Engine/motor oil to stob snowballs in hooves? Sound odd?

[hannabanana]

So the other day I was talking to the farmer and I was telling him how I go through stupid amounts of vaseline to stop snowballs forming in his hooves and it only works for a few hours. And he said everyone used engine oil inside to stop snowballs 'in the ol days'. sounds odd?? is this safe? does it affect them? I dont really fancy putting engine oil on his feet unless it is actually fine!

 

[Lakelandcross]

I don't know how used engine oil will affect the horses foot but it is hazardous to human health and may even cause skin cancer.

Apart from that there are regulations concerning the disposal of used oil to prevent the contamination of land and water.

The old ways are not always the best.

 

[depurple1]

The riding school I learned to ride at always used to use old motor oil in the horses hooves - I presume it worked, but I have no idea if it was bad for the horses' health.

 

[samerlin]

try motor grease or WD40

 

[Ani]

Lakelandcross is right about it being classed as hazardous, my old boss used to swear by it for stopping mud fever and cooling tendons that was in the eighties though.

Using any substance which is oily or greasey should reduce the chance of snow sticking hooves.

 

[JoG]

Look in the butter/margarine aisle of the supermarket for TREX - it is solid vegetable oil (basically veggie lard) which is a lot cheaper than vaseline/hoof oil and will work just as well at greasing hooves

 

[gypsy cob]

me and all my family use it on are gypsy cobs feather alot but never use new engine oil.

 

[Zebedee]

It used to be the advice in the BHS Manual of Horsemanship !
The passage went something like............."If you get caught in the snow whilst out riding stop at a garage & ask for some thick motor grease or oil and apply to the underside of the hoof to prevent the snow balling in to ice in the foot"

 

[zoelouisem]

The riding school i used to work at, used it on there horses hooves all the time rather than hoof oil. From what i remeber there hooves never had any problems.

 

[hannabanana]

me and all my family use it on are gypsy cobs feather alot but never use new engine oil.

Oh this is used oil I'm talking about.

It used to be the advice in the BHS Manual of Horsemanship !
The passage went something like............."If you get caught in the snow whilst out riding stop at a garage & ask for some thick motor grease or oil and apply to the underside of the hoof to prevent the snow balling in to ice in the foot"

Ha! how long ago was this? I wouldn't of thought that they would suggest this!

 

[Lakelandcross]

As I said, I don't know how it will affect a horses foot but I trained and worked as a mechanic for 20 years and was regularly shown HSE information on the carcinogenic properties of used engine oil.

Whether it does the job or not, it is disgusting stuff that I would never use on my horses especially if it was just to save money.

It used to be the advice in the BHS Manual of Horsemanship !
The passage went something like............."If you get caught in the snow whilst out riding stop at a garage & ask for some thick motor grease or oil and apply to the underside of the hoof to prevent the snow balling in to ice in the foot"

The BHS Manual seems to suggest new grease or oil which doesn't contain the same 'heavy metals' that used engine oil does.

 

[Nudibranch]

I thought it was a fairly accepted view now that it is carcinogenic....