Old fashioned horsey tips/tricks

[throwawayaccount]

As title, are there any old fashioned horsey tips and tricks that you’ve heard of and still use today? If so please share them, think it’ll be interesting!! x

 

[nagblagger]

If you can't put sun cream on a sensitive nose due to horse being head shy, put it on their lower legs and they will scratch their legs, covering their nose in the cream. doing the job for you!

 

[ponynutz]

I don't use it but a particularly bonkers one I was taught was cracking an egg on top of a horse's head when they rear.

One I have used is baler twine can be used for literally everything - even grass reins I saw once.
Similarly a stirrup leather around the neck acts as a neck strap.
Also 'If in doubt - kick'.

 

[Quigleyandme]

When a horse is off it’s feed and you’ve tried everything else try adding butterscotch flavoured Angel Delight mix.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Cracking an egg on a rearer only makes a mess ? a swift tug/twist of the ear and a slap on the other side of the face can occasionally make a hysterical one go back to 4 feet on the floor.

Rushing a horse around in trot can sometimes clear choke more quickly, interspersed with brisk throat massage.

Yes to baler twine... I keep a couple of hanks looped over corners of top field fences 'just in case'. Has saved me going down to yard to get some to do a temp rail repair, to tie up dog, etc.

Never throw away anything, it might come in useful another day
- like broken bottoms of electric fence posts for example.... one of my horsebox window catches has popped, it stays up but wont stay part open (when I was camping in it) so used the bottom of a stake to wedge in it.
- empty haylage sacks, sliced carefully they make ideal holders for 1 or 2 sections of hay to cart out in the winter, also a section can be soaked in a sack.

Old detached neck covers come in useful to warm up tiny ponies when sodden.

Kaolin poultice (tho a blooming drag to do) still gives me better results than animalintex on occasions.

 

[pistolpete]

Trailer or lorry ride to clear colic. Baler twine as water scraper on legs. Hoof pick to loosen tight buckles on bridles stirrup bars. Udder cream on nether regions(horse) for fly protection. Stand in river or sea to hydrate hooves during dry weather.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Also 'If in doubt - kick'.

To add to that - if it starts bucking stop kicking!

 

[honetpot]

When it's very cold and there is frost or snow or their backs, a mare in foal will have none on theirs.

 

[ponynutz]

To add to that - if it starts bucking stop kicking!

Lol, indeed - or prepare to meet the ground.

 

[tda]

Salt water for cleaning nearly every injury

 

[Regandal]

They used to give ginger to ‘over excitable’ horses. Ginger soothes the stomach and protects it, possibly eased the pain of ulcers.

 

[J&S]

Tea bags for runny/ sore eyes.
Don't clean the cobwebs out of your stables because you might have to use them to stop a wound bleeding.

 

[SantaVera]

Bran poultice for an abcess. Thatching the horse to dry it

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

“Banging”….I was showing a young person how to do it last night as an additional muscle building/conditioning exercise.

 

[Surbie]

When a horse is off it’s feed and you’ve tried everything else try adding butterscotch flavoured Angel Delight mix.

I have a few jars of baby food in my medical box for mixing with anything unpalatable.

 

[Sandstone1]

A raw egg in feed for coat condition, Guiness as tonic.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

“Banging”….I was showing a young person how to do it last night as an additional muscle building/conditioning exercise.

To me banging is cutting the tail at the bottom of the hocks. Strapping is what you describe.

 

[Surbie]

Not sure how old this is, but I was taught always to put wormers etc in the fridge overnight to reduce scent/taste.

Also was taught to cover the eye on your side of the head so they can't see the wormer syringe coming. And then, if so far unsquashed, hold their head up & stroke their throat so they swallow & can't spit it out.

 

[Surbie]

Udder cream on nether regions(horse) for fly protection.

I'm very grateful to the person on here who posted this some time back. It's saved me a small fortune.

 

[Fieldlife]

I'm very grateful to the person on here who posted this some time back. It's saved me a small fortune.

>>Udder cream on nether regions(horse) for fly protection.

How does that work? Acts as a long lasting barrier? I am currently using fly cream.

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

Elf..you are totally right…menopausal mind blanks this morning…I used the correct word last night! Ooo signs of getting older are rubbish…

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Elf..you are totally right…menopausal mind blanks this morning…I used the correct word last night! Ooo signs of getting older are rubbish…

It happens to the best of us ?

 

[Surbie]

>>Udder cream on nether regions(horse) for fly protection.

How does that work? Acts as a long lasting barrier? I am currently using fly cream.

Yes, just as a barrier.

 

[catkin]

Tea bags for runny/ sore eyes.

Yep, a favourite of my vet. Along with sugardine poultice for drawing a foot abscess and cold
hosing for lots of things

 

[The Xmas Furry]

“Banging”….I was showing a young person how to do it last night as an additional muscle building/conditioning exercise.

Aka strapping.
I still do this, particularly when getting B fitter after Xmas.

 

[ElleSkywalkingintheair]

Aka strapping.
I still do this, particularly when getting B fitter after Xmas.

Am actually quite good at strapping, I should probably start doing it more as bet it helps banish the bingo wings ? oh and good for ponies ?

 

[Birker2020]

Cracking an egg on a rearer only makes a mess ? a swift tug/twist of the ear and a slap on the other side of the face can occasionally make a hysterical one go back to 4 feet on the floor.
.

A wip wop is a better thing to use for rearers. Its a soft rope with a feathered end, so won't hurt a horse but if you can use it on its belly when a horse rears the idea is that the horse won't rear again. It goes back thousands of years to when wild boars brought down horses by using their tusks on their bellies to expose their guts, the horse would quickly die. Richard Maxwell is an avid supporter. Its also used to encourage your horse forwards and its more forgiving than a whip.

 

[peanutsmumma]

Am actually quite good at strapping, I should probably start doing it more as bet it helps banish the bingo wings ? oh and good for ponies ?

What is this?

 

[Birker2020]

What is this?

https://www.horseanswerstoday.com/h...assage-your-horse-wisping-banging-a-strapping

 

[The Xmas Furry]

A wip wop is a better thing to use for rearers. Its a soft rope with a feathered end, so won't hurt a horse but if you can use it on its belly when a horse rears the idea is that the horse won't rear again. It goes back thousands of years to when wild boars brought down horses by using their tusks on their bellies to expose their guts, the horse would quickly die. Richard Maxwell is an avid supporter. Its also used to encourage your horse forwards and its more forgiving than a whip.

Having made a living at one point in dealing exactly with this problem, I type from 1st hand multiple experience.