Zoopharmacognosy?

[SarahRicoh]

Has anyone used someone that specializes in Zoopharmacognosy?

For anyone that doesnt know what it is it refers to the process by which animals self-medicate, by selecting and using plants, soils, and insects to treat and prevent disease.

What are your opinions/experiences of it?
I've been looking into it and just wanted to see how many people have/would use it with their horses or other animals?
I just want to see if people would use it as a treatment as its something I'm really interested in. If so I would do the course to enable me to treat but there's no point paying out for the course if I would have no clients.
Im based in Gloucestershire but would travel

 

[Renvers]

I had never heard of it, how its used? Do you assist the horse in self-medicating, or would you have to work in conjunction with their vet?

 

[PolarSkye]

Well, there's a gelding on our yard who has horrible sarcoids who actively seeks out certain bare patches of his paddock and licks the mud.

I've also seen our three actively search out certain herbs and weeds at certain times of the year. Kal loves cleavers and will always pull them out of the hedgerows, while Bobs likes hawthorne.

Is that what you meant?

P

 

[Flummoxed]

You could try http://natural-equine.co.uk/category/animal-aromatics/

I met Maxine some years ago at Three Counties Show - she was very into this topic, I recall. I am not convinced, personally.

 

[SarahRicoh]

You assist the horse in self medicating. You'd offer the animal certain oils that are known to help with their 'problem/issue' and they will effectively self medicate by showing you which oil they want. Like they would in the wild where they'd actively seek out specific plants/herbs to self medicate. Its based on the same principles and is something I've always wanted to do but after reading thought I couldnt due to the restrictions of only being able to treat a horse if your a vet.
There's a university thats been set up with a course that I could do to enable me to be certified to go out and treat horses/dogs/cats (can be used on farm animals too) using zoopharmacognosy.
However, its quite expensive to do the course and as much as I'd like to do it,if people wouldnt use me as they'd be sceptical,there's no point me doing it.
It is based on science and research though and I totally believe in it as owners often witness their horses doing it and its seen in the wild

 

[SarahRicoh]

http://www.ingraham.co.uk/
For anyone that wants a better explanation of it, this is the official website and where I would do my horse. Id be willing to travel quite far from Gloucester(obviously would have to charge for travel). Just want to get some feedback on what people think of it/if they'd use it

 

[Flummoxed]

Don't get me wrong - I would like to believe there was some evidence that it works. I recognise that horses seek out individual plants (but maybe that's simply because they enjoy the flavour?). The reason I remain unconvinced is because I tried a sweet-itch sufferer with Maxine's remedies, even to the point of sending her a sample of his hair to investigate. It failed to help him at all and left me disappointed for him and just a little cynical.

 

[WetandMuddy]

I had it done on my horse. It was very interesting and he definitely knew what he wanted and what he didn't want. Did it fix anything??? Not a lot, to be honest .... but I was looking for something to calm down a very nervous/anxious "buzzy" horse.

 

[Slightlyconfused]

We had something like this done with our tb....he had a reaction to something and kept coming up in lumps. Vet wanted to keep him in steroids for the summer but that was going to work out very expensive so I found a lady near me that does this.

Sent her a hair sample and she sent back a few oils and herbs to try.....the one he went nuts for was Barley Grass so we put him in a teaspoon of it a day and within a week the lumps had gone and he had a lump free summer.

I would only use it as a last thing though as it is quite expensive

 

[Karran]

Would it be worth contacting the charity EMW? I follow them on Twitter and they talk about taking their ponies out to graze inhand and choose their own plants to eat?

 

[SO1]

No I don't think I would as given half the chance my pony would choose to eat as much fattening mollasses covered food and apples and carrots as possible which would be not very good for him.

I don't think horses are very good at making choices that help with their health.

Herbal remedies though are a different and I think they are popular and I do use them but my pony does not like the taste of some of the herbs probably because they are not sugary and tasty.

 

[LorraineB]

[/QUOTE]
I don't think horses are very good at making choices that help with their health.

Herbal remedies though are a different and I think they are popular and I do use them but my pony does not like the taste of some of the herbs probably because they are not sugary and tasty.[/QUOTE]

Horse ARE very good at making choices that help with their health.
My TB gelding fractured his pelvis. I in hand grazed him & was surprised at the plants he selected.
Comfrey, Cleavers & Horsetail fern. All high in silica...necessary for bone healing!
All found on the hedgerow on our allowed 10 mins walk.

 

[Queenbee]

http://www.ingraham.co.uk/
For anyone that wants a better explanation of it, this is the official website and where I would do my horse. Id be willing to travel quite far from Gloucester(obviously would have to charge for travel). Just want to get some feedback on what people think of it/if they'd use it

I haven't used someone, but I do pay attention to what my horses eat, for example willow is a natural aspirin, nettles a natural antioxidant and an iron rich source, gorse is a natural antidepressant. We had a shire who when she came to us stripped the gorse bare, when ebony was ill she demolished the willow saplings, it certainly does provide insight although I doubt I'd pay someone to do what a horse can do quite efficiently alone.

 

[JustKickOn]

One at the yard ate willow when he had a bad leg, and they all eat the nettles in the fields, as we'll as thistles.

 

[WelshD]

I got Maxine's help with my two

The first a sweet itch sufferer, the chosen items have certainly done some good but in conjunction with other things. It was really interesting to see the pony choose from the offered selection

The stresshead pony was unchanged sadly

Trial packs for both ponies and the chosen items came to around £60 which i think is good value for money considering the specific and more general advice i was given

If i paid someone for the service i would want to see a more definitive result but i have seen enough for me to consider such a service as being worthwhile

 

[bitless]

For anyone wanting to know more about Applied Zoopharmacognosy or to find a practitioner near you see http://www.animalselfheal.co.uk

 

[Blurr]

I don't think horses are very good at making choices that help with their health.

Herbal remedies though are a different and I think they are popular and I do use them but my pony does not like the taste of some of the herbs probably because they are not sugary and tasty.[/QUOTE]

Horse ARE very good at making choices that help with their health.
My TB gelding fractured his pelvis. I in hand grazed him & was surprised at the plants he selected.
Comfrey, Cleavers & Horsetail fern. All high in silica...necessary for bone healing!
All found on the hedgerow on our allowed 10 mins walk.[/QUOTE]

No, they're not. They regularly make themselves very ill or cause their own death by making bad choices. However, they are browsers by nature. They like variety. Sometimes, what they chose is something that we know is good for them. Us knowing that does not mean that they do.