Nigella Sativa; Black Cumin Miracle Seed for Horses?

There are no absolutes when it comes to improving a horse’s health or soundness, and certainly no ‘miracles’ per se, but there are proven herbs which can dramatically impact their health.  Nigella sativa or Black Cumin, is one of those herbs which has been tightly revered in Ayurvedic Medicine as being a ‘Black Miracle’ of sorts.  In the right circumstances, Nigella sativa, when applied properly, can dramatically impact many conditions in the horse, especially digestive health and overall mood.

When it comes to health in the horse, as in humans, it is all about restoring balance.  When there is a lack of health, then there is an imbalance.  Determining the imbalance and rectifying it are the keys to recovery and sometimes are a challenge to determine.

With that being said, there are thousands of herbs available that have proven health and medicinal benefits, but not every herb is correct for every horse.  The reason for this is the energy and properties of the herb.  Some are heating, some are cooling, some are drying, some are moisturizing, some promote blood circulation, while others build blood.  Use the wrong herb and side effects can sometimes quickly be noted.  The good news with herbs is that even if the ‘wrong’ herb is chosen for your horse and side effects are noted, if you stop the herb, the negative effects usually dissipate within 24-48 hours.

Nigella sativa Properties in the Horse

Nigella sativa or Black Cumin, is a very popular herbs in Ayurvedic medicine with many proposed applications.  By nature, Nigella sativa is a warm to hot herb, with some referring to it as being ‘spicy’. Personally, I don’t think that it is ‘spicy’ or even extremely hot, but it is a warming herb.  These warming properties can have many benefits.

Nigella sativa is a little black seed and in that seed are many phytochemicals with tremendous medicinal properties, including the oils present, and a chemical called Thymoquinone.  Nigella sativa has demonstrated tremendous anti-inflammatory properties, digestive benefits, anti-cancer benefits, and antioxidant properties.  The warming or heating properties of Nigella sativa are viewed as benefiting digestion and digestive associated ailments, mainly because the digestive tract likes to be warm, like a pot boiling water.  The warming properties also benefit circulation and help to ‘destagnate’ the body in various areas from joints to reproductive organs, helping to move blood and remove toxins.

Nigella sativa is commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine to benefit joint issues, digestive ailments, liver and kidney complaints,  increase energy, reproductive problems in both men and women, respiratory conditions such as asthma and bronchitis, skin disorders, and many other inflammatory conditions.

The prophet Muhammad was quoted as saying “the little black seed can cure everything except death.”

How To Use Nigella sativa in the Horse

Now, with all of that being said, we have to remember that not every herb is appropriate for every horse.  Same with all supplements.  This is why many horse owners use what others are using but fail to get results or even make the problem worse in their horse.

The conditions mentioned above that Nigella sativa can benefit are almost always associated with ‘cold’ or Vata dosha associated problems.  These conditions often become worse when weather is colder, such as in the winter time.  Nigella sativa is said to benefit Vata and Kapha doshas, meaning it benefits generally those colder natured and often thinner horse, and also benefits those easier keeper horses with metabolic problems and maybe winter laminitis.   For more information on doshas and Ayurvedic medicine, I recommend our book “Herbs and Whole Foods in the Horse“.

Determining the source of imbalance in your horse is key to their recovery.  Given that Nigella sativa is a heating herb, we would not want to use this on a horse that is hot-natured with gastric ulcers.  We also would not want to use this on a Thoroughbred horse that is on the race track with high loads of gains going into their body.  In these situations, you will be adding more heat to an already heated condition and thus more likely to make matters worse in the horse.

For me, Nigella sativa is used as an ‘add-on’ herb, meaning that I will add it to a current herbal regimen if a horse appears to need a boost in their recovery.  I rarely recommend using it alone as a ‘stand alone’ therapy, as it is best used in combination with other herbs to keep dose down, reduce potential negative effects, and increase synergism to create benefits.

Nigella sativa or Black Cumin benefits those horses with:

• I like Nigella sativa in those horses that have a hard time with the winter and the cold, implying those horses that need blankets, shiver in the rain, or tend to just shut down and become stagnant in the winter.
• I also like Nigella sativa in the colder times to help improve mood in some horses that seem to be depressed or ‘stuck’ in their mood, either being lazy or just defiant.  Nigella sativa can really seem to lift mood due to its warming properties and ability to get things moving.
• Horses with arthritic or joint conditions that are worse in the winter or colder and damper conditions often benefit as well.
• I will also use Nigella sativa for digestion support in those horses receiving heavy loads of Yin herbs, or those horses that are colder natured and have equine fecal water syndrome to any degree.  Even horses that are colder natured and have excess gas, irritable bowel syndrome, and even sometimes ulcerative colitis and gastric ulcers can benefit nicely.
• Nigella sativa can also be a tremendous benefit to those horses with equine metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance, that have become overweight, sluggish, and demonstrate poor circulation to the feet or other areas.
• Nigella sativa can also be of a huge benefit for those horses with COPD with mucous or phlegm.

Additionally, being that Nigella sativa is an ‘acrid’ or spicy herb, this means that it tends to also target the lungs or respiratory system.  Thus, Nigella sativa can be of benefit in those horses with COPD and mucous production, asthma, sinus conditions, and bronchitis.

The starting dose, considering Nigella sativa is used in combination with other herbal formulas, is 1/2-1 tsp of the powdered form, once to twice daily.  This dose can be increased if there is a lack of response, but definitely do not increase or even consider using if your horse is ‘hot-natured’ and anxious as a result.  Those horses that are colder and anxious can benefit, however.

Get Nigella sativa powder here. 

Author:  Tom Schell, D.V.M, CVCH, CHN