On a daily basis our horses are exposed to chemicals, toxins, heavy metals and other foreign substances. Coming from the air, water and ground, A part of everyday products we may use. In fly sprays, hoof conditioners, from buckets, in the fabric of blankets, medications, vaccinations, etc. It is impossible to completely avoid them altogether, but its best to take all efforts to avoid as many of them as possible.
All these toxic substances weaken the immune system and over work the liver. A weakened immune system or an over-burdened liver will cause health problems. Long-term exposure can cause cancer and tumors, as well as other more complex and serious health issues.
If you take a proactive stance and avoid as many chemicals and toxins as possible, you strengthen the immune system and keep the liver healthy.
That is why detoxing on a regular basis offers a safety measure against the many harmful particles our horses are unable to avoid.
Toxins and harmful chemicals have what is called a positive ionic charge. There are naturally occurring substances that have a negative ionic charge, which attract these positive ionic substances and bind to them.
There are three substances that are top choices for ridding the body of toxins, Bentonite clay (also zeolite clay or liquid zeolite), Spirulina (green algae, chlorella, seaweed, etc) and Activated Charcoal.
Today, I am going to talk about Activated Charcoal (also known as carbon). It is produced by burning materials like coconut husks, bamboo, wood, coal, etc. It is best to choose an an activated charcoal that is made from coconut shells, or a natural material. It is highly absorbent and is very effective at flushing out toxins and chemicals. It is not absorbed by the body, but attracts chemicals/toxins that adhere to it, as it passes through the digestive tract. It is them expelled from the body.
Activated charcoal is known to be used by humans in cases of poisoning and is so effective that it has been used in emergency rooms across the world. Research has shown that activated charcoal works better then stomach pumping. It has been known to help with ulcers, digestive issues, whitening of teeth, odor control, filters in gas masks and water filters to remove toxins.
Activated charcoal comes in capsules and a powder form. It can be a bit messy when handling it in its power form. Be careful when working with it because it can cause stains on your clothes. It’s also very important to mix with water or wet food, It many cause dehydration and/or constipation, so it is not to be sued on a long term basis.
It is most commonly used in horses for colic, toxin ingestion, flatulence, loose stools, sudden diet changes, overeating of grass or grains. It can also be used in a poultice for spider bites ands tings from wasps, scorpions, snakes, ants and bees - using a sweat wrap over the insect or snake bite and leaving it on for 4-6 hours. In any poison case, always speak with your Veterinarian or Animal Poison control center.
When using as a detoxification protocol, administer 2 hours after any medication or supplement, because activated charcoal can decrease the absorption of your supplements/medications. 1g (gram) of activated charcoal can absorb an area of over 1,000 square meters.
Here is a guideline for dosages:
Ponies: 10g scoop 2x/day in wet food
Horses: 1-2 (10-20g) scoops 2x/day in wet food
Find a medicinal grade activated charcoal. Choose a quality product that does not have artificial additives or other ingredients and comes from a natural material. (www.naturallyanimals.co.uk)
The second natural remedy I want to talk about is Honey. Sweet, delicious honey. Not only is it pleasing to the palate, but it has been proven to work as an antiseptic in healing cuts and scrapes, leg ulcers, burns, acne, and hospital acquired infections (MRSA).
It has been used as a healing agent since the times of Ancient Egypt and was used in World War II as an antibacterial to treat wounds. (www.undergroundhealthreporter.org)
It can alleviate allergies, aid in digestions, act as a natural enzyme, help with diarrhea, and fight infection.
It acts as a protective barrier to wound, provides antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory benefits, and promotes the natural formation of healthy tissue in wound care.
Honey can also create a salve that keeps flies away from open wounds, while still acting as a reparative agent, and it is also known to help hair grow back on old scars.
Here are some other fun facts about Honey and Bee's:
one spoonful of honey is enough to keep a person alive for 24 hours
- honey contains live enzymes
- honey contains a substance that helps the brain function.
- honey is one of the few foods on earth that alone can sustain human life
- bees saved people from starvation in Africa
- propolis produced by bees is one of nature's most powerful antibiotics
- honey has no expiration date
Custom-blend your own salves for cuts, wounds, burns, scraps, etc. Customize your salve or honey mixture by adding one of the following: herbs, essential oils, colloidal silver, garlic, cayenne pepper and many other ingredients to address a number of issues. Be sure to include Honeybee Pollen in your salve recipe.
Honey is especially useful for burns. It helps improve blood circulation, speeds up the healing process and moistens the skin. It will also prevent infection and relieve pain. There are several documented successful cases on the web that talk about healing burns with honey. (www.grandadventuresranch.com)
Keep in mind not all honeys are created equal. In fact new evidence has found that most honey’s found in the store are filled with sugar. Medicinal Manuka honey that has a minimum grade of UMF + 10. The higher the grade, the more medicinal value it offers. As another option, it is recommended to buy honey from a local supplier. Raw, organic honey is a must, because it must be unprocessed, unpasteurized, in it’s purest form. Look for medicinal grade honey.
Honey can also be combined with different herbs to boost the immune system. With the correct herbal mixture, you can get rid of stubborn sarcoids. It can take some time but by treating the sarcoid externally as well as internally it's very possible to see them removed.
I wanted to try out the theory of using honey to help with scars. I had the opportunity when my gelding had a leg wound one winter that was mostly healed but was slow to grow hair back. It was on the inside of the front leg, right on the ligaments. This is a bony area.
