What exactly is Pig Oil...?

Mickyjoe

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Is it really just Paraffin Oil (great, because I have some of that in the cabinet)?

And can anyone tell me how you use it to make a show horse's coat shine (rather than for feathers or anything like that)?

Competed against a horse at the weekend who had almost a wet-look gleam to his coat and lots of people were curious as to how they achieved the look. Apparently it was pig oil, but it didn't look "oily" if you know what I mean - just gleaming.
 
with the show jumpers i work with we dilute some parrafin in hot water and hot cloth them all over with it after their baths and they come up gleaming
 
Use it very carefully - we only use it (VERY sparingly) at indoor shows at the end of the season such as HOYS or the Nat Champs. You must also ensure the horse's coat is very clean and definitely summer coat. It looks horrid on turned coats or horses with coarse coats. I don't really think that you will win a class based on pig oil (and you can lose one as some judges hate it - rightly so as it wipes off over their clothes!)
 
Thanks guys, I was afraid that it might end up causing more problems than it could solve. :)

So it would be similar to rubbing baby oil on the coats really and cause dust etc to stick to it?

I might just do a bit of a hot cloth rub with it a few days before the show to condition the coat, but TBH it's just gilding the lily as they all have super shiny coats anyway.
 
the lycra body suits work as well as anything else to be honest the night before a show. It is just difficult to put on so that it looks good - I would use some show sheen and a body suit!!!
 
Yes, that's pretty much what i do now (and of course lots of brushing and good feed and oil). I never wash them (luckily don't have any greys), so was just curious about the Pig Oil as we are not so familiar with it here. Thanks again. :)
 
It is definitely more of a pony thing than a horse thing! It may be worth having a practice with it and see how it looks. But you need to know which judges loathe it otherwise you will be in trouble ... :)
 
Its also worth testing, I have a horse who's allergic to mineral oils even if diluted, he's such a sensitive soul. That rules out many clipper oils, baby oil, and paraffin, his skin swells up in great big whelts and is hot and tender.
 
Pig oil is, I believe jsut a mineral based oil just like baby oil - just not as refined and nicely packaged and therefore much cheaper than baby oil to buy in volume.

I use it for mud fever prevention for which it is fab, and I dab a bit on tails in winter to help with the mud but wouldn't like it on coats for showing!
 
Get a good quality hair body brush, a metal curry comb, apply plenty of elbow grease and stop cheating ;0)

Oh, feeding linseed is great too.

I use baby oil on legs in winter also, it really helps the mud brush off.
 
Get a good quality hair body brush, a metal curry comb, apply plenty of elbow grease and stop cheating ;0)

.

No cheating here. :D Believe me I do all of the above and feed lots of oil and sometimes seaweed also, so as I already said my lot have great coats and skin (which shows in their result competition results ;) ). Was just curious really as we don't have Pig Oil here.
 
Pig oil is, I believe jsut a mineral based oil just like baby oil - just not as refined and nicely packaged and therefore much cheaper than baby oil to buy in volume.

I use it for mud fever prevention for which it is fab, and I dab a bit on tails in winter to help with the mud but wouldn't like it on coats for showing!


Ditto ^^^^^ Must admit never heard of it used as a 'turnout' aid but then a baby oil bottle is easier to handle!
 
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