https://www.equineherbalist.com.au/

Mickie Magan Equine Herbalist, Grose Vale (2025)

06/09/2025

To all the dads out there, whether your kids are human,canine, feline, bovine or equine, we appreciate all you do!
Have a wonderful and relaxing Father’s Day.

05/09/2025

As well as being an equine herbalist, I also do Equine Myofuncional Therapy. This releases the fascia that covers muscles, which can help the superficial and deep muscles.⠀
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Bodywork is very satisfying, as often changes can be seen immediately.⠀
Two horses I worked on yesterday were very good at picking up their legs. ⠀
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Sometimes horses can be reluctant to do so. Here are a couple of reasons why.⠀
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𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻: When I’m doing body work, often when the horse is reluctant to pick up hind legs in particular, it’s due to pain.⠀
If you place your hand between the horses buttock, and just slide the hand around, you will often feel how incredibly tight the muscles are.⠀
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I like to hold the toe in my hand and allow the horse to drop the leg, so it’s almost on the ground. This is a good way to earn the trust and the horse tends to connect the dots pretty quickly that I’m there to help.⠀
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𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀: If your horse suddenly develops a reluctance to pick up a hind leg, check for small divots in the rump. If you stand directly behind the horse’s rump, you may see a small depression in the flesh, this might signify a tear in the muscle. Slide your hand between the cheeks of the buttock and feel for any depressions in there.⠀
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Once you start looking, you might be amazed how often you see them. If your horse likes to have a mad run around and then come to a screeching halt, that’s often how they happen.⠀
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𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: Just like people, horses are not always good at balancing.⠀
When we first got Benjii, he couldn’t balance on three legs very well.⠀
It takes patience to help your horse get his balance. ⠀
Training correctly can help a horse become balanced. Make sure you work both sides of the horse evenly.⠀
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Whatever exercise you do on one side you must do on the other. ⠀
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Uneven musculature results in the horse having hypertrophic muscles on one side and atrophied muscles on the other side.⠀
When this happens, the horse will begin to compensate by using deeper muscles to stay balanced. Then you have even more lack of balance.

04/09/2025

I share this every year. ⠀
However it’s important so here it is again.⠀
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There are several plants in Australia that are toxic to horses.⠀⠀
The plant pictured is:⠀⠀
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🌸Cape W**d. ⠀⠀
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It has a long taproot and it can germinate rapidly.⠀⠀
Although it is not thought of as a highly toxic w**d, it can if consumed in quantity, at the early growth stages, be full of NSC’s.⠀⠀
(Non structural carbohydrates). It is possible that it can bring in a laminitic incident in horses and ponies that are susceptible to EMS ( equine metabolic syndrome) or Insulin ⠀⠀
resistant horses. It often attacks the hepatic (liver) cells. ⠀⠀
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🌿Other plants include:⠀⠀
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🌸 Flatw**d which to the untrained eye can resemble Dandelion on a short stalk.⠀⠀
This plants leaves lay flat on the ground (hence the name).⠀⠀
When ingested by horses, Flatw**d attacks the myelin sheath which covers the nerves, particularly the sciatic nerve in the hind quarters which then give the horse a spasticity of movement, which may develop into Pasture Associated Stringhalt!⠀⠀
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🌸Patterson’s Curse: or sometimes known as (Salvation Jane) the young and tender leaves are very palatable to horses I’d there is a shortage of pasture/hard feed. ⠀⠀
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🌸 Firew**d: is a neurotoxin to horses targeting the nerves in the large muscles. ⠀⠀
It’s not particularly appealing to horses as it does retain quite a specific odour.⠀⠀
Mostly grazed by horses with little to no feed.⠀⠀
Long term consumption will lead to serious and debilitating liver damage.⠀⠀
Firew**d is extremely invasive, it can be spread quickly over a long distance by wind.⠀⠀
A single plant can produce up to 18,000 seeds in it’s life cycle.⠀⠀
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If you aren’t sure what species of poisonous plants are on your property, you can seek more information from The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.⠀⠀
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There is also an excellent downloadable PDF from RIRDC Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, titled Plants Poisonous to Horses an Australian Feed Guide.⠀⠀
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https://www.horsecouncil.org.au/plants-poisonous-to-horses-1and

03/09/2025

I’ve never given much thought to whorls.
I was working on a client’s horse last year and the horse had lots of them.
A big one right in the middle of his forehead and a few others on various parts of the body.

