Horse Natural Remedies

Healing for Horses
Animals have a natural ability to self-medicate.  In the wild if a horse felt ill it would find the plant or herb it needed, picking it's own medication.  Due to domestication, animals can no longer do this. 
Various herbs and plants that can be used are - basil, lavender, garlic, aloe vera, seaweed, nettle, rosemary, tea tree, dandelion and liquorice. Basil has expectorant and antibiotic/antiseptic properties.  Lavender is a relaxant.  Garlic is antiseptic, antibiotic and expectorant.  The expectorant properties make garlic excellent for the respiratory system.  The juice from a bulb of garlic can be used on cuts and bruises.  Seaweed (Kelp) is an excellent source of nutrients it acts as an antirheumatic and antibiotic.  As it's rich in minerals it is a useful supplement for horses that have been on poor grazing.  It is best fed as a gel and not in dried form - dried seaweed can often have too higher an iodine content. Nettles have a diuretic, astringent and stimulant use due to the formic acid (released when the nettle stings).  Rosemary is an anti-inflammatory, antiseptic plant - horses enjoy eating the leaves.  Tea Tree is an antiseptic and mild disinfectant, which aids healing, strengthens the immune system.    Dandelion is used to treat kidney or liver disorders, the root stimulates the liver and the leaves act as a diuretic.   Aloe Vera is related to garlic and has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.  Liquorice can be used as an antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, demulcent, antispasmodic and expectorant herb.