Are horse liniments safe for humans?
For over a hundred years, horse ointments have been used to treat equine ailments such as muscle pain, joint pain, and even arthritis. Horses seem to suffer from many of the same conditions as humans.
Since humans evolved from mammals centuries ago and horses are mammals, their body structure is somewhat similar. Obviously, a person will not be mistaken for a horse, but with ligaments, tendons and joints, they will suffer from pain related to strains, sprains, muscle pain and joint pain.
This is especially true for horses that are used for jumping, racing, and even ranch horses that spend a lot of time on trails. People who are very athletic are also prone to injuries that horses get! The muscles and tendons work the same in both types and when overworked they react in the same way, resulting in pain.
Most pain is caused by inflammation of the specific ligaments and tendons that sustained the injury, is minor in nature, and can be treated with ice, rest, and stretching when the inflammation subsides.
If the injury is of a minor nature, then many breeders and racehorse owners will apply ointment to the affected area to speed up the healing process. The key point for people is to read the label of any horse ointment before using it. Be sure to read the ingredients label on the container of horse ointment.
Always look for horse ointments that contain natural plant herbs and essential oils and. Do not use any horse care products that contain DMSO, which is an ingredient found in many horse ointments and is not FDA approved for human use . DMSO absorbs through the skin into the bloodstream, taking with it all the chemicals and synthetic preservatives that are in the horse care product.
Since the horse is obviously a larger animal than humans, it can tolerate higher concentrations of DMSO, although this can cause adverse health effects for horses and I myself would stay away from using horse care products. which contain DMSO.
In fact, my recommendation would be to use only an all-natural horse ointment that does not contain synthetic compounds or artificial preservatives that can compromise your horse’s long-term health.
The only effective all-natural horse products are those that have herbal compounds and essential oils as their primary ingredients. These oils and herbal compounds are effective for minor strains, sprains, muscle aches and joint pain. The differences between different products on the market will be in the exact type of botanical compounds and essential oils and their concentration.
Some companies that make all natural horse products are Equine Natural Horse Liniment, Chapman’s Premium Horse Liniment & Dr. Fleming’s Miracle Horse Liniment.
All of these companies take an all-natural approach to ingredients, which can include arnica, cayenne pepper, eucalyptus, menthol, witch hazel, and even sweet birch. Look carefully at the labels to see what is in each horse care product.
The horse care product with the most natural ingredients seems to be Dr. Fleming’s Miracle Horse Ointment, although it does conjure up images of some kind of snake oil. It appears to be a very viable horse ointment despite the catchy product name.
Now, if one wants to use one of these products, I would suggest diluting the ointment to the user’s individual tolerance. The easiest way to dilute horse liniment is to add a carrier oil to the mixture such as grape seed oil, safflower oil and even high quality olive oil. These oils are light enough to mix well with the horse liniment and not affect the liniment itself. The liniment must be mixed thoroughly before use and may need to be diluted several times before it can be used.
The main point is that people can use horse ointments, but the recommendation is to use only all natural horse care products.
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