Pedigree Query

In the diary of an eighteenth century horse breeder I found a reference to this herb - he mentions going to the woods to find some Black Snakeroot for his colt's leg which is "still very bad."

I am assuming this is for external application to reduce swelling. Black Cohosh is still in use by humans, particularly for women (it was also known as "Squaw Root"), mostly internally, via a tea - it has many properties, one of which is anti-inflamatory when applied externally. It is a North American plant, but its use was passed on to the European arrivals by the earlier inhabitants of these shores.

Has anyone heard of this or other native american remedies still being used in equine care?

I'm not sure where to direct you about any medicinal uses for these and other plants, but I know that in recent times, more people have started to use herbs and other natural remedies to treat various injuries and ailments in themselves and/or their animals (horses included!) Might I suggest an inquiry to Cornell or one of the other major large animal veterinary (teaching) hospitals? I wish I could help more, but I don't know enough about this topic. It sounds plausible that Native American remedies would/could work.

There are several horse-herb books on the market. Try amazon.com. Also, several companies specialize in commercially mixing herbal blends specifically for the horse market, such as Wendel's.

Raspberry leaves are popular for broodmares. Anyone suggesting horsetail for its' mineral properties (a good natural source of silica) I would be circumspect of, for it can cause neurological/motor issues in horses.

Herbs never should be directly correlated across board from their human uses as to how they shall react when used in/with/upon the equine species, or any non-human species for that matter. A good example is that hyssop will make dogs very alert. Do note, that I did not say aggressive, I said alert.