Old Home Remidies?

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Linn

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Hello! As part of my degree I'm doing research into Native breeds of horses, I am interested in the culture which has grown up around the work people did with theses horses, comparing it with what we do with them today - I'm struggling to find out anything about ailments and remedies - I'm particularly interested in any old home remedies used, whether they were successful or not! Does anyone know any or where I might find out more? The only thing I've been able to find is about firing tendons - has anyone seen a horse with this done? This is all academic and I'm not about to hot fire my horses legs :eek:
 
Firing tendons is not done that much now but last year I had a racehorse in to rehab following a serious tendon injury and he had been bar fired just before coming to my yard. He rested for the whole of last winter and came back in to work in the summer after scanning showed the tendon had healed, more due to rest than firing in my view, he is now back in full training to race again this season.
People used to blister the legs with a caustic paste for similar reasons to firing, supposedly the leg gains strength in the healing process, there are many outdated remedies still in use some such as cold therapy work well and methods have moved with the times.
 
Thanks for replying :) I'm glad your horse is back working, I can see the idea behind the leg gaining strength from the healing process I suppose. Cold therapy is an interesting one, just last year I was told to stand my pony with EMS in a burn when he got laminitis - has anyone else heard this?
I also got shown how to sew a frog support out off a tea towel! opinions on this?!
 
Linn where abouts in the country are you? You really ought to talk to a lady called Fanny Littorin. She's an equine physiotherapist but the most amazing lady (when it comes to horses) I have ever met. She's uses a massive variety of remedies and will probably have dealt with all ailments you are interested in!
Fanny is Swedish but actually works all over Europe!
 
Hi MissGee, I'm in the north east of Scotland, quite far away form everything! But I googled Fanny Littorin and got an email address for her, hopefully I can have a chat with her. Thanks :)
Anyone else want to chip in? I'm all ears. x
 
Contemporary accounts and farming manuals may be of use to you - Henry Stephens' Book of the Farm would be a good place to start. It is available online via Google Books. There is a wealth of information in writings of people travelling around Britain (and Europe) in the 18th and 19th centuries and recording what they saw.
 
I used to have an old book produced by Ellimans, which had all the old farm and stable remedies, probably worth looking in 2nd hand book shops. My old text was by Colonel Codrington, must have a look and see if I still have it.
Colic drenches used to contain all sorts of things but I would need to look them up to recall what they were.
 
Some old remedies that I've heard of from old horsemen, (although I probably wouldn't recommend them!) are goose grease for saddle/harness sores, stockholm tar on sweet itch and thrush, bread or bran poultice, a strong sugar solution/tobacco as an anthelmintic, flowers of sulphur and goose grease for skin complaints, iodine and sugar on septic wounds. I'm sure I've heard of loads more, will post them if they come to mind.
 
used sump oil on sweet itch, cobwebs on wounds, a tightened horse hair wrapped around sarcoids, Sawdust rubbed through feathers to get rid of mites. Ill see if i can remember any more
 
touchstone said:
Some old remedies that I've heard of from old horsemen, (although I probably wouldn't recommend them!) are goose grease for saddle/harness sores, stockholm tar on sweet itch and thrush, bread or bran poultice, a strong sugar solution/tobacco as an anthelmintic, flowers of sulphur and goose grease for skin complaints, iodine and sugar on septic wounds. I'm sure I've heard of loads more, will post them if they come to mind.
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Iodine and sugar (sugardine) is very effective, especially on hoof lesions, was suggested to me by a vet not that many years ago
 
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