Peppermint

Peppermint is effective in treating headaches associated with colds and flu, as well as for settling the stomach.

The Gurudas in their text on the spiritual aspects of herbs recommend a weekly cup of peppermint tea to keep the immune system happy, and you don't need a lot, it is one of those herbs where a little of it helps a lot more than too much.

At TAFE, one of the students had her horses infected very early on with EI. She was waiting to see if they had it in our last lesson a month ago so I suggested she pop them on peppermint and lemon balm because both are very good in early stages of human flu. She did this and reported back the next month  that her horses did indeed come down with Equine Influenza and didn't seem to suffer the symptoms as much as their various neighbours horses.

So if you are in an area that is just being touched by the spread of this disease, consider one or both of these herbs.

If your horse is more into the disease, then other herbs like the ones listed below may be more appropriate.

What I also like with peppermint is its taste, it is a bit more inviting to the sick horse at this time, and when they have a fever it can used to help manage that as well as it one herb they may be less likely to reject while they are not eating much.

With some horses developing colic symptoms as they recover from EI, this is also a handy herb with those horses.

Licorice

It is a popular and well-known remedy for coughs, consumption and chest complaints generally, notably bronchitis, and is an ingredient in almost all popular cough medicines on account of its valuable soothing properties.

Now that many of our horses in the city are recovering, some have a lingering cough or have lost a lot of condition from the equine flu. Its not a long term herb, one you would only give up to three months at one time, but with most of the horses it helps for about 6 weeks or so and then we will move onto other conditioning herbs if we need to.

Licorice is one herb I am using with them to help with their recovery. Either on its own or in a blend from Country Park Animal Herbs I formulated a few years ago called Autumn Blend. On the whole, Licorice is a nice tonic, alterative and expectorant properties, also for the rejuvenating and highly nutritive qualities. It is not a long term herb, but one I have started giving horses that can't get the cough to go, or are slower to recover than other horses in the same agistment centre.

Rosehips

Many horse owners already supplement rosehips, and at a time like now it is a great food additive. Rosehips contain high levels of Vitamin C, and sometimes up to 1%, and on average you usually add one to two tablespoons a day.

To help build your horse up and strengthen if you are in a threatened area or he is recovering, it is safe to double this dose at these times, just remember to drop back when he is healthy again. Rosehips are great for exhaustion and the flavonoids in the herb help strengthen all tissue. Plus this is a yummy herb and not too many horses refuse them in their feed.

As some of the drugs and symptoms of the flu affect bowel movements, rosehips have a nice balancing action, useful with both constipation as well as to aid in scouring. Rosehips also have an antimicrobial action so don't underestimate the benefits of this herb.

Ginger

Ginger is one of my favourite herbs. It has great benefits and only needs small doses to achieve these benefits.

I am suggesting this herb with our older horses who have been coughing a lot with the equine flu at the moment. It is a strong diaphoretic which will help with high temperatures and more importantly an expectorant and pulmonary antiseptic.

It is a comforting and effective remedy for conditions of cold and chill that affect lungs and the respiratory system. If you use the powdered form you only need half the dose you would use if you use fresh ginger and the powder is often more palatable for your horse. Little doses often are more effective so if you are feeding small feeds to a stabled horse through this experience, add a little each feed.

The physiomedical approach to herbalism believes most disease is because of exposure to "cold" so if you warm the body from within it can rid itself of the effects of cold. Ginger is a herb that will assist with this.

Lemon Balm

Lemon Balm is a herb to consider for horses who may come in contact with equine influenza that may be aging or have had a history of colic.

This herb helps warm the body gently, yet support it with a subtlety from within. It is a gentle diaphoretic so very supportive of the body if it has a fever. It has been traditionally used for colds and fevers as well, often forgotten with the newer herbs being added to our apothecaries.

This herb is also worth considering if your horse does contract the flu and suffers from sloppy poops as a side issue. If your horse is stabled during this time, it will also help the nervous system if he becomes distressed from being restricted. Lemon Balm has been listed by some people as a prohibited substance so when we are back competing you may have to drop this herb from your regimen.