Imaginative Horse Care

[Tiz]

Pine Sol for fungus.
I'm going to try the aloe vera juice, and I love the Therma Care idea in abcessed foot wraps. Hope I don't get to use it very soon though.

This is a useful thread. Thanks for thinking of it.

[Cathyleabo]

What circumstances do you use the Benadryl for?

[madelyn]

I don't know about Benadryl, but I buy generic guaifenisine (sp?) for cough and snotty nose, in the biggest bottle Walmart carries. A syringe of 10cc down the throat goes a long way.

[Lisann]

I've given Benedryl for antihistimine/allergy properties at my vet's recommendation. It seems like a lot compared to what people get(I gave 8-10 tabs to a 850lb horse). Zeus had gotten into a nest of ground hornets and had 20-30 stings on his face/neck. I wouldn't use it for anything serious, but it does alleviate allergic response. Ground the tabs up and fed with his grain.

[Shammy Davis]

Thanks for all the posts. I was hoping we could keep this thread going, but I guess everyone is out of imagination.

What about some old remedies that have passed the test of time? Old remedies like sugar and iodine to draw an abcess.

[madelyn]

Sugar mixed with Furasone makes a great drawing poultice with antibiotics.

Furasone with DMSO is a great poultice over a swelling you thing might have an infection with no present wound to treat.

Epsom salts in water helps to soak an abscess up to the surface. A store-bought neoprene elbow brace makes for a great support for a sesamoid fracture.

Regular old laundry bleach is a must have around the barn. It is the ultimate thrush buster, rain rot killer, and feeder/bucket disinfectant.

A standard office staple remover is great to have to take out the staples a couple of weeks after the vet put them in.

[Lisann]

One from an old farrier I used in MI:
Bacon grease to "oil" hooves

[Cathyleabo]

We have used Bacon grease to kill ring worm at first appearance.

[TBLADY]

Cut an old flip flop in half...the perfect size to pad a sore hoof...wrape in duct tape!

Shallow rubber ground feeders make greathoof soaking buckets. Not tall enough to kick over and send evernyone back to the house for dry clothes! The Soft rubber offers a nice soft spot on sore tootsies!

END DUST- spray on a cloth and quickly wipe over horse...helps remove some of the deep down dust...(for those indoor arena rollers!)

Iodine and RAW SUGAR mixed into a paste for deep wounds, helps promote tissue growth and keeps proud flesh at bay.

When I was a kid in Fla. the old trainers would do the karosine in a can thing...the whole barn smelled like a truck stop...as did the tack and you and anything the horse came into contact with....but it does work very well.

[Tiz]

Kerosene for what, TB?

[TBLADY]

As mentioned earlier in this thread Kerosene as a fly repellent. Dampen an old cloth leave it in a can and when needed lightly wipe the horse down...like the old fly wipe. Persoanlly I could never get over the smell.
I will say though after a few days of the K2 wipe, when you give the horse a bath, it sure does shine!

[cewright]

We use disposable diapers as hoof bandages. The adhesive tabs make them easy to apply, then we wrap with vet wrap.

Chuck

[Shammy Davis]

I noticed that many of you use the duct tape/diaper combo to bandage and protect injured or infected hooves. If I'm in a rush, I soak the diaper in the medicine/solution I'm using and then apply to the hoof with duct tape. Saves my time and the horse can get back to grazing etc. The bandage normally stays in place through the night, if I'm lucky.

[TB Dreamin']

I agree w/Madelyn on the dollar store...we go there for everything: duct tape (WAY cheaper), lady's hair brushes(work super for tails and cost 1/3 the price of the Oster brand, etc), spray bottles (my goodness, who can argue-I use spray bottles for everything, fly spray, of course, navels come foaling season, Miracle spray for puppy accidents/cat throw-up-ONE can NEVER have too many spray bottles), sponges for tack cleaning/horse washing, just TOO much too mention.

For bots, I carefully use lady's disposable razors. Works like a charm.

[fort_falcon]

I make up a wound spray of my own...it's so cheap - take a table spoon of Raw, unfiltered honey; an entire Bulbine plant; and a half a shot of Vodka - throw it all into a blender - blend until liquid then filter out the pulp and the remaining liquid goes into a spray bottle (I also LOVE spray bottles)..this can be sprayed directly onto the wound, at any time and there's no need to wash it off....This spray is especially good with minor wounds like grazes, scrathes, speedy-cuts etc...

* Bulbine is very common in gardens - especially here, but i think it grows pretty much everywhere these days....

If you use iceman or a similar cooling gel on legs/joints/muscle injuries, mix 15-20 drops of Arnica Oil in....it makes such a difference in relief time, but just be advised DONT bandage over it...Arnica Oil does blister when it's covered up....this mix is especially good for treating inflamed knees, and back injuries.