Does your horse get girth sores? Here is what you can do.

Ever wonder why some horses get girth sores and others don't?

Join April Love from Holistic Horse Works as we tackle the common issue of girth sores in horses. April shares her expertise and offers practical tips for preventing and treating these discomforting sores.

Discover the drawbacks of neoprene girths, the importance of natural materials, and how restoring shoulder and elbow mobility can prevent girth sores in the first place.

Explore gentle cleansing options and holistic alternatives to promote healing and protect your horse's skin.

Don't miss this insightful episode for essential knowledge on maintaining your horse's comfort and well-being.

Resources:
Dynamite Liquid Trace Minerals -  https://bit.ly/3Gsi5SD
Horse 102: Holistic Alternatives -  https://amzn.to/45DslC7
Releasing Neck and Shoulder Tightness - https://youtu.be/Y6UudxuOdZ0

Have a question you'd like to submit?
Email april@holistichorseworks.com

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Thanks for listening!
#holistichorseworkstalks

Transcript

00:00:00 Speaker 1

Hi, this is Lillian.

00:00:01 Speaker 1

I'm here with April love.

00:00:03 Speaker 1

Today we're going to talk about sores in the girth area.

00:00:08 Speaker 2

Hi, this is April, love, Holistic Horse Works and I used to always wonder because I had horses in training.

00:00:15 Speaker 2

How come some horses kept getting sores in the girth area and I had like 8 different girths to try.

00:00:21 Speaker 2

And you know what was causing it?

00:00:24 Speaker 2

Why is it only on one side?

00:00:27 Speaker 2

And through all the body work programs, yes, I've learned don't use the neoprene girths anymore.

00:00:34 Speaker 2

I know a lot of people like them because they're so easy to clean.

00:00:38 Speaker 2

but it's like wet suit material.

00:00:42 Speaker 2

It really sweats the area, so bacteria, fungus grows.

00:00:46 Speaker 2

It makes it really hot, so if you're in a hot climate, it's great for the first mount of the day because the rubber grips the skin of the horse, the same thing like those tacky pads.

00:00:57 Speaker 2

I don't like those either.

00:00:59 Speaker 2

The Dixie Midnight pads under the saddle.

00:01:02 Speaker 2

Especially like barrel racing horses that are spinning a lot of people will use them so that the saddle sticks to the horse's back, but that actually bruises all the fascia underneath the skin and the whole skin will just be so tight. You always want something natural like cotton or wool against the horse's skin, I always would tell my students in my classes if you wouldn't wear it as underwear. Don't put it in your horses. Sensitive areas like girth and on their back.

00:01:32 Speaker 2

So, if you wouldn't wear neoprene underwear and don't put it on your horse.

00:01:37 Speaker 2

So yes, then we're back to washing girths a little bit more.

00:01:41 Speaker 2

I would just take it off the side.

00:01:42 Speaker 2

I'll dip it in the bucket of the water and hang it to dry.

00:01:46 Speaker 2

But the cause of the girth sores is the fact that that shoulder and elbow can't move correctly, and in our program we evaluate the angle and point of the horses shoulder and how close that elbow is tucked into the girth area and in my level 1 unwinding class we actually released the first rib, the knee, the elbow shoulder, and that whole elbow just pops out and now the tricep muscle can work on the horse better.

00:02:16 Speaker 2

And they have a bigger reach.

00:02:19 Speaker 2

So, when the elbow is tucked in because the intercostal muscles are too tight, what happens is there's no clearance.

00:02:26 Speaker 2

So as the skin is trying to come back and the shoulders trying to come back and the elbow is too close to the girth, it's just rolling and rubbing that skin on each other.

00:02:37 Speaker 2

Along with the heat and the dirt and the salt and the sweat.

00:02:41 Speaker 2

And that's why you keep getting the girth sores, and once we release the elbow and the ribs in that area, all the sores go away, everyone says Ohh, it's like magic.

00:02:52 Speaker 2

And the worst thing you can ever do is put something on those sores.

00:02:57 Speaker 2

I remember I had a horse in training, had gone on a long ride, came back.

00:03:02 Speaker 2

I felt so bad, both of her elbows and girth area were just raw, and I was going away for a weekend endurance ride and I didn't want the flies to bother her.

00:03:12 Speaker 2

So, I put the pink Swat stuff on.

00:03:15 Speaker 2

Within 4 hours, she just swelled up and was red and irritated.

00:03:20 Speaker 2

And I'm like, oh my God, that I do my client’s horse!

00:03:24 Speaker 2

And because Swat is poison, that's how it keeps the flies off.

00:03:27 Speaker 2

So here I had an irritated skin area that was just rubbed raw, and I had added poison to it.

00:03:35 Speaker 2

So, I've learned better, just to do a light wash with like tea tree oil and clean the area.

00:03:42 Speaker 2

And then if you need to put something on the sores, if it's a big sore, I do the Dynamite liquid trace minerals, because it closes up wounds from the inside out.

00:03:52 Speaker 2

You can just put some drops on your finger, or you can put it in a little spray bottle and spray it on.

00:04:03 Speaker 2

In summertime, especially on the belly and the sores of the horses, I use the zinc cream, like for baby bottom diaper rash.

00:04:17 Speaker 2

But you can't get the one in the tube that squeezes out really good because summertime it just gets hot.

00:04:23 Speaker 2

It goes everywhere.

00:04:24 Speaker 2

It just melts.

00:04:25 Speaker 2

So, if you get the big 20-some dollar one with it's a heavy container and you screw off the lid.

00:04:33 Speaker 2

You can put that on your hand and rub it on belly button, the genitals any sores on the belly and in the girth sores so the zinc lays down and protects skin, but the flies don't like it, but yet it's safe enough for babies bottoms when they get diaper rash.

00:04:50 Speaker 2

You can also do a little that on noses that get sunburned and you're not putting poison into the skin.

00:04:59 Speaker 2

If you have girth sores, you need to do my bodywork program and then flush that area with tea tree oil and water and nice mild solution and then put the zinc cream down on it and you're going to have to leave the horse alone, until that heals, you're going to keep irritating it.

00:05:17 Speaker 2

That will change their whole stride.

00:05:19 Speaker 2

You know their whole elbow and shoulder can't come back.

00:05:23 Speaker 2

So that's what you need to do if you're having sores in the girth area, and this is April at holisticcourseworks.com and my how to medicate horses.

00:05:33 Speaker 2

Everything that I do for cleaning wounds and colic, and everything is in my course book on Amazon. It’s called Horse 102 Holistic Alternatives and it's on Amazon. Thank you.