Back in the day, our Absorbine^® Veterinary Liniment was known as “the medicine chest in a bottle”. AVL promised to cure everything from boils to bunions back at the turn of the century, and today it remains a tack box essential for equine health and wellness. We wanted to take a closer look at some of the key applications for the horse world’s most trusted liniment – some of them may surprise you!

Provide relief for aching muscles

Absorbine^® Veterinary Liniment was invented in 1892 to soothe the tired muscles of Wilbur F. Young’s workhorses. They were in harness most of the day helping Wilbur deliver pianos – hardly light work! You can bet a little liniment at day’s end felt mighty good.

Horses of today have very different sorts of jobs, but soothing those aching muscles is still the favorite use for our liniment. A once-a-day rub down with Absorbine^® Veterinary Liniment on large muscle masses will provide fast relief and recovery, as the natural ingredients gently warm and stimulate circulation. Apply the liquid liberally to the shoulders, neck, back, croup and thighs, and massage in circular motions.

Soothe joint pain due to exercise, arthritis and old injuries

Joints are also common areas of aches and pains in hardworking horses; a whole lot of weight and pressure is applied to these key junctions on a regular basis. This is even more critical for performance horses, who’s training may include jumping, spinning, sliding, twisting, and exerting at more extreme levels. Regularly applying Absorbine^® Veterinary Liniment to hocks, fetlocks, knees, and all the tendons and ligaments in between will help soothe any pain due to training, and help keep those joints from stiffening up.

Additionally, horses approaching or enjoying their golden years may suffer from arthritis, or feel a little creaky from the wear and tear of friskier times. Old injuries can also act up and cause pain, especially on colder days. The deep penetrating warmth of Absorbine^® Veterinary Liniment will provide fast relief from swelling of tissues due to arthritis. Be sure to treat your senior horse to an AVL massage regularly.

Kill germs

Absorbine^® Veterinary liniment is an antiseptic liquid, which means it effectively kills the bacteria and fungus that may be causing issues for your horse, whether it is a mysterious patch of crusty skin or a stinky hoof. Regularly applying to problem areas can help things clear up quickly and prevent future infection.

For hooves, Absorbine^® Veterinary Liniment is a great preventative measure against fungal and bacterial conditions in the sole and frog. Apply the liquid to the underside of the hoof once a week to get ahead of infections. AVL can help treat a variety of hoof conditions such as abscesses, cracks (bacteria on the leading edge keeps cracks splitting), thrush, and white line disease.

AVL is also great for skin health because it kills germs on contact. Use it to clean and treat bacterial and fungal skin conditions like rain rot, scratches, sweet itch, and tail itch. Applying the liquid to the affected area three times a week will help disinfect, heal, and stop any itching.

Prepare him for a workout and then help him recover

 

Good circulation is a critical factor in giving your horse the best possible workout, and for helping him feel his best afterward. Absorbine^® Veterinary Liniment is designed to increase circulation, and an application before and after your ride is a great routine that promotes wellness in the joints and muscles for top performance.

A pre-workout application of Absorbine^® Veterinary Liniment to the horse’s muscles, joints, and legs will help warm him up and ease him into exercise. The liquid will increase circulation to the muscles, helping to relax and prevent injuries.

A post-workout rub down with AVL will help speed muscle recovery by increasing blood flow to the areas that worked the hardest. Apply liniment where your horse typically experiences stiffness or swelling, and gently massage. Another great practice is applying AVL to the legs and then lightly wrapping to soothe and prevent swelling. But remember: never rub the liniment in if you are wrapping, as the added friction will create a very intense sensation. Keep a gentle touch and your horse will enjoy relaxing warmth that is great for the legs.

Invigorate with a body wash

There’s nothing more refreshing than an Absorbine^® Veterinary Liniment bath after a tough workout for full-body relaxation. It’s easy: just add a splash of AVL to a bucket of cold water, and sponge your sweaty horse down with the solution. It will cool your horse down, soothe muscles and joints, cut through sweat and dirt, disinfect, and leave your horse smelling minty fresh!

With all these applications, “medicine chest in a bottle” isn’t so far off. Certainly, no tack box should be without a bottle of Absorbine^® Veterinary Liniment. Whether it’s a muscle rub down, a warm up for achy joints, an antidote for itchy skin, or a spa-day cleanse, your horse will thank you.