Mickie Magan Equine Herbalist, Grose Vale (2026)

09/05/2026

Whether your kids are human, equine, canine, feline, bovine, ovine or avian, we wish you a love and fun filled mothers day.
Treat yourself. 💗

07/05/2026

I think most equestrians love this time of year.
The temperature is ideal for riding.
Winter isn’t far behind, so I thought I’d share some potential winter weather issues and how we can combat them.

🔸Hydration - it’s not uncommon that horses slow down their drinking. Last year our troughs froze over in a thin layer of ice a couple of times.
Horses aren’t crazy about cold water, so think about wetting down the hard feed. It’s a good way of getting extra water in.
Check your horse’s skin by doing the pinch test on the neck or run your finger up and under the lips. We are looking for slippery, not dry.

🔸 Keep an eye on your horse’s weight. We tend to ride less in the winter. Which means less exercise.
Check your rations and make sure you’re feeding to the work you’re doing and not what you expect to do.

🔸 Check the ground in the paddocks. If you live in an area that gets icy during the winter, adjust the way you turn out the horses. Also when there has been heavy rain, the ground becomes muddy and chopped up.
When it dries, you are left with a completely different landscape.

🔸 Colic- Hydration plays a part in colic episodes. When peristalsis is impacted, things get a bit sticky inside the horse.

🔸Skin issues, when the coat is long, we tend not to wash as much as in the warmer months. This means dirt gets trapped under the coat and creates a perfect storm of conditions for rain scald and other skin problems.

06/05/2026

In Australia, we have several common subtropical grasses.⠀
They contain chemicals known as oxalates which interfere with the absorption of calcium.⠀
During the digestive process the oxalate bonds to the calcium making the calcium insoluble in the small intestine so cannot be used.⠀
⠀
Calcium is important for bone strength, growth and maintenance. ⠀
It is a metabolic partner of phosphorus.⠀
Some of the ingested calcium and phosphorus is kept by the body for future use in building osteocytes (bone cells).⠀
⠀
Horses grazing for extended periods of time in high oxalate grasses require calcium supplementation, without it, they can end up with a condition known as Nutritional Secondary Hyperparathyroidism.⠀
More commonly known as “big head syndrome”.⠀
As the grazing continues, the calcium leaches from the bones which makes them weaker. ⠀
⠀
Facial bones soften and start to move forward and stick out, hence the term big head.⠀
⠀
If you are looking to sow pastures it is advised that high oxalate grass be avoided.⠀
⠀
🌱 Buffel Grass⠀
🌱 Green Panic Grass⠀
🌱 Kikuyu Grass⠀
🌱 Pangola Grass⠀
🌱 Para Grass⠀
🌱Setaria Grass⠀
🌱 Signal Grass⠀
🌱 Purselane⠀
⠀
Some signs of NSH or Big Head are:⠀
⠀
🔸Swollen jaw bones⠀
🔸Joint tenderness⠀
🔸Teeth that are loose⠀
🔸Stiff legged gait⠀
🔸 Muscle Tremors⠀
🔸 Depression or Lethargy

05/05/2026

In the veterinary business gut ulcer treatments are big money.
Expensive pastes and acid buffers do work short term, however the return rate is still high.

It’s not at all complicated when you treat the root cause.
It’s how I made my reputation, and have treated many many horses and rid them of gut ulcers for good.

The fore and hind guts of the horse are always working.⠀
They produce acid all day every day.⠀
It’s important to help maintain balanced and beneficial gut flora.⠀
Some of the things that can interfere with optimum workings of the gut are:⠀
⠀
A recent course of antibiotics ⠀
Pharmaceutical anti-inflammatory medication⠀
Drenching⠀
Travelling and or competing ⠀
A new living environment ⠀
A new stablemate (or a mean one)⠀
Change of paddock⠀
Lack of feed or sporadic feeding
A sudden change in feed⠀
Any ongoing stress.
⠀
All of the above can contribute to stress of the horse. ⠀
Many horses internalise their stress so may not appear out of the ordinary, so it’s important to prepare to reset the gut flora before anything significant has time to brew.

I treat for a full blood cycle which is approximately 12 weeks. Occasionally it has gone slight longer depending on the severity of the issue.

03/05/2026

Mother Nature never works alone. Neither do I.
My husband is my biggest supporter.
Equine Herbal Medicine is my passion and so is he. 💕

02/05/2026

I come from a background in nutrition, quality assurance and regulatory compliance.

