Natural Horse Health FAQs

Top 8 Horse FAQs | General FAQs
You asked and we listened! To help you get answers to your questions faster, we've started this FAQ page. You can view our general FAQs below - or jump down to our top 8 Horse FAQs, where we provide more information, resources, and recommendations. We'll continue to add to this page, so check back often for updates!
General FAQs
What Products Do You Have that Will Boost My Horse’s Immune Health/System?
If your horse has a healthy digestive tract, then the best product is Equine Zyme for maintenance, which will assure that his gut bacteria will stay healthy. Equine Zyme & both have horse specific microbiomes added. If your horse seems to be a bit immune compromised, then we recommend Equine Zyme Plus, which has added colostrum and beta glucans from mushroom extracts. Please see Why Are Probiotics Good for My Horse? for a thorough explanation on probiotics and digestive health for horses, along with more resources and recommendations.
What Should I Feed My Horse?
I get this question a lot from new horse owners who are confused about all the information on the internet. If you are a new horse owner - or are looking to support or prevent cushings/IR/metabolic support, ulcers, EPM & more - we do offer nutritional consultations, paid in advance, and can respond on an individual basis for your horse and area of the country. You can also review my general feeding recommendations, which address horses in light, moderate and heavy work; breeding and open mares; foals and weanlings; foundered, laminitic, or IR horses; & horses living in the southwest region of the US.
I Have A Very Picky Horse, How Can I Best Introduce Your Products to Him?
When introducing anything new it is always best to start slow and in a
smaller dose. We always recommend, especially with picky horses, that
you start with 1/4 scoop for a day or two, then increase to 1/2 scoop.
If your horse will not eat his bucket food with the new addition, then
we recommend a small amount of applesauce mixed with the product for a
day or so and that usually does it!
What Supplements Can My Horse Benefit From?
Depending on your horses age, what you use him/her for would depend on what they would benefit from most. All horses benefit from added horse specific probiotics (microbiomes) and horse specific digestive enzymes like are found in Equine Zyme and Equine Zyme Plus, as those are where I generally recommend customers start with their horses. All these products help your horse to absorb more of the nutrients they are already receiving in hay, grain and concentrated bucket feeds. Learn more in our FAQ probioitcs and digestive health for horses.
What Guaranteed CFU’s Are in Equine Zyme?
We guarantee 20 billion CFUs per scoop on both the Equine Zyme and the Equine Zyme Plus.
Do You Have A Guaranteed Analysis?
The guaranteed analysis for all ingredients appears on our labels, and we are transparent in all ingredients that go in to our blends - no matter how small the quantity - unlike many manufacturers who will sometimes hide those, or add fillers, colorants or additives. Equine Zyme and Equine Zyme Plus are pure product with no fillers or additives.
Cost Per Day/Per Serving?
Depending on the product, the daily cost per serving is between .50 - .75 cents, with a couple being a little higher, which is reasonable given the quality of the ingredients and the herbs.
Are your products made in the USA?
Yes, all of the products we sell on our web site are manufactured in the USA. HorseTech is in Iowa, and Horse Tech manufacturers our own Equine Zyme and Equine Zyme Plus, along with our Canine Wellness and Earth Song Ranch sells other Horse Tech Products as well. Horse Tech is a member of the NASC. Earth Song Ranch has been involved in the design and formulation of those products since 1998. The Earth Song Ranch Herbal Blends are blended and shipped from California.
The Top Natural Horse Health Questions Our Customers Ask
At Earth Song Ranch, we believe an educated owner is the best decision maker. For these top customer questions, we provide an in-depth explanation along with additional resources and our recommendations - just click through to learn more.
1. Why are Probiotics Good for My Horse?
The intestinal/digestive tract in a horse is the largest immune organ in its body. Microbiomes (Pre & Probiotics) play a vital role in supporting the intestinal tract and therefore its immune health and preventing disease. See the full answer in Why are Probiotics & Digestive Enzymes Good for My Horse?
2. Natural Alternatives to Chemical Wormers:
I want to get away from chemical wormers because my horse often gets sick after I give him one, and even coliced once from a chemical wormer. How long have you been making your equine herbal wormer and how well does it work?
So many people are looking for alternatives to chemical wormers, which are becoming ineffective as the parasites/worms are becoming immune to their ingredients. Horse care takers are also wanting something more natural and that works. See our Herbal Wormers & Natural Parasite Control FAQ page.
