Liniments for Horses: Types, Uses, and Cautions

A popular horse liniment originating in the 1890's.
A popular horse liniment originating in the 1890's. Absorbine

Newsdate: November 5, 2024, 11:30 am
Location: GILROY, California

There are dozens of liniment products for horses. Traditionally, liniments have been used for relieving muscle soreness and to help ease strains and sprains in the lower limbs, containing ingredients that increase circulation to the area.

Horse in pasture with a bandaged leg.

Horse in pasture with a bandaged leg.

Liniments are a fringe area of medicine, but there are a number of products that do work well as drawing agents to reduce swelling, or for reducing inflammation.
© 2017 by Smerikal New window.

Some of the liniments used in the past contained toxic materials such as lead or mercury, which are not healthy for horse or human. “Rubbing” liniments usually contained alcohol or turpentine.

Most of the commercial products today incorporate safer ingredients than the old liniment “blisters”, but should still be used wisely and according to directions.

Use of some liniments is still based largely on tradition. Liniments are a fringe area of medicine, but there are a number of products that do work well as drawing agents to reduce swelling, or for reducing inflammation.

Many trainers and horse owners use liniments on horses’ legs as an aid in helping relieve discomfort, swelling and inflammation following athletic workouts or excessive strain on the limbs.

Some liniments can also be diluted with water, and used as body washes to help a horse cool out and feel better after exertion.

Most products are designed to increase blood circulation, which can help reduce fluid buildup in the limbs.

The term liniment is broadly used; there is no real definition.

Liniment products today can be broken into several categories.

Some are mild astringents (like rubbing alcohol or products that contain witch hazel), used as a leg brace with or without bandages or as a body wash when diluted with water.

Some liniments are used as sweats (products used under a bandage to create more heat).

Some are used as poultices--usually a medicated salve or mud to help reduce inflammation and draw out any swelling or heat.

There are also some products that are stronger anti-inflammatory agents such as DMSO or mixes containing steroids or other medications.

There are also herbal products (some of which are very mild and others that can be quite irritating) and topical anesthetics that produce a temporary numbing effect for pain relief.

Some of the products most commonly used include alcohol, or an astringent, like witch hazel. Most of these are applied to the legs before bandaging. Many racehorses are kept in standing bandages when they are not being exercised, and underneath those bandages will be alcohol, witch hazel or some sort of liniment to help ease any aches and soreness.

If a liniment makes the horse feel better, he will perform better when asked to compete. It probably won’t make an actual difference in his soundness, but he’s more comfortable. The legs may stay healthier if you can reduce any inflammation and swelling, to promote more free-flowing movement.

Products that are menthol based are often used as a mild brace under a bandage to create a small amount of heat and increase circulation. The bandaging tends to prolong or augment the effect. It’s not a good idea to use products that create so much heat they might injure the leg when used improperly. Some liniments can actually create blisters under certain circumstances.

The mild leg braces are safer. The main thing is to make sure that the liniment you use doesn’t irritate the skin or cause a reaction that might make it difficult to determine what’s really wrong with the leg. Braces are mostly alcohol-based, used to cool the legs in horses that are working hard.  A mild brace may have some benefit and won’t cause harm, and it won’t cover or mask a problem to make it more difficult to see or diagnose.

Sometimes a little more heat is desired, to stimulate an increase in circulation. In these instances some horsemen mix up a furacin and glycerin combination (half and half) to create a sweat. If there is strain or injury to the leg, many people use a mix of DMSO and furacin, since DMSO is very effective for reducing swelling and inflammation.

Horse’s skin is sensitive, however, and prolonged use of DMSO can irritate the skin, creating some “burning” and scurf on the skin. Mixing the DMSO with a little water first can help reduce the burning sensation because the water/DMSO combination produces heat and gets rid of that chemical reaction before you apply it to the horse.

There are many things you can put on the horse’s legs to make them sweat (which reduces swelling). Some osmotic sweats (materials that pull fluid out of the body tissues) and salves have a drawing ability like a poultice. Horses that have swollen legs from trauma can often benefit from a sweat or poultice that draws the edema out of the leg.

