Tack Guru

The Davis Soaking Boot

My TB recently suffered from a bad abscess. A rock worked it’s way under his hoof pad and the abscess came out the heel bulb.

It was swollen and painful. I needed to soak it in Epsom Salts several times a day.

I can remember soaking a horse’s foot before Davis Soaking Boots were widely available. Often times the process was more painful than the injury, at least to the horse owner. It went like this:

• Heat water in a tea kettle, pour into a bucket with plenty of Epsom salts.
• Next, put horse on cross ties.
• Put bucket of hot water and epsom salts in front of him.
• Lift the hoof that needs soaking and attempt to place it in bucket of hot water. Horse resists putting his foot in the water several times.
• Horse finally stamps down in the water, spraying water and Epsom salts all over you.
• Horse stands still for three seconds, then lifts foot and knocks over the bucket, spilling water all over the aisle.
• Begin again.

Now, you simply mix up the hot water and epsom salts, put the boot on the horse, pour the mixture into the boot and you’re in business!

There is a strap at the top that allows you to tighten the boot. I often let my horse snack on hay in his stall or even graze while they are soaking.

The bottom line:

I have found the boot stays on very well and it holds enough water to make the soaking process work. They don’t even know they are being treated. I like this product so much that I bought it in two different sizes: one size fits on the bare hoof and the other fits over a shoe. That gives me the flexibility to use it in a variety of situations. Definitely, a product that works.

AluSpray is used to cover wounds that can't be bandaged.

I wish I didn’t know how well this product works. It’s a spray on aluminum powder that you can use to cover wounds that otherwise cannot be bandaged. While it doesn’t have any healing properties, it’s great for keeping dirt, debris and flies off an open wound.

I had the opportunity to try this product after my horse was kicked. He had a nasty wound on his forearm that couldn’t be stitched and couldn’t be bandaged. The AluSpray was just the ticket for the job. It helped me keep the wound clean during the healing process. When you spray it on it dries instantly and provides a protective barrier. I was cleaning his wound twice a day and it didn’t wear off in between.

This is definitely something every horse owner need to have on his or her medicine shelf. I just hope I don’t need to use it again any time soon!