Uses for Horse Liniment

Many liniments are available for your horse. Choose from mild or strong relief; all-natural or traditional ingredients; gel, spray or lotion formulations, and from economical "volume" jugs for refills or convenient travel bottles. Your horse may benefit from daily use or just the occasional application. Check liniment ingredients carefully to ensure all ingredients are allowed in your area of competition.

  1. Injury

    • Many liniments can be used under wraps, which can help promote healing after an injury.

      If your horse is like most horses, it has had some type of pain and swelling in its limbs from playing too hard or kicking a pipe fence or concrete wall. More serious injuries to suspensory ligaments or tendons are not uncommon. Liniment can aid all these examples to some degree by reducing swelling. If the liniment has an analgesic, it can help with pain, as well. If you wrap your horse to offer additional blood flow support, ensure the chosen liniment is safe to use under wraps.

    Over-Exertion

    • An increased jumping schedule can easily cause soreness in a horse's limbs.

      You may keep your horse on a work schedule appropriate to its fitness level, but occasionally over-exertions can occur. A long horse show is one example. Back-to-back classes in jumping can put an increased toll on a horse's legs. Increased heat and humidity can also lead to overexertion. Just as with human beings, horses build up lactic acid, causing temporary muscle soreness and stiffness. Look for a liniment that is particularly effective for cooling, such as those containing menthol or wintergreen. Arnica can also help prevent muscle soreness before it sets in.

    Shipping

    • Traveling in a horse trailer can put a strain on a horse's legs.

      If your horse is traveling a long distance or is older, consider applying liniment to its legs and then wrapping them in pillow wraps or protective shipping boots. Tom Tower, Owner of One Iron Horse Farm in Dripping Springs, Texas, says that even if the shipping trailer has floor mats or shavings, standing for a long period of time can put a strain on a horse's limbs. Your horse is also constantly bracing itself and adjusting its balance with the trailer's movement. Finally, wrapping can prevent injury; even a slight bang from a quick turn can cause tissue trauma.

    Warm-up and Wash

    • An older horse can benefit from liniment before to a workout.

      Horses engaged in regular work and in good physical health do not need liniment as a pre-exercise warm-up. However, if you are bringing your horse back to work after time off, or it is older, this type of warm-up preparation can help it get those out-of-shape or old limbs moving a bit more easily. After exercise, mix liniment with warm water and sponge off the horse or add liniment to your favorite shampoo. Some companies sell horse liniment shampoo. Let the shampoo or rinse settle on the horse or massage it in and rinse off.