methylated spirits being wiped on???

[lucym]

when i was on WE at an event yard, they wiped meths on the horses before they went to a competition...
being about 315 am i didnt think to ask why, but have just seen it being used in a fly spray recipe, so could this be the reason??

any thoughts?!?

 

[MagicMelon]

I thought racing yards did this - put some methlayted spirits in a bucket of warm water to rub the horses down. I think it helped put a shine on their coat??

 

[Baggybreeches]

Yes it makes the coat shine by lifting the surface grease.

 

[WFL]

[ QUOTE ]
I thought racing yards did this - put some methlayted spirits in a bucket of warm water to rub the horses down. I think it helped put a shine on their coat??

[/ QUOTE ]
That would be for cooling a horse down. The evaporating alcohol cools the horse quicker than plain water.

Saw this on programme last week about the legend of Dick Turpin. He is supposed to have used dilute brandy to cool Black Bess and they demonstrated that this worked better (using an infra-red camera) than plain water.

 

[sw123]

It also eases muscles or something = would really have to go ask mum as she's always got her meths wash and is always telling me to use it and i never do but she rubs it into sore muscles!

 

[lucym]

thanks everyone, i really should have asked

it was wiped on before we even left for the event, so i dont think it would have been used for cooling properties,
maybe for shine to the coat, i dont know was just curious

 

[I_A_P]

i also heard that some people used it to make horses more sensitive on their legs, so they felt it more when they hit a pole.

 

[flyingfeet]

Doesn't make them sore - but if you don't use gloves it dries out your skin!! (and it smells!)

 

[I_A_P]

thats what i thought! strange!

 

[Vicki_Krystal]

i know someone that did this to their pony as it was careless behind.
it makes them feel things when they hit them.
she used it all week at the festivwl of showjumping and it blistered her horses legs