getting back on the horse: how manuka honey healed tahi

Jo organised Ann and Laurence to come and present us with the everything we need to know about the honey on the farm, including a tasting. We also discussed the medicinal and antibacterial properties of Manuka honey when applied topically, which sparked a lot of conversation and questions.

Following the presentation, each of us ladies were given a gift bag with some info, The True Honey Co. newsletter and a sample pot of Manuka honey.

I kept the honey for a rainy day – which just so happened to be when my horse got kicked in the hock whilst out trekking.

The original wound did not look severe and after being soaked in the cold fresh river water to reduce swelling we had no lameness so we rode out the next day, happy as.

One morning two weeks later, Tahi’s leg was swollen to the size of a balloon (despite keeping it clean) and the wound was open and oozing puss. Still not lame but obviously infected. I popped him on the float and took him into meet with my equine Vet.

The Vet was a little worried as the cut turned out to be quite deep, having opened up further due to the location of the cut (through the movement of his leg). It had obviously got some form of debris in there and it became infected. He was given an injection of Penicillin and his leg bandaged, and we were sent home with some antibiotics.

I’d previously read about moist healing and its properties, together with what I learnt about the Manuka honey and its antibacterial properties I decided to combine the two together.

The Vet advised me that if I was to use Manuka honey it had to have a high MGO rating, which my sample pot was. So I dug out my little sample pot of 300+MGO Manuka honey from The True Honey Co.

At the first bandage change, the wound was in fact very deep and weeping. I put a good dollop of honey on the wound, pressed a sterile bandage on top and then wrapped the wound. I did this every three days for the next three weeks.

The cut was 2cm deep, very nearly down to the bone, albeit not very big to look at.

Each time I unwrapped the wound it looked markedly better. No re-infection and a nice clean cut underneath. The honey was gone each time I unwrapped, perhaps it was absorbed into the skin. I was very generous in application too.

I credit the perfect knitting of skin back together, the lack of re-infection and the fact there is no scar there at all to the Manuka honey in combination with the wrapping. He did not try to scratch or bite at the cut – which so many horses do ­– which I also credit to the honey keeping the wound soothed and itch free. In less than two weeks, the wound had resealed and by the third week mark it was growing hair again which I feel was very rapid recovery. A great result!

I have a fair idea on animal physiology, with is being my major at university so I don’t feel like I’m just making things up, ha ha.. It’s more about applying  knowledge together which proved to be amazing! I won’t hesitate to use it again especially being a naturally sourced, chemical free product.”