We start this journey in 2009 when I first met a 27 year old mare called Sovereign who had suffered with Cushing's for several years. Sovereign had been treated with Perolide (now licensed for Equine use as Prascend), but given the link to liver damage and her deteriorating condition, I set out to look for alternatives and found Vitex Agnus Castus. The Laminitis Trust carried out a trial to study the use of Vitex Agnus Castus in cases of Equine Cushing's Disease with positive results*. Further to this, I found a range of references (mainly from American websites), which reinforced the suggestion that this natural supplement really could help.

Based on my findings, I decided to give the herb a go and see if it could help Sovereign. I found many supplements and solutions available that contained Vitex Agnus Castus and a cocktail of other ingredients, but these worked out costly or did not focus on the single ingredient that so many references were pointing to. I worked to source a supply of the raw ingredient and followed the suggested guidelines that had proved so successful for other users:

15g (for a pony) ground in a coffee grinder and split between the hard feed for that day

I was aware that I would not see instant results, but after two weeks, the signs were clear!

Sovereign started:

1. Shedding the thick coat associated with Cushing's cases, which had previously needed to be clipped

2. Eating her hard feed regularly and without question, where she had previously been temperamental

3. Eating her haylage much more frequently and substantially, where she has previously just picked

4. Appearing brighter, perkier and more lively as opposed to quiet and somewhat depressed

Sovereign took on the character of a far happier animal with refreshed desire for life. She shouted all of the time, particularly at feed times, when she even had the cheek to bang on the door! This might not seem unusual to most horse owners, but as many Cushing's carers will know, their friends can retreat within themselves and lose such character. The Vitex Agnus Castus had given Sovereign a new lease of life. Unfortunately, Sovereign also suffered with arthritis in her front knees. I was reminded of this when she decided to try and trot after being on the Vitex Agnus Castus for around 6 weeks, something she had not been seen to do for quite a while. Although it was heart breaking to see her discomfort in trying to trot as she ground to a walk, it reinforced just how much of a difference this supplement had made to the life of this little pony!

I was also given the chance to work with a struggling 4 year old gelding called Samba. With bundles of TLC and attention over several months, we battled through his dramatically deteriorating condition (the cause of which was never identified by the vet who had previously only given Samba 24 hours to live). Although recovered from serious danger, I was still not happy with the gelding; his consistently poor condition, poor quality of coat (which wasn't shedding), unwillingness to eat and consistent refusal to go out and graze or mix with other animals.

Having used the supplement with Sovereign for around a month, I looked at the Samba with a new thought and decided to give him a go on the Vitex Agnus Castus. At the time, Cushing's was thought to be rare in younger animals (more recently suggested otherwise). Although undiagnosed by a vet, I knew a trial of the supplement would not do Samba any harm and had to be worth a shot. Following the same dosage guidelines, I saw the same vast improvements starting within a couple of weeks; the shedding of his coat, increased appetite, vastly improved character and a willingness to go out, graze and mix with other ponies (rather than refuse and stand at the gate all day). Another success, and a vast improvement in the quality of life for this little man.

Back in 2009, the raw ingredient was not commonly available at a price or quantity that would allow people to give it a try. Given our success with the supplement and the documented success of others online I decided to try and help others struggling with Equine Cushing's by becoming a supplier of the berry. I started offering various sizes of pack to provide the opportunity to give the supplement a go without a high expense, or buy a larger pack whilst keeping costs low. For seven years I worked to maintain a fair price without making any profit on the orders that I fulfilled. I started on this road to help raise awareness of the benefits of the supplement, something which has now changed with the supplement being well recognised and more widely available.

In 2016, I unfortunately reached the point where it was no longer economical for me to buy the supplement and offer it at a competitive price without incurring significant costs to myself (both monetary and time wise). Given this, I took the tough decision to stop offering the supplement directly, but this has led to finding what I believe is an even better product in 2017.

In my experience, one of the most difficult points to overcome when treating Cushing’s / PPID naturally with Vitex Agnus Castus is that the standard powder has quite a strong smell and taste (particularly when freshly ground). Many fussy eaters will refuse to eat their feed and at 15g for a pony and 30g for a horse, it can be incredibly hard to disguise and feed consistently. From the positive feedback received so far, I think that Vitex Agnus Castus Concentrate is something that could really benefit horses and ponies diagnosed with Cushing’s. The concentrate is not only more palatable, but is refined to offer 10x the amount of active ingredient, which means that instead of feeding 30g, you only need to feed 3g to achieve the same results.

Equicure offer Vitex Agnus Castus Concentrate rather than the raw berry I previously supplied that is now more commonly available elsewhere. The concentrate is of the highest quality (intended for human consumption) and comes supplied in fully branded 100g refill bags with a feeding scoop. Equicure have kindly agreed a reduced price of £17.95 specifically for visitors to this website, which includes UK delivery by Royal Mail.

As with all supplements, there are no guarantees. The testimonials across the Internet were enough to motivate me to give it a go, and for the improved quality of life for the horses and ponies I have had the privilege to help, I'm extremely glad I did!

* http://www.laminitisclinic.org/Vitex%20trial.html