I did the research over a couple years and worked with a holistic vet who had one blend that we then added more herbs to, and more powerful Cayenne. What we have found over the last 8 to 10 years is that many people have not had to use a chemical wormer for 2 to 3 years while using the Earth Song Ranch Herbal Wormer! We did our home work, we did fecals, had customer's do fecals and from all of that we know the amounts of each herb to add, and in the fall we do a special blend with more Olive Leaf and Wormwood because the Strongyles encaste in the fall in many areas of the country in the horse intestinal tract. See also our article, which I wrote with Dr. Wessner, on Encysted Strongyles.
3. Cushing's / IR/ Metabolic Support:
Is there a natural and effective alternative?
With so many of our clients' horses showing signs of metabolic issues, including Pre-Cushing's / Cushing's / Insulin Resistance (IR) - including the cresty necks and long hair coats that do not shed - we developed a cost-effective blend of herbs to support their specific needs.
We've had such success with these natural formulas that we now offer our Cushing's Support Kit. The synergistic effect of the Kit's products has produced great results time and time again over the last 10 years. Read the full Cushing's Support FAQs.
4. Ulcer Support & Prevention:
Is there a natural and effective alternative?
Earth Song Ranch has found a specific combination of several herbs that work synergistically together to help a horse who has ulcers or is prone to ulcers.
Earth Song Ranch also offers an Ulcer 911 Kit to help those horses prone to ulcers with a winning combination of products we have found to help them naturally. It is a different more affordable approach.
In fact, our natural ulcer support blend has become one of our best sellers over the years as horse owners and guardians seek out alternative, natural approaches. Read the full FAQ - Equine Ulcers - Signs, Symptoms & Natural Remedies for Prevention & Treatment.
5. EPM Support & Prevention:
EPM - or Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis - is one of the most frightening diseases for a horse owner. There are medical treatments which are 35 to 45% effective, but there is no vaccine for prevention. Unless EPM is caught in the very early stages, the chances of a full recovery are not good - and the disease can be fatal. We have, however, had results helping positive EPM horses recover with vitamins e and c, coupled with a protocol developed by holistic veterinarian Dr. Gerald Wessner. Earth Song Ranch offers a holistic and homeopathic natural more affordable approach to treating your horse - sell all EPM Support Options. The EPM Homeopathic Tx is dosed orally, and is given for a little over a month time.
Read the full FAQ: EPM in Horses - Symptoms, Prevention Tips & Natural Support Solutions.
6. Senior Horse Needs:
I have a Senior Horse who is achy in the cooler fall and cold winter months and sometimes has issues with his manure being too dry, do you have anything that can help my horse?
Earth Song Ranch has a specific herbal blend for Senior Horses, it has Turmeric, White Willow Bark, Queen of the Meadow for natural pain and inflammation relief. It also contains herbs to support kidney, liver, and the digestive track of the older horse. We add a bit of psyllium husk to keep things moving and help to hydrate the digestive tract as well. Senior horses are some of my favorites and I love supporting their health in alternative and natural ways!
7. Moody Mare Help:
A friend told me you have a product for mares who have hard cycles or who are a bit moody when they are cycling, can you tell me if this might help my mare?
I have only mares and over the years I would use different herbal blends, until I did my research and came up with our Happy Mare -- It has a blend of herbs that support mare health, but also take the edge off. Some of the herbs are anti-inflammatory, but more importantly, with the Wild Yam root we add, Mare Zyme helps to balance the hormonal swings some mares experience. I know -- I had one like that and it really helped her, especially if I started the blend by the end of February and gave it to her through April. This blend has also helped some mares who would buck when their riders were on during their heats. For extra moody mares, we have Happy Mare Plus with additional herbs.
8. Miniature Horse & Donkey Needs:
Looking for nutrition, diet and help tips - just for your miniatures? You're in the right place.
I love minis (horses and donkeys both) and have had my own herd of littles since 2011. They are the ones who prompted me to work with HorseTech to formulate natural products suited to their unique miniature needs. In our FAQ: Miniature Horse & Donkey - Nutrition, Diet & Health Tips, you find help on:
- What and how to feed
- Slow feeding
- Digestive health, including sand colic and loose stools
- Laminitis
- How mini nutritional needs differ from horses
- Deworming
- Hoof, dental and body care
- Plus, favorite mini-specific products I use and recommend.