| Equine Cushings disease is caused by a tumor in the | | | | fine. You should have a grinder for this purpose only, |
| pituitary gland, which is responsible for the production | | | | as your coffee might taste funny if you use the |
| and regulation of hormones. Symptoms include a long, | | | | grinder for both. |
| shaggy coat that does not shed, excessive drinking | | | | Right around the time I was ready to tell the world |
| and urination, laminitis, a tendency for recurring | | | | about this cure, another product came on the |
| infections in the hoof (foot abscesses), and a loss of | | | | market called Hormonize. It is a liquid and costs around |
| muscle mass, especially along the topline and rump. | | | | $45 per liter and lasts two weeks for your average |
| At Eye of the Storm Equine Rescue, we’ve | | | | size horse. That’s $90 per month to treat the |
| discovered what appears to be a cure for Cushings | | | | horse. The developers of this product found it to be |
| disease in horses. We’re not licensed nor are | | | | effective not only on mares in heat, but it also did |
| we doctors, but we know what has worked for our | | | | some impressive things for Cushings horses, too. It is |
| horses and for lots of others, so we wanted to share | | | | sold for this purpose as well. It is an all natural herbal |
| our experiences in case it helps cure your own horse | | | | remedy. A bit pricey, though. |
| of equine Cushings disease. | | | | I checked out the ingredients. It is a tincture of |
| While looking through a nutritional healing book at | | | | chasteberry! I think they call it vitex or monks pepper |
| Debra’s Natural Gourmet in West Concord, | | | | on the back. I’m not sure. It greatly saddens me |
| Mass., I came across a sentence that said | | | | that the treatment for such a devastating disease sells |
| Chasteberry feeds the pituitary gland. | | | | for so much. |
| Chasteberry in recent times has been used mainly for | | | | Horses don’t need herbal tinctures. They can |
| women’s complaints. I know it works | | | | and do digest some pretty coarse stuff (have you |
| because it beats the crap out of PMS, you feel better | | | | ever tried to eat dry timothy hay?). They can not only |
| in 20 minutes. Hmm, I say, I like chasteberry, | | | | digest the herb, but utilize it in that form beautifully. |
| let’s see what it can do for our two Cushings | | | | Bess, unfortunately, died at age 28 when she decided |
| horses. | | | | her mission was accomplished, so we never got a |
| Bess, our 26 year old Shetland had obvious | | | | third blood test from her. We have two other Cushings |
| symptoms: long hair that didn’t shed and she | | | | horses, and all of our older mares are on chasteberry |
| was a sway back. Not as bad as some, but still | | | | as well. Junebug, who is 8 years old, was tested last |
| obvious. I couldn’t wait for the vet to take some | | | | year and we’ll test her again soon to see |
| blood to find out her numbers. The results were | | | | where her numbers are. Snowdrop was never tested, |
| positive for Cushings. I put her on one teaspoon twice | | | | but all her symptoms have disappeared and she is |
| a day, three weeks on and one week off. Though she | | | | doing well at 24 years old. |
| began to shed her coat of buffalo hair almost | | | | If any of you out there would like to try chasteberry, |
| immediately, she never was a very slick pony. But I | | | | here’s what to do. Go to your local health food |
| was determined to keep her on the chasteberry one | | | | store and special order one pound bulk bag whole |
| year before testing her blood again. If I saw results | | | | chastetree berry from the Frontier herb company |
| then, I would tell the world. | | | | (please mention Eye of the Storm Equine Rescue |
| One year later, after Bess’ test results came | | | | when you do). You might want to order more than |
| back, the vet said, I don’t know what | | | | one bag so that when you’re down to one you |
| you’re doing, but keep on doing it. | | | | can reorder. One bag will cost you less than $20 and |
| Bess’ numbers were down 33 points! I | | | | will last a couple of months per horse. |
| don’t know exactly what these numbers | | | | Run the berries through your coffee grinder and feed |
| represent, but evidently this never happens in real life! | | | | one teaspoon twice a day with feed. We give the |
| After one year of feeding her pituitary gland, had I | | | | same amount to horses and ponies. It works on both |
| managed to reverse her Cushings disease? I was | | | | mares and geldings. Give it to them three weeks on |
| very excited as this ailment affects the lives of millions | | | | and one week off all year round. It will even keep the |
| of old (and not so old) horses in so many negative | | | | mares from being quite so crabby in the spring. |
| ways. This disease is more common now than it has | | | | We also give them all vitamin E in the evening, vitamin |
| ever been in the past. No one really knows why, | | | | C in the morning, and MSM. No sugars or |
| though I have my theories. That is another tale for | | | | carbohydrates (not even a carrot). There are feeds |
| another day. | | | | out there that are low in both, such as Blue Seal Racer |
| I was getting whole chasteberry in one pound bulk | | | | and some of the senior feeds (do some research). All |
| bags from Natural Gourmet and running it through a | | | | in all, chasteberry is the answer. Even our two 30-year |
| coffee grinder. The seeds are very hard and I figured | | | | old mares don’t have Cushings, only Bess, |
| it would come out the other end the same way they | | | | Junebug, and Snowdrop, who came to us with the |
| went in, unless we knocked the shells off them. You | | | | disease and it appears to be reversed. I never had |
| run the grinder until most of the pinging of hard berries | | | | horses of my own get Cushings. I have every horse in |
| can’t be heard anymore. You cannot grind them | | | | town that has Cushings on chasteberry and |
| up completely, but that’s okay. Horses are | | | | they’re all doing great! This is a cheap, easy, |
| made to digest roughage. They handle the chunks just | | | | healthy remedy for Cushings disease. |