FREE EQUINE
VETERINARY ADVICE
Over the past five years, vet Stephen Ashdown has written many
articles, spoken on equine matters and contributed widely to horse
magazines.
Here he reproduces
in the form of questions and answers about 100 topics, all of
them common problems which afflict horses.
To access
Topics click on Vet Advice Menu.
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Wild at
Heart
(Garlic-The root and bulbs are the most beneficial parts of the
garlic plant!)
Q: Please can you advise me on the use of wild garlic? My hedgerows
are full of it, but the horses grazing in the field never touch
the stuff.

A: Wild
garlic gives off a very similar smell and contains similar plant
chemical to the normal garlic that we use in cooking and to feed
out horses. However the most beneficial parts of the plant are in
the root and this part of wild garlic is very small compared with
that of commercially - grown garlic. Your horses are not attracted
to eating the leaf parts of the plant, probably because there is
no really benefit in eating this part.
Normally, horses
know what plants are best for them to eat, and it is only imbalances
in diet or lack of suitable forage that forces them to eat abnormally.
Garlic can be very useful in horses for skin conditions, keeping
off flies and to aid breathing.
Use an everyday
commercial brand if you would like to try it, or crush your own
fresh bulbs, which is even better. Fresh garlic is the only form
of garlic, which has strong anti-bacterial action for gut, skin
and chest problems.
If your
question has not been covered adequately in the Vet Advice Topic
Section, please feel free to start a thread in the Forum, and -
time permitting - Stephen will endeavour to answer your question.
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