Inexpensive Grooming Products

[Vindicated]

I am wondering if there are inexpensive options for grooming products. With four horses it feels like I am always buying grooming products; sunscreen, coat conditioners, show sheens, hoof conditioners, ect.

I give up on flyspray, all of the "homemade" recipes don't seem to work-so I am resigned to buying that.

Does anyone have any recipes for any of these? I know years ago my farrier told me to use motor oil on my horses feet-that just sounds odd to me...

[analise]

Have successfully used baby oil for detangling manes and tails (and I'm talking, one tail in particular was a big matted mess of burrs. It was more a club than a tail! But with some persistent work, a patient mule, and a lot of baby oil, we persevered!).

[sublimequine]

Don't use anything on their feet. Most conditioners are bad for the hoof anyways, generally speaking. :)

[JSwan]

We've discussed this before but I'm not sure what search terms you'd use to locate those threads.

But it would be fun to start over because folks always seem to have good ideas.

I use Ivory dish soap for bathing horses - they get lots of baths. I buy it at the dollar store but you can get large bottles at wal mart or the grocery store.

Hoof dressing -I'll probably get flamed for this but my farrier gave me his recipe. Pine tar and iodine. I soften the Pine tar in a little turpentine and then mix it with iodine. (I bought the empty tin can with a brush in the lid over at the feed store)

I don't use fly spray anymore. I buy DEET at Wal-mart - got that suggestion here. Saved me a fortune and it works better than any fly spray out there. I spray a little onto an applicator and just run it over the horse quickly. Look in the sporting good section at Wal-Mart - 40% DEET in a large can costs $3.87 I think. Lasts a long time.

Hope that helps.

[Vindicated]

The Iodine/Turps-what ratio do you mix it and how often do you use it?

In regards to using hoof conditioners-I can tell the difference in my horses feet when they are not getting their toes painted-Fieblings oil-only....paint it on their heels, coronet bands and the rest of the foot-cause it looks pretty :) two times a week. During show season, only at the shows-as they get their toes painted before every class.

The DEET suggestion....How poisonious is that stuff & what kind of applicator do you use? Can you put it on their faces?

[goeslikestink]

1-- look at the above sticky for thomas 1 secret receipe it does work so get hold of him
and you will also be donating to a great cause

2-- buy cheap furniture polish or johnson pledge it does the same as any coat shine, or canter coat shine etc
and its a fraction of the price

3- use and buy gallop drum of co op or tesco cheap veggie oil
you get 3 uses from it
a-- add a tablespoon daily in there feedstuffs is good for coat and joints
b-- use it as hoof oil as it has no additivies so horses hooves can breath
c- warm it up to finger hot and oil your tack with it, obviously ceaning the tack 1st
then applying to rough side with a wipe over of smooth side , leather likes warm oil and it will drink it if given to the rough sides then leave to dry with a buff up of dry soft cloth

4- baby oil also has no addtivites can be used as moisturiser to horses manes and tails
you only need a tad and work into the root s acts as a detangler

5- use a human hair brush on manes and tails - section the hair and then brush through never use a plastic curry on a mane or tial as it pulls the hair from the roots a human hair brush is kinder and softer

horses that have sensitive skin dont use a dandy or any hard brush use a brush thats made with horse hair use a stiffer bod brush to flick the harder dirt off

6-- using a toilet blue blue blob in the water before usage of washing whtie horses manes and tials obviously take it out before you use the water add fiary liquid or washing up liqiud
does the job for washing horses

7- if you have feathered horses with white feet and going to a show then use pig oil and sulphur
A couple of "handfuls" of sulphur per litre of P/O, apparently (tis very scientific ). Use rubber gloves and a sponge, get right down to the skin. Horse will have yellow legs for a few days so be prepared for that.


