Share on Social Media

37 Herbs & Remedies for Fabulously Healthy Animals

37 Herbs & Remedies For Fabulously Healthy Animals – Common Ailments for Horses – Horse Allergies and Hay-Fever.

Does your horse suffer from allergies and hay-fever like symptoms? Spring and summer can certainly be the time of year when such unpleasant problems can make themselves known. Just like humans, horses can suffer the horrible effects of hay-fever but luckily there are some wonderful herbs available to ease the discomfort.

Hay-fever in horses can often manifest as a recurrent cold like symptom with coughing and streaming eyes. It can be like a constant recurrent cold which your horse never seems to fully recover from. The lungs can become inflamed, and your horse can be more susceptible to infections. Head shaking is another possible symptom. He may be tired and lethargic and generally seem quite miserable.

There are different causes to allergic respiratory problems. There are Moulds, spores and weeds which can be found in hay or even in the pastures during spring and summer. The body can become sensitive to these elements and cause an allergic reaction. When feeding hay, it is wise to wet the hay, so you are decreasing the dust element.

Your vet will be able to possibly find the cause using a procedure that looks at the fluid and cells in the horse’s lungs to see how bad the allergy is. There is also a blood test that can determine what ‘in fact your horse is allergic to which in turn will make it a lot easier to treat.

From an herbal perspective the horse’s immune system is usually seen to be quite low. You therefore can start treatment by boosting the immune system early in the season. Herbs such as Echinacea, Garlic. Rosehips and Kelp are all great general immune boosting herbs. Echinacea and Garlic will also be helpful for fighting any infection that may be developing.

Natural expectorants can help soothe a cough and clear the passages, making breathing easier for your horse. . Herbs such as Mullein and Marshmallow are 2 such herbs. Vitamins found in herbs can help restore damaged tissues and build up the immune system also.

Natural antihistamines have an important part to play when it comes to allergies. Horseradish is a lovely effective herb and can help reduce streaming eyes and some of the uncomfortable symptoms. Also calming down an over reactive nervous system with herbs such as chamomile is a great way to go.

It is most effective to start addressing allergy problems well before the season begins. If you work on building the immune system early, then being prepared with your herbal toolkit then you will find it possible to make a real difference in your horses’ life.

Horses with Arthritis can Benefit from Eating Hawthorn

Horses with arthritis can benefit greatly from eating Hawthorn, both the tops of the plant and the berries. Its proper botanical name is Crataegus monogyny & Crataegus oxyacanthine, and it is considered an extremely valuable medicinal herb.

Hawthorn berries are used extensively as a cardiac tonic and for increasing circulation which is very important for horses with arthritis. The leaves and flowers are used for the same purpose, and it was known in the Middle Ages as a symbol of hope and taken for many ailments.

Western herbalists consider it to be a “food for the heart” increasing blood flow to the heart muscles and restoring normal heartbeat. It is a wonderful herb for the elderly senior horse helping with circulation and strengthening the heart.

Hawthorn is also used for joint remedies for horses with arthritis as it increases circulation and is great for helping rid the body of toxins which can build up in the joints. It is considered an astringent, antispasmodic, cardiac, diuretic, sedative and tonic.

Hawthorn is also very useful in horses that have navicular syndrome as it dilates the blood vessels. Often you can see horses with navicular or laminitis nibbling on the new leaves of Hawthorn bushes if they are so lucky to have easy access.

Hawthorns are normally planted as a hedge and are perfect for creating a hedgerow containing other edible herbs for horses. The sharp thorns protect the edible herbs from being completely eaten to the ground by voracious horses but allow them to nibble any tasty morsels within their reach.

Hawthorn is in fact considered a noxious weed in Victoria and South Australia and is native to Europe, North Africa and West Asia. Hawthorn is very common throughout Victoria, southeast New South Wales, Tasmania and South Australia where there is moderate to high rainfall.

Hawthorn has been relatively well researched, and its main medicinal benefit is due to its bioflavonoid content. The active constituents relax and dilate the arteries, especially the coronary arteries. This then increases the flow of blood to the heart.