If a horse has filling or edema in the legs, a sweat type liniment or material like furacin can take out some of the swelling. Sometimes this is therapeutic by itself. Other times it just allows you to see what’s going on with the leg, once you get the swelling out of the area.

If the horse is not lame and the leg is stocked up with fluid buildup, a sweat type liniment can help remove the filling so you can more accurately evaluate the leg and determine whether it’s a tendon problem, a suspensory issue, inflammation, or just poor circulation.

There are many formulas, potions and products that have been used as liniments and poultices over the years. Some people buy a commercial product and then add/mix in some other ingredients. The old-time trainers had their own secret ingredients and wouldn’t tell anyone what was in it.

There was a lot of myth and mystery surrounding certain liniments and some people put more stock in the application of the product than the actual benefit. The massage that went along with applying the liniment probably had as much benefit, messaging the swollen lymphatic tissue.

In earlier times, alcohol was the basic liniment, along with Absorbine and the old Ball Solution, which was an iodine product used as a counter-irritant designed to stimulate circulation. This product is still advertised for relief of muscle soreness, curbs, splints, ringbone, cracked heel, bowed tendons and big knees due to extreme overexertion.

Bigeloil was another favorite, for legs and sore muscles, and as a body wash when mixed with water—to loosen up stiff muscles and joints. It creates a warming effect and smells good. It was also used on the horse’s legs as a sweat, with a bandage.


Note - This informative article was first posted on EquiMed.com in 2020

About the Author

Heather Smith Thomas

Author picture

Heather Smith Thomas has raised and trained horses for 58 years and has been writing about them nearly that long. She got her first horse at age 9 and began raising horses of her own while in high school, using them in 4-H and to help with cattle work on her parents’ ranch.

She began writing horse stories for children’s magazines and horse care articles for equine publications to help pay her way through college (University of Puget Sound), and has sold more than 10,000 stories and articles and published 24 books. Her first book, A horse in Your Life: A Guide for the New Owner, was written during the summer between her sophomore and junior year of college and published by A.S. Barnes & Company in 1966.

Most of her magazine articles deal with health care, breeding, training, horse behavior/handling or veterinary topics (horses and cattle). She and her husband raise beef cattle and a few horses on a ranch in the mountains of eastern Idaho, where they use their horses for cattle work.

What began as an expression of interest and love of horses (freelance writing) soon became a way to help pay the bills on a struggling family ranch; her writing became the equivalent of an “off farm job” that could be done at home at odd hours between riding range to check on cattle, delivering calves, etc.

Heather rarely leaves the ranch--staying home to take care of “critters” has been a way of life. After selling some of the cow herd to her son and his family, her part time writing job has become more full time. She now writes regularly for more than 25 farm and livestock magazines and about 30 horse publications,

Recent books include Storey’s Guide to Raising Horses, Storey’s Guide to Training Horses, The Horse Conformation Handbook, Stable Smarts, Beyond the Flames—A Family Touched by Fire, Care and Management of Horses, Understanding Equine Hoof Care, Good Horse-Bad Habits, Essential Guide to Calving, and Cattle Health Handbook.

Heather's most recent books include Horse Tales: True Stories from an Idaho Ranch, a compilation of horse stories telling about some of the interesting and challenging horses in her life. Cow Tales; More True Stories from an Idaho Ranch, and Ranch Tales: Stories of Dogs, Cats and Other Crazy Critters. Most of her books and articles deal with horses or cattle health care, breeding, or handling. Her goal has been to learn all she can about care and handling of horses and cattle and to share these experiences with her readers.

These days, she enjoys riding with her youngest grandchildren who live on the ranch are now ages 14 through 17. She has also appreciated the help of her oldest granddaughter (Heather Carrie Thomas) who graduated from Carroll College and is now married and living on a farm in Saskatchewan. “Grandma Heather” enjoys the special times with her grandchildren who share her love of horses.

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