8-- do not use motor oil on horses feet or wd40 it burms the skin motor oil
hoves breath they have thin layer that allows moisture in and out destroy this layer with motor oil and you will end up with bad feet for life


9 -- zinc and caster oil or any nappy rash cream will treat most things such as rainrot mud fever or to you scracthes after you have clean the legs ie washed of with hibby scrub then picked the scaps of treat with zinc and caster oil cream as it acts a barrier against moisture

10 sunblock 65 as high as you can get ofrhorses with sun bunrt noses

11- buy a fly rug and fly mask help to keep the bugs off

there loads more you can get over the counter at a chemist or local co op
like cotton wool
orthaband which is a bandage of cotton wool
vet wrap , and melomin which is simular to animal lintex without the poultice
ideal for simple cuts that need a dry none contact surface ie one that doesnt stick
they come in various sizes
nappies are also ideal for having a dry bandage for the foot

and savalon is brllient for the every day graze or simple cut that doesnt need bandages

[JB]

I am wondering if there are inexpensive options for grooming products. With four horses it feels like I am always buying grooming products; sunscreen, coat conditioners, show sheens, hoof conditioners, ect.
First, are you buying these for show purposes, or (perceived) health reasons? Big difference between "need them in order to be competitive" and "need them to make me feel better" and "need them because my horse is dull-coated and dry-footed because I haven't gotten his diet up to par" :)

Does anyone have any recipes for any of these? I know years ago my farrier told me to use motor oil on my horses feet-that just sounds odd to me...
Ew.

The only "grooming product" I buy is something to keep manes/tails a little more slick so knots aren't as big of an issue, and Fiebing's Hoof Dressing for shows. Otherwise, their diets are such that their coats are shiny, they don't fade very badly, their feet are in great shape, all of that despite and because of what I do with them. If they're being ridden, they get groomed, otherwise they have arena dust and red clay coating them. They're shiny when the top dust is brushed off, without a lot of deep grooming. They're just shinier when I do ;)

I use corn starch, or something similar, as a whitening powder to pat on and lightly brush off white legs, right before going in to a class.

[ponygrl25]

Shampoo - Ivory dish soap, Suave or VO5, or whatever is on sale at Wally-world

Coat conditioner - Same as shampoo, whatever is on sale. Cholesterol or carrot oil in the ''ethnic'' section is great for deep conditioning. For show horses I mix 1 part conditioner, with 3 parts water and a splash of carrot oil and spray mane, tail, and body every time I groom, working it into the clean coat with a med. bristle brush. This is great for bringing back a sunburned coat in addition to good diet. Just don't spray it on the saddle area before riding. This mixture has to be shaken very well and the cond. mixes best if you use hot water when you make it.

Cooling body wash - Spearmint Alcohol

Baking soda - you can clean almost anything with baking soda. I keep a mixture of 1/4 cup b.s.,1 cup white vinegar, a few drops of Ivory, and 2 cups of water in a spray bottle for cleaning buckets, feed tubs, stall fronts, and it is a good deodorizer for dog beds etc.. You can also use a paste made out of shampoo/Ivory and b.s. for whitening tail and socks. you must condition well after using it on hair though. It also helps soothe itchy skin if you put 1/4 cup in water and sponge your horse. I use it in the first bath of the spring to help remove the winter crud.

I love to go to the local dollar stores, Wal-mart, and Target. Keep an open mind and you can find all kinds of barn stuff for much less. There are also lots of threads on this site for improvising and saving money.

Good Luck:cool:

[JohnDeere]

Hoof dressing -I'll probably get flamed for this but my farrier gave me his recipe. Pine tar and iodine.

They make this I think its Reserpine?

[Vindicated]

They are show horses-well two of them are and two should be soon. As far as sunscreen goes-two are grey and I worry (a lot) about future skin cancer-Neither of them appreciate the "fly" sheets and destroy them.
The chestnut burns like a red head, she has to have her nose re-applied with sun screen 3 times a day. Her coat is a mess in the sun.

They all get a 20 minute curry followed by knocking the dust off with soft brushes, prior to working. Following work they get a thorough curry or a sponge bath. As for the "chemicals"-tails get Absorbine's Santa Fe spray to detangle, Bodies get Eqyss Avacodo Spray to moisturize. Followed by Absorbines Ultra Shield-Daily. Every third day feet get painted with Fieblings oil (unless they were showing the week before)-oiling the coronet bands as well.
Muzzles get clipped and manes and tails trimmed/pulled as needed.

As far as diet goes, all of them are in ideal weight-glow with health, but have Thoroughbred feet.

We prefer to keep our horses groomed daily as though they are going into the show ring-but the products are killing me!!

[JohnDeere]

We prefer to keep our horses groomed daily as though they are going into the show ring-but the products are killing me!!

No wonder.

I agree with the currying but I dont think Id do all the other stuff daily. Maybe switch to weekly? Or not if you prefer...

