SARAH: "What is the difference between liniments
and poultices?
Is one stronger than the other?
Are there different types of liniments and poultices?
Is it required to use paper, plastic wrap, or bandages
with liniments and poultices?
Also, does climate or weather affect the effectiveness
of liniments and poultices?
Also, thank you for 'changing the world
four hooves at a time!"
I didn't know that was coming!
Emily!
Man, changing the world, four hooves at a time
is our mission.
DR LYDIA GRAY: Yeah.
SARAH: So thank you for noticing.
DR LYDIA GRAY: Those were some serious liniment poultice
questions.
SARAH: She really--
DR LYDIA GRAY: I don't know that I can answer them all!
SARAH: She really got in there after it,
but then I feel like she was, like, but also,
thank you guys for being great.
And so, she's trying to butter you up to--
DR LYDIA GRAY: Maybe.
Maybe.
SARAH: --jump in and answer all those questions.
DR LYDIA GRAY: Poultice me up.
So when I think about liniments and poultices--
and I think about them frequently--
I think of liniments as, like, BenGay for horses.
So it's that icy hot feeling.
So it's a cool flash and then heat.
And then, because there's heat involved,
they increase circulation, you wouldn't
want to use a liniment on something that's
acutely injured, or a traumatic or a fresh wound or injury,
or lameness, unsoundness.
The liniment's more for, I want to sort of jump-start
my horse's circulation, or after a particularly tough workout,
you know?
I maybe want to make him feel better, refresh, invigorate.
And I could use a body wash or brace, or even--
read the label-- but rub full strength over a certain body
part that I know is particularly sore, or a little bit--
not inflamed, maybe a little bit swollen
or bruised or something.
So I think of them as something to sort of pick you up.
And it's stimulating.
And if you smell any of them, they're
quite stimulating, right?
SARAH: That's one word.
DR LYDIA GRAY: Poultices, on the other hand,
are more for that acute injury.
So if I come-- like, we had a horse at our barn
last week that was fine.
And one day, the next day, we came out
and her leg was big, and warm, and swollen.
We had the vet out.
And so, the first 24-48 hours, we're
like, let's slap a poultice on it, you know?
So we used 20 minutes of cold therapy.
And then we put a poultice on it, and then we wrapped it.
So I use poultices to sort of draw out heat and swelling,
whether it's on a limb.
They're great for feet, for hooves,
sort of like for packing a hoof, if you
have a bruise or an abscess.
So they're more of a treatment of the acute.
So a liniment's more chronic, sudden injuries, or just
for soreness and stiffness.
And poultice is more sudden, acute.
SARAH: OK.
What's your opinion, what's your stance,
on the paper, the plastic wrap, the bandages?
DR LYDIA GRAY: Oh, well, if you have experience
in using liniments and poultices under wraps, if you know how
to set up a leg, if you understand when you want
a cold wet poultice versus a hot one or a dry one, by all means,
we have plastic wrap.
We can put a wet brown paper wrap on them.
If not, this might be a topic for next time
your vet comes out, and say, can you
show me how to keep my poultice active and wet for 24 hours?
And he'll say, all right, well, so-- he or she
will say, let's ice down or cool the leg.
Let's get it wet.
Let's apply a thin layer of poultice.
Then let's apply maybe a quarter inch all the way around.
Then we've got a bucket with our brown paper poultice
paper soaking.
We'll wrap that, then a regular standing wrap.
That's sort of the wet way.
But great question for your vet to ask him
when it's appropriate.
Also-- and I said, I think, this is my third time--
to read the labels, because some products
are appropriate for wounds and open skin.
Many aren't, so don't use them inappropriately.
Some liniments-- can't put under a wrap.
They're just too-- what was the word we used, stimulating?
Other liniments are made to put under a wrap.
So you have to read the label.
SARAH: And so that answers the part of the question, are there
different types of liniments--
DR LYDIA GRAY: Oh!
SARAH: --and poultices?
Yes, lots of different types.
Active ingredients matter.
Read the label.
Ask your vet if you are unsure what's
right for your horse, and the method
that you're using to apply it.
DR LYDIA GRAY: Great question.
SARAH: Does "Does climate or weather
affect the effectiveness?"
Do we have any opinion or research on this?
DR LYDIA GRAY: That, I don't know.
I mean, it seems like that if you're in a humid area,
things would seem to stay wet longer.
If you're in a hot area, than maybe a liniment's
more appropriate to, you know, cool the horse off after a work
out.
So that, I think, is up to personal preference and just
individual--
what you notice.
SARAH: Alright.