Andrea Baldwin
Calendula
Calendula, Calendula officinalis, is a happy plant that shares its delightful golden yellow blooms throughout the summer months. Easy to grow, it prefers full sun and well-drained soil for the most abundant blooms.
Some herbalists have coined Calendula as “herbal sunshine,” which is an apt name considering it is often used “for places the sun doesn’t shine,” such as areas of excess dampness in the body, swollen lymphatics, wounds, yeast infections, and gastrointestinal inflammation or ulcers.
The energy of Calendula is mildly warming and drying, and the taste is spicy and bitter. The petals are used in infusions and tinctures, while the whole flowers can be used for oil infusions or salves.
Anti-inflammatory/Vulnerary/Topical Applications
Calendula is a vulnerary, which is a substance used to promote the healing of wounds. Calendula has a long history of use as a regenerative to damaged tissue, due to its antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antifungal properties.
Calendula can be used as an infusion or as an infused oil for topical applications. Calendula flowers steeped in hot water for 30 to 60 minutes work well when applied topically to bug bites, tick bites, wounds, skin irritations, and burns. It is especially effective for damp, puffy red wounds to speed healing and prevent infections.
An oil infused with Calendula is also wonderful for topical applications. Good oil choices are neutral oils such as sesame and sunflower or a slightly warming oil like olive. An oil infusion is easy to make and great to have on hand for all sorts of skin irritations.
Lymphatic Support
A gentle lymphatic tonic, Calendula petals are easy to add to your horse’s feed bucket to support lymphatic drainage. Calendula combines well with cleavers, burdock, and violet to support the lymphatic system.
Digestive Support
Healing to mucous membranes, Calendula is used in formulas for gastrointestinal issues such as ulcers. Calendula can be combined with other gut-soothing herbs such as plantain, marshmallow, chamomile, or licorice to heal irritation.
Mouth Rinse
An infusion of calendula can be used to rinse your horse’s mouth after dental treatments to help heal ulcers and sore or bleeding gums.
Eye Compress
An infusion of calendula applied as a compress held over the eye can be very soothing for any sort of eye irritation.
Flower Essence
The flower essence of Calendula is like a warm hug, helping to ground us and appreciate our surroundings.
DOSAGE
Tincture: 1.5–5 ml up to three times daily
Infusion: 2–4 tsp of flowers to 8 oz of hot water, allow to steep for an hour. This can be poured over grain ration/chopped hay twice daily. This recipe can also be used for the many uses of a topical infusion.
Oil Infusion: See sidebar for directions. {if we don’t run sidebar: “As needed up to 4 times daily.”
CONTRAINDICATIONS
Avoid using this herb if your horse is pregnant. Allergies to Calendula topically and internally can occur although very rare.
Calendula is a fabulous herb to have on hand for all the many nicks, cuts, burns, and bug bites we often encounter with our horses. This golden yellow beauty is also healing to the gut mucosa and gently moves lymphatics to support wellness in your horse.
Andrea Baldwin is a Clinical Herbalist with training in various herbal traditions, including Western, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurvedic and Native American. As a lifelong horse guardian, she believes that herbs and other holistic modalities, when used thoughtfully, offer the gentlest and most powerful way to bring balance to your horse. Andrea is the co-author of Equine Herbal and Energetics and founded EquiBotanical to empower others to restore balance