[Vicki1061]

I had a friend who would use baby wet wipes after brushing her horse - just a few quick swipes on the body to catch all the loose dust. Shinest horse in the barn after she would do that.

[lovemyrobin]

Listerine and Vetroline Liniment mixed half n half and diluted slightly in a spray bottle is wonderfull for scurfy gelding legs and rain rot

Pink Sheen Spray (in the ethnic hair care section) is the bomb for my mares coarse tail--works better than anything I've tried

Dial bar soap rubbed on wooden surfaces will annoy cribbers

Corona--while not cheap--works well on cuts and scrapes, is an excellent hoof conditioner (rub it in well and wipe off with terry towel) and is also great for human poison ivy

I use Suave shampoos and conditioners to bath and condition tails and manes

Large economy size baby wipes are great for cleaning udders (my mare loves that) and faces, and riders dirty hands after cleaning udders

[johnnysauntie]

bought a sample size while travelling, and liked how it made my hair shiny and feel really supple. Thought what the heck, took the remainder to the barn, deep conditioned the horse's tail with it.

GORGEOUS.

Shiny, silky, tangle free. And it stayed that way all through last weekend's show. I splurged and the $5 full size bottle is in my horse's bath bucket now. :D

[equineartworks]

These are my own personal observations...

But it seems like the more stuff I use, the more stuff I have to use! Take fly and bug stuff. I make my own, have for years and this year it just didn't seem to have enough oompf. So I break down and buy some Bronco. That worked for about a week and then nothing. So I break down and try Duraguard. Well I might as well have basted them in poop! The flies and bugs swarmed them to the point of agony! I think to myself that a good old bath will help and I used Eqyss rather than my own homemade products thinking I needed the big guns...so much for that! Their coats felt sort of "hard" after the bath so I decided to use some coat conditioner...lol! Pass the turkey baster!

So now I have bathed them using my good old fashioned homemade soap and am back to my homemade stuff and all is right with the world. They are happier and am I wealthier :lol:

[wildlifer]

Please don't put DEET on your horses!!!!

It should never be used on ANY animals and can cause seizures, tremors, even death if it is absorbed or ingested. Hopefully the worst that will happen is skin irritation.

[sublimequine]

Please don't put DEET on your horses!!!!

It should never be used on ANY animals and can cause seizures, tremors, even death if it is absorbed or ingested. Hopefully the worst that will happen is skin irritation.

There's quite a few trail riders on COTH who use deet-based sprays (ie, Deep Woods OFF, etc) without incident.

[deltawave]

Citation, please, on DEET being so very toxic. All evidence (I don't just mean anecdotal, the stuff is VERY well studied and has been around forever) to the contrary.

But please DO refrain from smearing Reserpine on your horse's feet. It's a powerful pharmaceutical and while it won't do any harm, it's unlikely to help much, either. :) :lol:

Best grooming "product" IMO is cactus cloth, applied with generous helpings of elbow grease. Cost? $3 for the cactus cloth--the rest is free. :) Lotions and potions are highly over-rated and can so easily be done without altogether. :yes:

[Horseshowaddict]

LOL perhaps she was thinking of REDUCINE and not RESURPINE....
It is used on feet. Putting resurpine on a horses feet would be a bit of a waste.

[Movin Artfully]

Sounds like your horses must spend a lot of time outside.

It would be much easier for you to stable under lights in a barn from 0900-about dusk and then turn out at night.

Flies will be down during the day inside. Sunscreen not necessary. And your coats will look hella better without the sun bleach anyway.

I would opt for this over tid sunscreen application any day :yes:

[JSwan]

JD -

The hoof goop is a homemade concoction of no known proven value. I think some of the ingredients are found in more expensive prepared products - maybe Durasole? Dunno. It's a heck of a lot cheaper than buying the goop off the shelf.

I got the DEET suggestion from folks on this BB - and it is one of the BEST suggestions I've ever read. Whoever posted that long ago - THANK YOU.

It would take an awful lot of DEET to cause CNS symptoms in a 1400 animal but I do understand about runoff and insecticides. I think the toxicity in DEET was usually due to applying a great deal of it onto infants or toddlers.

However, you just have to weight its use against the benefits - which are tremendous.

Also consider that the tiniest misting or swiping with a misted applicator mitt works for hours - unlike expensive equine sprays that you have to use as a drench for even a very modest effect - and all those chemicals get rinsed off too. To me anyway - DEET is the lesser of two evils and it also cost effective.