Did you know you can effectively control parasites with magnetism and the moon? Trust us, it’s not lunacy!
As HUSK is all about keeping the horse in its most natural environment with its breathable horse boots and saddle pads, it seemed only natural to be excited about this revelations! A chemical wormers such as Panacur, Equest or Eqvalan are by nature and design a toxic substances in order to kill the worms. They are designed to kill or disable parasites, and hopefully not cause too much damage to the host animal in the process. The trick is to find the dose and frequency that works in each situation, and that may or may not be a “one size fits all” prescription. Worming more often than necessary can contribute to liver toxicity, which stresses the animal, weakening the body and making it more of a target for parasite infestations.
I was interested to learn more about worms and what their function was, as I always had a negative view of them. However parasites are “nature’s garbage collectors”, designed by the Grand Scheme of Things to eliminate weak and unhealthy animals or plants, recycle them back to the earth and start over, thus sparing resources for the healthy and viable. So it makes sense to consider the possibility that animals have parasite overloads because they are unhealthy, rather than blame the worms as the first cause of the health problem! They exist in all of us, and at a healthy balance do a very good job at keeping us well!
“Chemical wormers are accumulated and processed in the liver,” says veterinarian Dr. Donna Starita. “When the liver becomes overwhelmed, it moves out of first stage storage and detox and into second stage, the by-products of which are metabolites that are toxic to the cells. Now the animal is coping with the parasite, the toxic effects of the wormer, the health issues which precipitated the original health crisis that allowed the parasite to overgrow in the first place, plus the second stage liver metabolites. The overall result is a progressively downward spiral into increased toxicity, increased numbers of parasites, and increasingly more serious health problems.”
Rethinking the approach to parasites
“It is natural for healthy horses to have some parasites,” writes veterinarian Dr. Doug Thal in Rethinking Parasite Control in Horses. “Craig Reinemeyer, DVM, PhD, a renowned expert on equine parasitology, states the problem well – ‘Equine parasites have co-evolved with the horse over 60 million years of evolution. They are unique to the horse, and they can only survive if the horse survives. It doesn’t make sense to burn down their only home. We need to manage parasites, not eradicate them. Our efforts at eradication are what have led us quickly to resistance.”
Due to toxicity and resistance issues, even mainstream veterinarians are now recommending only deworming horses with a FEC (fecal egg count) of 200 eggs per gram or more. Even in a herd situation, the wise approach is to address parasites only in heavily infested horses, thus leaving the parasites that have not developed resistance to a particular wormer class.
Alternatives to chemical dewormers
One of the most effective methods of natural parasite control is the feeding of bentonite clay. Clay is strongly paramagnetic, and parasites are diamagnetic in nature. To quote from Paramagnetism by Dr. Phil Callahan, “Any substance, including soil or rock, that will move toward a magnet is paramagnetic.” Clay creates a magnetic environment that repels parasites. As proof of this, gardeners will verify that earthworms are never found in a clay soil. Animals will instinctively seek out and eat clay soils when they are toxic or parasite-infested.
Deworming and lunar cycles
Expanding on the concept of magnetism, you can use the full moon and lunar cycles to enhance your parasite control methods; even chemical wormers will be more effective. According to Farmers’ Almanactradition, when the moon is in the appropriate phase and place in the zodiac, it’s widely believed that activities will be more fruitful or lead to improved results. The period between the new and full moon (first and second quarters) is considered the best time to perform tasks that require strength, fertility and growth. The period between the full and new moon (third and fourth quarters) is best for harvesting or retarding growth.
“Worming of any sort is best done during the full moon since parasites are most vulnerable at this time,” says Diana Manseau of 7mFarm and Herbals. “This is the time when the parasites detach from the walls of the organs and intestinal lining to breed and lay eggs. Any natural worming program should last seven to 14 days to allow the parasites to complete the breeding cycle and the new eggs to hatch.”
My personal favorite deworming protocol is a combination of Dynamite Herbal Tonic, Dynamite Clay, and Excel (a pH balancer and detoxifier) fed for seven days over the full moon, starting three days before and ending three days after, so both waxing and waning phases are covered along with the actual full moon day.