Springtime is notorius for allergies and horses. Pollen in the air; last years hay ... changes in the weather. Any one of these can cause sneezing and wheezing in the horse. What can we do about it without pumping all sorts of chemicals into our horses' bodies? Let's take a look.
First of all, any animal can be helped by boosting the immune system. The immune system is what helps us all to fight off those bad little buggies that make us sick, including allergies. If our bodies are trying to fend off histamines, its naturally going to wear down the immune system. Ultimately, we want to have the immune system, regardless of the age of the horse, to be as strong as possible. This is the best prevention for illness and allergies the horse has. Good Immune boosters and activators are:
Astragalus
Echinacea
Siberian Ginseng
Garlic
Calendula
*Nettle
*Burdock
*Clivers
*Oats
* -- these are good for the body as a whole rather than just one "system."
Secondly, because the liver is the organ of the body that filters all the toxins that the body takes in, the liver needs to be strong. The older horse has a harder fight because the liver is deteriorating by the age of 15. It has had enough of life's pollutants and irritants for a lifetime. So, the older horse is particularly at risk for pesky infections and allergies. If one were to look into what the horse might forage on in the wild to keep healthy, one might find the following wild plants and herbs:
Dandelion Root
Nettles
Clivers
Milk Thistle Seed
Chamomille
Blessed Thistle
Golden Rod Flowers
Finding a safe antihistimine is easy when working with herbs. There are a number of good histamine inhibitors as well as ones that work double duty with soothing mucous membrane and helping to discharge mucous. The natural herbs helpful for allergies include the following herbs:
Buckwheat
Marshmallow Root
Comfrey leaf
Mullein Leaf
Chickweed
Nettle
Fenugreek Seed
Slippery Elm Bark
Aniseed
Garlic
Boneset
Eyebright (a wonderful wash for the eyes)
Of course, any treatments should be given according to veterinary recommendation and consult with your own vet is recommended.
Information on Bulk Herbs for Horses can be found at:
Just click on "BULK HERBS" ...
Happy Spring!
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