Silver Lining Herbal Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions... and Answers

Q ) What will I notice when I feed the Silver Lining herbal Products?

A ) Frequently you will see an immediate change in your horses' health, as is the case in organ problems such as kidney and liver dysfunction, or nervousness or hormonal problems. However, the healing process takes place in reverse order, from it's occurrence. Therefore sometimes, as in the case of foot problems and ulcers, it takes some time to notice a large difference. We have seen remarkable changes in feet and intestinal conditions when given time to rebuild a healthy environment. Herbs are not designed to be a quick fix but rather a regeneration of health, which, over time, gets rid of symptoms. A good rule of thumb for rebuilding health is one month for each year the horse has had the problem with a minimum of three months. In this time you may see the horse go through a healing crisis, which will resemble the illness itself, except that the horse will feel good going into the healing crisis and then will feel bad for about three days and then will feel good again after the healing crisis is over. You will then observe the horse in better health than before the healing crisis started. Sometimes you will see an intense amount of catarrh and mucous coming from an opening such as the nostrils or in the manure or urine. This is the way the toxins are evacuated from the system. Do not try to stop this from happening.

Q ) What is wrong with feeding corn, barley, molasses, rice bran and oils, and how do I get that hair shine that I need to look good at the shows?

A ) A healthy horse will have a natural, healthy shine to them that horses fed these alternative horse feeds do not have. They will also feel better and have better endurance than horses fed on rice bran, corn, molasses and oils will have. All feeds are not designed to be fed to all critters. Corn and barley are good feed for cows, and molasses are fine when fed to a critter that has a short life expectancy, as is the case in cattle, they are not assimilated well when fed to a horse. A horse does not need sugar and sugar products. A whole oat, on the other hand, is a horse feed which holds some very

beneficial qualities that need to be a part of his daily diet. Among these benefits are, keeping his teeth and gums in good repair by helping to break the hooks and comers off. The whole oat then massages the esophagus and continues to the stomach and the intestinal tract where it promotes a natural peristaltic action and adds oxygen to the blood and silica for the nervous system and the bony structure and tendons and ligaments. They then continue on to where they massage the colon where a few of them pass out of the system to help feed the birds. It is very natural for a few of the oats to pass through the system to keep the colon clean, so don't be fooled or persuaded to think that the horse is not getting what they need from them because the horse is not digesting them. Most are being digested.

Q ) I know that herbs are natural, but can I feed too much or can you over use these products?

A ) Herbs are to be used with prudence and care. Though they are natural they very well do have an effect on the system and you need to have a good feel for what it is you want to accomplish as you are dealing with them. Though herbs are generally safer than drugs there are some herbs that should not be fed for extended periods of time and there are some herbs that are not to be fed during pregnancy or when certain drugs are being administered, such as blood thinners. If you are not sure about a particular herbal combination it would be in your best interest to ask a qualified health provider. Silver Lining Herbal combinations are among the safest feed supplements in the equine industry and have been fed for many years under a variety of situations and circumstances with wonderful results. Most of the combinations can be fed with each other without harmful effects.

Q ) How are your herbal supplements fed and in what form will I receive them?

A ) Our supplements are human grade herbs and come in a powder form in 1 pound stand- up, resealable, foil pouches. They are best fed in the grain as a top dressing. If you are feeding them in whole oats, which is my recommendation, in most cases, you can mix a small amount of water or apple cider vinegar, with the oats and the herbs will readily adhere to the oats.

Q ) My horse is a finicky eater. Are they palatable?

A ) Most horse are excited about the taste of the herbs, but there are those who do not particularly like the taste of them at first. But if you will put them, with their grain, in their feed tub and walk away, they will generally be gone when you come back. After a few days eating them they will let you know about it if they are not in their feed. You can also mix the herbal supplements with water and paste them with an old syringe for a few days until they start eating them if you prefer to do it that way.

Q ) What are some of the most frequent problems you encounter, nutritionally, in your travels?

A ) What I see the most is horses with sore kidneys and liver and immune deficiencies.

Q ) Why is this the case, do you think?

A ) I blame the rich feeds, for the kidney issues, such as high protein alfalfa hay ( fed at the wrong time of year, the hotter feeds need to be fed when it is cold to help build body heat), corn, barley, molasses, rice bran, and many of the high publicized feed supplements, along with a stall atmosphere where they are not able to do a lot of the natural things a horse does. Such as stretches and running spontaneously and climbing up and down hills and inclines. In areas where there is high protein grasses, horses do not need to be on them 24 -7. It is far better, even though not as convenient, to put them out on pasture for, say, 12 hours and then put them in a corral for 12 hours with fresh water. Of coarse water should be available at all times. The liver problems are from the over use of chemicals, such as wormers and excessive innoculations, along with the herbicides and insecticides that are being used to raise the feeds that are being fed to our horses. The immune system suffers from the stress environments, such as showing and hauling, change in feed and water and, simply put, "Jet Lag".

Q ) What are the effects of kidney issues?

