Herbal Guide for Equine Conditions

SUMMARY OF CONDITIONS AND RECOMMENDED HERBS Note: Information in this article is not to be used in place of professional medical advice and expertise. For diagnosis and treatment always see your health professional.
CONDITION	RECOMMENDED HERBS AND SUPPLEMENTS
Allergies	Licorice tea will stimulate the body's production of cortisone. Itchy conditions chamomile. vervain Euphorbia, aloes internally. St John's wort and Calendula to be applied  externally using olive oil as a carrier.
Arthritis	Devils Claw, ashwagandha, white willow bark, corydalis, celery seed, tansy, comfrey. A soothing external treatment including oils of comfrey, linseed, arnica and camphor will help with symptoms of arthritis.
Asthma	Gingko is nature's bronchio-dilator, licorice will sooth bronchial tissue, caffeine will increase adrenaline levels helpful in the event of an asthma attack..
Blood cleansers	Suitable treatment for coat and skin conditions.  Burdock, nettle, cleavers and red clover. Rinses for manes and coats can be made from a  tea (around a litre) of nettles, rosemary and calendula. To that add a tablespoon of cider vinegar.
Brittle Hooves	Circulatory herbs including gingko, rosemary, garlic. Grains like quinoa, millet, amaranth grape seed will improve the strength of hoof wall.
Bruising	Arnica petals made up into an ointment and applied to unbroken skin. Compresses made form calendula, comfrey, witch hazel and yarrow. Horses that bruise easily will benefit from extra vitamin C rosehips, nettles and buckwheat to improve the integrity of the blood vessel walls.
Cancer	Cancer herbs include violet leaves and flowers, gingko and yarrow. All can be made as a tea added to feed. Anti-oxidant tea with rosehips, green tea and grape seed added to feed daily. Garlic acts as a nitrosamine inhibitor (highly carcenogenic) Use fresh only 5-6 cloves daily. Yarrow has angiogenic properties. Increase vitamin E intake.
Colds Viruses	Echinacea , rose hip tea with honey, garlic, aniseed and licorice.
Colic	Stress related colic valerian (anti spasmodic) and chamomile. Marshmallow root will sooth the stomach lining. Irritation of the intestine marshmallow, licorice or slippery elm.
Coughs	Horehound, thyme, garlic See newsletter for a home made cough remedy
Cushings	Is a disease where there is an over production of cortisoid from the adrenal gland. Symptoms include swelling around the jawline, a disruption to the hunger response, a sensitivity to salt and abnormal hair growth. Give a tea of borage once daily. Half a cup of chopped herb to a cup of boiling water and add it to feed. Other supplements that may help are around 2 grams of pantothenic acid and 1 gram of vitamin C. daily. Vitex agnes is the herb of choice for cushings
Digestive problems	Marshmallow, bitters, flaxseed, agrimony, chamomile, ginger
Eye conditions	Bilberry and eyebright taken internally. Wash eye with a weak solution of calendula  and eyebright tea
Fleas Ticks	Spray made of Tea tree Oil, lavender
Head shaking	Chamomile, feverfew, Devil's Claw, omega oils
Heart	Hawthorne, gingko,
Help with Training	St John's  Wort, chamomile,
Infections	Echinacea taken internally, add  garlic fresh bulbs to feed. Red clover tea, rue, horsetail,
Inflammation	White willow bark, Devil's Claw, Burdock tansy, celery, Juniper, casimoroa
Injuries/ First Aid	Make up at tea of calendula (antiseptic)  and yarrow(staunches blood) and apply to the wound. Fresh comfrey leaves pounded and applied under the bandage. Raw manuka Honey applied to the wound will act as an antiseptic. Calendula extract is highly anti-septic and can be applied directly to the wound.
Joint problems	Devil's Claw, white willow bark,
Kidney and Bladder	Saw palmetto, hydrangea root,
Laminitis	Valerian acts as a vasodilator , Gingko improves circulation. Rosehip tea with nettles, white willow and dandelion to act as a system flush.
Liver	Stmulants include lesser celandine, variegated thistle, artichoke leaves,
Mud fever	Soak the area with a weak solution of cider vinegar. Remove scabs and apply a macerated oil or ointment with calendula and St John's Wort flowers. Echinacea will stimulate the immune system.
Muscles Sore
Nervous at show	Scullcap, ashwagandha,
Nervousness Panicky	Scullcap, valerian, lemon balm,
Nervousness scours	Chamomile, lemon balm
Nose bleeds	Yarrow, St John's Wort
Parasite Control	Rue, wormwood, tansy, hyssop, aloes, karo, garlic,(for round worms pin worms) mustard, aniseed, red clover effective against red worms) Administer these herbs for a week only then repeat after 6 weeks. Caution do not give to pregnant mares.
Poor Blood Circulation	Rosemary, gingko, garlic, rue
Poor Condition	Flaxseed oil, flaxseed meal, boiled barley,
Proud flesh	St John's Wort Cream applied to the margins for 6 weeks.
Rainscald	calendula cream applied to the affected area.
Sarcoids Warts	Concentrated yarrow 10 to 15ml daily and some applied to the wart or sarcoid. The yellow juice of lesser celandine will help dissolve the protein in the sarcoid tissue. Echinacea will help build up the immune system may have anti-viral activity.
Scouring	A strong tea of calendula and chamomile along with agrimony. Acidophyllus will help restore the gut flora. 1 tablespoon Slippery elm powder mixed with 2 tablespoons of acidophyllus and bifidis  powder, and 1 tablespoon of raw manuka honey.
Seedy Toe	Echinacae
Staggers	Remove from affected pasture. Detox  using the following. 1 cup each of chopped cleavers, stinging nettle, and dandelion. Cover with 1 litre of boiling water and add a cup of mixture to feed twice daily until finished. Increase the horse’s levels of magnesium give one tablespoon of Epsom salts daily for a week. Increase liver stimulant herbs like milk thistle, artichoke leaves, hyssop, agrimony, blessed thistle yellow toad flax golden seal. Valerian will reduce muscle spasms and omega oils will protect the nerve fibres. Note: This condition will recur unless the endophytes and pathogens are removed from the paddock and this is best done by applying beneficial microbiology to leaf surfaces in the form of a biological tea sprayed onto the paddocks quarterly for a year.
Stone bruise	Echinacea will provide an anti-biotic cover for any infection that may arise from the bruise
Tendon and ligaments	Devil's Claw will act as an anti-inflammatory, analgesic and all round healer. Solution of witch hazel and rue applied topically. Massage with an oil macerated with St John's Wort, Calendula, and camphor.
Ticks	Make up a strong tea of wormwood and apply externally especially around the belly and between legs. Feed garlic daily to make the blood unpalatable to ticks.
Tying up	Valerian will act as an anti-spasmodic. A tea of rosehips, celery seed and stinging nettle will help address the pH levels caused by excess lactic acid. Some cases will benefit from 2 tablespoons of baking soda ( sodium bicarbonate) added to feed. Devil's Claw and white willow bark will help reduce inflammation of muscle fibre. Apple cider vinegar, dandelion and kelp will help restore electrolyte levels.

Disclaimer: Information in this article is not to be used in place of professional medical advice and expertise. For diagnosis and treatment always see your health professional. We recommend that either a qualified herbalist or your animal professional carry out diagnosis and subsequent treatment. Herbal remedies must not be given not be taken in conjunction with other medication with out consulting a medical professional.