How Do Oral Remedies For Horses Work?

We get lots (and lots!) of questions about how our oral remedies work – particularly from customers with horses that are prone to nasty conditions like Mud Fever / Scratches, Hoof Abscesses or skin conditions caused by the harsh summer sun.

We thought we’d answer all of the most commonly asked questions here in a blog post. So grab a cuppa and get ready to find out everything you’ve always wanted to know about oral dosing – and more!

First things first – how does oral dosing work?

The active ingredients in this remedy only need to come into contact with a mucous membrane such as the tongue and lips to activate. The body registers the remedy almost immediately, so the actual size or volume of the dose doesn’t matter – it’s really the frequency of dosing that makes the difference.

Our remedies are formulated to support a natural immune response or improve the uptake of minerals through the gut – so they assist with healing from the inside out. We’ve made a conscious decision to focus on oral dosing as it doesn’t sting or cause any stress (to animals or their owners) – which is really important for treating conditions like Mud Fever / Scratches, Hoof Abscesses or the effects of the harsh summer sun.

How does dosing in a water trough work?

With homeopathic remedies, the dilution ratio doesn’t have to be exact. The active ingredients disperse through the water via the hydrogen molecules to medicate all the water within at least a cubic metre. Regardless of how much – or little – water is in the trough, the potency of the remedy will be the same.

Adding our remedies to a water trough means a new dose is administered every time your horse takes a drink. You also don’t need to empty and refill the trough between doses as the sunlight destroys any residues after three days.

What if I have a really big trough?

One capful of remedy is enough to dose a 500 litre / 130 gallon water trough. If your trough is bigger than that, simply add 2 capfuls of remedy. We provide specific dosing instructions with each remedy.

What if my horse doesn’t drink a lot of water from the trough?

The remedy only needs to come into contact with the tongue or lips to start working – so it’s really about quality and not quantity. If you are concerned your horse isn’t drinking, then some of our remedies can also be given on feed or a treat, or given straight onto their tongue using one of our pump bottles.

What if more than one animal uses the trough?

In most cases this is fine – and even an added bonus, particularly with remedies like Sol Plus and Ticks Plus where dosing the whole herd is a good idea. We do have a few remedies that shouldn’t be dosed in the water trough – these are sold in our 90ml pump bottle format and specific dosing instructions are always provided. However, if your horse is at a shared grazing facility, we recommend talking with the facility manager before adding any remedies to the water trough.

What if my horse doesn’t like the taste?

Our remedies have a naturally sweet taste which most horses love! In fact, we’ve even heard stories about horses stealing remedy bottles out of their human's bags! When dosing in a water trough, the remedy is highly diluted which makes it almost impossible to detect any change in taste. We do provide a money back guarantee, so if your horse doesn’t like the taste, or you don’t think you’re getting the results you wanted, you can always contact us for a full refund.

How does your oral sunscreen work?

It’s quite simple really. There are lots of medications that cause people to be more susceptible to sunburn – like acne medications and some antibiotics that contain tetracycline. Our Sol Plus remedy simply takes that process and reverses it. You can read more about how that works here.

OK, so how does your oral Tick repellant work?

We think our Ticks Plus remedy is especially clever! It changes the odour of the animal just enough that a hungry tick can no longer detect it and consider it a source of food. This remedy can also reduce or prevent insect bites from mosquitos and sandflies. You can read more about our Ticks Plus product here.

What if I need to use more than one remedy?

That’s absolutely fine. Our customers often use product combinations such as Ticks Plus, Sweet Itch Plus and Sol Plus all through summer, then Mud & Rain / Scratches Plus, Healthy Hooves and Conditioning Tonic during winter. Our remedies can also be used alongside any medications prescribed by your vet.

I’ve bought the 90ml (3oz) pump bottle, how do I use that?

Our pump bottles are very popular for people who want a portable option that can fit in their pocket or go with them to shows. Some of our remedies are only available in pump bottles, usually because they only need to be dosed occasionally rather than being added to the water trough.

Our pump bottles are super easy to use. Just 2 pumps on to the gums or tongue, or on a carrot counts as a dose. Some owners put a dose on their finger before slipping it into the corner of the horse's mouth, or use their finger to dab the dose onto the gums or tongue. This works well for horses that don't like bottles near their face, or for dosing in a hurry when at shows. This dosing method works well because the horse doesn’t need to swallow the remedy for it to work, it just has to contact a mucous membrane.

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General Disclaimer

Always follow dosing instructions. Our remedies are formulated to support the natural immune system of horses, pets, and livestock. We do not claim to treat, medicate or cure any health conditions. If you are worried an animal may be in pain or suffering please contact your veterinarian.