A ) A lot of the time you will see stocking in the hind legs. You may also see soreness over the bladder meridian, which is located direcdy under the back of the bars of the saddle. This is right where the riders weight is distributed, which will, frequently , cause the horse to step out of his stops or refuse to stop all together. Sometimes the horse will not want to turn as well one way or the other or to step out with the hind end when turning around. Horses with kidney issues will also have a tendency to tie up or become tense in the muscles. They may also have a tendency to drink excessively and urinate frequendy. Sometimes the urine is foul smelling as well. These same horses will sometimes make you think that they are nervous because they don't want to stand still. This could easily be because they hurt over the kidneys when they stand still, with the riders weight sitting on the sore area.

Q ) How long do I have to keep my horse on the herbs?

A ) All horses are different, therefore may require a little different attention. There is a rule of thumb that states that it takes one month of rebuilding health for each year the horse has had the problem, with a minimum of three months. Horses respond very well, in most cases, to herbal supplements because their system is not full of junk foods. The environment, fresh water, exercise, consistency, etc. all play an important role in the healing process.

Q ) Can I keep feeding my horse the same feed as I have been feeding and still get the results that I desire from the herbs?

A ) You are going to get some good results from the herbs but it will take longer because the herbs are going to need to move the toxins generated by the feeds that are not as good for the horses' system. It is like dusting your house with the doors and windows open on a windy day. It will help to dust but, to do a good job, you will need to close the doors and windows or stop the new toxins from coming in.

Q ) My horse is not putting out all that I know he is capable of, is there a reason?

A ) I see a lot of horses that are not doing as well as they are capable of doing. These same horses are also, often times, not eating as well as they could be and are just not "happy campers" if you will. I find that these horses respond very well, in most cases, to boosting their immune systems. This can be done by feeding the #24 Immune Builder. When you build the immune system you will see a lot of benefits.

Q ) My horse has hives all over his body. I have not changed his feed or anything else. What do you think is causing them?

A ) The immune system is definitely involved here, but, I feel, the organ that is most closely involved is the liver. I would put him on a #27 Liver and a #24 Immune builder to clean up the issue.

Q ) If my horse does not have any problems, that I know of, which of your supplements should I be feeding him?

A: The #10 Training Mix is the combination that you can feed to keep your horse doing well, if you know he or she is in good health. I may add at this point that a horse is like a car in one respect, and that is, if you want it to perform you must supply it with the proper ingredients to perform with. A car needs gas and oil, a horse needs a well rounded diet. That diet is not available by simply feeding grass and alfalfa hay and the traditional rolled mixes. If the horse were to be turned out on natural vegetation he would pick a variety to supplement his whole body. Since they do not have the option to do this, we must supply these needs for them.

Q ) Do I need to feed vitamins and minerals with the herbal supplements?

A ) It will not hurt the herbs to feed an added vitamin or mineral supplement along with it, if it is a well assimilated, quality, supplement. Herbs are the purest form of vitamins and minerals and the easiest assimilated, therefore they will do a magnificent job to rebuild your horses' natural health if they are the only supplement you choose to feed.

Q ) Do I need to worm my horse with a paste wormer if I use the herbal wormer?

A ) We have had fecal samples lab tested and have been told that the samples were clean. Horses wormed on the herbal wormers also have a very healthy look and they feel good. The herbal wormer is much more gentle on the horse than are the synthetic pastes that work by poisoning the parasite. Herbal wormers simply change the favorable environment of the parasite so that the parasite would rather be dining somewhere else. A lot of the time the parasite or worm will be found in the manure still very much alive.

Q ) How do I know what is best for my horses' health, and how do I know when he needs special attention?

A ) The story is told in the corral, by watching and keeping track of the evacuation, i.e. manure texture and frequency are important as well as urine and sweating. All of these elements are important and should be monitored daily. If your horse is ever lethargic or does not respond readily to feed or water it should direct your attention, immediately, to the manure and urine and the story told in the corral. If he is not sweating as readily as he should you probably need to do something for the lymphatic system. No body knows your horses' habits better than you do, so you should watch them as closely as you would your little children to make sure you are on top of any problem areas that may arise. Your horse may not talk your language so it is up to you to learn his. When you know your horse is not giving you a 100% you can be alerted, in most cases, because a horse is very willing to do his or her best. This is especially true in the case of performance horses that are picked because of their ability to win and their athletic ability, etc. Learn about the teeth and feet from the people who make their living dealing with them, i.e., ferriers and equine dentists etc. Then you win be able to detect problems in these areas as well.

Q ) Why do you think that your herbal supplements are better than the supplements that I am now feeding?

A ) As I mentioned before, herbs are the purest form of vitamins and mineral known and the easiest assimilated. Therefore, they will get to the cellular level. That is where the supplement has got to get to to do the good your horse needs. At this point, the cell will either accept or reject it. Most synthetic supplements never get to this point, and if they do they are generally rejected here because they are not recognized as food by the cell. The herbs, on the other hand, are recognized as food at the cellular level. They are then only rejected if the cell does not lack the constituents that they contain. We, at Silver Lining Herbal Supplements, take this one step farther by using only the best quality, human grade, herbs available for our supplements.