When used appropriately, herbal medicine can be a powerful support tool for our horses’ health. In my work as an equine naturopath, clinical nutritionist & herbalist, I use herbal medicines in most clinical cases.
Depending on the herb (or combination of herbs used) and their application, they can help to:
- reduce inflammation
- modulate immune function
- aid healing and tissue repair
- assist recovery from infections
- prevent and/or manage equine asthma
- soothe the gut lining and promote healing of both gastric and colonic ulcers
- reduce colic
- support digestion
- assist fertility
- help regulate hormone levels
- calm nervous horses
- provide gentle pain relief
- promote healthy hoof growth and integrity
- help to reduce the severity of osteoarthritis and maintain joint health
- Aid in blood glucose control and assist in the treatment of insulin resistance, equine metabolic syndrome and laminitis
Whilst herbal medicines are incredibly versatile, they’re not magic. And they can’t replace a poorly balanced diet….
One of the biggest misconceptions I see is that herbs can fully meet a horse’s nutritional needs or correct nutritional deficiencies on their own.
This is simply not true.
The vast majority of herbs (with few exceptions) do not provide sufficient quantities of key minerals and vitamins our horses need for optimal health and functioning.
Take the calcium rich herb nettle (Urtica diocia) for example….
100 g dried nettle leaf (~4–5 cups) provides approximately 300–500 mg calcium.
For a 500 kg (1100 pound) horse, calcium requirements typically fall in the range of 20–40 g/day (depending on life stage, workload, and physiological status).
This means:
- 100 g nettle provides roughly 0.3–0.5 g calcium
- This equates to approximately 1/40 to 1/133 of daily calcium requirements
To meet calcium needs via nettle alone would require:
- 4–5 cups × 40–133 = ~160–665 cups per day
This is neither practical nor appropriate.
Whilst strategically employed herbal medicines can help to restore optimal gastrointestinal health and function in our horses (including digestion, absorption and metabolism)- which in turn, can aid in better nutritional status, herbs in and of themselves don’t provide enough levels of nutrients our horses needs to meet daily nutrient requirements.
Camilla Whishaw is a highly regarded, experienced horsewoman and naturopath, helping to holistically treat and manage a broad range of equine health conditions and injuries, with a passion for mare and stallion fertility.
As a world-renowned practitioner, presenter, author, and consultant in the field of Equine Naturopathy, Camilla shares her knowledge through keynote presentations, interviews, lectures, panel sessions, and workshop training.
