Ranch Life, Ranch Life, The Boys
Top 10 Herbs for Horses And Blend Recipes
As you all can tell, we like to do things naturally around our ranch. So feeding our horses sugar treats is just not gonna happen! We have 10 favorite herbs we love to mix into blends for their everyday needs as well as they make wonderful treats for them as well. Purchase HERE You can create a recipe file to keep at your barn and make it easy to order as well. When you click on the Star West Botanicals link on this blog you can place your order and you will be HELPING US reach kids in need. We use our horses to help kids, families, trafficked girls, and veterans. Your orders from this blog help more than you and your family, it helps others too! It’s exciting that these 10 we were able to grow ourselves or grow naturally around the ranch. You have to keep in mind horses in the wild can choose the foliage that their bodies need and domestic horses do not always have that opportunity. That is why we created a special “Thyme Out” pasture where they can roam the area and feed freely. In this pasture we have planted : Calendula, This flower is so beautiful! The deep orange and yellow petals form a wonderful contrast, which makes your garden stunning! Its nickname in the middle ages was Mary Gold or Marigold. Calendula is so gentle it soften given to children for an upset stomach. It’s astringent and anti-inflammatory properties make it particularly useful for treating heartburn or stomach issues in horses. For teens, it is great to fight off acne breakouts. I will make a lotion to put on the horses when there are skin irritations or rain rot. It also contains an anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal which is wonderful for wound healing

Horses love Calendula for a treat!

Plantain grows crazy here!
10 Purchased Herbs needed for blends:
Comfrey –Symphytum officinale (don’t use more than 14 days) This is a herb I only use if my horse is dealing with diarrhea, cough, bronchitis. But it has been a wonderful treatment for inflammation; arthritis wounds and bruises as well. This is an herb you need to be cautious of how much you give. I do use it in a blend so little is used. Just planted in 2018 in our “thyme out ” pasture. So easy to grow! Chamomile Flowers-matricaria chamomilla-theses little flowers are filled with medicinal purpose! High in phosphorus and calcium, they strengthen and regulate the parasympathetic nervous system. Chamomile is one of the gentlest sedatives, and it can be used in all cases of anxiety, sleep issues, and hyperactivity. In addition, it can treat allergic reactions both externally and internally. I have the essential oil as well. Again having the oil helps to treat something more quickly than the herb. Lemon Balm making this into a tea you will only want to use 1/8 cup. I like to use it in blends more than individually. This herb helps with those tummy issues. Peppermint (we had too much rain this year and our harvest didn’t make it) This is a herb that is often chosen first to treat colds and flu. It attacks and alleviates multiple symptoms at the same time. Wonderful for headaches for you and for horses it helps soothe muscles and congestion. This is one herb that I have as oil to easily apply to my horses and they love the smell. Essential Oil works faster into the body than dry herbs, one reason I keep this oil on hand. I use this herb often in tea blends as well. Coltsfoot Raspberry Leaf – (they adore this stuff plus the bunnies like it too) Rubus idaeus- The leaves of the common raspberry plant have been used for centuries as a strong female tonic. They can help strengthen and tone the uterus to aid infertility, pregnancy, and foaling. In additions to is strong uterine benefits, raspberry leaf is a good astringent herb and can be used effectively in anything “loose” like wet cough, bleeding gums, or diarrhea. Give about a ½ cup for anything containing these conditions. Fenugreek Seeds-Triganella foenum-graecum- My horses love this stuff! I add it to most blends just because the flavor will make them it up the blend. These little seeds help to strengthen the respiratory system, mucous membranes, and the sinus in case of upper respiratory infections. I will add about 2 tablespoons to my horses feed when any of the above issues arise and of course in my cough blend as well. This makes for a wonderful tea to pour over their feed. Those cold fall and winter mornings bring a little extra NAY! Rose Hip: Rose Hips are known to be a rich source of bioflavonoid, pectin, vitamin E, selenium, manganese, and B vitamins. It also contains trace amounts of magnesium, potassium, sulfur, and silicon. Recently Roe Hips have become a popular natural treatment for arthritis. It is a wonderful ingredient in blends to help with colds and flu-like symptoms for humans so they help the immune system in horses as well. This is a MUST have herb to keep on hand! Echinacea– This herb is one you need to keep on hand! It is full of medicinal purposes. Here is a link for you to read ALL the wonderful benefits! Corn silk –Zie mays- the stringy white by-product of corn is usually thrown away is a diuretic. It has long been used to treat chronic inflammation of the urinary tract and kidneys. Many use it as a tea to help bladder and kidney infections. WHO KNEW that instead of throwing your corn stalks silk away you keep it and dry it and make a tea! How AWESOME! A video for you YouTube Video of me feeding some herbs on a chilly afternoon. There are so many others, but these are foundational for most of my blend recipes. I give them individually too as needed and for our herb basket that our ministry uses to help folks who come to our ranch understand natural living. Any of these herbs can be made into a tea. Blend a couple or make individually. Yarrow and Rosehip we make often individually and put into their feed. Especially on cold winter mornings.Our boys love TEA TIME
Tea Time: Purchase Here Use ½ Cup of dried yarrow flowers, stems are fine too placed in a tea strainer. Using a quart mason jar, POUR boiling water OVER herbs to the bottom of the rim of the jar. Let steep for an hour. Pour over horses feed and mix. I have been asked about the fed I use for my horses and especially the RESPIRE mix for his allergies. Here is that link and Jessica is awesome! Call her and ask questions. She is always open to help! With each blend once mixed, you just give a handful to each horse for a few days or until your mix is gone. I make enough for a week for our boys.Relaxing Mint Blend:
3 Cups Nettle 1 Cup Marshmallow 1 Cup Plantain 1 Cup Parsley (grow your own…easy peasy!) ½ Cup Calendula ½ Cup Peppermint ½ Cup Goldenseal Mix and place in a sealed bag and keep in a cool dark place. I don’t use glass jars around the ranch but found these bags work great!Boosting the Immune System:
This is a ranch favorite and MUST for our conditions in Minnesota!
They await their special herb treat!