1.	Arrange routine vet visits to coincide with your neighbors if your vet will allow you to split the trip charge.
2.	Lavender Oil will help burns, cuts, and scrapes - just dab it on.
3.	Vaseline will smother external parasites like ticks.
4.	Sweet Itch ointment - mix equal parts of Swat, Veterinary Dream Cream (the bles stuff) and Cortaid 10 (hydrocortisone) ointment, and apply liberally to any raw areas. It hepls with healing, itching and repels the gnats. - Tina in FL
5.	Have your horses teeth checked regularly as the best feed in the world won't correct a tooth problem.  Teeth problems can lead to weight loss and digestive problems.
6.	If your horse suffers from cracked heels, here is a recipe for an ointment that is less than $2 per tub: 1 jar of petroleum jelly 3 tablespoons olive oil 5-6 drops tea tree oil 5-6 drops lavender oil splash of citronella (for nice smell) Heat to mix well and then cool for 10 minutes.  Refrigerate to mold.  Rub in every 2-3 days.
7.	Thrush Remedy:  Mix 2 parts Betadine with one part granulated sugar. Dip sterile cotton in the mix and allow excess moisture to drip off.  Place on the bottom of a clean hoof and secure with duck tape. Change daily.
8.	Wound Relief - Band-Aid or store brand wound wash - it has the same ingredients as Wound Relief Spray (Benzalconium chloride) for half the price, and has a pain reliever in it.  -Tina in FL
9.	To speed up healing of a wound: First two days - disinfect the wound with hydrogen peroxide and then apply an antibacterial cream. Cover with vetwrap if possible to keep clean.  On the third day mix betadine with table sugar to create a paste and apply to the wound 2-3 times a day. Betadine will act as a disinfectant while the sugar encourages regrowth of the "good" bacteria and tissue and also stimulates hair regrowth while preventing proud flesh. Continue this routine until the wound begins to heal - then apply antibacterial cream to the area twice a day until completely healed.
10.	Tip for administering bute to the fickle horse:  Take a smallish apple or big piece of carrot and core out the middle.  Insert medicine and cover with a teaspoon of molasses.  The molasses will mask the bute smell. Be sure that the treat is small enough they don't choke on it!
11.	Spraying a horse's tail with Listerine (regular flavor only as flavored kinds will attract flies) will stop him from rubbing.
12.	Apply heat therapy to a hard to manage muscle group, get the human heat packs that heat on exposure to air (with the adhesive) and stick they right to the area that needs heat. You can also put a sheet or blanket on the horse to help hold it in place, and can leave it on overnight. I did this for my mare when she pulled a hamstring, it worked great.  -Tina in FL
13.	Preparation H will help to heal stubborn wounds from the inside out.  And will kill proud flesh that won't go away.
14.	Preparation H will also prevent scarring from kicks, bites, etc - Bridie in Fl
15.	Learn how to administer your own shots and wormer.  Then order the shots from a place like Jeffers and save a ton on vet bills.  IM shots needed for vaccines are pretty easy.
16.	If your horse hates wormer, clean out a used wormer tube and occasionally give your horse applesauce via the tube. They will associate wormer tubes with yummy treats.
17.	Oral medicine mix. I have a horse that is on meds twice a day and will not eat them in his feed, no matter what they are mixed in. I crush the pills, mix with a heaping tablespoon of raspberry jello mix (his flavor of choice) and a tablespoon of hot water, and pour into the syringe. My horse likes this so much, he has his mouth open and ready when I appear with the syringe. - Tina in FL
18.	Itchy ears? Try a mixture of Cortaid, Micatin, and Neosporin to sooth the itch and promote healing.
19.	Tip for calming a nervous horse:  If you are trying to settle down a nervous horse, try chewing a very fragrant piece of gum (like Watermelon or Strawberry flavored).  The horse will become interested in the smell and it will mask any nervous odors you are expelling.   My vet told me about this one and after looking at him strangely, I gave it a try.  Oddly enough - it works!  I've used it to calm a horse while loading him into a trailer, and to clip a horse's ears.
20.	Eye Injury My horse had a terrible eye injury requiring stitches. I bought a mask w/ full eye cups (removed one over the good eye and replaced w/ screening from an old fly mask)...BUT the vet said this was no good since the plastic eye cup held moisture by the stitched eye which could cause infection. The vet told me to use a regular fly mask and duct tape the inside of the mask on the side of the injured eye. It will protect the eye when they rub, keep the dirt out, make it easy to wipe off, and block the sunlight from that eye. I recommend duct taping over the outside of the taped area also so the dirt doesn't stick to the adhesive showing through the screening. - Diane in Florida
21.	Skin Problems Florida heat and bugs cause lots of skin problems for my horse. Since he wears a fly mask 24/7 it holds heat against his face. He loses his hair and bugs bite him where the mask stops (despite fly spray). My vet said it was not fungal (and also did not want him on Dex). He said the skin problem was caused by the heat. My horse also gets a terrible raw spot between his back legs from heat/sweat/chaffing. I keep him rinsed daily, dry the affected areas, and apply Balmex diaper rash cream. It has been working great. I tried Desitin, but it has fish oil in it, smells bad, and gunks-up (yuck). - Diane in Florida
22.	Hoof Conditioner - Baby oil applied to the coronet band and bulbs of the hoof is more effective and less expensive than commercial equine hoof conditioners, as it penetrates and conditions from the inside out. Baby oil can be purchased at the dollar store and squirted right on the coronet band without even getting your hands dirty. -Robbi in Florida
23.	Have a tip you want to share?  Please email me!