SARAH: "How do I use liniment?
As far as I know, it goes on the horse's legs after a hard ride.
Is that even true?"
Oh!
"PS I love the videos."
DR LYDIA GRAY: Aw, there is a nice comment.
SARAH: Horse Girl 88--
thank you.
We love you guys.
DR LYDIA GRAY: I saw this coming up.
It would go up and down in the voting.
And so I started taking an informal poll,
and I'll just ask you right now--
do you use liniment?
SARAH: I sure do.
DR LYDIA GRAY: You do?
SARAH: And not just because I think
it helps my horse's legs after a hard ride,
but also because I really like the way it feels on my hands
when I'm driving along with the windows down
and the air is blowing over--
DR LYDIA GRAY: And the smell?
SARAH: It's really nice.
DR LYDIA GRAY: Because we've got some bottles here
and they're all closed, and this one's even sealed--
I can still smell them.
SARAH: Yeah.
And that's not a bad thing.
DR LYDIA GRAY: So the polling that I did was kind of all--
well, I was going to say all over the place
but really there is the Sarah camp--
that people who like it and use it--
and then I guess there's the Lydia camp-- who are like,
whatever, take it or leave it.
I have used it when I had an OTTB--
Off the Track Thoroughbred-- and was at a thoroughbred racing
barn.
And we used to set up legs all the time.
And you learned to do this motion,
and you can really rub down a leg and wrap it and all that,
but I've kind of gotten away from it
because the barn I'm at now doesn't use it.
When you look at the labels--
and I would encourage you, if you're using it--
they're all different ingredients
and they have all different instructions.
So a couple of them say great for not just pre-rides
and post-rides and for soreness and stiffness,
but as a skin antiseptic and for minor cuts and wounds
and like a disinfectant.
And then the very next one says, don't use on open wounds.
So my advice is if you've not used
a liniment on a particular horse, test it in a small area
and see how your horse does.
And for sure, test it on an open area
before you put, say, a leg wrap on it or tack, saddle on it.
SARAH: So when you say open you mean not covered up,
not an open wound?
DR LYDIA GRAY: Well, both.
SARAH: OK.
DR LYDIA GRAY: Yeah.
So find a patch of normal, healthy skin and test it.
See how it does.
Then maybe if you want to put it under a wrap,
then you've covered it.
And that's one thing, but then maybe try it
on a superficial cut--
I mean we're not talking a deep open wound here, and certainly
nothing with sutures.
So you use it for after a workout?
SARAH: I do.
DR LYDIA GRAY: And on legs or the whole body, big muscles?
SARAH: I use it mostly on his legs.
I used to, when I was competing with Cody,
I used to give him a whole body bath, because--
DR LYDIA GRAY: Like a body wash or a brace?
SARAH: -- I would use like liniment body wash.
DR LYDIA GRAY: Yeah.
SARAH: Exactly.
But now I mostly use it-- he has some swelling
in his deep digital that is just kind of chronic.
And so after he gets shod, because of the pounding
and the flexing I'll give him a cold hose
and then I'll throw some liniment on and put him away.
I think it mostly makes me feel better,
but it's just one of those things we do.
DR LYDIA GRAY: Yeah.
SARAH: But tell us in the comments
if you guys are team Sarah or team Lydia
when it comes to liniment.
We will not take it personally, but we
are excited to see what you have to say.
DR LYDIA GRAY: We may in fact take it personally.
[LAUGHTER]
SARAH: All right.
DR LYDIA GRAY: Yeah, it's kind of all over.
It's personal preference.
And as long as you're careful with it, there's no harm
and it makes you feel better.
If it makes the horse feel better, why not?
SARAH: I think your advice about how to test it out
is generally across the board good advice.
If you're trying a new product on your horse,
try it in a small space first, even if it's anything--
a grooming spray that you haven't used before.
DR LYDIA GRAY: Shampoo.
SARAH: You don't know how your horse is going to react.
So small spots, give it a quick trial.
I think we tend to be more thoughtful about doing
those things if you get like furniture cleaner,
and you're like, oh, I'm going to use this
on the underside of the arm of the couch
so I can see if it stains.
But then you get a new use spray for your horse
and you just like douse his whole body,
and he's like, this is my skin.
DR LYDIA GRAY: So I think she just
said think of your horse like furniture.
SARAH: I mean do you guys not do that?
You just take a little nap?
DR LYDIA GRAY: The other piece I would say to add to that is,
don't do it right before you go to a show or clinic
or go somewhere.
Do this testing-- this furniture testing--
at home.
And that way if you need to cold hose
or whatever you don't have the, I've
got to get in my class in five minutes.
You can say, whoops, so that product
didn't work because he got hives or whatever,
I'm just going to cold hose him and not ride him today--
you have no added pressure.
SARAH: Yeah.
DR LYDIA GRAY: Yeah.
SARAH: It's always a good point.