When I first started to learn about the Zoopharmacognosy, I was finding out what to offer and also because I have a good working knowledge of herbs, adding my own selections to offer. I knew what ailments and imbalances the horses may have and I let that guide the herbs I purchased. How interesting it has been!
I haven’t been able to do it everyday as some days I can only offer a few things (I also run out!) or I couldn’t be there. The days I did offer, I wrote down amounts and choices and found clear patterns and fascinating learning about my horses true needs. One thing I thought was, if you were worried about offering free choice amounts as some people are, It is at the very least, a good way to find out what your horse is really is deficient in and then supplement controlled amounts. So for example, Mercury really goes for the Rosehips in large amounts so I could easily see giving him a daily supplement of them and I think he would be quite happy! Rosehips have quite a lot of value as a supplemental and medicinal herb so I feel really good that I can give him what he is asking for instead of making educated guesses which I had come to find through using self selection were wrong despite my educated and well intended ideas.
Here is my list for Mercury(not consecutive days as I said and I was working out measurements as I got more accurate)
- Rosehips: several handfuls, barley grass: several handfuls, golden seal: pinch, licorice: 1 handful
- Rosehips: several handfuls, barley grass: several handfuls, Peppermint: pinch
- (Suspected he had Lyme around now) Echinacea: several handfuls, Rose hips: Container (square Tupperware) barley grass: handful
- Rosehips: several handfuls, goldenseal: pinch, German Chamomile: several handfuls, Flax: Container.
- Rosehips: whole container, German Chamomile : half large container . Violet leaf (Essential oil) two drops.
- Barley grass: half container, Rosehips: half container, German Chamomile: Half container, Flax: Whole container.
- Barley grass: handful, flax: container, echinacea: mouthful, rosehips: container, kelp: Pinch, German Chamomile: container.
- Barley grass: mouthful, Chamomile: 2 mouthfuls, Dandelion root: pinch, Flax: container.
- Barley grass: mouthful. Rosehips: 1 pound. Chamomile: 1/2 container.
- Rosehips: 1.5 containers, Flax: mouthful
- Rosehips: container, barley grass: mouthful, chamomile: mouthful. Comfrey: mouthful, Astragalus: handful, Dandelion root: 8oz, Hibiscus: 3 handfuls. Flax: 4-oz.
- Rosehips: pound, Calendula: handful, Handful of Almonds! Garlic: 2 raw cloves.
- Two small pieces of raw Ginger.
I learned that he favors Flax oil (but not all the time), Rose hips (A lot but does not want them sometimes), and Chamomile (German and Not a lot at first then just a bit here and there). He liked Barley Grass in the beginning and took a good amount and now only takes it sometimes in smaller amounts. The Echinacea Angustafolia is interesting because I thought he might be getting Lyme Disease again and I did a few days of Lyme Nosode, he took a good bit of Echinacea one day and a pinch of Golden Seal and now seems fine and doesn’t want it anymore. That’s AWESOME!