The dreaded ticks!
At this time, every year, horse caregivers have the same question..."how do I keep ticks off my horses?!"
I decided to put together the variety of things I use to protect and support my horses. Since I have not had any major issues over the years with ticks or Lyme, my horses live on a wooded, quarter mile track and they are all in their upper 20's and 30's of age, I would say we've been pretty successful in dealing with this issue.
In general, my philosophy for horse care is to feed well and support the immune system. A healthy animal is less susceptible to disease and illness than one that is weak and sickly. So by doing all the things that support a horse mentally, emotionally and physically, we will set them up to avoid being the target of ticks.
This approach involves their lifestyle, nutrition, and topical applications. The more pieces of this that are incorporated, the more success you will have.
Lifestyle
Horses living together with the freedom to move as a herd and interact with each other supports them emotionally. It reduces stress in their lives. Less stress means less health challenges. The more movement of the herd, the better health overall. Do this for them and you will never regret it.
Removing toxins from their life is a huge part of supporting their immune system. Everything changed for us when we started getting away from harsh, chemical laden products and switched to cleaner ones. If you want to know more about this, take a look at the video in this blog showing some of the changes I made.
Nutrition
Feeding non-GMO and glyphosate free food needs to be on your radar. If you are not aware of the impact of these on your horses' health, please investigate further. I recently published an article on this topic that you can get started with here.
Of course, minerals are always key to any healthy animal. Deficiencies happen often and symptoms can mimic other diseases. One of the deficiencies I shared about recently in my holistic care community The Hearts of Horses; Empowering Through Holistic Care, was an article from Dr. Eleanor Kellon on the importance of methionine to hooves, skin, hair and joints. Methionine is an essential amino acid and must be taken in through the diet. It is an important source of sulfur, which has been traditionally used to deter ticks. Dr. Kellon talks about how our environment now has diminished sources of sulfur for various reasons with one of the impacts being on hay! Add glyphosate to the mix and we have a real problem!
One of the daily supplements I give to my horses' to provide the necessary sulfur is Sulfurzyme. What started as feeding for joint health helped me to see all the other benefits it produced like healthy skin, growing manes and tails, growing hooves and now realizing that it actually helps to protect them from ticks!
Garlic is another piece to our daily routine. Garlic also provides sulfur! I started using it seasonally for bugs and ticks but once I learned about what it does for the body, including boosting the immune system, I went to feeding it year round. Here's another blog with more information on its benefits.
Apple Cider Vinegar is also beneficial for deterring ticks along with a variety of other health benefits. I mix this with water to add to my horses' feed on a daily basis. I even started making my own Apple Scrap Vinegar that is so easy to make. You can find the recipe here if you'd like to try it too!
Topical applications
Kunzea is an essential oil from a shrub native to Australia and Tasmania. It is known as "tick bush" to natives, as animals will often seek refuge under them. It is soothing to the skin and muscles so most beneficial when applied topically.
Geranium is also an essential oil that is distilled from the parts of the shrub native to Southern Africa. It is cleansing to the skin, revitalizes skin cells, relieves nervous tension and is emotionally balancing. Either or both can be added to DIY sprays for easy application.
Young Living's Insect Repellent is fabulous. I use ACV to cut this and add to a spray bottle to apply to my horses. There are also Wipes that are handy to use around the face, ears and underside. The liquid repellent also makes a great mane and tail detangler, doing double duty for the ticks and other pests. You can really make an impact by adding Kunzea and or Geranium to the repellent/ACV spray!
I also have a DIY recipe that I mix up and have on hand all summer. I change up the oils depending upon what I have on hand at the time but it works well. I think a couple of the key ingredients are the catnip tea and the Thieves Household Cleaner!
The Animal Scents Ointment is a great substitute for the traditional ointment type products that have toxins. This ointment is fantastic for so many things but for this conversation on ticks (or other pests) I like to use this under the chin, along the center line of the belly or the udder /sheath area. It's also helpful on open cuts and keeping the flies away.
You can never go wrong with applying the Rain Drop Technique oils! From detoxing the body to relaxing muscles, to supporting the immune and digestive systems this collection helps to keep your horses well... as healthy as a horse! I have a video of how to apply these over in our holistic care community if that's something you're ready to incorporate into your horses' regular care. Applying these every so often (3-4 months) as a preventive measure is a great way to help our horses handle anything that they may become exposed to.
If you begin incorporating these products and protocols into your horses' daily lives , I know you will see the great results that I have been fortunate to see for my herd. I hope to see you over in our holistic care community.
P.S. Oh and I use most of this for my dog too! Except he doesn't live on the track, we just go for hikes!
All the Best,
Marta
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