Most of our kit of remedies are based on veterinary advice we have received over the years. Consult your own veterinarian, but here is what works for us and our horses:
If a large ring snaffle doesn’t work, try a D-ring snaffle. Need more stop, then try a rubber pelham bit. All horses will go well in one or the other. If they don’t is probably a teeth issue and not a bit issue. Get your horses teeth floated annually.
For polo we start with a large ring gag, then a rubber pelham on most that don’t stop well, adding increasingly longer shanks, but if you need the horse to be more straight, then add draw reins.
Shapley’s Original M-T-G for rain rot, skin infections in the spring, rub on affected areas with your hand and leave in.
Bluelite or Morton’s lite table salt on game and hunt days for electrolytes.
Feed Equine Senior for steady horse feed that won’t make them hot, but if you want to add weight then go to Purina Ultrium.
Spray Absorbine on sore backs and legs after hosing the area down, if you have issues with soreness.
Roach polo pony manes and whiskers, together with trimming the sides of tails monthly. Get a Oster Volt cordless clipper, those are the best, but pricy at $350. Use a 10 wide blade for body clipping.
Use Dove dishwashing liquid detergent to clean sheaths (this needs to be done annually on geldings) and just use Dove liquid soap in place of all of your expensive horsey shampoos and conditions. This was recommended by our vet.
Use triple antibiotic ointment on small cuts and Scarlet Oil spray on large cuts and scrapes.
Bute as needed, 2 cc or what horse people usually call 2 lines, for NSAID pain relief and anti-inflammation.
SDZ 15 tabs twice daily to horses for sinus infections.
Legend and Adequan for horses with joint issues or older horses starting at the beginning of the polo season.
Sandclear for 7 days straight in December and June, if the horses are fed from the ground in a sandy paddock. A 20 pound bucket does about 6-7 horses for a one week series of daily treatments.
Quest gel dewormer in April and October, generic ivermectin in July and December.
SmartPak Breathe Ultra pellets to horses that have breathing issues.
Use thrush buster on hooves in wet months.
Baby Vick’s Vapor Rub applied a little rub under each nostril, to calm horses in strange places or when mares are in heat nearby your geldings.
And if you keep a golf cart for showing or polo: Use preventative spray on your golf cart terminals and check the water level on golf cart batteries monthly, tightening connections. Don’t leave your batteries outside during winter months.
Thrush
Thrush stinks, no question. That smelly black goo around the edge of the frog is a common infection that takes root in the soft tissues on the underside of the hoof. Thrush is usually not debilitating when treated promptly, but it can take diligence to get a stubborn case under control, especially in seasons when the turnout areas stay wet and mucky for weeks.
A person picking out a hind hoof.
Thrush is usually not debilitating when treated promptly, but it can take diligence to get a stubborn case under control.
It’s far better to prevent thrush from taking hold in the first place, and that means minimizing the three conditions the infection needs to thrive: constant moisture, an anaerobic environment, and the presence of fungi, bacteria and other microorganisms. Here are some specific steps to take:
Provide dry footing. If your turnout areas are constantly wet, bring horses into a barn periodically to give their hooves a chance to dry out. Providing dry run-in sheds and spreading areas of gravel in wet paddocks also allow horses to escape soggy footing.
Keep stalls and paddocks clean. Manure and urine foster the growth of pathogens. Muck stalls and small turnouts daily.
Pick out your horse’s feet regularly. Horses who live in larger pastures probably won’t require daily attention, but do check their hooves at least once a week to make sure no problems are developing.