My client said they all apparently have meanings. I’d heard vaguely about that, so I did some research. Here is what I’ve found.

On the face:

Whorls on the right side of the face mean uncooperative and not to be trusted.

Whorls on the left side mean the horse is complicated.

Long whorls that look feather like means the horse is friendly and likes to be around people.

High on the face indicates the horse is intelligent and can be reactive.
Between the yes is obedient and friendly.

Middle of the face is easygoing and uncomplicated.

Low means friendly and agreeable.

Multiple whorls means multiple personalities ( possibly a chestnut mare? 🤣)

High but they are side by side, talented, focused but can be a handful.

Whorls on top of whorls, mood swings and u predictability.

Several whorls forming a Z pattern, dangerous and possibly violent.

I’m sure many of you know way more than me about this, so feel free to tell me what you know or if your horse matches any of the descriptions.

02/09/2025

I always ask my clients if their horse is girthy or humps or bucks under saddle.⠀
Many times it’s because they have gut ulcers. We treat the horse for that and the issue goes away.⠀
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The truth is, it’s not always gut ulcers.⠀
There are several reasons why a horse may protest when you’re doing up the girth.⠀
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𝗧𝗼𝗼 𝗠𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗼𝗼 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸: the old joke about punching yourself while you’re doing up the girth, isn’t funny at all. If you are reefing hard on the girth, you can do damage to the ascending and descending pectoral muscles.⠀
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𝗚𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀: Girth galls start when an irritation is set up, the hair in the area starts to fall out, then layers of skin, this sets up an open wound that you may not see from the side. Always a good idea to look at your horses belly when you are grooming. ⠀
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𝗩𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗢𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮: simply put, it is usually a pocket of fluid built up which forms a squishy lump on the underside of the belly. Not usually painful, but not comfortable with a tight girth on.⠀
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𝗧𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗙𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: The saddle may be too narrow which means it’s bridging on the horse’s back. The girth might be the only thing holding it in place, which puts more pressure on the girth itself.⠀
As the horse moves it can cause pain.⠀
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𝗣𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴: In winter the hairs on the belly can grow long and time. If they get caught in the girth they can pinch. Think about having a too tight ponytail and you will understand.⠀
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𝗚𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗧𝗼𝗼 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹: Particularly in dressage saddles, the area between the two girth points can also get pinched. If the girth is too small it will pitch every time the horse bends.⠀
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𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿: If a horse has been girthy for a long time, sometimes it can take a long time to break the habit of acting up when being girthed. This is often seen in riding school horses or those off the track.⠀
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Help your horse to leave the past behind by doing the girth up incrementally. I do a hole at a time on each side. They holes should be even. If you go to hole 5 on the near side, do the same on the off side. ⠀
This helps to spread the pressure across the whole underside.

01/09/2025

There are a few things that may contribute to your hairy horse not dropping his or her coat.

Curly, wavy or retention of the coat all year round, can be indicative of a metabolic disorder like EMS or Cushing’s.

A stubborn coat doesn’t automatically mean that other of those, so let’s look at a few other things.

The brain, eyes and increased exposure to sun or light regulate the coat growth. You might be surprised to know, that it’s not actually temperature that regulates growth.

If your horse is a wooly mammoth here are a few things to help get the process started and more efficient.

Increasing the exposure to light for longer. As the weather gets warmer the days get longer. This signals to the brain that it’s time to begin the process of shedding.

If you are lucky enough to have a dedicated artificial light source, you can skip the whole process and have a sleek coat all year round. This also has an impact on a mare’s breeding cycle.

For the rest of us, grooming vigorously and diligently is the key.

I have two tools that I use. A Striphair device which is a thick rubber tool that I have found to be excellent to loosen the coat and it removes deeply embedded dirt.

