. There could be no link at all, but one of Bon's sarcoids has sort of mostly disappeared while on it (no change previously on sarc - ex)
I'm about to try doing my own mix to save money a bit but it is a convenient way of doing things for sure

This is my experience as well. 2 very stubborn ones are nearly gone completely. The rest (and there were several) disappeared rather quickly once on the herbs

 

[BMA2]

Is that with the oregano thyme and rosemary...

I just find stuff like this quite fascinating (without wanting to sound weird)

 

[lynz88]

Yes it was. It is indeed very interesting!!

 

[shanti]

And updates from the folk that ordered the herbs? Can you see a difference?

Well I went all out with the herbs. I even did an online equine herbal nutrition course But I am seeing a huge difference in both heath and general demeanor. I am shocked at the change, I didn't expect it to be so dramatic if I'm honest.

I have removed almost all of their previous feed (only left microbeet and chaff)
I buy all the herbs in bulk and make my own blends specific to each horse.
It does cost slightly more than before but it's definitely worth it for me.

 

[BMA2]

Well I went all out with the herbs. I even did an online equine herbal nutrition course But I am seeing a huge difference in both heath and general demeanor. I am shocked at the change, I didn't expect it to be so dramatic if I'm honest.

I have removed almost all of their previous feed (only left microbeet and chaff)
I buy all the herbs in bulk and make my own blends specific to each horse.
It does cost slightly more than before but it's definitely worth it for me.

And what herbs are you using?

 

[shanti]

And what herbs are you using?

Daily they get Rosemary, thyme and oregano plus Aloe vera juice, ground Linseed, Sunflower seed and salt.

3x a week a blend of - Chamomile, Clivers, seaweed, Rosehip, Fenugreek and Chia seed.
I make separate blends for each horse, for example, the fat Arab doesn't get Chia but has extra Rosehip for his Arthritis.

 

[ycbm]

I think herbs and gut biome balance are going to turn out to be huge in equine (and human) health.

I can see the possibility of strong links between the reduction in feeding hay made from old pasture land and from grazing on large fields with old pasture and an apparent explosion in EMS, laminitis, early Cushings, equine asthma, young arthritis, ulcers ..... basically everything with any connection to stress and inflammation.

I swear that when old meadow hay was all you could buy and turnout had plenty of species of plant in it, we had far fewer problems with horses than we do now.
.

 

[cauda equina]

I agree
When you think that the ancestors of horses were browsers, and that a lot of horses now live on sprayed paddocks, single variety hay and bagged feed, it's not surprising if things have gone wrong

It's interesting to see what horses will eat when given a choice; one of mine was mad for sweet chestnut leaves for a bit, then he went off them and ash leaves were the best thing ever
I've no idea if it was the taste or something in them he felt he needed

 

[lynz88]

I've read that they will eat what they are missing or needing. I notice seasonal changes in what mine is adamant to eat if let on his own.