Herbal Remedies for Horses That You Can Make Yourself

Herbal remedies are holistic, natural alternatives to conventional medicinal methods that cure various ailments. Herbal remedies are created from natural plant herbs that are used in their natural forms to combat illness. There are many herbal remedies, such as garlic, comfrey, and centaury that can be used to cure ailments in horses. Some herbs can be used to benefit the immune system and combat various ailments like allergies, worms, parasites, sarcoidosis and more. Many natural herbal remedies can be concocted and administered at home.

  1. Herbal Remedy Benefits

    • Herbal horse remedies are preferred by many breeders and horse owners because of their natural, gentle nature. They are devoid of the artificial ingredients found in some horse feeds, such as sugar, preservatives and emulsifying agents. A horse's diet is comprised of a variety of herbs, twigs, grasses and bark. Hence, herbal remedies are preferred because they can help heal while adding to the horse's dietary needs. However, herbal remedies do not provide immediate relief; they can take three to four weeks to be initially absorbed into the horse's system.

    Herbal Cures for Worms and Parasites

    • Horses can contract a variety of parasitic infections, including worms, and attract insects like flies and ticks. Herbal remedies such as organic garlic can help cure worms and biting flies. Because garlic contains sulfur, once 1/2 to 1 ounce of garlic is ingested it will cleanse the horse's blood, and the sulfur compounds that exit the skin pores will deter parasites. Additionally, garlic can help cure respiratory ailments and fight infections. Another herbal remedy that can help deter flies and ticks is an oil that is made from 1/2 cup each of essential lavender oil, peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil and corn oil.

    Herbal Treatment for Sarcoidosis

    • Sarcoidosis is a common illness that horses contract that occurs when abnormal collections of inflammatory cells form into nodules in the organs. The external characteristic of sarcoid is a growth on the skin. In horses, is usually appears on the inner thigh but can appear on other sections of the body. An internal herbal remedy mix for sarcoid is a mix of 1/3 ounce each of echinacea, equisetum, thuja, mistletoe, violet leaves and vervain, and 1/2 ounce each of comfrey, crab apple and clematis. The mix is combined with water and administered internally twice daily for five weeks. Another sarcoid remedy is a mix of 1/2 ounce each of clivers, meadowsweet, burdock root, rosehips, garlic and fenugreek that is given for six to eight weeks.

    Other Herbal Remedies

    • The herb centaury can be administered to horses to help fight illnesses or increase their will to live after accidents. Wounds on the coat and hooves can be alleviated with the herbal mix of 1 ounce of comfrey root or leaves with 1/2 cup of warmed, cold-processed oil. The comfrey mixture can be applied with a small paintbrush to a wound. Yucca plant can be used to relieve joint conditions like arthritis and ringbone. A mixture of 1/2 ounce of yucca, and 1/4 ounce each of kelp and comfrey can be used to keep older horses active and healthy. Another herbal remedy for scratches is a mix of 1/2 ounce each of tea tree essential oil, mineral oil and comfrey extract.