Friday, May 29, 2015

"Why DETOX your Horse"

Howdy Friends,

In the summer months many horse owners and care givers see an increase of itchy skin, scratches, sores, dull coats and bad reactions associated with biting insects. In my opinion, a horse that has more than a minor local reaction to an insect bite is sending a message loud and clear, things internally are not are not quite as they should be. And no, no pharmaceuticals are called for in this. Detox (homeopathically) and examine the horse's diet, exercise and other "human" practices.
Kessy strolling along without a care
Toxins build up in horses (and humans) it is long believed that biting insects are attracted to bodies heavy with toxins and sugar—It is also a certainty horses high in toxins (ie. over vaccination, worming, commercial feeds, fly sprays and other common chemicals) have immune systems weakened and therefore have more negative, sustained and problematic reactions to insect bites, weather changes, fungus and other things that should be simply a part of life. If your horse is experiencing reactions, scratches, coughing, restlessness, lethargy ... Seek out a homeopathic Detox Therapy that best suits your thinking and detox her. 

Areas related to high toxin levels can be scaly hooves, dull skin, back pain, diarrhea, dull eyes, slow healing wounds, mood swings, recurrent colic, frequent tendon injuries and other “symptoms” often misunderstood and treated by administering even more toxins specifically targeting the “symptom,” rather than healing the “whole horse.” A horse’s health radiates from the inside out.

There are many varied ways to detox your horse. I recommend homeopathic herbal detox methods. I’ll leave which route you chose up to you, there are many great resources available today, but remember, to detox your horse thoroughly takes a little time. Liver detox with herbs can take 2 or 3 months. You’ll also want to cleanse the blood and kidneys, but I like to start with the liver.

It matters not what you’re doing with your horse, nothing needs to stop and wait while you detox, so for your horse’s health and contentment hop on the internet and search for “herbal equine detox remedies” or words to that affect, and cleanse your horse. I recommend doing this even if you think you see no symptoms.

I’ll leave you with one first hand recommendation, and that is Dr. Thomas and his company, For Love of the Horse  ... I have the link going directly to the page on his website to “liver support,” and I suggest you have a read. A quote from this page, “For the horse there are many contemporary influences that stress the capabilities of the liver. Every vaccination, medication, dewormer or synthetic analgesic, such as phenylbutazone (bute) is its own stress. But there is also exposure to pesticides and the remnants of herbicides in hay. Any toxic plant our horses nibble, or bug bite or sting put toxicity into the blood that the liver filters. Healthy livers can handle some of any of these things well but when the liver is overloaded, its function is impaired and that affects the entire system of the horse. 

Dr. Thomas is a highly regarded Chinese Herbalist and he studied under the esteemed, Dr. Leon Hammer, MD. Dr. Thomas told me recently, “detoxification is not needed when the organs are healthy, so what I do is formulate herbal blends for organ and system health.” (Truly the ground floor of homeopathic holistic health.)

By the very nature of Dr. Thomas’ Liver Support herbal blend you will be detoxing your horse in a most holistic and healthy manner. I wrote a story about Dr. Thomas for my column in Natural Horse Magazine last year and have used his products, which are all pharmaceutical grade, and highly recommend them. I currently have Kessy on his Total Immune Health (treating her for Lyme Disease, but that’s another story) I’ve seen beautiful results.

The sad truth about toxins and our horses is they are typically loaded, and most certainly take their toll. I hope this is an area you’ll consider, but also remember some of the quick detox remedies fall far short of a truly healthy horse. And when a horse is “truly healthy” they blossom with energy, shiny coats, eyes full of life and light, and a willingness unparalleled. 

Gitty Up, Dutch Henry

P.S. If you've not yet had a look at my book, "It's For The Horses" please have a look HERE on Amazon