Friday, December 30, 2011

To Aid A Horse With Colic

By Steven Jones


Horses with colic can be helped with herbs but this is definitely a significant condition that will kill so take care you ring the vet right away if you suspect colic in your pony. Peppermint- Mentha x piperita can be employed as a defensive and a wonderful digestive aid.

There are several common types of mint that have the same active constituents such as Spearmint, Watermint and Apple Mint but Peppermint would be considered the most medical out of all the mints. Spearmint is the most commonly found mint in domestic culinary gardens but Peppermint is definitely the better medicinal herb.

Peppermints main therapeutic claim to celebrity is in its capability to relieve bloating, colic and flatulence and perfect as a digestive aid for horses. It has antispasmodic effects on the gut and is now used in the treating of IBS in folks. Menthol, which is the volatile oil in peppermint is also antiseptic, antiseptic and antifungal.

These are the possible indications of colic you need to look out for. Your horse will show indications of restlessness and unable to fix on standing, rolling or laying down. Change in stool movements with either diarrhoea or really hard dry dung. Pawing the ground and biting or kicking the stomach. These are all possible signals of colic.

There are in fact 2 different sorts of colic. There's impaction colic where food has become impacted in the lower bowel. Spasmodic colic is where the bowels tends to go into a spasm. This is generally caused by anxiety, stress or foreboding. This is where herbs like mint and chamomile can be very useful. Parasites may also cause colic in horses.

The genesis of Peppermint is misleading but it's been around for a long time and dried leaves have been discovered in Egyptian pyramids all the way back to 1000 BC. The Greeks and Romans highly rated this herb but it only became well-liked in Western Europe in the 18th century.

Peppermint is grown from rhizomes which must be young and healthy to get you going. Older rhizomes which have recently sent up shoots are not so practicable and will are weaker. The perfect time for planting is early spring or perhaps mid autumn. Autumn plantings tends to produce a better crop as the plant has more time to get established.

Harvesting can be done up to three times in a season, usually starting around November. The 2nd crop should be ready about 6-8 weeks later and if you are fortunate with the weather a 3rd harvest should be available a little time into Autumn. If you're growing Peppermint for the volatile extracts then cropping criteria is very important and the timing is centered around when the highest oil content is present.

Regarding using Mint in your horses feed you will find it has a exquisite odour which is tough to refuse. It is thought of as one of the finest digestive aids and will help relax and ease the digestion.

The flavanoids in Mint will excite the liver and the menthol oil is antibacterial and anti parasitic. The oils are also utilized for ulcers and to help with colic. Because Peppermint is anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic it makes it an especially helpful herb for issues with the gut and wind. You can easily add 20 gms of dried or 1-2 fistfuls of fresh mint daily to your horses feed and revel in the sweet aroma yourself. A beautiful delicious addition to any horses feed.








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