Aloe vera has been recognized for centuries as having pain- and inflammation-reducing properties. Scientific research is confirming the anecdotal evidence.

Just because medicine is touted as “natural" doesn’t mean that the medicine is automatically the best curative for your horse—no matter what marketers might have you believe. 

Effective medicines for horses can be natural or not, and selecting the most appropriate medicine doesn’t have to be an either/or proposition. The best treatment for your horse may involve a combination of man-made substances as well as those found in nature. So keep an open mind and pay attention to ongoing research so you can choose medicine wisely for your horse.

Nature’s Bounty
Plant-based treatments can be found in all cultures. Even many of the “drugs” in use today are actually based on naturally occurring substances, from aspirin and digoxin, to artemisinin for malaria and an extract from sea cone snails to treat severe pain that is unresponsive even to narcotics.

In fact, one of the first things to keep in mind when using herbs and other plant materials is that anything that can influence the body is, in fact, a drug. It’s also important to remember that, like drugs, few herbs actually heal or cure. They may just be good at relieving symptoms.

The following is a list of some natural substances I have found very useful in horses.

Aloe: Aloe vera’s long history of traditional use has been verified many times by actual scientific studies. The juice (1 cup) or gel (3 to 4 ounces), taken orally three or more times a day, is excellent for relieving gastric ulcer pain or inflammation anywhere along the intestinal tract. It is also very soothing when applied to wounds and irritated skin. It can be used  in poultices.

There are no side effects to aloe gel or juice, but extreme care must be taken if you try to extract the gel from the plant yourself, because there are chemicals in the inner lining of the leaves that are extremely irritating. I don’t recommend trying this as a rule, although you can split a leaf lengthwise and apply the inner gel to wounds safely.

Arnica montanum: Tincture and extracts from the roots of this daisy-like flower are too irritating and potentially poisonous to be taken internally, but it makes a wonderful liniment or compress for bruises, sore muscles or any traumatized area. It alleviates pain, reduces swelling, and provides immediate pain relief when applied to painful heel cracks.

Calendula (marigold): Yes, this is the common marigold you grow in your garden. Made into a cream or gel, it has a very soothing and anti-inflammatory effect on minor skin problems and wounds. It’s a good first choice for minor itchy summer skin problems—and it’s nontoxic.

Chamomile: The “C” herbs seem to rule when it comes to soothing skin effects. Chamomile as a gel or a wet poultice or compress is anti-inflammatory. Chamomile can also be very effective in soothing gastric ulcers or other gut inflammatory conditions. It is often combined with slippery elm for this purpose. It may also have a mild calming effect. Chamomile may be fed dry, or prepared as a tea for addition to meals by steeping 2 to 4 teaspoons in a cup or two of water. Chamomiles has no known side effects.

Left: The common marigold is used to make a skin-soothing cream. Middle: Chamomile is not only soothing to look at, the plant is thought to have a mild calming effect and is also known to be good for relieving pain from gastric ulcers. Right: Comfrey is used topically as a gel to speed the healing of wounds.

Chastetree berry (Vitex agnus castus, Monk’s Pepper): This herb has a variety of historical uses, from promoting lactation in low doses, to suppressing lactation and sexual desire in high doses This herb has the ability to reduce excess prolactin in higher doses.

Because many mares with Cushing’s disease have mammary gland swelling that suggests elevated prolactin, I did a small field trial of this herb in Cushing’s horses several years ago and found it beneficial in improving the abnormal Cushing’s coat and improving depressed attitudes. Since then, a much larger trial performed by the Laminitis Trust in the United Kingdom confirmed those results.

However, we also know that Chastetree berry is not as effective as the drug pergolide in reliably improving hormonal levels in the blood of horses with Cushing’s disease, and horses that respond to it initially may become refractory over time. Dosage of the liquid extract used in equine products is 20 to 30 ml (ml = cc)/200 pounds of bodyweight a day. There is less information available on effective dose of the powdered form of the berries, but about 1 ounce per day is suggested.

This herb may also ease mood changes across the cycle in mares and reduce aggression in geldings or stallions. Dose for this effect is 10 to 15 ml/200 pounds of bodyweight. It’s not advisable for use in pregnant or breeding animals.

Comfrey: There is a long list of historical uses of this herb, but because of the potential for liver damage from some of its chemicals, it is recommended only for topical use. Comfrey is rich in allantoin, which stimulates rapid healing of wounds. It is also very soothing. It’s used as a gel, compress or poultice without reported side effects from topical use.

Devil’s claw: This is a plant from South Africa that gets its name from the shape of its large fruits. The part used is the root. Devil’s Claw is usually used to relieve pain and inflammation from arthritis, but is also helpful in reducing swelling related to injuries. About 1.5 to 2 teaspoons of the whole powdered root once or twice a day is usually as effective as moderate doses of phenylbutazone. If using a liquid product, follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Devil’s Claw may be irritating to horses with stomach ulcers, but will not cause them like non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) do. Folklore cautions it may cause abortion, but there is no substantiation for this claim.

Garlic: Although I’m not a big fan of garlic for horses, I am including it here because of its widespread use. Some people swear by feeding garlic as a way to keep biting insects from pestering horses; others see no benefit at all. There is no truth whatsoever to the idea that garlic can be substituted for antibiotics in treating infections, or that it stimulates the immune system.

If you choose to use garlic, you should do periodic checks on your horse’s red blood cell count. There are compounds in garlic which can cause hemolytic anemia in horses.

