Garlic is the supreme "antiseptic" herb, used internally to treat any infectious dis-ease in horses, dogs and people. Externally, garlic disinfects wounds and eliminates parasites. There have been warnings about garlic's detrimental effect upon one's liver when ingested and certainly, in excess of dose and frequency, the liver will be stressed by garlic (and by most pungent, oily or disinfecting foods) and some individuals will be extra sensitive. Use the herbalists' safety ways - dose just a little at first and watch for reactions.
Garlic can be made into an infused oil to rub into mange, lice or fungal infestations on the skin. This oil can be dropped into the ears for infections and to repel parasites. Garlic cloves, peeled, are used to infuse the oil and the cloves with greens can be boiled in water within a covered pot to create a safe insecticide spray for plants!
To feed garlic, peel and mince the raw clove and give one to four cloves per day to a horse; one fourth clove to a small dog up to one whole clove for a very large dog per day (only dose a dog for 10 to 14 days, then rest him for 10 days and dose again if necessary). A human can eat one clove per day raw as a preventative and 4 to 6 cloves a day for 3 days as a treatment for infections (fevers, pulmonary disease, arthritis, digestive parasites and infections, blood disorders). These statements have not been approved by the FDA and we advise consulting your Holistic Veterinarian or natural health care practitioner about all remedies.
A single, peeled clove of garlic can be inserted into a horse's rectum to relieve pinworms. It will be pushed out with the next bowel movement. My grandmother was a midwife and "medicine woman" from a century ago and she used the same pinworm remedy for people.
Powdered or flaked, dry garlic can be fed mixed into animal foods and the liberal use of garlic to season our human dishes helps boost our good health. Eating fresh parsley will help deodorize the effects. Give small animals just a pinch, large dogs get a half teaspoon and horses receive a tablespoon per day.
All of my horses have eaten whole, raw garlic cloves right from my hand. They sense the good medicine of garlic. If your horse doesn't like garlic, mix it well into something he likes or use garlic supplements or garlic salt.
Do not feed the salt to dogs. If your dog's nose gets crusty and "mushroom-like", it is likely caused by excess salt, so examine his or her diet for sodium.
Feeding garlic can help repel biting insects because the sulfur from the herb is released in the sweat or skin oils. The best way I have found to cook with garlic is to roast the whole bulbs in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or so, then freeze them. I can pop out the roasted cloves to add to dishes any time.
