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Make Horse Liniment with Essential Oils -
Your Horse will Love You!

Using horse liniment is an easy and effective way to keep horse muscles from stiffening up and preventing soreness after training or showing.

Experience Horse Liniment with Essential Oils

You can purchase horse liniment or you can easily make your own with therapeutic grade essential oils. And a homemade liniment will be so much better for your horse.

Most store bought liniments, like are other pet products contain many synthetic compounds that dull the coat and add to your animal’s toxicity.

Even the "natural" products use lower grade essential oils that are cut with synthetics to keep the cost down. Or contain up to 80% alcohol with little or no therapeutic benefit. While these products will help, you can do far better by making your own!

How do I make my own Horse Liniment

Horse Liniment is easy to make, especially since most of the time we use it as a muscle wash anyway. All you need is a base carrier product and your oils!

What do I use for a Base to make Horse Liniment?

The best base to use that is inexpensive and east to use is Aloe Vera but you can use cream, alcohol, witch hazel, oil or lotion. But remember, it doesn’t make sense to add your therapeutic grade essential oils to a cheap base or medium that contains synthetic chemicals. It kind of defeats the purpose!

I keep the hair on my horses legs shaved most of the time so I can use a base vegetable oil or I can apply a massage oil directly to the legs; but if you don’t, it may be better to use a different base.

For instance, witch hazel is excellent to use and has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antifungal properties; however, most store bought witch hazel is mostly alcohol or water and actually contains a very small percentage of with hazel.

There are good sources though; and plan to pay about $30 to $100 per gallon. The best witch hazel is organic and steam distilled correctly and is about $100 per gallon!

How do I make a Spray or Gel Based Horse Liniment?

There are two ways to make your liniment. The easy way is simply take a few drops of oil and add it to the gel and then place it directly on your horses legs. I am always changing things up slightly so this is what I usually do.

You can also use a liquid base and place several oils in there and use it as a spray. My only concern with this is that once the oils are placed in a liquid they tend to degrade faster and secondly they shouldn’t be left in the heat.

My suggestion is that if you want to make some up this way; make a small batch that will last a week or two; and keep it away from the sun and in a cooler spot.

What Essential Oils can I use as a Horse Liniment or Muscle Wash?

Any of the oils that I mentioned in the horse muscles section you can use easily as a liniment or muscle wash. There are many different combinations you can use depending on the condition you are treating, but I have provided a couple easy horse liniment recipes!

Base Liniment Recipe

• ½ to 1 cup of Epsom Salts
• Bucket of Water

Place the oils in the Epsom salts so the oils disperse well. I like to use a bit of warm or hot water to dissolve the Epsom salt mixture in the water. You can use a surfactant as well; but again I try to keep things clean. Makes enough wash for at least two horses.

Remember warm water is best for sore and overworked muscles or to bring back circulation into an injured area. And cold water is best for any kind of natural response to normal inflammation.

Simple Horse Muscle Liniment Recipe to Soothe Muscles

• 1/4 to 1/2 cap of Ortho Ease
• 1/2 to 1 cup of Epsom Salts
• Bucket of Water

Place the oils in the Epsom salts so the oils disperse well. Then dissolve the Epsom salt mixture in the bucket using some warm water. You may substitute Ortho Sport for Ortho Ease as well.

Sore Horse Muscle Liniment Recipe

• 20 drops of Wintergreen
• 10 drops of Peppermint
• 10 drops of Juniper
• 5 drops of Ginger
• 2 drops of Jasmine
• 1/2 to 1 cup of Epsom Salts
• Bucket of Water

Place the oils in the Epsom salts so the oils disperse well. Then dissolve the Epsom salt mixture in the bucket using some warm water. Substitute the water and Epsom salts for Aloe Vera and you will have a nice liniment mixture. You may subsitute Lavender or Ylang Ylang for Jasmine.

My horse needs to Detox, Emotional Support or Energetic Alignment. Is there a Technique I can Use with the Oils for My Horse?

Yes, there is a technique called Raindrop Technique This was developed for people but can be used for our equine friends! Also check out the section on horse emotions and emotional wellness!

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