Itchy Horses – Herbal Solutions: 2025 Summer Update
Summer is on the way and with it all the bugs which cause many horses to suffer itchy and irritable skin.
Queensland Itch / skin irritation
Whether it’s a skin irritation or Queensland Itch, Walkenny Park Equine Herbs new Kunzea products actually work.
Kunzea Essential Oil is a vital ingredient in WP Kunzea Balm, WP Aloe Vera & Kunzea Shampoo and WP Kunzea Spray.
Kunzea Essential Oil
Kunzea Essential Oil is highly anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory, and is partnered in our Balm with the infused oils of Calendula and St. John’s Wort plus beeswax, for the rapid relief of insect bites and itches.
To protect horses from being bitten in the first place Kunzea Spray is the perfect insect repellent. The essential oils of Kunzea, Citronella and Eucalyptus plus Neem infused oil, are blended in a base of apple cider vinegar, to be diluted in water before use.
Regular shampooing with WP Aloe Vera & Kunzea Shampoo is an important part of the plan to ward off skin irritations. Aloe Vera is noted for its soothing and cleansing properties and with the Kunzea essential oil added is even better because it has a residual effect.
Kunzea ambigua
Colloquially know as Tick Bush, animals will shelter under these bushes as a refuge from being bitten by ticks, mosquitoes and other biting insects. Kunzea helps to soothe insect bites, reduce the redness and stop the itch, due to it’s anti-inflammatory properties. Kunzea oil has been tested for its effectiveness against a number of disease-causing bacteria, and found to be particularly effective against Staphylococcus aureus.
The Kunzea ambigua plant grows in the southern parts of Australia and is highly popular ingredient in skin salves for humans and now for animals.
WP Kunzea Balm has exceeded all expectations because it is brilliant for healing lesions from greasy heel and mud fever and for healing cuts and wounds.
Denise Farrugia from Walkenny Park has used Kunzea Balm recently on a severely injured calf with outstanding results. He was found stuck in a fence and had severe cuts to all his legs and his neck. The vet advised to put him down but Denise knew he had the will to live so she got to work on his healing program by using the Kunzea Balm on all the wounds, some of which were down to the bone, then bandaging them. Once the blood flow was re-established and the risk of infection negligible, she alternated with
WP Heal n Cream which contains Comfrey which was needed to accelerate healing. This little calf could barely walk and is now running with the herd.
Kunzea essential oil now also features in WP Kunzea Gel where it is blended into an Aloe Vera Gel base with Yarrow, Comfrey and Witch Hazel extracts plus Rosemary essential oil and Wheat Germ Oil to quickly reduce inflammation and pain on all musculo-skeletal injuries, especially leg swellings.
QLD ITCH
Queensland Itch is an allergy caused by the bites of the Culicoides midge which mainly inhabits the Eastern coastal areas. The correct management for this condition must include a herbal formula given orally, to reduce the allergic response and stimulate the immune system. The herb Sweet Wormwood is the hero of this formula, and Victoria got the idea to use it for Qld Itch, because it is used all over Asia and Africa to successfully treat Malaria, a disease caused by another biting insect.
This is fully outlined in Victoria Ferguson’s new book “The Holistic Horse Herbal” and her VF Qld Itch Formula is available from Walkenny Park Equine Herbs on request .
