Tips from the Great Horse Men & Women

[bellabella]

I just wondered if it would be an opportunity to open a new thread where we could all pass on valuable tips that we have picked up along the way from our mentors, the older generation of horsemen and women in our midst before their experience and wisdom is lost for all time.

[spot]

bellabella

Not sure if this is what you are after

my father was ex army so my riding boots had to be polished to perfection! he would put the tin of boot polish on the gas ring and melt it then put the lid on BEFORE it caught fire! and the melted polish gave a much :bettershine. Please be careful if you try this as i nearly set my kitchen alight a month ago!

If you are on a tight buget (arn`t we all) my mother used to do half and half water, fabric conditioner in a spray bottle and use on tails as detangler conditioner.

and finally my riding instructor always used to say "don`t look down, that`s were you will end up" (on the floor)

[Milliesmum]

Years ago when I first had riding lessons, we were made to jump grids whilst sitting on a piece of paper about the size of a £5 note - if you lost the paper you had to do it again with no reins or stirrups!

The only 'old remedy' I can think of is giving cider vinegar for arthritis - don't know if this is widely used today?

[hummer]

We put a bit of cider vinegar in our old cob's feed. (My nan swears by it)

Also before Animalintex and all the modern day poultice treatments, bread was used.
It works just as well and is much cheaper. Though we use animalintex now and not Hovis!

[spot]

we used to put stout or guinness in feed and cider vinegar

[bellabella]

What some of my older horse mentors have recommended to me.

Goose grease recommended to put on bony lumps and bumps.

Limestone flower in the feed of youngstock.

Cider vinigar, very highly recommended by many many horse men and women. Even recommended for us as medicinal. I have athritic finger now ( I call it my 'old lady finger') and a therapist recently recommended I rest my hand in a bowl of water with epsom salts. Another suggestion was to wrap a gauze soaked in cider viniger over the finger and to leave it on whilst I am sitting down watching TV at night. Ironically, time to sit on my backside is the one thing I dont have.

Great tip from a great horse woman that is just such good common sense.
Before removing a head collar off of any age of horse/pony/youngster, she always offered them a pony nut from her pocket. With the ponies full attention, it then waits for another tip bit whilst the head collar is slipped off without any drama, the pony was still standing there, waiting expectantly for its next treat and is finally rewarded when the head collar is safely removed.

This teaches the pony to have manners when being released into the field or paddock and prevents them from anticipating release, pulling their head away before the head collar has been fully removed and shooting off at a hundred miles an hour.
Makes so much sense.

[Milliesmum]

When turning out any pony or horse I always turn them round to face the gate and offer a treat/carrot/mint. As bellabella said, they learn to wait for the treat rather than barging off into the field to find their mates!

Also Epsom salts is widely used for different things on our yard, from tubbing feet to cleaning wounds to drawing fly bites etc., wouldn't be without it. Also udder cream really good for lots of different things!

[spot]

i use udder grease to prevent and get rid of mud feaver. Can look a bit alarming as it is bright red

[holiday]

We use Mr sheen on tails - it works like show sheen!!!

Also Baby Oil brushed through the tail before hunting stops the mud from sticking and will wash straight off when home!!!!

[bigbay]

a spoon full of english mustard powder, we were told will stop coughing..... (it does,poor horse wont open it's mouth again)

[lawkholme]

sweet itch we found that using Avon Skin So Soft mixed half and half with water stopped our mare rubbing her mane off it might not work for all but its worth a try

[flashthecash]

I have a very old worming remedy, which goes back 60years or more. I still use it today. Couldn't post what is in it as I would be accused of being a bomb maker

Silver is another thing I use... good for everything Keochalin (sp) is another old one.. from tack to horse. I could go on but won't bore you all

[Deleted]

Its not boring, its interesting

[Milliesmum]

It is interesting, because if we don't hang on to these tried and trusted old ways, we'll all end up getting ripped off for miracle products in shiny tubs and tins and sprays, that we've done without for years thank you very much!!

