The longer we’re around horses, the more stuff we buy for them. Over the years, I’ve learned that a lot of the everyday stuff I buy for my horse I can also make at home.
I was boarding my warmblood mare, who was chronically itchy and struggled to sweat through the summers, when I started looking for ways to cut costs on all the remedies I was using to try to make her feel better. Many of these effective “recipes” I still use today because they actually work!
So here are some things riders can try at home, if they’re feeling crafty and want to save some cash.
Fly spray recipe:
An easy, natural alternative to deter flies, mosquitoes and other bugs.
- 3 cups apple cider vinegar
- Two teaspoons of Eucalyptus Oil (can be subbed out with another essential oil, I just like the smell of this one best)
- 1/3 cup of Skin So Soft (can use baby oil too, but I would tweak the measurement to 1/4 cup then)
- 2 cups of water
*Measurements change depending on the size of the bottle/jug you’re using.
Lady parts (teats) lotion recipe:
Just like you clean a gelding’s sheath, it’s important to keep debris out of a mare’s udder area, too. This lotion recipe keeps the skin soft and moisturized. It helped heal scratchy irritation.
- Fill a spray bottle with 1 & 1/2 cups of coconut oil (*Coconut oil can be subbed out for cod liver oil. I prefer coconut because it smells much better and doesn’t attract bugs. However, coconut oil hardens in cooler temperatures so keep it in a warm and dry place, or else you might need to microwave it before use. Also, it must be cooking coconut oil, not cocoa butter.)
- 1/2 cup of vitamin E oil
- Add 1/2 cup of water
- Shake well and apply (It’s a thicker, oily residue so make sure you have a heavy duty spray bottle that won’t get clogged up. I apply with a baby wipe. It feels like lotion and eventually soaks into the skin)
* Measurements change depending on the size of the bottle/jug youre using.
Anti-fungal spray recipe:
Here’s an easy recipe to help treat fungal problem areas that’s still mild and safe on the skin.
- 2 cups of Listerine (I use the generic blue kind from my grocery store)
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup of Skin So Soft (can use baby oil too, but I would tweak the measurement to 1/4 cup)
* Measurements change depending on the size of the bottle/jug you’re using.
Homemade Electrolytes Recipe:
Summer is the perfect time to add a little extra to your horse’s diet, to help them recover nutrients lost in sweat production.
- Two parts Iodized Salt
- Two parts Lite Salt (for potassium.) It’s 50 percent less sodium.
- Tums (for calcium carbonate): I buy the cheaper private-label bottle. Use about a half a cup or so. I bought two small bottles of a generic brand at the Dollar Store. Run it through a coffee grinder.
- Vitamin E Oil. This is an optional addition, as it can make the powder goopy. I combined this last with the salt & tums and ran it through my KitchenAid mixer for about 5 minutes. I didn’t have a problem with its consistency.
Use your own judgement on how much to feed, but generally, my horses get one tablespoon a day dressed over their feed in the summer months.