What Essential Oils are Safe to use with Horses?
Probably the most common questions we are asked about essential oil use with horses are, what essential oils are not safe for my horse or what essential oils are best to use with my horse for ________ condition? There is no specific cookie-cutter answer to these questions. But here are a few quick tips and thoughts to help you understand how to find the answer.
Essential Oil Selection for Horses
As a general rule of thumb, most therapeutic grade essential oils are safe to use aromatically and topically with horses. When using essential oils as a dietary supplement for horses, be more cautious and aware of the purity of the essential oil, as well as the instructions of use on the label.
If a horse appears to have a negative response to an oil or no response at all, it can often be traced to one of three things:
- The horse experienced an irritation or detox response (any rashes, welts, or skin irritations). The oil should have been diluted or was “too hot” of an option when used.
- The essential oil was fragrance or food-grade, and/or contained synthetics or other chemicals.
- Or the essential oil used or chosen was not the right tool for the job. This will usually just lead to no noticeable effect.
Most often people who are unhappy with essential oil results with their horses are using poor quality essential oils, often purchased from the local supermarket or health food store. This is not something we recommend, and when we provide consultations with a client, will not assist further if this option will be continued.
If the horse owner is using good quality essential oils but is struggling with results or lack of horse health-promoting benefits, it is often just a matter of essential oil selection is off. Although this often won’t harm anything, it is not always beneficial in the long term. Picture selecting the right essential oil for your horse, like selecting the proper tool for a project. We all know choosing a hammer to drive in a screw would not be the proper match. This sort of mismatch selection often occurs and can leave the horse owner feeling frustrated.
Understanding things like biological preference, and familiarizing yourself with specific essential oil singles and blends is a great path to more effective essential oil selection for horses. Reaching out to someone who is qualified or has seen results with using essential oils can be helpful too. The goal is to learn and grow. We have seen some horse owners get overwhelmed with options and quit, or choose one staple, versatile oil and never experience the vast benefits and qualities of the great essential oil singles and blends available.
More Tools and Further Assistance on Essential Oil Selection for Horses-
To prevent you from feeling stuck or overwhelmed, here are some more great links on this topic:
- A Simple Analogy to Clear Confusion About Essential Oils
- Understanding Alternative Therapy for Horses
- Equine Naturopathy- Discover Nature’s Health Care
- The Weekly Essential Archives
To be successful in improving your horse’s health it is crucial to put your focus on fostering health, not fighting disease. This may sound simple and common but in this day and age, it’s not. So much time and attention is put on the problems and concerns instead of the solutions.
When you don’t know where to start…
It can be overwhelming and confusing to know how to best care for your horse. It seems there are so many opinions, facts, and conflicting information out there! We want to help empower you to individualize your horse’s care with confidence and peace of mind… You can bust through the confusion and maximize your results when you implement what’s shared inside your copy of Healthy as a Horse. Click here to reserve your copy now.
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Life is better when you’re horsin’ around!
