Manuka Honey

It all started when Simon was born with "windswept" hind legs.  The vet told us this happens when the foal's legs are off to one side in the womb, rather than tucked under it.  Our challenge would be to straighten his legs and ankles, but yet allow his flexor tendons to strengthen.  I would hold him in my lap while Rod wrapped each leg in cotton batting and gauze, applied a splint, then wrapped tightly with bandaging tape.  Twice a day we had to remove the splints and bandaging for a couple of hours to allow the tendons to strengthen, then reapply again.  His ankles were a bigger problem.  We fashioned a number of high top stiff shoes, but even though we padded them, they caused abrasions.  Infection was a threat.  A friend of ours, who works at an animal hospital, mentioned treating her bunny's torn ear with honey.  Through research we discovered manuka honey from New Zealand was an especially good healer.  We applied it each time to the abrasions, then covered again with gauze and bandaging.  The manuka honey worked like magic.

Simon wearing his plastic bag boots over his splints/bandaging in the tall wet grass

Simon's splints and supplies

Simon now has wonderful straight legs, but we were not successful in straightening his ankles.  Rod trims his hooves at an angle so that Simon can walk on them and not be lame.  He enjoys his life on the farm...Just tires a bit more easily than the others.

This spring we were presented with another problem.  When Nicolina was a couple days old Rod noticed Niadema, her mother, had  terribly chapped teats and was in agony when her foal nursed.  There are commercial udder balms that work great, but we needed something that wouldn't harm the foal.  Manuka honey to the rescue once again!  We applied the honey every two hours at first.  Niadema seemed to find the application of the honey very soothing.  Unfortunately, Nicolina caught on fast that when we applied the honey to her mother's teats, warm "honey milk" was on tap!  She would come on the run.  Even with all that, Niadema's teats totally peeled and grew new soft skin in a week's time.  All is well and back to normal once again!

Neadema and her honey loving honey

It was in the late 19th century that the antibacterial virtue of honey was discovered.  Since then researchers have found honey also stimulates tissue repair and reduces pain with its anti-inflammatory action.  The degree to which honey is effective depends on the nectar source of the bees.  Most manuka flowers contain a high concentration of dihydroxyacetone which bees convert to the antibacterial methylglyoxal (MG.)

Going back to little Simon's ordeal, he loved for me to sing him lullabies while in my lap having his splints/bandaging changed by Rod.  His dutiful mother, SunRise, hovered over him, totally trusting us.  Eventually the other little foals liked to "help," too, often removing Rod's hat from his head and being in general natural loving little nuisances!

Attentive Mom

Little Lap Baby sound asleep, 6 days old

All our work was made so much easier by our sweet critters and the healing powers of manuka honey!