I also purchased recently a small rake like tool with a metal blade from Ippico which has been really helpful too.

A rubber curry comb and “elbow grease” Is a tried and true coat shifting method with the added bonus of giving the groomer an aerobic workout!

Rubber grooming gloves are popular also. Again they require some good effort.

A hessian rug is one method that I’ve seen over the years. I’m not a huge fan of these as the way it works, is hessian grabs the hair and pulls. It gets trapped in the fibres and stays there.

I feel that this would be similar to when you have a few hairs being pulled tight in your hair elastic. Or wearing one of those scratchy woollen jumpers straight on the skin.

A warm cloth with some grooming oil can be wiped over to pick up any stray hairs after.

A tablespoon of dried nettle in the feed am and pm, will help to drop a lingering coat. Don’t use it for more than 3 months as it can be quite stimulating and make your horse a bit “fresh”.

31/08/2025

Cleaning under the tail is not just for hygienic reasons.⠀
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Like most grooming regimes, it has multiple purposes and it’s a good way to check for any unusual lumps,bumps or weird things.⠀
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𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴⠀
Handling the dock, touching around the a**s, taking temperatures and cleaning are all things that are done regularly.⠀
It’s important to make sure your horse tolerates and allows these things without kicking or biting. If there comes a time where there is injury in the area, it may require daily treatment or handling, and you need your horse to be ready and accepting of touch. ⠀
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𝗠𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘀⠀
If you have a grey horse, particularly a mare, it’s important to check under the tail for melanomas. ⠀
As always, it’s better to get to them from a small lump before they take over the back end.⠀
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𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗽𝘀𝗲𝘀⠀
If you ever watch a horse doing his business, you will sometimes see as the manure comes out, a tiny pinkish red part which belongs to the inside of the a**s may be visible.⠀
If you see any more than a small part, or it does not fully retract, or part of it stays hanging out, call your vet immediately. This is a prolapse and is 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴!⠀
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𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀⠀
It’s not abnormal to have a bit of dry flaky skin or a bit of crud in this area. Not a lot of oil production around that part so keeping it clean is important.⠀
Check also between the buttock cheeks. If your horse is well rounded, there may be friction or trapped dirt between the cheeks which can cause irritation.⠀
You can also see evidence of scours. Look for dried bits of manure and green dribbles stuck to the skin.⠀
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𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘀⠀
Most mares secrete during estrus. Sometimes it’s a lot! You can follow the trail down the legs. Pay attention to this so you know what your horse’s “normal” is.⠀
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I personally don’t use anything other than water and a micro fibre cloth to clean around the area. ⠀
I have a small tub of my 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝘃𝗲-𝗔𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 in my grooming bucket for any little nicks cuts or abrasions I might find during grooming.

29/08/2025

To our dear and valued US clients, I’m sorry to say that Australia Post has ceased sending parcels to the US due to the trade tariffs.

If you do need something desperately, please email me and I can organise an alternative if I’m able.

Sorry for any inconvenience.

28/08/2025

There is no statute of limitations for grief.
After losing my Benjii in March, I have had three other friends lose their heart horses as well.

The grief is profound. The pain is unbearable a lot of the time.
Talking with others who have lost their beloved horses, is triggering for me too. But I know it’s part of my healing to listen, talk and offer support.
Elizabeth Kubler Ross identified 5 stages of grieving in her book, On Death and Dying.

1. Denial - when the vet came to see Benjii that day, somewhere in my mind, I thought, John will give him something and he will be ok. I will follow up with herbal medicine after the emergency phase. When the vet said he needed to be put to sleep, I walked in circles screaming no no that’s not right! It was only when I was told he is dying right now and suffering did I stop.

2. Anger - This came quickly and savagely for me. I wavered between denial and anger for a long time. Benjii was only 22. In spectacular health. It didn’t make sense, he was fit, healthy and full of fun and mischief.

3. Bargaining - I will be brutally honest here and say there were days when I looked at Yogi, and wished it was him. I would have done anything, given anything to change the circumstances. I’m not proud of that, but it was my truth. Yogi and I have a complex relationship and it’s my job to make it richer and more meaningful.

