Garlic for Horses
Why feed garlic to horses?
GARLIC -Allium sativum-
Garlic is one of the most widely recognised and used herbs in the world. It has been used for its medicinal properties for thousands of years by many different cultures/people including – ancient Egyptians and Romans; Chinese medicine; Ayurvedic medicine; and the Cherokee and Choco peoples. It is the most widely known and used herb in the horse world. Garlic is commonly used by horse owners as a feed supplement because it is believed to have strong anti-septic, anti-inflammatory and ant-biotic properties.
Garlic may act as a stimulant for a horse immune systems. This is because garlic is anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-parasitic. Garlic is also reported as assisting with reducing blood pressure and assisting with respiratory problems in horses.
Garlic is rich in sulphur which is essential for healthy skin and hair, and garlic also contains bioflavonoid compounds such as quercetin which retard inflammatory reactions. Quercetin stabilises mast cells (which contain histamine) and inactivates many inflammatory enzymes, which makes garlic a useful anti-allergy tool for horses and livestock. Garlic is a herb that also works to improve circulation. It contains a number of anti-coagulant compounds and has a blood-thinning effect as well as being vasodilatory. Garlic is also a natural source of Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), commonly used to treat joint problems and allergies.
It is quoted that there is evidence that in the digestive tract garlic acts selectively against pathogens (disease causing micro-organisms) whilst sparing beneficial flora. Further, garlic reduces the incidence of cancer, especially in the gastrointestinal tract – allicin (a volatile oil constituent of garlic) interferes with the generation of carcinogenic nitrosamines in the gut.
Garlic is rich in selenium and sulphur. Sulphur is known for its blood cleansing properties.
Garlic is reputed to minimise intestinal worms (although it must not be relied upon as the sole means of worm control).
Many horse owners feed garlic to their horses because of its insect repelling qualities. The sweat produced by a horse being fed garlic will produce an odour which can assist in repelling flies, mosquitoes, ticks and midges. Nature's fly repellent.
Care needs to be taken in feeding garlic to horses as too much garlic may cause aneamia. Do not use garlic if a horse has been scouring chronically, and use caution if you are feeding garlic to nursing mares as it may flavour/taint the milk and upset the foal’s digestive system.
Normal feeding rates for an average size horse is reported as around 1 tablespoon per day.
Garlic granules for horses can be purchased online from www.onlinehorsesupplies.com.au and www.animalhealthstore.com.au and www.countrypark.com.au
WARNING : This information is provided as general information only. For specific medical advice, please consult your veterinarian