Jiaogulan: (Gynostemma pentaphyllum). This is a vine from a remote area of China that has a history of use for adaptogenic (anti-aging, anti-stress) effects and in diseases such as diabetes and bronchitis. Formal research has confirmed it improves insulin resistance, is a bronchodilator, and supports the generation of the vasodilator nitric oxide inside blood vessels while suppressing the exaggerated production of nitric oxide by inflammatory cells. I have a lot of experience with this herb and find it effective in relieving chronic laminitis pain, as well as blocking allergic bronchospasm when used with spirulina. The usual dose is ¾ to 1 teaspoon of jiaogulan powder, twice a day.

Magnesium: This is a mineral, not an herb, but because it can help with so many different common problems, I’m including it here. Inadequate magnesium intake can cause muscular cramping and twitching at rest, or a nervous and spooky attitude. It can also be a component of allergic lung reactions such as heaves, and obesity, laminitis and insulin resistance. Long term magnesium supplementation should be based on knowledge of the levels of calcium and magnesium in your horse’s diet. Supplementation—up to amounts in which magnesium intake equals half of calcium—are safe (for example, if calcium from food and supplements equals 20 grams per day, then the amount of magnesium in the diet from food and supplements can contain up to 10 grams per day). As a trial with any of the above problems, try supplementing with 5 to 8 grams per day of magnesium.

Despite garlic’s many health benefit claims, Dr. Kellon cautions owners about feeding it to horses.

Slippery elm: The part used is the inner bark of the slippery elm tree. Like psyllium seed husks and flaxseed, the inner bark is very high in soluble fiber (mucilage) that forms a slime-like goo  when wet. It is most frequently used to soothe stomach irritations and ulcers, and is often mixed with chamomile. The fiber is also a good prebiotic—i.e., food for the beneficial intestinal bacteria. Slippery elm is sometimes used as a poultice, or in cough remedies, but the coating action in the throat is short-lived. Usual dose is 1 to 2 ounces, alone or in combination with chamomile as above, and other topically soothing herbs, like marshmallow. There’s no known toxicity.

Spirulina platensis: This is a specific type of blue-green algae with unique effects that make it very useful with allergies. Spirulina is able to block the release of histamine from mast cells and also helps to direct the immune system away from production of IgE, the immunoglobulin of allergy. It is also an excellent source of protein. Dosage is 1 ounce by volume measure (equaling 20 grams by weight), twice a day. Excellent when combined with jiaogulan for allergic lung problems. There are no toxicity concerns.

Tea tree oil: Tea tree oil is extracted from the leaves of an Australian tree. It has a long history of use for skin problems and has proven very helpful for mild fungal and bacterial infections. It is used in many sheath cleaning products. Topical products containing tea tree oil are a reasonable place to start for skin problems. Some horses may be sensitive or allergic to tea tree oil.

Extract from the leaves of the Australian tea tree has mild antibacterial and antifungal properties.

Valerian: This is the most effective of the herbal tranquilizers for horses, but still isn’t always reliable for horses under stressful situations. It is most useful for calming horses that have to be kept on stall rest for reasons of injury. Most performance horse regulatory bodies (both show and race) prohibit use of valerian, and there are tests available to detect it. There are no known side effects. Usual dose is 1 to 1.5 rounded teaspoons of powder twice a day.

Note: While all of the substances above are generally safe, there is always the possibility for individual allergic or sensitivity reactions (just as there is with any food or drug).

Herbal Myths and Misinformation
Many commonly used herbs, especially the North American and Western herbs, are by and large safe to use. However, the idea that anything natural is automatically safe—or safer than any drug—is simply not true. Nature is host to some very poisonous substances, many of which—like arsenic or the herb aconite—have dramatic stimulating effects at sub-lethal dosages.

Because these products are basically unregulated in any way, it’s up to you to check on the safety of the ingredients in anything you feed your horse. This is a big responsibility.

The other major question is effectiveness. It’s easy to go on the Internet or into any bookstore and find descriptions of how this or that herb has been used for hundreds or thousands of years to treat this or that disorder. What’s almost always lacking from this type of reference material is solid information on whether it actually works or not. The more serious your horse’s problem, the more critical it becomes to make sure you’re actually doing something helpful. In fact, there are very few serious medical conditions that can be treated as well with natural approaches as by modern medicine.

Let’s take EPM as an example. I’ve seen it stated more than once that cinchona bark, the source of the anti-malarial drug quinine, would work for EPM. Not only is this totally unproven, it doesn’t even make sense. Quinine only works against the stage of the malaria organism that is inside red blood cells. It doesn’t work on organisms that are outside the red blood cells. EPM doesn’t even have a stage where it is found inside red cells.

So where do you turn for reliable information? First, it should be an independent source. If your vet can’t help you, try calling the pharmacology department of your nearest vet school. Even your own pharmacist may be able to help. Very few herbs have been specifically studied in horses, so we often have to rely on information from other species. Some good online resources for your own reading include:

www.mayoclinic.com/health/drug-information/DrugHerbIndex
www.drugdigest.org/DD/Home
www.pdrhealth.com/druginfo/index.html
www.swsbm.com/homepage

As a final word of caution, never feed something to your horse that does not give complete details of the ingredients. “Proprietary blend” won’t help your veterinarian treat your horse if he has an adverse reaction to something you’ve given to him. Old, young, pregnant, stressed, injured, or diseased horses may be more sensitive to the effects—and side effects—of herbs.