Why detox?

It is inevitable that horses ingest toxins in their bodies. Through drinking water, food, medication, vaccination, radiation, and deworming, these toxins enter the body. The body will eliminate most of these toxins through the liver and kidneys. However, some of these toxins cannot be processed by the body and are stored in the body. You can think of it as the filter of a car. This too will eventually become full and need to be cleaned. If this does not happen, the car will not be able to process the fuel properly. The same goes for a horse's liver. Accumulated waste products can reduce the capacity of the liver. Therefore, naturopaths recommend cleaning the liver twice a year. Especially for horses with sweet itch so that these horses can process the saliva better.

When to detox?

The body should be cleansed before the first midge bites. Midges are already active at temperatures of 10 degrees Celsius. This is usually in March. Therefore, the best period is late February or early March. Are you too late? It is still good to cleanse the body.

How does a detox work?

There are many herbs that help certain organs detoxify, such as artichoke, milk thistle, and turmeric. They stimulate the organs to work harder, work as antioxidants, and/or have anti-inflammatory properties. A good detox should not last longer than a month. It is best to give a short, good course based on natural ingredients for a maximum of one week to 10 days.

As you may know, horses do not have a gallbladder. The waste products therefore go from the liver to the intestines. The intestines do have a bile function. When giving a horse a detox, make sure that the bile function in the intestines is also stimulated so that the body can optimally process the waste products.

Other steps in the approach to summer eczema

A detox will not cure sweet itch, it is part of the healing process. Therefore, start with a detox, but do not forget to take other measures. The more measures, the better.

Step 1 – Detox
Step 2 – Apply eczema blanket at 10 degrees Celsius
Step 3 – Add cannabinoids to the diet
Step 4 – Make the horse unattractive with herbs
Step 5 – Limit sugars in the diet (both grazing and concentrate and roughage)
Step 6 – Take care of the skin when abrasions occur
Step 7 – Put your horse in the stable during twilight
Step 8 – Use a fly spray when the mosquito radar predicts a lot of mosquitoes.