06/04/2026
It’s water buffet time again!
This year I’m trialing a few different things to tempt the ginger girlies.
Always with plenty of fresh water too.
I always pop a piece of string on the handles to help the little beasties climb out if they’ve been diving.
Bentonite
Beetroot
Metabolic with spirulina
Marigold & Clever
Salt water
All from Natural Horse Supplies
Natural Horse Supplies
🩵Beetroot
Beetroot powder helps to improve exercise tolerance, power output, stamina, endurance and focus.
🩵Bentonite
Bentonite is obtained from volcanic ash and is a soft clay that is said to host a wide range of nutrients including calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and silica but its superpower is its ability to absorb and clarify.
When clay is ingested, it travels through the body looking for bad guys—toxins, impurities, or pathogens—to bind to. Clay particles are like magnets. They have a negatively charged surface, while most toxins and impurities carry a positive charge.
Absorption
Bentonite, particularly sodium bentonite, is a swelling clay. It excels at absorbing because of it's many microsopic plates with large surface areas that adhere together when wet. When used externally—such as in a horse poultice, wound cream, or hoof pack—it effectively draws out excess fluid, infection, bacteria, toxins, and contaminants. It also improves circulation to the area, increasing blood flow and oxygen to cells and speeding up healing.
Adsorption & Detoxification
Because of its fine particle size and negatively charged ions, bentonite also has the uncanny ability to bind to and eliminate heavy metals, damaging toxins and pollutants inside the body. (For example, those unwanted and often undetected aflatoxins and mycotoxins hiding in horse feed.)
Internal Uses and Benefits
When bentonite is ingested internally, it can:
* Treat digestive disorders and diarrhea
* Improve gut flora activity
* Increase nutrient absorption
* Boost immune response
* Improve renal health and kidney function
* Regulate thyroid health
* Act as a natural antibiotic for some harmful bacteria strains
* Reduce the bioavailability of aflatoxins and mycotoxins
* Reduce metal poisoning
🩵Metabolic support
Metabolic support (with spirulina) is an equal blend of six herbs/supplements, Cinnamon, Micronised linseed, Milk Thistle seed power, Rosehips, 90% purity magnesium oxide and seaweed powder. This blend is useful for laminitics, and horses with Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS).
Cinnamon and magnesium oxide help to break down fatty deposits. Micronized linseed is rich in omega 3,6 and 9 oils and is a good source of copper, phosphate, selenium and magnesium. Rosehips help to cleanse the body of toxins, and support the kidneys, liver and circulatory systems. Milk thistle supports correct function of the liver. Seaweed offers additional vitamins and minerals.
🩵Marigold & Cliver
Clivers and Marigold has a long history of being given for horses who suffer with filled or puffy legs, and both herbs help support the lymphatic system to drain excess fluid. It is also a useful blend to support horses with CPL (Chronic Progressive Lymphedema).
Clivers is an excellent herb for supporting and toning the lymphatic system. It is rich in silica and as such will strengthen the coat and hair.
Marigold or Calendula Flowers are rich in sulphur, making them a great natural blood tonic. It is a supreme skin herb and is used extensively throughout the world to support the skin and skin health. Marigold an excellent herb for the lymphatic and urinary systems, it is rich in sulphur and helps to reduce inflammation.
