Heavy Metals & Your Horse

heavy metals and your horse

Heavy metals are everywhere and can negatively impact your horse’s health. Learn what to do about it.

As with most of you, horses are the love and passion of my life. My career of some 30 years involves helping people make good alternative healthcare choices for their horses. That includes making them aware of heavy metals and the toxic effects they have on the body.

The Silent Four

Our environment has been under attack by heavy metal contamination for years. This pollution is in our air, food chain and water sources. It has become a silent killer, and is debilitating to our horses. The four heavy metals of most threat to horses are:

1. Arsenic – organic and inorganic, used as pesticides and weed killers in pastures and nearby agriculture
2. Mercury – contaminates water
3. Lead – contaminates water
4. Aluminum – in large containers used in fields to hold water for horses

I believe toxic metals are the number one barrier to good long term health in horses. They poison every system in the body – today’s horses are facing diseases we have not seen before, such as equine herpes and an overabundance of cancers. Until we clear the way through these toxic metals, our horses will not be able to absorb the nutrients needed for health, healing and longevity.

A horse’s body is made up of trillions of cells. These cells make up tissues, the tissues make up organs, and the organs make up systems. These systems are in charge of your horse’s ability to breathe (respiratory system), his structural system and so forth.

As Seen Through The Eye

I use iridology with all my clients – especially my equine clients. Iridology scientifically and systematically analyzes and interprets the structure of the eye, revealing a “blue print” of the body. Markings that show up within the iris nerve fibers are compared to charts or grids that show the areas of the eye and their connection to corresponding physical systems within the body.

My friend and veterinarian, Dr. Dena Eckerdt, and I developed the first accurate and proven equine iridology grid. It’s designed to show different areas (systems) inside the horse’s body through the eye. It essentially detects inflammation within the body and what stage the inflammation is in. Any discoloration marked inside this grid shows you damaged tissue in that area. This grid has been an exceptional tool for veterinarians and has been used by people all over the world to improve and expand the lives of their horses.

Progressive Tissue Degeneration

Heavy metal contamination shows up in the eye as a dark toxic veil, covering a large part of the iris. This marking seems to spread through the different systems of the horse, destroying healthy tissue as it travels (i.e. kidney, lung, respiratory, etc.). The following picture illustrates the color changes a horse’s eye goes through, showing the damaged tissue in the body and how it can spread.

I call this Progressive Tissue Degeneration (PTD). If there has been enough tissue damage to destroy the urinary, respiratory and intestinal systems, the horse will be unable to survive in most cases.

Zeolite – Ridding The Body Of Heavy Metals

We have been able to stop the spread of PTD by using a liquid mineral called zeolite. This mineral draws (or cages) the toxins to it like a magnet and then removes them from the body. After we have removed the toxins, we can then use any healing modality to replenish and restore the damaged area. Zeolite cannot repair the damage done by heavy metals, it can only stop them from spreading. You must add your own knowledge of healing to restore the areas of concern.

There are several companies in the US (such as Waiora) and Europe that can help you get rid of heavy metals in your horse. If you feel heavy metals could be a concern in your area or horse, contact a holistic or integrative veterinarian to discuss diagnosis and treatment.


As a practicing herbalist, owner of the Herb Farm Company and Through The Eye International, Mercedes Colburn, ND, PhD, was in the business of alternative medicine. She studied with top iridologists in human iridology, but when she lost two of her prized horses to colic her mission changed. She went into research to find the reason for colic, how to prevent it, and how to see it coming through the use of iridology for horses. Iridology was a familiar tool used by Mercedes and has been used as a diagnostic tool since ancient times. Mercedes needed a veterinary consultant; she collaborated with Dena Eckerdt, DVM in creating the “equine iridology grid”. The biggest, and most powerful discovery made was in the intestinal system. Proving the equine iridology grid by means of veterinarians, necropsies, and pathology labs ha s been a journey of great value. Through The Eye International now offers this ‘Equine Iridology’ grid as a much-needed tool for equine veterinarians and therapists. equineiridology.com

  • AW ACADEMY is a natural extension of our 25 years of experience publishing Animal Wellness, Equine Wellness and Innovative Veterinary Care Journal. We believe that everyone has a responsibility to care for animals to the best of their ability utilizing the most natural and minimally invasive means possible. We feel strongly that it’s better to promote a preventative healthy lifestyle for our pets instead of taking a wait-and-see approach. We also fiercely advocate for the quality of animals’ lives, supporting animal rescues and welfare organizations both financially and through our editorial.

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