There are several good herbs for horses that have suffered a sprain or strain to their legs.

This often happens after heavier than normal work, or as a result of being on rough ground.

Firstly, hose down your horse’s legs with cold water to take out the inflammation.

If there is just a little fluid in the legs, apply bandages soaked in my 1stAde Solution. This is a combination of natural floral waters and flower essences. Leave the bandages on for 30 minutes, then remove. Do this once to twice daily for 3 – 7 days, or until the swelling and inflammation have gone down and the legs are no longer tender or stiff.

If your horse is stabled, you can apply dry stable bandages, for leg support, after the treatment above.

Give Inflameze – a combination of herbs and flower essences – internally.

If there is obvious bruising, also follow the regime for bruises.

If symptoms are severe or persistant, seek professional veterinary or naturopathic advice.

It is important to do all that you can to resolve sprains and strains with herbal management as soon as possible after they occur as, if left unattended, they can become the site of osteo-arthritis problems in the future.

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Like all herbal medicines, the sooner you start the remedy, the faster and better the result. If it was not possible to apply these healing herbs immediately after the injury, start as soon as possible – better late than never.

If you have a very old bruise or wound that still feels hard and / or a little tender even months or years later, apply calendula or comfrey cream topically at least once a day until the area feels normal once again. This may take many months, but is important to do so in order to obtain full healing.

Rosa Scarless Healer, containing comfrey, has been around for decades and is still one of the best on the market. You can buy it via the company below.



CAUTION: Do not use Comfrey on dirty wounds. Ensure there is absolutely no infection is present before using comfrey on any wound or you may end up with an absess.

Use Calendula Ointment or my Herbal Healing Cream, which is a combination of healing and antiseptic herbs in a natural base that can be used on bruises, cuts and scrapes. Switch to Comfrey when the infection risk has passed i.e. the wound looks clean, with no signs of pus or redness or heat.

Because the skin is open, use comfrey rather than Arnica if there is any bruising. Comfrey still helps to seal off broken capillaries and minimise bruising. Big knocks may still bruise slightly but they will heal much faster than expected with repeated applications of comfrey over the following days and weeks. Keep applying until the wound is completely healed.

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