Pain is unavoidable at some stage in your horse’s life – whether it’s the discomfort of a banged knee, a hoof abscess, or chronic and debilitating back pain.
The sensation of pain is triggered in the nervous system, and may be sharp or dull, constant or intermittent. It may be in a specific area, such as the neck or a hoof, or a more generalised ‘all-over’ pain, such as humans feel when their muscles ache from the ‘flu.
But pain has a purpose. Without it, animals could seriously damage themselves while healing; it’s an important natural response to the stimulus of damaged tissue.
Often, the cause of pain is obvious and the solution straightforward; other times it’s less clear and we might need the help of a vet or a farrier to find the underlying cause.
Lameness, for example, is most often in the foot, but it’s possible that it’s caused by a shoulder injury.
Pain is often associated with inflammation and is one of its symptoms along with redness, swelling, heat and loss of function. In addition to being painful, the inflammation process can cause changes in tissue that reduce function and range of movement, to help protect the area.
While the inflammation process is necessary for the repair of damaged tissue, excessive or prolonged inflammation can result in long-term damage.
Because horses cannot tell you they are in pain or indicate the type of pain, observation becomes critical, and specific behaviours can be monitored as pain indicators. These could include flinching and guarding the painful area, as well as changes in routine behaviour patterns and perhaps even aggression. Horses in pain will often exhibit withdrawn social behaviour and decreased appetite.
Are anti-inflammatories pain relievers?
Often, yes. Inflammation is an immune response, which is a complex and dynamic process that happens in response to any type of injury or infection, though the sequence of events will vary depending on the type and cause of the injury, as well as the site.
During the inflammation process, a cascade of chemical reactions takes place: blood is attracted to the area, and white cells move from the bloodsteam to the injured area.
Relieving any of the symptoms of inflammation will help. Event riders find icing a banged leg after cross-country will help relieve swelling, heat and pain, perhaps along with a fast-acting (and legal) anti-inflammatory such as devil’s claw.
Can herbs help?
Emphatically yes. But unfortunately, the most effective pain relievers found in the plant world are unavailable to herbalists. These are, of course, the opiates which are widely used in all forms of medicine for their very effective pain relief. A surprisingly wide range of products, both legal and illegal, is derived from the humble poppy (Papaver somniferum).
Luckily, there are still plenty of legal plants to choose from and to understand them best it is probably easier to divide the herbs we use into three groups.
1. Anti-inflammatories
There are many herbs that are traditionally used in treating or preventing inflammatory conditions. These include: devil’s claw, feverfew, bupleurum, gotu kola, black cohosh, turmeric, nettle, ginger, cat’s claw, yucca, boswellia, white willow, and guaiacum, but we will only look at four in detail.
Devil’s claw (Harpagophytum procumbens)
Devil’s claw, in the last few years, has found a particular niche in equine medicine. The older published literature gives devil’s claw mixed reviews. However, those published in the last five years show more consistent positive results and are beginning to explain its mode of action.
Most of the population studies have been done on humans, but a consistent effect has been observed in horses and dogs, so the data is considered relevant. Broadly, the studies show that devil’s claw is as effective as diacerhein, (a slow-acting drug for treating the symptoms of osteoarthritis) and the very common anti-inflammatory ’bute (phenylbutazone), but without the stomach-irritating side-effects. It’s hard to find studies that compare dosages, but it’s suggested that 40ml of 1:2 strength devil’s claw extract is the equivalent of one sachet of bute.
White willow (Salix alba) and meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria)
I have grouped these two herbs together as they both contain appreciable levels of salicylate, and were the original source plants of the chemicals that led to the development of aspirin. Both have established reputations as anti-inflammatories and are used in a few over-the-counter mixtures. We tend not to use them much because although the salicylate levels are quite low, we would not want to risk a positive swab. They are fine to use in non-competition horses.
Arnica (Arnica Montana)
Arnica cream or lotion has long been used as a topical treatment for bruises, strains and sprains. It should not be taken internally due to its allergenic and irritant effects. For the same reason it should not be applied to broken skin. Arnica can be used for arthritic conditions, but is more usually used in bruising.
Nettle (Urtica dioica)
Nettle is a classic example of a herb that has a traditional use confirmed by scientific investigation. Traditionally, nettle has been regarded as an anti-inflammatory working by the “removal of toxins” from joints and blood. These are fairly vague concepts, although we do know that nettle disperses the uric acid build-up in joints associated with gout in humans. Nettle also has a remarkable effect on dissolving and preventing kidney and bladder stones. These are not common in horses but when they occur can be serious and debilitating.
2. Anti-spasmodics
Pain caused by muscle spasm is very common in horses and is most recognisable as colic. A word of caution here. Colic is a serious condition and you should always call your vet to treat it. However, valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is a very effective first aid and can be used with good effect while you wait for the vet to arrive; we have seen many cases where valerian has quickly eased the immediate problem. In a first aid situation like this you must use an ethanolic extract, as a powder will be far too slow to have any effect.
There is a downside to valerian. It is banned for competition under FEI or racing rules, which means that a withholding period will be necessary if you use it. Some people have unfortunately misinterpreted this as an overall ban; this is not correct. Valerian is quite legal to use as and how you wish, unless you are competing in shows run by the FEI/NZEF or racing.
3. Nervine analgaesics
This is quite a specialist category but is important to consider. Head-tossing is a very difficult condition which can due to one of several causes. The one we have had the most success treating is caused by a post-viral infection nerve pain. Technically it is known as post-herpetic neuralgia, and is the same type of pain suffered by humans with shingles. It can occur in the nasal passages of a horse following a respiratory infection caused by the herpes virus. The specific herb we use to treat it is Jamaican dogwood (Piscidia erythrina). It is not an easy herb to find so you will need to go to a specialist supplier. However, it will be worth the hunt because it is surprisingly effective.
Conclusion
Pain relief through the use of herbs can be remarkably effective, providing you use the correct herb, in the correct dose. All herbs I have talked about are best used as liquid extracts. These are generally much quicker-acting and you will get better results than using the dried herb.
If your horse is suffering a high degree of pain, your vet will have strong medications but often these should not be used long-term because of possible side-effects.
Herbs generally have minimal side effects and can be used long-term if necessary.
- This article was first published in the June 2015 issue of NZ Horse & Pony
