Yarrow

Yarrow  (Achillea millefolium)

I had to include this herb in the Materia Medica chiefly because of its powerful ability to staunch bleeding.  Soldiers as far back as Roman times used it on the battlefield, which is why the herb earned the common names “Soldiers Woundwort” and “Knight’s Milfoil”.  Make a strong tea (3 tablespoons dried herb steeped in 1 cup of warm water), and use on the affected area when it has cooled sufficiently. It’s a good idea to keep a bottle of Yarrow tincture on hand for emergencies, using the tincture directly on a wound for it’s styptic properties, although be warned, it will burn! Most horses have a much higher pain threshold than humans and won’t kick out when applied, but some might. If you’re concerned the horse might react, rather add the tincture to equal proportions of hot (but not boiling water), leave for 1 minute for the alcohol to evaporate, and then add an equal amount of cool water and then it’s ready to apply.

Yarrow is also excellent for stimulating the appetite, especially if the horse is recovering from an illness. Yarrow is also extremely good for horses that suffer from epistaxis.

Dosage

Horse: 25g dried herb daily.