KEEPING HIM COMFY l NATURAL WOUND HEALING
Effective wound healing involves more than simply applying a cream or a potion. Ellie Hughes discovers how addressing a horse’s overall health and adopting a holistic approach could expedite his recovery — and how nature’s medicine chest can help
WHAT MAKES SOME wounds heal more quickly than others? How does diet, age and the time of year affect a horse’s body’s capacity to mend? What are the most powerful natural remedies to have in an equine first aid kit?
The answers to these questions underpin a holistic practice called naturopathy, a form of alternative medicine that uses natural substances to provide a healthier balance of internal chemistry.
Whether it is a gash to the knee, a puncture wound to the foot, or a chronic case of mud fever, according to naturopathic principles the body’s ability to right itself will be determined by a combination of factors — inside and outside the wound — that affect the healing process.
Australia-based equine naturopath Camilla Whishaw, who works with leading vets and trainers around the globe and has succeeded in rehabilitating horses when other, conventional, avenues have failed, is keen to stress that following naturopathic principles can benefit every equine.
“Given the right resources, horses’ bodies have an inherent ability to heal themselves,” she explains. “Diet, management and the environment in which we keep them all play a part.”
The pillars of healing
One of the key principles of naturopathy is to identify the cause of injury, not simply treat the symptoms. “If a horse has cut himself in the field there isn’t much we can do about it, but if a wound or a skin condition isn’t healing, we need to look at why,” says Camilla.
The effectiveness and speed of healing will be determined by…
■ DIET “Healing starts from the inside, and applying a cream or potion topically will only do so much. Without a systemic effect you are always addressing the symptoms rather than the cause,” explains Camilla. “Ask yourself whether your horse has the nutritional reserves to heal himself. Does his body have the vitamins and minerals it needs for good skin health and repair?”
■ CIRCULATION Movement improves blood f low to the wound and speeds up healing, which is why it is important to safely introduce exercise where possible.
■ TIME OF YEAR The body will have better circulation and blood f low when it’s warm, so (not withstanding other factors such as f lies), the same wound will most likely heal more quickly in the summer than in the winter.
■ AGE Generally, younger horses will heal more quickly because they have a faster metabolism.
