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Article: Winter 2024 |
LIVING DANGEROUSLY: The Proven Health Risks to You by Pesticide Use with Horses |
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By now, most have heard about the dangers of
pesticides. Extensive scientific research provides evidence that
pesticides have many harmful effects on people, pets, and the entire
natural world ranging from skin rashes, to endocrine and metabolic
disruption, to cancer and even death. Children and pets are
especially vulnerable. Yet, pesticides are used daily on horses from
fly sprays, to direct application, to even the most deadly insult to
health which are the misters that spray on a schedule within the
barn aisles and stalls. I have worked over 30 years as a sports therapist with horses and have had direct contact with the pesticides that have affected my own health and endocrine system.. It is important to me to share light on how we all may be slowly poisoning our health, our loved ones and the natural world of birds, insects, pollinators, pets, groundwater, etc. by innocently using such toxic agents. Spring, summer and fall are the greatest times for flies, mosquitoes, bees, ticks and other flying intruders that wreak havoc with the horses. We all want to protect and comfort our horses and help them to evade Lyme disease, and other ill effects of insects, but it is at a high cost to our own health and that of the natural world. I know we can meet the above objectives for our horses without using chemical, synthetic sprays as pesticides because I actually produced a very popular non- toxic spray that was 90% effective against flies, mosquitoes and ticks etc. I do not produce it anymore because it is not physically possible for me to make it given my reduced living space. I did the research to find out what herbal, non- toxic ingredients would work against flies and ticks etc. Another piece of alarming info is that once the pesticide is sprayed, it does not stay in one place. If it hits the ground , it will travel to other places in soil etc. Once a person can smell it, the person has inhaled it. Take the time to read the instructions on the pesticide bottles. The warnings are really scary. The choice is certainly yours. I remember I told a person who was spraying pesticides in the barn about the dangerous ingredients. She laughingly said to me “ well, I have to die of something”. My response to her was “you do not have to be sick to die!” Alternatives to pesticides exist. Find a very good natural herbal spray that lasts up to 8 hours. If you use pesticides, do not spray in the barn. Take the horse outside and spray outside so you reduce the amount you breath in. Do your homework and research herbal sprays to prevent health problems and to protect the environment. The choice is yours. Be well. Here is a good link for information and alternatives to harmful pesticides. https://www.beyondpesticides.org/ |
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