When a horse gets wounded, it’s necessary to treat the wound as quickly as possible because the longer the wound is open the higher the chances of infection. Infected wounds in a horse can be a death sentence if the infection gets out of control. Even small cuts can take a long time to heal in horses so imagine how long deep wounds take to heal.
The good news is that Manuka honey has been used by equine veterinarians and horse owners to treat horse wounds in a fraction of the time, while at the same time preventing infection, reducing swelling, and keeping the wounds free of bacteria. And if the horse licks its wounds it doesn’t matter because honey is all natural. In fact, eating the honey may help the external wounds heal because ingesting Manuka honey provides internal anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antibiotic properties. Using Manuka honey both internally and externally when dealing with a wound or infection is the best way to deal with it.
Researchers at the University of Sydney discovered that Manuka honey sped up the healing of horse wounds dramatically. In the study, UMF 20+ Manuka honey was used to treat the horses. The higher the UMF rating, the higher the level of antibacterial and antibiotic properties that the honey has. For use at home, the researchers suggest using UMF 10 and higher to treat horse wounds because any lower than that might not provide the same benefits. And make sure that you are using a Manuka honey that is certified with a UMF rating because a lot of companies selling Manuka honey make claims about their honey having healing properties but if they are not UMF certified you can’t trust them. One of the most popular Manuka honeys on the market that is not UMF certified was tested and found to have very few healing properties.
A horse veterinarian in New South Wales, Australia, has written about his experiences using Manuka honey on horse wounds and says that he has saved horses with honey that might otherwise have had to have been put to sleep. The wound healing benefits of Manuka honey also apply to humans and other animals. If you, your cat, your horse, or your dog get a wound try using Manuka honey to treat it. You might be surprised at how fast and how well it heals.
a look at Manuka honey and anti-iflammatory effects
Anti-inflammatory treatments for horses