That’s why you can rest easy knowing that my products are made of the very best quality ingredients I can get my hands on.

It’s the reason products like Salve-Ation works so well.

When it’s possible, I use organic ingredients so that you’re not introducing chemicals and their byproducts into your horse’s body.

Salve-Ation works fast. Really fast, so it’s important to clean the wound so you don’t trap any bad that may cause infection.

You don’t have to believe me, look at the results of some of our before and after.

01/05/2026

I’ve had some lovely feedback about my book so far.
If you bought it, I’d love to hear how you’re enjoying it.

If you haven’t bought yours yet, we are in stock.

You can get it here.

https://www.equineherbalist.com.au/collections/all-products/products/horse-healing-the-herbal-way

30/04/2026

Have you ever experienced a situation where your horse is sound on the ground, but under saddle, suddenly the stride becomes short, choppy, not coming under or irregular.
It could be something known as bridle lameness.

When we are working our horse into contact, with rhythm and thoroughness, we are asking the horse to move freely within the constraints of the contact.
Regardless of how gentle or considerate we are as riders, it’s not natural for a horse to wear a saddle and bridle.
Instinct on the horse’s part means that their first reaction is to brace and pull against the contact.

It’s our job to teach them to soften and yield to the contact.
It’s also our job to make sure we have soft yielding hands.
The lameness part is where the horse avoids the contact, shortens the neck and hollows the back which has a an impact on the shoulder and hind end.

Bracing, pulling or avoiding the contact will always make for an uncomfortable gait which may feel like lameness.

Patient training with exercises that help the horse learn proprioception such as backing up over poles, working in hand and if you have a bodyworker who uses Surefoot pads, they will all help the horse to find where he is in relation to those and things around them.

It’s a good time to audit your position. Legs, heels and hands, if like me you get a bit stronger in one hand, this must be corrected in ourselves before we try to correct the horse.

Once he gets it, it will make for more relaxation under saddle, he will learn to seek the contact and to trust you when you ask for something.

30/04/2026

For their size, horses are actually quite delicate creatures.

I have met a few people over the years, who’s horses seem to always be injuring themselves.

Often these people are very serious about their riding and competing, and they are very hard workers and super focused..
It’s important to exercise, practice and school for your discipline. It’s how great horse and rider combinations are made.

It’s also important to know your horse’s limits.
The horse can be limited by conformation, weight, emotional capacity and obviously rider ability.
It’s tempting to move up the grades quickly, but not at the expense of the horse’s soundness.
It’s better to do less and be able to ride without weeks of interruptions due to injury.
If your horse seems to be constantly injured, it’s also important to look at the way you ride. Are you over facing the horse? Asking for something he isn’t ready for?
It makes more sense to ride less, or not as long, or not as high, or not overloading the hind end. You will achieve more if your horse is sound, instead of being constantly frustrated because your horse is out of action.

29/04/2026

Have you ever experienced a situation where your horse is sound on the ground, but under saddle, suddenly the stride becomes short, choppy, not coming under or irregular.
It could be something known as bridle lameness.

When we are working our horse into contact, with rhythm and thoroughness, we are asking the horse to move freely within the constraints of the contact.
Regardless of how gentle or considerate we are as riders, it’s not natural for a horse to wear a saddle and bridle.
Instinct on the horse’s part means that their first reaction is to brace and pull against the contact.

It’s our job to teach them to soften and yield to the contact.
It’s also our job to make sure we have soft yielding hands.
The lameness part is where the horse avoids the contact, shortens the neck and hollows the back which has a an impact on the shoulder and hind end.

Bracing, pulling or avoiding the contact will always make for an uncomfortable gait which may feel like lameness.

Patient training with exercises that help the horse learn proprioception such as backing up over poles, working in hand and if you have a bodyworker who uses Surefoot pads, they will all help the horse to find where he is in relation to those and things around them.

It’s a good time to audit your position. Legs, heels and hands, if like me you get a bit stronger in one hand, this must be corrected in ourselves before we try to correct the horse.

Once he gets it, it will make for more relaxation under saddle, he will learn to seek the contact and to trust you when you ask for something.

24/04/2026

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them.

Mickie Magan Equine Herbalist

09/05/2026

07/05/2026

06/05/2026

05/05/2026

03/05/2026

02/05/2026

01/05/2026

30/04/2026

30/04/2026

29/04/2026

24/04/2026

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