​CONSIDERING CREATING AN EQUINE SELF-SELECTION HERBAL GARDEN?                                                                                 🍀🍀🍀
You will see many 'equine herbal based' sites throwing around the idea of creating an herbal garden for your horses to select from. Whilst this is a laudable idea, we would like to share our experience as an Equine Clinic that has in the past created an Herbal self-selection area. It has to be said that herbs certainly are a lovely addition to any garden and indeed the horses love a range of herbs to select from. A herbal garden is also a is a great way of getting an indication of what a horse needs - providing you have an extensive range of the correct species (ie not hybrids or garden centre varieties). So it's really important to make sure you have the correct species growing. As we know, most paddocks and forage areas are normally quite sparse from a plant diversity point of you and when your horse finds a herb they need, they will decimate the plant! So of course, when they get the opportunity in a herbal garden they will also decimate the herb that they need. So thumbs up to the herbarium for indicating horses needs but generally a thumbs down for supplying their full needs!👌
However, you could try what Una Barker at Lagan Bank Lodge has provided on their track system. What a great invention! These self-selecting baskets have been successful for a limited amount of herbs. Lagan Bank Lodge comments that sometimes the plants would grow inches past the basket then other days they’d be trimmed right back to the edge, so the horses were self-selecting when needed. Pictured are Thyme, Chives, Oregano, Mint and Sage. On top of the tyres are hanging basket attached using cable ties.
Please do visit Lagan Bank Lodge’s Facebook page. 💚