Abigail Thrush Bio

A lifelong love of horses

Abigail Thrush has been part of the equine world since before she could form words. As she tells it, her earliest involvement was “vaguely against my will”, but the decision to stay has very much been her own. Over the years, she has explored disciplines ranging from showing to endurance, building a connection with horses that goes far beyond competition.

Cross-country has always held a special place in her heart, largely because her heart horse loved it so completely. For Abigail, riding was never simply about the discipline, the results, or the next event. It was about sharing that experience with a particular horse.

When her mare could no longer compete, Abigail’s decision was straightforward: she would stop competing too. Her horse had developed chronic ulcers, and protecting her health became more important than any sporting ambition.

When care sparked questions

The search for ways to manage her horse’s ulcers led Abigail’s mother to explore alternative options. Abigail was initially sceptical, referring to them as “woo-woo stuff”. Yet that experience became part of a much bigger question: how do horse owners decide what to use, and how much scientific evidence supports those choices?

It was a question rooted in personal experience, not just academic curiosity. She understood the desire to help a horse when its health becomes the centre of daily life, and the uncertainty that can come with looking for answers.

An unexpected academic path

Abigail describes her studies as a “trust the process” journey. She began her undergraduate degree at the University of Pretoria intending to study a BSc in Genetics and Chemistry. After some learning curves, a few tears, and a change of direction she had not anticipated, she completed a BSc in Plant Sciences instead.

What first looked like an unexpected detour opened a door she had not imagined. She went on to complete her BSc Honours in Medicinal Plants, bringing her scientific studies closer to the questions that had emerged from her life with horses.

Looking beyond tradition

Her honours project explored which plant-based and alternative medicines were being used in South Africa’s equine industry, seeking to quantify and describe those practices.

The findings reinforced her concern that a treatment’s popularity does not necessarily mean it has strong scientific support. In her original account of the research, Abigail reflected that horses can sometimes recover despite what people do, rather than because of it. She encountered practices that, in her assessment, had little supporting evidence or evidence that raised concerns.

Understanding the people behind the choices

Abigail wanted to understand why owners turned to these treatments. She concluded that many were acting out of desperation, either because nothing was working or because effective treatments were unavailable to them.

Financial constraints and geographical barriers could put those treatments out of reach. These challenges helped shape her MSc research and her aim to make science-backed equine care more accessible.

Research with a purpose

Now an MSc candidate in Paraclinical Veterinary Sciences at the University of Pretoria, Abigail is investigating secondary plant metabolites as potential antivirals for common viruses seen in horses. Her work explores whether these plant compounds could have a useful role, rather than assuming that a plant-based approach is effective simply because it is natural.

Her broader mission is to contribute to the development of equine veterinary care that is grounded in science and accessible to as many people as possible. It is a goal that brings together her background in medicinal plants, her research interests, and her lifelong commitment to horses.

At the heart of Abigail’s story is the belief that people try to do their best for the horses they love. Better knowledge creates an opportunity to make better choices. For her, scientific curiosity and compassion belong together.

This research dovetails perfectly with the ethos of DLF: bringing modern science to ancient knowledge to develop non-toxic solutions for insect control and hygiene in general, for healthier humans and the animals in our care.