One Iron Horse Farm and Glenbrook Farms -- horse health through natural herbal remedies


One Iron Horse Farm is pleased to be an affiliate of high-quality herbs and spices from Glenbrook Farms Herbs and Such. We will update this page with a list of herbs we routinely use for our horses, their purposes, and the results we achieved.

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Quality Herbs,fresh spices from Glenbrook Farms Herbs and Such.




Herbs we feed our horses at One Iron Horse Farm
Note on herbs: Please remember that while a natural source and often more desireable than commercial forms, herbs are medicinal in nature and should never be used without consultation with a qualified herbal practitioner. Some herbs can have systemic changes on the liver or other organs, and should never be used long-term, such as licorice. Others can cause uterine contractions in pregnant mares -- in general NEVER give herbs to pregnant mares without guidance from an expert. The best thing you can do for your horse's long-term health is to educate yourself on various herbs before using. Also let your horse guide you buy testing if he likes the herb; if not, try another one that is formulated for the same condition you are trying to effect. Horses can often be surprisingly astute in knowing what is good for them and effective for their own treatment.

Happy Hooves pre-mixed - Hawthorn Berry in particular increases circulation, much like the prescription drug Isuxoprin claims to do, but without the negative side effects from long-term use, such as high blood pressure, etc. All of our horses get this mixture every other day, except for the weanlings and yearlings. We start giving it at 18 months of age as a preventitive for navicular problems as well as overall health.

Pasture Mix - A good source of nutrients when pasture is scarce, as it is here and with drought conditions. Our horses get Pasture Mix every other day, beginning at age 2.

Kelp - excellent whole food source, probably the best source of complete nutrients on earth. Our horses get one small scoop of kelp every day, beginning at about 9 months old. It is also great for hooves, we don't use commercial hoof supplements except for competition horses with problems that need resolution and could benefit from extra support. However, once those conditions are resolved, we go back to only kelp for healthy and complete maintenance. The addition of kelp (and there is also some in the pasture mix, above) has completely turned around Austin's hooves (Amanda's competition horse) so that, combined with excellent farrier care, he no longer needs any other hoof supplement.

Horse Tonic - a great tonic for lymph drainage and support when recovering from injury or illness. We always keep it on hand. We use for 2-4 weeks, or during length of recovery period.

Horse DeTox - Another one we always keep on hand, after illness or antibiotics or other times of stress. Use DeTox for 3-4 weeks at a time.

Stomach Balance - A new horse will likely get this mixture for 2-3 weeks while settling in.

Slippery Elm - Great for digestion. Can be used for new horses or horses that are easily stressed and perhaps prone to colic or ulcers. Slippery Elm is also an ingredient in the Stomach Balance mix, but I like having herbs separate as well for those times when less is more.

Noni Fruit - a great antioxidant! Your horse will let you know if this is the antioxidant for them. The best defense against illness or recovering from injury is a good offense, and that is what Noni Fruit (as well as the kelp) can give your horse.

Pau d'Arco - another good immunity booster. Your horse will tell you if Pau d'Arco is the herb for them. I don't like to use it long-term unless you have a horse with ongoing problems (such as tumors), or in long-term treatment.

Comfrey (leaves and powder) - Comfrey Root is an age-old remedy for wounds and injuries. We keep leaves on hand that we soak and apply to wounds, sometime with water and sometimes with apple cider vinegar. We add powder to the grain during times of injury and healing.

Raspberry Leaves - We give Raspberry Leaves to our pregnant mares during the last month of pregnancy. It helps strengthen the uterus and aids in delivery. Other than kelp this is the only herb our pregnant mares receive.

Nettles - We keep nettles on hand for congestion, allergies, runny noses and colds. Many times a change in climate or even hay can cause allergies and Nettles can offer some comfort for some horses. Please moniter the color of any nasal discharge, however, to make sure an infection is not present.

Marshmallow Root - helps in lung circulation as well as other benefits.

Vitamin Mix - Amanda's horse Austin gets this. It is a good one-off supplement easy to provide as a boarded horse. The amount of licorice in it is not so great as to have negative effects, while still providing anti-inflammatory benefits in his rigorous exercise and competition schedule.

Please note that it is best if you give horses a few days "off" from herbal and other supplements. Some people do it every week; we give 4 days off every month.

Other supplements we provide to our horses:

CoQ10 - helps in cell regeneration and great for the heart (for humans, too!)
Apple Cider Vinegar - great for everything, for every one. Helps with flies, arthritis, calcium deposits, stomach acids, etc. We believe organic apple cider vinegar offers greater benefits but if it is not accessible you will still see benefit.  
Oil - We typically like Wheat Germ Oil. For hard keepers, like Austin, we use Rice Bran Oil. If you want to save money or if you have a large quantity of horses (as we do) cut it with Corn Oil. In general corn oil will not offer the same benefits because of the ratio of omegas and how it is processed, but it can still be beneficial for hard keepers, preventing colic, etc. And it makes their coats shine!
Bug Check - a commercial product that contains garlic and diatomaceous earth, as well as grape seed. In addition to repelling bugs, it also prevents new larvae from forming and is very good for the horse as well! We have found Bug Check through a few commercial outlets, let us know if you have difficulty finding it.
Spirulina - another good whole food source. Its nutrients can often have unexpected benefits, like calming overly excited horses.
Beet Pulp and Alfalfa cubes - a great additive for hard keepers or old ponies, like our Disco. If you make it plenty moist, it has the added benefit of increasing moisture in the grain, which is a great colic preventative. The same is true for mashed alfalfa cubes that we soak and add to the grain mixture. Alfalfa cubes are also a great think to add to water tanks to encourage horses to drink during times of stress, hot or cold weather, or new horses that need to get used to water taste.
MSM - a great anti-inflammatory that is not too expensive, good for aging horses, competition horses, or horses that have had bone or muscle injuries that may become inflamed from time to time.

Note: Many times the supplements you add depends on your grain quality. For example, some grains have beet pulp added in, so you may not want or need additional beet pulp. We adjust ours based on each horse's needs, and what type of grain they receive. Many of our special needs horses also receive other supplements, such as for navicular, calcification, tendon strains, etc. We will be happy to discuss those if interested.