Healing Remedies

Poultices are all external treatments usually applied directly to the skin although they can be applied over a cloth or paper barrier to protect the skin from damage. Like any other medicine a properly managed poultice will produce positive effects and no excess pain or tissue damage.

The reasons for Poulticing are as follows;

a. To bring heat to an area: Heat improves circulation and mobility of fluids within the adjacent tissue. This can speed healing; minimize scarring; reduce muscular spasm; or assist in drawing toxins together to be expelled from the body.

b. To act as a drawing agent; to suck or to assist the flow of debris or toxins through openings in the skin.

c. To hold in contact with the skin herbs; beneficial to the healing processes taking place in the area of the poultice. Comfrey, Garlic, Castor Oil are examples of herbs used in this way.

All poultices consist of a Carrier; (some sort of mash, mud or slurry) and some healing substances usually herbs, oils or chemical substances mixed with the carrier or applied under it. The carriers can be applied Hot, Warm or Cold (never so hot as to burn or blister) Poultices are usually held in place by loose bandages or wrappings of some sort and are therefor often difficult to apply over bulky muscular areas of horses. They are however ideal for the lower legs which is an area subject to many problems in competition horses.

In a well formulated poultice the carrier also has beneficial properties in itself. There are a limitless variety of carriers and you can use your own imagination in formulating your own.

Some Poultice Mixes which I recommend are as follows but they can all be combined or varied to suit many different situations:

Linseed Meal Porridge: mixed with Linseed Oil and Minced Comfrey Leaves applied warm to any ligament or bone injury. Breaks, Chips, Splints, Torn or Bowed Tendons will speed up recovery by a factor of 3 or 4. They can be replaced every couple of days.

Slippery Elm Powder Poultice: mixed with Castor Oil. These can be made quite small and used as a drawing poultice for cleaning out wounds or infected material. Please note that if using Castor Oil, (which is a good enough drawing agent to make a tetanus needle unnecessary in the case of a deep puncture wound), you must only use it when there is a hole to draw through. Castor oil in the eye will draw metal filings out of an eye wound and on the teats will draw and clear mastitis between one feed and the next.

Rosemary Oil, Wintergreen Oil, Mustard, Cajeput(Tea Tree) Oil are all heating agents. Mustard and Cajeput being quite capable of blistering as they heat by irritation. Most “Blisters” contain Mustard which should only be in small enough quantities to heat but not blister. A heating poultice should produce no more than a little swelling, any more and it can be counter productive. Certainly anything which blisters is often doing much more harm than good.

Boils and spontaneous discharges of pussy material are interesting and should be encouraged to run their course. A good strong immune system is quite capable of expelling toxins from the body. The infection which sets up in a boil should not be treated with antibiotics but rather seen as part of the mechanism which will soften and break open the skin at the site of the problem so that the whole mess can be expelled. Lancing boil or treating it with antibiotics can increase the risk that the expulsion is in-complete and the body is left to deal with the toxic debris in some other way. Also have you noticed that boils don't become infected sores, they do their thing and close up and no infection seems to get in through the opening! If you were worried about infection you can crush some fresh Garlic to include in your poultice with Castor Oil for your tetanus treatment of a dirty wound. Garlic is a powerful and natural antibiotic.

Poultices are used to apply remedies to a skin area using moist heat. Poultices can be kept warm by replacing it entirely or using a hot water bottle on top of pack. Do not allow poultice to become cold. Do not reuse poultices. Do not use a poultice on an open wound or burn.

Preparation : Bruise or crush the medicinal parts of the plant to a pulpy mass and heat. If using dried herbs moisten the materials by mixing with a hot, soft, adhesive substance such as moist flour, corn meal, or flaxseed meal. Cleanse skin first with chamomile or mugwort tea or hydrogen peroxide. Apply directly on the skin or wrap the paste or pulp in a wet, hot cloth and wrap the cloth around to retain moisture and heat. If using an irritant herb such as mustard, keep the paste between two pieces of cloth to prevent direct contact with the skin. Use muslin or thin cotton towel to wrap herbs in and cover with towel or plastic to retain heat. Remove before poultice gets cold. A second one can be applied. After removing poultice wash the area with water or herb tea such as chamomile or mugwort.


Bran Poultice: Make a paste with hot water and bran, apply as hot as can be tolerated. Used for inflammations, strains, sprains, bruises.

Bread and Milk Poultice: mix together to make a paste. Used for bringing boils and abscesses to a head.

Cabbage Poultice : Use raw or cooked cabbage. Can use whole leaves layered over area and covered with a hot towel. Has a warming, detoxifying and stimulating effect. Used for ulcers, varicose veins, shingles, eczema, gout, rheumatism, infection. Apply to lower abdomen to promote pelvic circulation and dissolve small fibroids and cysts in pelvic cavity. Used over the liver it will assist in breaking up congestion and detoxify (use only 10 minutes first time and work up to more as it can cause a strong detoxification reaction).

Carrot Poultice: Boil carrots until soft or use raw and mash to a pulp. Mix with small amount of vegetable oil. Used for cysts, tumors, boils, cold sores, impetigo

Clay Poultice: Use clay that has been cleaned of impurities. Mix with water or apple cider vinegar to make a paste. Allow to dry before removing with warm water. Use on inflammatory skin diseases, bruises, sprains, acne, drawing toxins from the skin.

Mustard Poultice: Use powdered mustard and mix with water to make a paste. May need to add flour to hold paste together. Do not apply directly on skin. Wrap in muslin or cheesecloth or cotton towel between skin and paste. Cover with plastic wrap. Remove immediately if stinging or burning occurs. Use with caution. Do not use on sensitive or broken skin. Good for arthritic joints and any condition requiring increased circulation. Used to help relieve congestion, aid asthma, relieve coughs and assists in getting rid of colds and flu when used on the chest.

Onion Poultice - Sautee chopped onion in oil add 1-2 tablespoons of flour and wrap in cheese cloth. Apply to area. Excellent for drawing out impurities. High sulfur content makes it good for inflamed areas.

Potato Poultice : Grate raw potato, mix with boiling water. Used to reduce inflammation as in arthritis. Has soothing and cooling effect.