Hawthorn is also considered to be highly antioxidant, which in turn helps reduce degeneration of the blood vessels. It is used today for angina and irregular heartbeat but also requires a few months to produce noticeable results. Like many herbs, hawthorn works in tune with the body which requires time for change to occur.

Not only is this herb used for high blood pressure, but it also raises low blood pressure and herbalists have found it can restore blood pressure to normal. Combined with Ginkgo it is used to improve memory by improving circulation to the head and oxygen to the brain.

The 2 species of Hawthorn are very similar, differing mainly in the number of seeds per fruit. They are erect shrubs or small trees around 4-6 meters though can grow up to 9 meters. There are many spreading branches with thorns and triangular to ovate leaves. Flowers are white and appear in clusters with a sweet scent. Hawthorns have bright red berries in autumn but
with a mild flavor.

Flowering tops (leaves and flowers) are harvested in late spring and the berries are gathered in late summer and early autumn. The optimum time for harvesting the tops is only about a week so you need to be vigilant to get the correct time. The flowers should be mostly open but not yet fading.

You will need gloves when harvesting the berries. They should be harvested once they turn red. At this stage their level of active constituents is highest, and the berries are less likely to be damaged as they are firmer at this stage. Strip the berries into a basket with gloved hands. The berries will need good drying conditions.

Hawthorn leaf and flowers dry quite easily but should be dried quickly in order to retain good color. This can then be used as a tea or infusion, or you can steep the berries and feed to your elderly horses. A wonderful herb for maintaining a healthy older horse with arthritis or when competing on a regular basis.

Useful Herbs to Combat Colds and Viruses

Autumn and winter can be a miserable time when there are colds and viruses circulating freely amongst our horses. Herbs can be a wonderful natural remedy for such situations and prevention is a great place to start. If we remember that most modern medicine originated from herbal medicine, we know we are in good hands.

There are four different categories of herbs that are commonly utilized to help combat the common cold and we will discuss the different herbs as we go. To start with prevention, we must first look at boosting the immune system, so it is better able to fight off any bugs.

Herbs such as Rosehips which contain vitamin C are wonderful for overall health and they are said to improve strength in the hooves as well. Kelp is another general herb which is brilliant for its natural composition of vitamins and minerals. It is stacked full of goodness and can easily be added to your horse’s daily feed.

Herbs that directly stimulate the immune system to fight the infection are used during and possibly even to prevent colds when given prior to the obvious signs of illness. Echinacea and Asian ginseng are two examples in this category. They are ideally given at this time of year when you know bugs are circulating and the herbs can quietly be working before the bugs start flying.

Herbs that promote a mild fever, hence sweating (known as diaphoretics) may be useful when horses have colds and viruses as this helps fight the infection. Because a fever is a sign of the immune system working, it may be that diaphoretics are also immune stimulators like the first category. Elder, boneset and yarrow are three examples.

The third category of helpful herbs includes herbs that may directly kill the viruses that cause colds, based on test tube studies. Goldenseal, myrrh and usnea are examples. These herbs have been shown to work directly on viruses so can also be helpful when your horse is unwell.

Finally, some herbs are used just to alleviate symptoms such as sore throats. These herbs tend to be high in mucilage and are soothing and anti-inflammatory or have tannins that are astringent. Marshmallow and mullein are two examples.

Symptom-relieving herbs may have other active constituents and mechanisms of actions. As you can see in the following list, many herbs fit in more than one category, such as goldenseal (immune stimulating and antiviral).

Immune-stimulating:
Asian ginseng, astragalus, boneset, Echinacea, eleuthero, goldenseal, hyssop, linden, schisandra, wild indigo.

Diaphoretic:
Boneset, elder flower, hyssop, linden, yarrow.

Symptom-relieving Astringent (soothe sore throat):
Blackberry, blueberry, red raspberry.

Mucilage (soothe sore throat):
Marshmallow, mullein.

Reduce nasal stuffiness:
Eucalyptus, peppermint.

Relieve aches and pains:
Meadowsweet.

Miscellaneous sore throat relief:
Sage, yarrow.

Therefore, when it comes to helping your horses through autumn and winter this year, think about the wonderful array of possibilities in natures medicine chest. The results can be very fast and very satisfying as you know you are feeding natural goodness to your horses.