does anyone want to share home remidies, money savers, and time savers?

[dreamer]

Does anyone have any home remidies and time savers that they want to share?
I was wondering how many different people use home remidies, money saving alternatives, or time savers for around the barn and horse shows, and wondered if people might want to share some, here are some of mine:

Baths: Mix 1 cup of apple cider vinegar in 5 gallons of water and sponge down the horse 's bod to cut any missed soap film, and to help repel flies.

shine and condition the coat: use towels rinsedin buckets of water and baby oil then wrong out and line dried. Rub the horse's coat with them to bring out the shine and condition the coat at the same time.

preventing snow balls on horse's feet: use vasaleen, cooking oil, or backon grees on the bottom of the hooves to prevent snow build up, and make it easer to pick hooves out in the snow. (I use the vasaleen, and it works really well, I put it on thick with an old toothbrush and 1 aplacation can last 2 weeks depending on where your horses are and what the weather conditions are.)

Tail rubbing: spray a 50/50 solution of listereen and baby oil onto the tail and under the dock.

anyone else want to share?

[Myrmex]

If you want to save money and time on bedding, first invest in rubber mats! Using about a third or less of original bedding, you soon get back the cost of the mats (unless you've splashed out on mega-expensive things with names beginning with 'equi'). Much, much easier and quicker to muck out too - ideal for those cold early winter mornings. And if you really want to save money, start collecting old newspapers/office paper, shred it (an adequate shredder costs about £100) and pretty soon you've got free bedding (and it does rot down in the muck heap)!

[bren]

Do you have to get the staples etc out? Cause I thought of getting my hubby to bring home his shredded paper but there would be staples etc in it and I thought that might not be a good idea. Would it hurt them if they ate it?? Cause Marty eats his straw and Im afraid he might eat paper. :)
Actually, rereading my post...I guess I wouldnt use shredded paper unless I did it myself since he might eat it, obviously I wouldnt want him to eat staples! :eek:
On a sidenote I read on an email list of things found in alfalfa cubes such as dead rodents, baling twine and chunks of wire fencing!!! Anyone else hear of things like this? I give both horses a small scoop for a treat, now I look before I give it to them! :eek:

[This message has been edited by bren (edited 25 January 2000).]

[This message has been edited by bren (edited 25 January 2000).]

[Horse Care]

To get information on home remedies, homemade horse treats, information on your favorite breeds, and good grooming tips, go to HORSES AND BITS (http://www.angelfire.com/nc/bits/equine.html). Very good page. Very NEW page, not finished yet. Click under health to see remedies.

[dreamer]

Thanks, it's a great site! :D

[Horselover2]

Hey there Dreamer! Two things that I couldn't do without are: human hand/body lotion, and Neosporin. The Neo is great for cuts/abrasions, and seems to encourage hair growth.

I use the hand lotion for everything from hoof conditioning (make sure to rub it into the coronet band area), mane/tail conditioning, and udder crudder control! My farrier says that as long as it's water based, it is a great hoof treatment.

Another home remedy that I'm going to try is petroleum jelly on the underside of the hoof to help keep the snowballs from forming. I got that idea from another forum I post on, and now I'm thinking it might have some other good uses as well, such as mane/tail conditioning.

To keep the cost down, I buy the generic type of lotion, and if you shop around, you can find the generic that is not watered down.

[cynthia]

i second the vote for Neosporin, as well as Cortaid (even the generic 1% hydrocortisone cream is fine) for cuts/abrasions, without the hair-thinning effects of Betadine. :rolleyes:

also, MINERAL ICE (any generic blue stuff that comes in a jar, used for body aches, muscle pains, etc) - it's fantastic for massaging into achy hocks after a tough workout.

oh yes... i'm a fan of that Static Guard anti-static spray stuff. use it on blankets, use it on your horse, use it on you! great for preventing your that fun all-over electric shock extravaganza that comes from removing a blanket. Raven gets VERY upset with me when that happens!

[Horselover2]

Dreamer, I just noticed that you already suggested the petroleum for snow balls...sorry!

[Myrmex]

Bren - yes, you have to make sure paper-bedding is staple and other junk-free. A friend of mine used to buy it from a police station and it was full of shredded plastic, coke cans and all sorts of other junk. Only 50 p for a huge bale, but her horse soon stepped on something sharp and needed the vet. Also, the stuff is still there in the muck heap after two years, thanks to the plastic... Mine is carefully vetted and I shred it myself, so no problems. Never had a horse eat it either (and my greedy lot would eat almost anything!)

[Allie]

just a thought as to the mineral ice...I know I used it once on my shoulder, and I will never use it again. It works, but it gives a very unpleasant feeling on the skin. Try it sometime on a small portion of your own skin and you will see what I mean.

Another tip for filling hay bags is to drape the bag over an upside down trash can, place the hay on top of it, then just pull up the sides and tighten the string. The hay fits in very neatly and there is less waste.

I also agree with the neosporoin idea. When I bought my first horse years ago, I asked my vet what she reccomended for cuts, and she told me Neosporin is better than most products made specifically for horses.

Also, if you have problems with a grey horse who's hair grows back in black, Aloe Heal seems to be very effective at solving that problem, as long as you put it on once or twice a day, and don't miss any days.

One more, not so much a tip as another use for a common item- in a pinch, a screwdriver makes an excellent hoof pick. My instructor actually uses this instead of a hoof pick i her show kit because it can still function as a screw driver when needed.

Allie :)

[basper]

To hang things up simply use nails,screw eyes, and douple end snaps.There all cheap.
If a halter brakes simply tie it together with bailing twine.If yr horse has fungus put listerine in a spray bottle and simply spray it on the fungus and rub.For a shiny coat mix 1 cup of baby oil,1/4 cup of water, 1/2 a cup of aloa vera, and 1/1 cup of rubbing alcohal.

[clairev]

Struggling with soaking hay in huge buckets of ice cold water at this time of year? Place the filled haynet in a plastic bin and pour over a flask/kettle full of boiling water, put the lid on immediately and this will do the same job with no mess. I have been doing this for the last year with my mare whohas COPD and her chest has remained perfectly clear all winter.

[cynthia]

actually, Allie, i like the mineral ice stuff on MY sore knees, too! i also used something similar when i hurt my neck a couple years ago, and found myself hardly able to move. as a matter of fact, i remember thinking the weird cold/hot sort of thing it did was pleasant, so i guess... to each her own, eh?

Raven seems to rather like it as well. knowing him, i have absolutely NO doubt whatsoever that he'd find a way to tell me if he felt otherwise. :rolleyes:

good idea about the screwdriver/hoofpick, though, especially for shows.