Cheap alternatives!

I love Hello Hydration Herbal Essence shampoo and conditioner for my horses..It's good stuff, the leave in conditioner works wonder for their mane and tail.

I use Suave shampoo and conditioner. If it's good enough for me, it's good enough for my nags!

Don't waste money on Sand Clear, buy generic powdered Metamucil (I buy the Equate brand). It has the same active ingredient as the more expensive 'equine products', which is psyllium fiber. My horses love the orange flavored kind.


I would love to know how much you use...? ZBecause according to anything I've tried to calculate you would need a LOT of metamucil or generic alternative to dose accordingly for a horse. So much so that feeding Sand Clear was half priced. I've tried to google this wondering if I was the only one with this issue, poor math skills and all, but it seemed pretty universal from what I found. I'd love a cheaper sand clear alternative to the products I used but I don't think that there is one.

New, once you get past the loading dosage, which can be a lot depending on the horse, the maintenance dosage is minimal.

My TB gets 4 ounces a week, and my Arabs get 2 ounces a week of the generic psyllium.

I've never actually given my horse beer, but she has been known to steal any people cup that makes it into reach of her muzzle! She loves to try and get to my white wine.

I go to Sally's beauty supply and get a silk protein gel in place the cowboy magic detangler. It doesn't look greasy like WD-40 and does not draw dust. It also adds a subtle, healthy shine and is good for your cuticle!

You can buy chia seeds in bulk and give your horse 1/3 cup for a few days to clear for sand, or just feed it to give a nice, shiny coat. Chia here is less expensive than flax per pound and has more omegas. My horses like the taste.

Natural/Raw Apple Cider Vinegar in the water works good for electrolytes, and it also will purify and kill bacteria (the Romans used to purify their water this way). If your horse gets used to it in his/her water, they will drink water with raw ACV in it even if it is 'strange' water. It will also help keep flies away, but it should not be thought of as the only 'fly repellent' you need.

The grocery ACV is good for thrush and a 50/50 ACV/H2O solution is not only good for thrush but a good wound solution if you are out of betadine (but it stings a bit - works on people, too, if you need it in a pinch). Keeps bugs away from the wound for a bit, too, especially if you put a tsp of Dawn dish soap in the mix.

I am a big fan of Dollar Tree for almost everything. Zinc oxide cream, triple antibiotic ointment, antifungal cream, peroxide, rubbing alcohol, vinegar, shampoo, conditioner, brushes, tiny rubber bands for braids...

You do have to keep an eye on the price per ounce though, because sometimes it can be cheaper to shop at another store. Just because an item is priced at $1 doesn't mean it's necessarily the best deal.

#I sand my horse's hooves with sandpaper before a show then I paint with polyurathane, a clear household varnish. This was recommended to me by my farrier.

#I buy baby oil and mix it with water (one part baby oil to four parts water) in a spray bottle. I spray my horse every second day or so in the show season. It makes the coat super shiny and super soft for shows. Do this the day before a show and only apply to manes and tails if you are not going to plait.

#Papirika is good for enhancing bays, duns, buckskins, cremellos and palimonos. Add about one tablespoon full to your feed each day.

#Dust baby powder into white socks after bathing while the hair is still wet. Brush out when dry and hey presto, lovely white socks every time!

#Dust baby powder between the flaps of a squeaking leather saddle, it should stop or improve the squeak.

Oh yes... I have recently started spraying apple cider vinegar on Casey's thin, brittle mane just to see what it would do, and here mane looks and feels so much better! I have only sprayed it on thoroughly once (lifting it up in layers) and sprayed it on the top once, and it's so much softer and shinier.

Coolaid works pretty well as an electrolyte as well.