I started by appling honey to wound daily. Within one week wound was getting smaller. It followed up with hair growth on the wound area. Point proven!
My biggest challenge was my gelding's rather large sarcoid that was on the side of his tail. It was about the size of a golf ball. It was diagnosed by my conventional veternarian at the time. Here is an approximate timeline of what I did to heal the sarcoid, which in this case was for it to be expelled from his body.
PICTURED BELOW IS A PHOTO OF THE SARCOID ON THE SIDE OF TAIL,
BEFORE APPLYING OILS, POUlTICE AND HONEY REMEDIES:
Frankincense essential oil was applied 2x/daily for several weeks.
Vet did reexamine the sarcoid and said whatever I was doing was working.
It was getting flaky skin and tiny pieces of the sarcoid were falling off.
But it was at a very, very slow rate.
Not to mention that applying Frankincense essential oil was a higher cost remedy.
I switched the remedy to Oregano and Clove essential oils, diluted with a carrier oil (Avocado Oil)
Applied that 2x/daily.
At the same time I was applying these oils to another sarcoid that was near his belly button.
Note: You must dilute Oregano & Clove oils, because they are what is referred to as "Hot Oils", which means that without diluting there may be an unwanted reaction or it will create a skin irritation. This is because they are warming oils and have that powerful and often overwhelming affect of being 'too hot'. You can read more about how to apply oils safely at this link: https://www.peacockpetcafe.com/safety
While I was handling the oils daily around my gelding, I noticed that he was responding to them. He would mouth them, lick and chew and showed an obvious interest in what I was applying. This is called, 'self selection' of oils. I would dilute the oils and put them in the palm of my hand and he would lick them directly off my hand. This is another sign that the oils I had selected were a good choice.
After several weeks of applying the oils, the sarcoid that was by his belly button disappeared. Keep in mind this was a much smaller sarcoid, not even the size of a dime. The clay poultice along with the oils that he self selected, diluted were a combination of remedies that made this work.
The Sarcoid on the tail, after a year of applying was making little progress. I had switched essential oils and had been applying the poulitice as often as I could. It can be a marathon race when having to go that long to treat a issue. It can wear on you. But I never give up and looking back on it, I should have probably taken action sooner to interevene with a new solution. In this situation, it was not a life or death situation, it was not interfering with anything else, and it was not growing larger. That just means I was not under pressure to come up with any secondary solutions.
I also want to note that if your getting that slow of improvement, it may be a sign that there is a need to address the issue internally, as well as externally.
Keep in mind that sarcoid's are typically benign tumors, but it is very common to see in grey horses. It also is a sign that the liver has been compromised, along with the immune system.
My gelding was a flea-bitten grey, 2x/rescue, OTTB (Off The Track Thourghbred), raced for 4 years, and had a compromised immune system. Course I didn't know his immune system was compromised at that time, this is something I learned over time in multiple healing situations. He also was overloaded with vaccines and probably, being a horse off the track, was overloaded with unnecessary medications.
Note: Good luck finding any of that information on the internet now (2024). It has been overrun with medical and big pharma agendas. But I won't go down that rabbit hole, just keep it in mind as you navigate the world of holistic healing and remedies. Be careful where your information comes from.
Onward to my next plan of action for the sarcoid!
My next act was to look for a natural remedy and someone who knew more about sarcoids and had success in healing them NATURALLY.
I found a company called; "Balanced Eco Solutions", who had formulations designed by a holistic veternarian specifically for sarcoids. Their formulas included honey and herbs that were a salve and also a mixture that was given internally. If I remember correctly I gave the honey mixture 1x/daily, as well as the salve applied daily. You can visit their website for more information here: https://www.balancedecosolutions.com/sarcoids-101/ Great customer support and service!
After about 6 months, the sarcoid on the tail began to detach from his tail. It was dangling slightly from his tail and it was oozing puss and had a very strong nasty smell to it. It was messy!
I applied poultice to it, to help cover the open wound that had formed from the sarcoid that was partially detached. I treated it like an open wound. Not sure if I continued with the salve at this point. It took about 2-4 weeks for the sarcoid to completely fall off and the wound to dry up. I stopped both internal and external honey remedy. The sarcoid on the tail never returned.
Note: My beautiful gelding, Jay passed away in December of 2022. The sarcoid issue was addressed in 2014. I did the best I could to recreate the healing journey with Jay by looking at my journal entries from 2014 and going by memory.
BELOW IS A PICTURE OF THE SARCOID, AFTER COMPLETELY DETACHED FROM THE SIDE OF HIS TAIL:
Healing naturally requires faith, persistence, and a willingness to seek out alternatives to conventional methods. It’s about finding the solutions that resonate best with you and your beloved, whether human or animal.
Seeking help along the way is sometimes necessary, though it can be challenging to find. Fortunately, there are still many natural healers and remedies available through various resources, especially online.
My sweet boy Jay, as I often called him, was a beautiful soul who, I believe, came into my life for a reason. I had a deep passion for natural healing and asked the universe for opportunities to learn more. That request was answered, perhaps more than I could have imagined. Through the experiences of healing Jay and my current horses, I’ve gained invaluable knowledge, and I hope that by sharing our story, it can help you on your own healing journey.
By Diana Wanamaker
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