[Fancy's Joe]

Thanks! Ill read that =]

[Fancy's Joe]

=D
Haha, more questions XD
If I start feeding it, and in a few weeks/months I stop. Is it okay? Or is it bad? =p
Also, I have the "Heinz" (sp?) kind. Is that good?

[horserider1]

I just put i splash in my horses supplements and it works great!!

[MissCriss]

If you stop, you will most likely lose the effects. Not sure, but I think that's how it would go. Still, you could always use it around the environment to coat things and clean things .

I dunno about the Heinz type...I remember someone on this forum mentioning that certain types of vinegar are better to be used...maybe it was like...pure...or mixed...or grocery store kind...I don't remember lol.

[Fancy's Joe]

Okay so if I stop he wont get any side effects or something? XD
Thanks for your helps guys =]

[MissCriss]

Lol no, no I don't think so . I THINK ACV is rather gentle and easily digested by the horse. I'm not positive on that, but that is my guess, as ACV is so versatile.

[BonnieM]

Originally Posted by Aurical

Blue dawn as in the dish detergent? That doesn't irritate their skin to have that sitting on them? I'm just curious - sounds like a really cheap flyspray and a good way to keep them a bit cleaner What are the proportions of vinegar/water/dawn that you use?

Here's a recent thread: Any Tips for Good Fly spray?
doodlebug has a recipe on there that I have been using.

I don't think it gets to the skin...The spray pretty much sits on the hair. I have been using it for a while, and I haven't seen any irritation. Makes a little suds when you rinse them off after a ride!

BonnieM

[Equine747]

Here is some info for you - Hope it helps

http://www.apple-cider-vinegar-benef...orse-care.html

The nutritional bounty found in unpasteurized apple cider vinegar (ACV) is not only good for people, it's wholly beneficial for horses as well.

Here are just some of the more common ways that ACV is used to help horses:

Horse Care – Water and Feed SupplementDr Jarvis, the Vermont country doctor who popularized the use of apple cider vinegar in his book Folk Medicine, found that a horse would chew the wood of his stall because the wood contained potassium.
Experimenting with calves, he found that they would not chew the wood of their pens if ACV was added to their drinking water, since apple cider vinegar is an excellent source of easily absorbable potassium and other trace minerals.
Besides the nutritional benefits , vinegar helps to purify the drinking water by destroying harmful microorganisms that can thrive in neutral or mildly basic water.
(Two thousand years ago Roman soldiers were adding vinegar to their drinking water for the same reasons!)

For horses, recommended dosage rates vary from 1 cup (250 ml) of ACV for every 50 gallons (190 liters) of drinking water all the way up to 1 cup (250ml) for every 6 gallons (23 liters).
For a horse that will not drink the water in a new location, a commonly used tip is to add apple cider vinegar to the unfamiliar water.

For a healthy horse, use 1/4 cup (60 ml) of unpasteurized ACV on his feed grain per day. Dilute the vinegar 50/50 with water before adding to the feed.
Because of it's potassium and associated trace mineral content, this feed supplement is invaluable for mares coming up to foaling and it is also beneficial for older horses with digestive difficulties or arthritis.
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Horse Care – Intestinal StonesIntestinal stones called enteroliths, can develop in susceptible horses which can cause blockages that require expensive surgery.
Since the ingestion of vinegar increases the intestinal acidity in horses, it helps prevent these stones from forming according to veterinary researchers at the University of California at Davis.
The number of horses developing enteroliths has increased over the last 10 years especially in certain geographical areas such as the southwestern part of the United States, particularly California. As well, certain breeds such as Arabians and Morgans seem to be more prone to enteroliths than others.

For more horse care information and recommended preventative measures related to the horses diet and management, just click here. Return to top.



Horse Care – A Natural Fly sprayAnother benefit of feeding your horse apple cider vinegar is to make the horse less attractive to flies and insects. Some specialists believe that horses sweat the vinegar out so that it becomes a natural horse fly spray.

Insect bites not only cause your horse itchy discomfort, they can be areas where skin bacterial and fungal infections can occur. As well, some types of hives are commonly caused by insect stings or bites.
They can cause other health risks by spreading such diseases as West Nile virus, encephalomyelitis viruses and equine infectious anemia.
Never use a commercial fly repellant containing DEET on horses (or other animals) since it can be absorbed or ingested by them and cause unwanted toxic side effects.

