Many readers recognize their own horses in my articles and often contact me for dosing instructions. Though there’s a lot to understand about dosing, I give them a simple pattern to follow that I know will be successful. This pattern is either 12c, 2x/day for two weeks or 30c, 2x/day for three days. The first is generally for use alongside other medications (to avoid antidoting). The second is for horses that are medication-free, where we are fairly confident of the remedy choice.

Understanding Potencies

But what do the above numbers and dosing frequencies mean? Basically, higher numbers are a higher potency. High potencies elicit big responses right away. As I have learned through experience, big responses can be dangerous. Because of the reactive nature of horses, low repeated doses are the best approach.

Less is More When it Comes to Dosing

I favor 12c doses whenever possible. The advantage to using a 12c potency is that you can “test” the reaction. If, after several doses, the remedy appears to aggravate rather than aid the situation, it will “wear off” more quickly if not repeated. Lower potencies only “last” if they are repeated over days or weeks. More importantly, the reaction(s) will be more subtle. When high doses (200c) are used, they are given only once and, because of this, can easily be antidoted or relapsed by other (often unknown) influences. Low repeated doses prevent these scenarios.

Another reason for low doses is that the first remedy is not always the right one. Because remedies can share some of the same symptoms in various systems, the process of elimination can still leave you with five to 12 promising remedies to choose from. If you “miss” your mark, the symptoms unique to the remedy the horse really needs will be temporarily enhanced, and/or new ones may appear. This allows you to narrow your choices further by working off these symptoms.

Evaluating Treatment

What should you look for after dosing? Mind symptoms are resolved first, which means the horse will demonstrate an improved mental state. He could seem calmer and more settled, or demonstrate “frisky” behavior if he was previously in a dull or weakened state. Aggressive behavior would indicate an aggravation.

If a remedy is successful, its action will continue after the dosing ends. You may realize three to six months later that issues you had learned to live with have simply vanished.

The most important thing to know about dosing is that more is not better. Ever. You should not consider re-dosing unless you see clear regression or a resurgence of symptoms after a long symptom-free period. This is because repeating doses too early can re-ignite the original symptoms! (And at that point, the remedy is of no use in resolving them.)

There are many details to consider when treating a horse and then evaluating that treatment. But overall, your approach should be to use conservative dosing and intense observation in the days during and following treatment.

Susan L. Guran is a Homeopathic Practitioner treating animals in Vermont. She owns and operates The Horse’s Touch as a PATH certified instructor. homeopathyhorse.com