[bellabella]

Your right again MM. Totally agree.

[Milliesmum]

Well I can't help thinking sometimes, if I didn't need it 20 years ago, why would I need it now?!?!

Having had a break from horses to have babies, it seemed more noticable when I came back. Teenagers that can't get through a tail without special detangling spray - whatever happened to time and patience? Wipes seemingly for every equine orifice - we had one sponge for each end and a bucket of water!!

My first aid kit consisted of animalintex, epsom salts, wound powder and purple spray. With a tub of cornucrescine thrown in. And maybe some protocon ointment if you were feeling flushed. So many potions nowadays and it all seems so expensive.

Sorry, call me old fashioned if you like!!

[Guestless]

I'm moving this into the questions and tips area and will sticky it as well so it doesn't get lost.

[flashthecash]

Thanks Guestless

What about good old fashioned linseed. In the days before all these wonder supplements, we used linseed (still do from time to time) Mum would soak the seeds, then boil them for hours with some black treacle, The smell from the kitchen was, Mmmmmmm. Made a mess for the pan though

As well as that, we fed eggs & Guinness. All that with some good old fashioned elbow grease and what a shine.

[spot not logged in]

flashthecash i can remember mum cooking huge pots of linseed on the hob it used to make me gag when it was cold and congealed!

[spot]

and what about making a wisp out of straw! What is a wisp you may ask? or using sacking cloth to make a wisp. Or the good old method of thatching to cool a hot horse down instead of using the latest technological fabric to wick away sweat rug?

[Milliesmum]

What about goat's milk? I knew someone who gave it to their stallion - swore it put 'lead in his pencil'!!!!

[flashthecash]

MM won't give it to him indoors

What about vasaline in yours horses feet, to ride out in the snow? to stop the snow build up

Or hot bran mash to poltice a foot?

[hummer]

Ah the hot bran mash poltice. That was the first one i was taught!

And we still put an egg in the feeds.
This thread is great! Is there a book with all these wonderful tips in?

[halfpass]

the greatest tip I ever received is to make sure that you always keep your horse between you and the ground and it has stood me in god stead for forty years.
And I still do boil my own linseed and barley. I once tried to cook it in a pressure cooker but it back fired on me and exploded all over the kitchen ceiling took hours to clean and I was still finding linseed months later

[darkhorse]

My father in law was a man of few words but I always remember him saying "feed according to work done, not what you intend to do!"

[halfpass]

what about the good old fashion Kaolin poultice used to put the can in boiling water and then smear it on a piece of clothe OMG did that stink just writing about it brings back that god awful smell

[hairys]

Whats the thinking behind feeding eggs? Just curious!

[darkhorse]

hairys said:

Whats the thinking behind feeding eggs? Just curious!

Never fed eggs but when I was young I had a tb with bad feet and the local gypsy told me to feed him egg shells in his feed as they are full of calcium, all my neighbours saved their shells for us and I crushed them up and it really did work! of course we have Farriers Formula and all the modern supplements now but I am sure the shells worked well too!

[halfpass]

I can remember the old stud groom where I trained made us roll the tops of the straw banks in the stables this gave them the look of having the top platted and he would inspect Evey stable and if they weren't level he would kick them all down and you had to start again, and god help you if you upset him if it was winter you got the job of brasoing all the taps and tie rings on the yard by the time you had finished your fingers would be blue with the cold and if it was summer you got the job of scrubbing all the rugs and they weren't the nice light quilted ones of today they were great big hessian ones witch you laid out on the yard and scrubbed with a scrubbing brush and then rinsed with cold water they weighed a ton. It wouldn't happen today he'd be done for abuse

[marshmallow]

My mum used to make fly repellant from cold tea and white vinegar - didnt smell too good but really worked! She used Mr Sheen for sparkle on tails and vaseline in hooves to stop snow balling in the hoof in the winter. I can remember thatching horses with straw under jute rugs after hunting to dry them off! god I feel old now!