Homeopathy for Horses

This book, described as a reference for veterinary practitioners, equine therapists and horse owners is by far the most comprehensive book on homeopathy for horses that is currently available. Tim Couzens’ book joins the ranks of the three leading books of this type: ie George MacLeod's The Treatment of Horses by Homeopathy (UK), Mark Elliot and Tony Pinkus's Horses and Homeopathy, A Guide for Yard and Stable (UK) and Susan Shaw's Homeopathy for Horses (Canada). A reference book containing this degree of detail has been long awaited in the field of equine homeopathy and Tim Couzens has produced a book that was well worth waiting for.

The book opens with an introduction to homeopathy that includes sections on Constitutional Remedies, Types and Vital Signs. The author divides the main body of the book into sections based primarily on body systems but including sections on The Foal, Poisoning, Vaccines, Vaccination Reactions, Vaccinosis and Nosodes, Pre- and Post-Operative Homeopathy, First Aid and Emergency Care and Remedies for the First Aid Kit. He follows this with an Equine Materia Medica and glossary. Finally, he provides sections on further reading, useful addresses and a very comprehensive index. The layout is easy to follow and information can be accessed quickly and predictably.

At the beginning of the book the author adds a disclaimer that advises readers to consult a qualified veterinary surgeon to obtain accurate diagnosis and to ensure that suffering is avoided. I would have liked a similar disclaimer at the beginning, directing readers to seek the advice of a qualified veterinary homeopath in chronic and complex cases (the author mentions a preference for working under the guidance of a homeopathic veterinary surgeon in the Constitutional Remedy section but it is not emphasised). In addition, a clearer perspective on the depth and breadth of homeopathy including the study of homeopathy, current requirements for those wishing to become a qualified veterinary homeopath and the law with regard to the treatment of horses with homeopathy would be beneficial. There is a danger that without these facts horse owners and conventional veterinary surgeons may believe this type of guide is all there is to homeopathy.

The Introduction section contained some lesser recounted facts such as Hippocrates use of Veratrum album to cure cholera, to whet the appetites of homeopaths who have read introductory sections a million times over! This section flows well and provides a lot of information in an easily readable style. Some areas might be confusing for someone with no knowledge of homeopathy at all such as the section on Using a Repertory and Materia Medica, or the short introduction to miasms as these are likely to be unfamiliar terms to most who have not studied homeopathy and are not supported with case examples to show how they are applied. The author's description of what makes up a homeopathic symptom is excellent and a very useful inclusion for veterinary surgeons not familiar with homeopathy. The term constitutional remedy is used throughout the book to mean a remedy covering the totality of symptoms and the constitution of an animal which might be misleading. It was, however, good to see a section on constitutional types with associated conditions and remedies plus the inclusion of a section on vital signs, eg capillary refill time (CRT) and digital pulse. Under each constitutional picture the author follows brief information on the remedy with sections on First impression, Psychological type, Main health issues, Key pointers, Modalities and Remedy interactions.

In the pathology section the author has done an excellent job of including a comprehensive conventional condition guide that includes commonly used terminology for conditions that can trip up many people working with horses and especially those less familiar with horse speak. The author provides a clear and concise account of the conventional disease descriptions and gives some indications regarding the general management of horses with some of the conditions, eg Sweet Itch. He has included the major notifiable diseases of horses within this work and adds a caution to this effect; however, you have to search the notes page to find what that means which concerns me with a book aimed at the general public as well as veterinary surgeons. Much of this section would require veterinary knowledge to get to the specific conditions; however, there are broader headings such as cough and diarrhoea which do provide an easier way in for the lay reader. Remedies are listed under each condition alphabetically and include brief keynotes and a short description for each. Readers can obtain further information regarding each remedy by referring to the Equine Materia Medica section. There are many lesser known remedies included throughout the book which could not be arrived at easily by repertorisation, eg fears the inside of the horsebox specifically: Succinum. These inclusions provide valuable information for veterinary homeopaths as well as the conventional vet and horse owner. I have a personal unease about the information given for use of nosodes in place of vaccination within the vaccination section and would have preferred the reader to be directed to obtain advice from a qualified veterinary homeopath.

In the Materia Medica section the author provides two very good sections on the Bowel nosodes and Tissue salts as well as the standard alphabetically arranged remedies which he breaks down under the headings keynotes, modalities, remedy interactions and principal equine indications. The clear section on modalities is very good to see and serves to reinforce the importance of them in differentiating between remedies. Once again the author has included some lesser known remedies which will stimulate the veterinary homeopath to do further reading.

Overall I think this is an excellent addition to the homeopathic library and is a long overdue text. It does have a place as a useful reference for veterinary homeopaths working with horses as well as for those with little or no homeopathic knowledge. Case studies and photographs would be excellent additions in the next edition as would a section on current research in homeopathy for the conventional veterinary surgeon who buys this book!