How to use the HorseHomeopathy Emergency Kit

Safety First: Using the HorseHomeopathy Emergency Kit does not take the place of consulting with your veterinarian. If you have already consulted with your vet or you are waiting for you vet to arrive you can safely begin to help your horse with homeopathy.

Determining the Remedy

Carefully observe the condition of your horse. Make a list of your observations and compare the horse’s symptoms with the description of the remedy. Pay attention to the “modalities.” In homeopathy, a modality is something that either makes the condition of the animal better or worse. For example, one horse with indigestion might feel better with your company (Arsenicum album) and another might be irritable and want to be left alone (Nux vomica). The detailed description will indicate which conditions might respond favorable to each remedy.

How do I give a remedy to a horse?

There are many ways to administer the remedy to your horse.

First, it is always better not to touch the remedy with your hands; this might alter or neutralize the remedy. The easiest way is to pour the dose of remedy into a small clean glass jar or clean plastic container such as the plastic cover that surrounds a syringe. To avoid contaminating the remedy, use something other than the lid of remedy bottle.

Technique #1

Pour the remedy directly into the mouth of the horse. The remedy can be placed inside the lips on the side of the cheek pouch or into the space between the lower lip and the gums. The remedy does not need to be swallowed by the horse—it only needs to make contact with the wet mucous membranes. This can be easy in some horses and very difficult in others.

The number of pellets per dose is not so important—only that some pellets of the remedy make good contact with the wet mucous membranes of the horse. Just use 2 to 4 pellets in the 30C potency (larger pellets); 5 to 8 pellets in the 200C potency would be an adequate dose. To increase the action of the remedy, administer it more often. In acute conditions you might give the remedy as often as once every five minutes.

One method I like is to put on a clean latex glove (or, in a pinch, glove your hand with a clean plastic bag) and pour a few pellets of the remedy into the palm of your gloved hand and offer it to the horse. Many will lick at the remedy and that is a fine way to administer it. If the horse blows, however, his breath can send the pellets flying. I have found that you can initially offer sugar in your gloved hand to teach the horse to lick the remedy. Once the horse realizes the taste is sweet or gets used to the routine she will readily lick up the remedy.

Technique #2 Dissolving the remedy in distilled water: You can dissolve a few (5-8) small pills in a small container of distilled water or place the remedy inside a plastic container of bottled distilled water and then dump the fluid into the side of the horse's mouth. You can also use a syringe or an eye dropper. If a horse is highly agitated and cannot be still, you can dip your fingers and actually flick the fluid at the horse. Any water that gets into the mouth, nose or eyes will dose the horse. Another option that might be better if you have the time is to place the dissolved remedy in a clean spray container and spray the face of the horse. After this initial dose the horse will often be far calmer by the time another dose is due.

Another option is to take the remedy dissolved in water and pour this on a sugar cube and offer it to the horse.

Do not re-use remedy that has fallen on the floor and never replace remedy back into the original bottle as this might contaminate the whole batch.

Give the remedy away from meals (at least 1/2 hour before or after a meal) if at all possible.

Do not feed any mints, or herbs in the mint family, to your horse while giving the remedies, as this could interfere with their effect. Some liniments containing eucalyptus, camphor and menthol can also interfere with the remedy so avoid their use when treating with homeopathy.

One remedy at a time

it is recommended that you give only one remedy at a time. This is a fundamental principal of homeopathy, as you are trying to match the remedy with the symptom picture of the animal. Wait for this one remedy to work, and if you wish to use another, discontinue the use of the first remedy.

How do I store the remedies?

Keep the remedies in a dark, cool, dry place such as a cupboard or drawer. When you open the bottle be aware that the remedy can become neutralized by strong odors such as horse liniments, camphor-containing substances such as Ben-Gay or Tigerbalm, perfumes, cigarette smoke, etc.

Again, If you spill any pills from the bottle, do not put them back into the bottle or you might contaminate the entire remedy. The remedies might also be neutralized and spoiled by contact with strong electromagnetic fields. It’s a good idea to not place the remedies near computers, microwaves, televisions, radios, electrical circuit boxes. The remedies should not be refrigerated and should be kept away from direct sunlight and heat—(high temperatures of over 120°F). Do not store the remedies in your car in the summer as the temperature inside your vehicle can exceed 120 degrees. Stored appropriately, the remedies should last indefinitely.

Observing the response to the remedy

How can I tell if the remedy is working?

Observe the symptoms of the horse. Are the symptoms less strong, are they recurring with less frequency? Even a small improvement shows that the remedy is beginning to stimulate healing in the horse.

Also observe the general condition and behavior of the horse;

Is the horse more relaxed, showing a softer look in the eye, less agitated, less restless or less fearful? This would indicate a positive response.

Other positive signs include:

Better overall energy, less irritability, a calm and even respiratory rate, a return to normal temperature and cessation of sweating.

Other positive indicators are; healing of wounds, decreased inflammation and heat, a return of normal appetite, appropriate thirst and drinking patterns.

A return of normal bowel and urinary function, a healthier appearance of the skin and coat, brightness in the eyes, all indicate that the remedy is working.

How often is the remedy given?

In acute situations, a dose can be given frequently, from every five minutes in extreme emergency situations to every half hour in strong acute situations. Wait for results: if the symptoms disappear, discontinue the remedy. The remedy has acted and now the immune system of the animal is taking over. If the symptoms return, administer another dose. If no effect has been seen after 3-4 doses, a different remedy is needed. For a chronic situation, the dose will be given less frequently, and it may take some a considerable amount of time—from weeks to months—to observe the effects of the remedy, depending on the situation. Again, chronic cases usually require expert homeopathic guidance for best results, and please continue to consult your licensed vet.

How long should I dose with the remedy?

If there is general improvement, you can usually stop giving the remedy. If you are working toward an effect, such as the normalization of the skin in a horse with “scratches” you can continue to give the remedy with decreasing frequency until the condition stabilizes—not getting better or worse. This is the plateau stage and usually it is best to discontinue the remedy and wait. At this point the immune system of the animal will be taking over and more improvement can be expected. In homeopathic practice “Waiting” is a golden rule—do not repeat the remedy until, if and when, the symptoms begin to return.

If there is no response to the remedy in an emergency situation, give up to 4 doses over an hour and then, if needed, try a different remedy.

If there is no change in an acute but ongoing non-emergency situation, give the well-chosen remedy for a week to allow enough time for the animal to respond to the remedy. If the condition, such as a skin disorder, has been there for a long time it will certainly take a while to notice improvement. Be very observant and look for other positive changes in the horse that might indicate a good response but might not be directly related to the condition you are treating.

If the animal appears worse: If there appears to be an adverse reaction or 'aggravation' (a worsening of an existing symptom), stop giving the remedy and wait some time. Either the animal will begin to improve or, if the remedy is not a good match, the underlying condition might still be ongoing. Homeopathic remedies stimulate a deep and prolonged response by the body, and time must be allowed for the body to complete its response. In many cases, before there is a positive response to an acute condition there might be a lag time as the immune system of the horse is becoming activated.

Always stop giving the homeopathic remedy when there is improvement that is sustained. Do not repeat the remedy until the symptoms begin to emerge again. This allows a balancing of the organism and the return of appropriate immune response. The homeopathic remedy is not like a drug that has to be present in order for the effect to be evident. It is more like “jump starting” the immune response: after the “engine” is running, the system will re-charge itself and become self-sustaining. This is the goal of homeopathic treatment.