Two questions warrants a post, right?
So. Coconut oil. I use it like other people use MTG. I'm a vegetarian and I just can't get behind smearing dead pig on my pony. (How do you know someone's a vegetarian? Give them ten minutes and they'll tell you.) My BM swears by straight up bacon grease. She keeps a little tray of it in her tack room and for the longest time I thought it was mashed potatoes and I was very confused.
 |
| it rubs the lotion on its skin or it gets the hose again. |
- → Mane and tail. I've waxed poetic about the wonders of oil for human hair. Ponies need it, too. Especially dirty ponies who live outside and get dehydrating salt crystals on their sunbleached selves. I rub it into his tail bone and all down the length of his tail, with extra attention to his sunbleached tips. I wish I were more consistent with it! Then, when my hands are all oily, I just rub them through his mane and try to rub into the base of the mane. After I ride.
- → Elbow pit. Have you ever noticed dry flaky skin in the folds of the elbow pit? Coconut oil is great for that. It doesn't sting, it gently moisturizes that area so there isn't more friction.
- → Backside of the pastern. This is probably just neurotic owner, but I think it benefits and prevents scratches. Another moisturizing area. When I'm down there, I'll also swipe some on the coronet band.
- → Below the ear. Archie gets really dry skin right here. I don't glob it on so it'll run down his face or anything, but I'll put enough to saturate the area. Dry skin leads to hair loss and and pony with a bald face isn't so cute.
- → General injuries. (not pictured) After the cut has healed, I put coconut oil on it. At one of my old vet hospitals, we used honey for wound care as a natural antiseptic. I would totally do that with Archie's various ouches, except I worry about attracting insects to him. The kiddos in the clinic were inside. Coconut oil doesn't have much in it to attract anything, so I put it on to encourage hair growth and really.. make his neurotic owner feel like she's doing something.
- → Noms. (not pictured) Archie also eats it! Not straight from the jar or anything, but one of his supplements is Cocosoya Oil, which is a blend of soybean oil and coconut oil. It's all sorts of healthy fats and fatty acids. I'm not going to say that I saw all the benefits that the company swears it has, but I also wasn't looking for them. I started him on it last fall, when I took him off his summer beer. The BM reported that he wasn't finishing his supplements, so I thought another liquid would help with that.
.JPG)
17 comments
Interesting! I've never tried coconut oil.
ReplyDeleteI love coconut oil! I use it in Shy's hooves and frogs, too.
ReplyDeleteI've been meaning to try coconut oil but I've heard some brands are better for application on horses/hair than others. Can you recommend some brands?
ReplyDeleteWould also love to hear what you use it for on yourself!
I love apple cider vinegar for keeping away/treating mild scratches and cannon bone crud. Just spray it on then curry the grossness off the next day. Just don't ask about Stampede and his permanent scabby leg nasties, I have surrendered mostly at this point...
Ditto the rec on brands... Huey has gross armpits!
DeleteOooh. Thanks for this post!
ReplyDelete(I am so creeped out by the photo caption that I can't concentrate...great use of the reference)
ReplyDeleteBut I use coconut oil too (gee, I'm a vegetarian too!), mostly on the tail. These are some great suggestions! Armpit is also a great idea. And pastern too, especially in these days where we are doing lots of hosing in the hot weather.
Good to know! I'll have to take some out to the barn for dry elbows and the little rubs Gina gets on her face from her fly mask.
ReplyDeleteHmmm.....maybe I should try that. My horse has sweet itch so I use MTG like it's going out of style. I'd rather him not smell like bacon if it's avoidable.
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard much about coconut oil so thanks for the low-down! I may give it a whirl on O.
ReplyDeleteNeed to try this for Simon's elbows!
ReplyDeleteWhat is MTG made out of?.....I have a bottle but I've never even looked at the ingredients...eek!
ReplyDeleteI second the question about brand. I have some that my MIL gave me, but it's super hard until it heats up. Is that what you use?
ReplyDeleteWait you are a vegetarian? j/k Nice pictures of ponies didn't read the rest, also j/k
ReplyDeleteOMG your photo caption, now I have that creepy song stuck in my head! I use coconut oil on my own face daily and sometimes on my hair, don't know why I didn't think to use it on my horses, will have to try it out!
ReplyDeleteI totally use it too! In mostly the same places, I like it for hair growth as the MTG umm gross. Jez will try to eat it right out of the tub though.. but then she finds everything delicious.
ReplyDeleteUpdate: bought a giant tub of coconut oil at Sam's over the weekend and applied it to tails, forelocks, and armpits last night! Both horses seemed thrilled and relaxed about the whole process. I think they would have eaten it if I'd given them the opportunity!
ReplyDeleteGreat read! I have JUST started feeding straight coconut oil to my horse and the same kind to my dogs. I have one dog that is very stinky and I hope it will help him digest better and stop smelling nasty and one dog that is very old with thyroid issues and underweight. I thought about getting Cocosoya for my horse instead of feeding regular old raw coconut oil But I'd heard mixed reviews about the Cocosoya because of the soybean oil in it. What do you think??
ReplyDeleteThanks!