What is Zoopharmacognosy?

Westerlands equestrian herbs

In the wild, horses will roam across vast areas foraging for food and water. They will naturally seek out herbs for general health and they instinctively seek out medicinal herbs to aid any ailments they may have.

Domesticated horses do not have access to this variety of herbs, so at Westerlands we bring the herbs to the horses.

We create blends of herbs for each horse’s individual requirements – lemon balm is a great antihistamine and boosts immunity – meadowsweet and dandelion leaves are great for general health amongst other things – rosehips contain powerful antioxidants that improve joint health and hoof strength… to name a few.

Herb Kitchen

In our herb kitchen at Westerlands we use self-selection stations, based on the principles of zoopharmacognosy—the innate ability animals have to recognize and choose the medicinal plants they need. When a horse requires a particular plant for its therapeutic benefits, it will taste sweet and palatable. If the horse does not need that plant at that time, the same plant will taste bitter, and the horse will naturally reject it.

Note: we provide zoopharmacognosy as a complementary feeding solution and never a substitute for good veterinary care.