I had no idea what Zeolite was until it saved my horse’s life.
As an owner of quarter and paint horses with mostly white legs, including a horse with an autoimmune disease, I am always on the lookout for unwelcome plants, sun and insects that can lead to skin problems. I do my utmost to keep pastures, stables, stalls, feed and horses in the best possible condition.
My mare Myran has always been extra sensitive to sun and suffered from flaky skin on her legs during the summer, so in the fall of 2023 I visited Kerstin Bergvall (specialist in skin health SLU), where we took extended blood samples without abnormal findings.
A couple of months later, after wearing bellboots with sheepskin lining, small, small blisters appeared on both front legs. This became a gateway for bacteria and developed extremely quickly into skin problems such as mold and rashes. The legs swelled and we took further tests this time at Mälarens hästklinik in Sigtuna, which were analyzed in the lab. The results were not unusual; we found common bacteria and streptococci within the normal range.
The skin problems were treated in consultation with the veterinarian with penicillin, salicylic acid vaseline, alcogel, daily washes with hibiscus scrub, bandages, cotton wool, cortisone and antibiotic ointment. There were a few emergency visits to the vet (in addition to our scheduled visits) because it was impossible to approach her legs despite giving her dormosedan gel.
Ant was not allowed out when it rained and we were in a very rainy period which forced me to let her move around the riding arena as often as I could, until the day the skin started to fall off.
In further consultation with the vet, I continued with a milder treatment and increased the dose of cortisone. I spent 4-6 hours a day taking care of her legs, and the rest of the time my mind was occupied with trying to find a new treatment, a new ointment or a new answer.
The questions grew; how long should I continue? – Where do you draw the line? – Should I give up – Should I put her down?
All I could talk about were all my theories and recent advances with new products and ointments, hoping to get some input that would lead me towards new answers. My horse suffered – and so did I.
At this stage, I was given the number of Ola who started and runs VendilCare. One call later, and Ola comes over with 10 kg of zeolite (clinoptilolite).
I started feeding with 2 dl Total Support in the daily concentrate and the wounds with the same powder that I applied to the legs daily. I did this in combination with phasing out the cortisone instead of increasing the dose as advised.
Already in the first week I saw results as she did not get worse with less dose of cortisone. A few weeks later, with only one leg wash per week with mild shampoo and daily treatment with Total Support, the scabs started to fall off, the fur started to grow back and the wounds started to heal.
Zeolite is not medicine and maybe I shouldn’t call anything a miracle cure, but it was just what my mare needed. I do not advise anyone to stop the cortisone treatment and go against the advice of the veterinarian. In my case, I had to try something else for the good of the horse.
I now have a fully healthy mare who is fully recovered and can go out when it rains. She has also been able to graze in the sun without any signs of skin problems.
After this experience, we have found our red line and are developing more and more products containing Zeolite.
