Case Studies

Duchess, age 13, was purchased from travellers 5 years ago. Used to life in a herd she would become anxious if left alone or with just one other horse. She was head shy when tacked up and this head shaking was attributed to evasive behaviour. Then sarcoids appeared on Duchess's left ear and chest. Veterinary preparations applied over 2 days burned her skin and made her bleed so Duchess would hold her head up high to avoid the applications. At this point I began offering remedies to Duchess. I was to continue working with her over 10 weeks, during the first 6 weeks I worked with Duchess on a daily basis.

Duchess selected Bergamot which she inhaled exhibiting the flehmen response and took orally. I added bergamot to a xantham gel and on offering this to Duchess for topical application she bent her head so I could reach her ear. According to her owner Duchess would normally move away whenever any medications were around as indeed she did when the veterinary preparations were applied to her sarcoids. After only a couple of days the skin around the sarcoids looked less dry and flaky. Duchess also selected 90mls Marigold macerate orally and varying, small quantities of Calendula CO2 extract and Carrot Seed essential oil over the first few days.

After 5 days Duchess began selecting Angelica Root essential oil in preference to the Bergamot. Both are oils frequently selected for sarcoids. At this time Duchess scratched the tops off 2 sarcoid nodules. Yarrow was selected applied undiluted to the area and covered with Green Clay. She took 20mls anti-itch gel orally and there was no further scratching. Duchess did like rolling in the fields however, and would periodically knock the tops off some of the sarcoid nodules. When this happened I would apply green clay or sometimes Dead Sea Mineral Mud after her gel had been applied. This proved very effective in drying the area and protecting it from flies. After one week the skin was softer, not so grey, dry and cracked and it looked as if some of the sarcoids were receeding. Duchess would allow me to apply angelica gel in the creases where the sarcoids were shrinking and around the front of the ear. She continued to select angelica root during almost the entire time I was working with her either by inhalation or orally so angelica gel was applied daily to the sarcoids which continued to improve.

Duchess selected Marigold macerate again towards the end of the 2nd week of remedies inhaling deeply and taking 20mls orally. I applied marigold macerate and beeswax topically which rendered the sarcoids more supple and less dry. Calendula CO2 extract and carrot seed continued to be selected.

Other remedies selected by Duchess from time to time throughout the weeks I was working with her were seaweed extract, sweet orange, blood orange and Roman chamomile. Sea Buckthorn, Thuja and Basil, all 3 tumour related oils, were selected briefly. German Chamomile was selected throughout the 2nd week, initiating the flehmen response, and was also taken orally - sometimes as much as 12 drops undiluted.

At the beginning of the 2nd week Duchess also began selecting dried rosehip shells in quantity and with relish. The first time she took 1 kilo and continued to take significant quantities in the days after that. Duchess selected rosehips daily for about 8 days and then off and on for the next 2 weeks.

During the 4th week the sarcoids appeared to be receeding further and the lumpy ones looked less prominent. Towards the end of the 6th week the sarcoids on the ear and chest seemed to be drying out and looking as though they may soon drop off. Those on the chest were getting smaller.

Ten weeks after starting treatment Duchess was still inhaling angelica root and lowering her head to have it applied, sometimes as a gel, sometimes in beeswax, sometimes with Calendula extract added.