For those who prefer not to use insecticides for horse care, especially on foals less than 12 weeks old, try feeding your horse ACV and make up your own vinegar based natural horse fly spray that you can rub or spray onto your horse's coat as needed:

• 2 cups (500 ml) Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 cup (250 ml) Water
• 1 cup (250 ml) Avon Skin so Soft (bath oil)
• 2 tsp. ( 10 ml) Eucalyptus oil (or citronella oil)

Mix all ingredients well and store in a handy spray bottle.
While you're at it, you can take care of all those pesky flies that hang around enclosed areas like barns or transportation trailers, by using you own homemade vinegar fly trap:

• 3 cups (750 ml) Water
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/4 cup (60 grams) Sugar

Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar solution then place in a large jar and punch holes in the lid. The flies will get in but won't be able to fly out.
For even more protection against insects and flies, try to identify the type of insect or fly bothering your horse because they all have their own preferred breeding spots and feeding times as shown in the table below, then use the appropriate horse care tips for natural fly protection listed below the table.

Fly TypeBreeding SpotsFeeding TimeBlack fliesRunning waterMorning & late afternoonDeer fliesWater & VegetationDaytimeStable fliesManureDaytimeHorn fliesCattleDaytimeMosquitoesWaterDusk to early eveningNoSeeUms
(Culicoides)Standing water
Manure
Decaying vegetationTwilight to dawn

Best Horse Care Tips for Natural Fly Protection

• Eliminate insect breeding sites as much as possible.
  • Cover manure piles and dispose of them often.
    • Remove daily from stalls and pens all manure, wet straw, and waste hay then spread thinly or compost in
      a covered pile.
  • Eliminate standing water that can collect in such places as cans, old tires, discarded bedding and wet organic material.
• Stable horses at sunrise and sunset which are peak feeding times for black flies, no-see-ums and mosquitoes.
• Install overhead stall fans to interfere with the insects flight.
• Place fine mesh screens in all windows. (60 Squares/in2)
• Use fly masks, bonnets, body sheets and other clothing that does not allow the flies to reach the skin.
• Let your horse's mane and tail grow so that he will have extra swishing power.
• Keep horses away from standing water.
• If you don't mind having Muscovy ducks around the barn, they will remove adult house flies more than 30 times faster than the most efficient commercial devices.

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Horse Care – Mild Cure for Skin Conditions Full strength apple cider vinegar can be rubbed directly into the horse's skin around a ringworm infection.
Ringworm is an infection of the skin and hair by several types of fungi (not worms).

Rub in thoroughly two or three times a day for several consecutive days. This is especially useful for ringworm infections that are too close to the eyes to use a copper wash.
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Horse Care – Horse Hoof CareThrush and other foot fungus infections can be greatly reduced by a regular spray or soak application of apple cider vinegar to the sole and frog of your horse's feet. By making the hoof area more acidic, fungus is no longer able to grow well there.

A general horse hoof soaking solution can be prepared by adding 1/4 cup (60 ml) of apple cider vinegar to one gallon (3.8 liters) of water.

The vinegar application will, at the same time, speed up the healing of any other foot infections or bruises your horse might have.
An interesting article on horse hoof abscesses that stresses the beneficial role apple cider vinegar can play in their treatment can be found here.

[MissCriss]

Since the ingestion of vinegar increases the intestinal acidity in horses, it helps prevent these stones from forming according to veterinary researchers at the University of California at Davis.

This jumped out at me, because although ACV can be great for most horses, and I am a big fan of it, it MIGHT be harmful for horses that are prone to ulcers, have had ulcers, are have them.

[rageandglory]

MissCriss, that WOULD be a fair assumption. i was at the same place at first. however, and unexpectedly, my experience with my own ulcered and arthritic Ottb mare is nothing less than remarkable (others here, not so dramatic but still effective). the non-pasturized (indusrial strength) acv was directly blamed for significantly less cribbing and no longer right after meals, better poo integrity, better doer at meal times. aside from stronger tail and mane hair, shiny coat, happy, clear expression in the eye, and a modecum of improved mobility, the effects of the ACV in her feed has NOT adversely effected her ulcer status. i will not endorse ACV as an ucler remedy by any means but i do wonder that the added acid causes the stomach to not be as productive with its own acids? which are MORE acidic than ACV.

smaller meals more often also seems to serve the same purpose.

i find the the bug/fly conditions are moderately managed with ACV but i do not rely exclusively on it for total control.