Vitex (Chasteberry Root) as a Supplement

Below the ordering information is my personal experiences with using Vitex for my old mare.

To order, please click on these links (I am an affiliate): Mountain Rose Herbs (main web page - search for vitex powder) or go directly to the Vitex powder page (Vitex page). Click yes to allow "blocked" content, if you have your security set really high. This will just allow the "cookie" to be accepted from my page.

I purchase Vitex/Chaste Tree Berry powder (Vitex agnus-castus Origin- Turkey) in the 1 pound bags (use the drop-down menu to change from 4 oz to the 1 pound bag).

***If you buy 5 or more pounds at a time, you do get an additional 10 percent discount. I just put it into a plastic container for storage (comes in a bag).

Hannah's story

Five years ago, I purchased a very old Morgan / Quarter Horse cross from my cousin. This mare, Hannah, had been used extensively as a kid's trail horse, but she was aging and my cousin's kids had outgrown her. My daughters were both small, and we had an indoor place for Hannah to winter. She was thin when we picked her up in November of that year, as she'd been outside with other horses and not eating as she should. My cousin told me the vet thought Hannah had Cushing's Disease, but she hadn't started her on any medication.

After researching several options, I heard about Vitex and decided that this was worth a try. This treatment has worked well for her. Her symptoms included difficulty keeping weight on, excessive urination, and inability to shed her coat. Since putting her on vitex, she keeps her weight stable, she doesn't urinate as much, and in the spring, she will shed out. I haven't body clipped her since I've had her. She also has really healthy hooves (her farrier is amazed) and no problems with laminitis.

The vet estimated that she was between 32 and 35 when I bought her in late 2003. Below are a couple of pictures of her (I will take new ones this spring). In the first picture, we had just got her started on vitex. In the second picture, later than summer, she is out trailriding and looks great.

I feed her one ounce a day on her feed. She gets senior feed (one and a half to two three pound coffee cans twice a day), plus an ounce of wheat germ or other oil to keep the vitex from shaking to the bottom of the bucket. I gave her beet pulp for awhile, but she seems to do better if I just give her more senior feed.

IHannah is now between 37 and 40. She still runs around when I put her out in the pasture each day, and she plays with the other horse and chases the dog. I'm not a vet, and this hasn't been a scientific experiment by any means, but she has done really well on this supplement and is on no other medicines, other than her yearly shots and wormer.

Picture 1 - spring after I purchased her - just started her on vitex.	Picture 2 - later that summer. She'd been on vitex for about four months. I did not body clip her - she shed out naturally.

Picture 3 - both of my horses in the pasture last summer. Hannah (the bay) looks good for her age!

I purchase Vitex/Chaste Tree Berry powder (Vitex agnus-castus Origin- Turkey) in the 1 pound bags (use the drop-down menu to change from 4 oz to the 1 pound bag).

***If you buy 5 or more pounds at a time, you do get an additional 10 percent discount. I just put it into a plastic container for storage (comes in a bag).