EQUINE HOME REMEDIES, HARMFUL OR HELPFUL

Over the years I have taken note of some of the  most bazaar practices that people truly believe in and it's made me think...where in the world did these people get this from...First off, when using any home remedy you really are taking a gamble, especially if it is anything like the ones that I have witnessed being in use.  Horses are resilient but that does not mean that they will not be harmed by some old back yard remedy that someone handed down from Lord knows where and it sounded  like it just may do the trick. 

There are things that work..but  just be careful and use judgment and proceed with caution if you plan on treating your animal with some strange and unfamiliar back yard solution.

I guess the best plan of action if you are willing to risk the outcome..if you can, educate yourself..We have a wonderful tool, the Internet that will give you all the information that you are looking for..some of it true, and some of it, not so true.  You have to decide what works best for you, but in saying that if you have gone and done some research..at least you have done that no matter what the outcome.

Horses are expensive to have..feeding and the care, especially if something goes wrong and they need medical attention.  If you have been around horses a long time hopefully you have gained some knowledge that helps where you can handle a simple medical situation on your own and save yourself some money by not having to call the vet.  Just being able to determine if a situation is serious enough  and the vet has to be called or it is something that you can deal with makes a world of difference.   I have known people that are totally reliant on their veterinarian for every thing  and they don't know or trust themselves to handle basic horse management and medical care.  The vet loves those kinds of people, he knows he got money coming with owners like that...Education is key.

So here are a few of those down home remedies that either shocked me or ...made me happy that I tried them.

1.  Used motor oil---Now I have seen two situations where this has been used, and one is totally toxic and dangerous..and I can not believe that this is the thought that this works in this capacity.  Do not use used motor oil as a mange/fungus remedy and or a means to heal wounds.  Yep I am serious.  I witnessed a horse that was having a very serious bout with summer sores and had a contagious fungus that ran through the stable, and on top of that had a few bouts with hives.  I was asked what to do for the situation, gave my opinion and treated the horse properly.  The only concerning issue was the fungus that had gotten on each horse in the stable..my remedy was a mixture of Listerine and water, and an iodine soap bath, leaving the lather on for a while till it almost started to dry on the coat.  This has always worked for me, if you are searching for a very practical and reasonable method of treatment this is an inexpensive remedy.  Anyway, this particular owner was not wanting to wait and went  a head and listened to  other horse owners that tried everything but never called the vet,  and  doused the entire horse with used motor oil.  When I visited that ranch a few days later, I thought they had gotten a new horse.  The beautiful chestnut horse I was working on had turned into a beautiful horse of a different color..of which I had to find out the hard way by going over to admire the horse and he rubbed on my clothing and there I was full of motor oil and ruined clothing.  Now, used motor oil is toxic to just throw back into the earth and that is why there is a specific disposal protocol for used motor oil.  It is toxic for the horse more than anyone would consider.  It seeps into the skin, and the toxins build up into the liver and kidneys and can cause irreparable damage.  Just not a good idea.  So don't do the used motor oil remedy for any skin ailments.  It just does not work.

On the hoofs as an oil treatment, once in a while, not everyday, yes I have used this and I can recommend this as a product that can be used.  Now once again, you do what you feel is right but used motor oil is on my establishment. Hoof moisture is maintained from within, what you put on the hooves is not your real solution.it goes deeper than what most people would think.

2.  Bleach for thrush--yes this works..but..there are a few drawbacks.  It hardens the sole and the frog making it less pliable and shock absorbing.  It can also stop working as fast as it  started  working.  The bacteria that causes thrush is wicked and sometimes can stand up to bleach, or any other product you choose to use.  If you have a rough case of thrush and it never seems to go away.. I have a great product( a secret potion) that I sell that is my own ingredient and remedy, if interested contact me for more information and also there other steps necessary to combat thrush that has become a problem that keeps coming back, something else we can discuss if anyone is in need of some ideas. 

3. Using bran mash everyday--well, this is not a good idea and I have seen horses live with their owners making a bran mash every single day because if they did not, the horse would colic.  This throws off the calcium phosphorus levels in the animal and if unbalanced enough you are setting your horse up for a possible heart attack. Any horse that needs bran mash everyday, well there is something else going on there and maybe you do need to seek out your vet for some advice and if your vet gave you this advice, maybe it is time to seek for another vet.

These are just some of the remedies that I have seen being used and if you have some that are known to work, or have given bad results  lets discuss this on the blog and see if we cant caution or recommend to other readers.

Thanks for stopping in!