4. Depression - There were days when I couldn’t speak. Several friends just let me wail and sob over the phone. I found no meaning in life and some very dark thoughts entered my head.

5. Acceptance - Truth is, I’m not there yet. I waver back and forth between the other stages every week. I think talking with others helps me to process the anger, the depression and the feeling of inadequacy I felt. My job is healing horses and I couldn’t help the one that I loved most.

I’m not a guru, but all I can say is, hug your horse, cover them with kisses, tell them how much you love them. Treasure every single second.

27/08/2025

The sight we all dread! Those little yellow dots!⠀
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Bot flies often appear in the first week or two of spring.⠀
They start by laying their little yellow eggs on the horses legs, face and muzzle usually. Numbers range from 150-1000 eggs from a single fly!⠀
Within 5 days the the eggs hatch and the maggots make their way into the horse.⠀
They are ingested by the horse biting or licking the are where they are or they can crawl in through the nostrils and mouth.⠀
They bury themselves in the tongue and gums.⠀
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They transition themselves to the horses stomach and attach onto the lining. They then hatch into larvae which takes up residence in your horse’s body for around 12 -18 months.⠀
They are passed in the manure and pupate in the ground to start the cycle all over again.⠀
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Space doesn’t permit me to expand on the whole damage they can do to the horse.⠀
As always prevention is better than cure. Pasture management plays a large role in preventing infestation.⠀
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Fly veils, insect spray, specific worming pastes and clean paddocks are a way to help reduce potential bot fly problems.

26/08/2025

I thought I’d clarify something about my post yesterday.
I had someone tell me that I didn’t know anatomy and my post was complete bu****it.

I asked her for clarification and she said it wasn’t her job to educate me.
As a Bodyworker and herbalist, I do know a wee bit about anatomy 🤣.

She was aggressive and rude. I suspect what upset her, was that I stated “horses don’t really have a frontal lobe” so they are not capable of premeditated thought.

Technically they do have a frontal lobe, but it’s very small and not particularly functional. It is used mostly for sensory processing. Smaller than the frontal lobe of the human brain.

The point of the post was that behaviours can often come from pain or fear.
Our horses don’t decide in the morning that they are going to ruin our day by misbehaving.

I have always said, that I’m open to learning and debate. I don’t know everything, but I don’t make posts about things I don’t know about.

Sadly this person missed the point of the post. She is also a vet. I could have easily screen shot the interaction to name and shame her.
However that would have made me as unprofessional as she was.

25/08/2025

Horses don’t really have a frontal lobe in their brain. So they are incapable of premeditated thought.

They are not deliberately doing anything to upset you.
As much as circumstances may look as if your horse is plotting or planning against you, the horse is simply not capable of that.

Horses have limited ways of expression with humans.
The main ones are biting, kicking, bucking, rearing, refusal to move forward, refusing to be caught.

The horse who is in pain, knows that when we come to the paddock with a halter, it usually means work. That may make him difficult to catch because he makes the association of work being painful or uncomfortable.

Biting or flattening the ears when being tacked up can indicate saddle fit issues or gut ulcers or several other pain points.

All of these things are behaviours the horse employs to let you know something is wrong.
It’s the only way they can communicate with us.

Playing up under saddle is a red flag. Inability to pick up a canter lead could be pain or could be a training issue.

It’s been my experience that what we see as behaviour issues is often a trickle down effect from pain.
Fear and pain are the biggest flags that the horse is trying to show you through his behaviour. Occasionally behaviour is food related.

If your horse suddenly changes his attitude, or starts doing things out of character, get your bodyworker out to check for soreness.

Horses are subtle creatures. They can influence the herd with the smallest of gestures.

If you don’t pick up the small indicators, the horse will escalate so that you
can’t ignore the communication.
‘
This is not a time for force, punishment or “showing who’s boss”..

Mickie Magan Equine Herbalist

06/09/2025

05/09/2025

04/09/2025

03/09/2025

02/09/2025

01/09/2025

31/08/2025

29/08/2025

28/08/2025

27/08/2025

26/08/2025

25/08/2025

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