COMFREY LEAF Cut/Sifted (Symphytum Officinale - source: Czech Republic) Comfrey is an herb that has been used for centuries to speed up the mending of broken bones. Used both internally and externally it has shown to be useful in many different types of preparations. However, currently there is much controversy when using Comfrey as it contains an alkaloid called pyrollizidine that is said to cause liver damage. Many practitioners argue this as the ONE study done that shows liver damage used this alkaloid in high concentrations, which led to this conclusion. As with ANY herb, all should be used within reason. Any time any time is used in large concentrations, you can do more harm than good (this also include oxygen and water!!!) So my advice to any interested in using comfrey - research it well and use it wisely and with any herb that may be arguable in its use, give it a break once in a while! There are certainly plenty of herbs out there to rotate use on so herbs with cautions like this one, aren't over used and causing damage. Uses for Comfrey: Natural Anti-inflammatory Speeds mending of broken bones Reduces pain and inflammation in injuries Soothes stings DOSING SINGLE HERBS - the "Four Herb" rule. We apologize for the inconvenience but we do not give dosages for using one herb alone. The reason behind this is it is far easier to overdose using a single herb, than a combination of herbs. We would need a complete health history, complete feed breakdown and even with all the information, it can still be a risk to suggest dosage on single herbs. Therefore, our solution is to recommend the dosage for a minimum "four herb" combination. As herbs work synergistically (supporting each other) it is best to use herbs in combination, rather than alone. If you are wanting to target an herb (say Milk Thistle for the liver) it is very easy to do a simple online search, like “herbs for liver” and come up with several suggestions…milk thistle, marshmallow, ginger, and burdock are a few that pop up that would combine well to enhance liver function. Once you combine these minimum four types of herbs, feed in the following manner… 900-1400lb horse 1-2 tablespoons mixed POWDERED herbs AND/OR ¼ cup mixed chopped herbs Over 1400lbs 2-3 tablespoons mixed powdered herbs AND/OR 1/3 cup mixed chopped herbs 400-900lbs ½ to 1 tablespoon mixed powdered herbs AND/OR ¼ cup mixed chopped herbs Under 400lbs 1-2 teaspoons mixed powdered herbs AND/OR 1 tablespoon mixed chopped herbs Start with minimal dosage. If no changes seen within 2-4 weeks, increase by half dose. We continuously update information on our herbs for relevant information but as information on herbs is rather endless, please conduct your own searches as new information is constantly being uploaded on the internet. As with all herbs, please confirm if it is safe for pregnant or lactating mares before use. *****
