Dupe Hoof Moisturizer Questions

[Tammyfarms]

I want to make something similar to this product but I’m having trouble wrapping my head around how to incorporate some of the oil soluble ingredients with the water soluble ingredients in a way they won’t separate.

I don’t see an emulsifier, is there something I’m missing?

The ingredients also list aloe vera, shouldn’t that require a preservative? The aloe powder I have is water soluble, would that mix with the glycerine or another ingredient?

Label is attached, but the ingredients listed are:
Active ingredients: Neatsfoot Oil 55%, White Petroleum 30%, Glycerine 0.5%.
Inactive Ingredients: Pine Tar, Aloe Vera, Lanolin, Hydrolyzed Animal Protein

For those asking why make my own instead of buying it, why not? I have most of the ingredients on hand and I like making my own stuff. I love a challenge and learning new stuff.

 

[DeeAnna]

I see the glycerin is only 0.5% of the total. That tiny amount might stay mixed in well enough for long enough without an emulsifier. Although you're right -- there's no official emulsifier and it could theoretically separate out.

I'd add a small amount of aloe powder, just as you're thinking. I don't know that I'd bother reconstituting it although I suppose you could try mixing it with the glycerin.

My opinion is the aloe and glycerin are mainly "feel good" ingredients added for label appeal. I probably wouldn't use either one if I were making a dupe.

 

[Tammyfarms]

I see the glycerin is only 0.5% of the total. That tiny amount might stay mixed in well enough for long enough without an emulsifier. Although you're right -- there's no official emulsifier and it could theoretically separate out.

I'd add a small amount of aloe powder, just as you're thinking. I don't know that I'd bother reconstituting it although I suppose you could try mixing it with the glycerin.

My opinion is the aloe and glycerin are mainly "feel good" ingredients added for label appeal. I probably wouldn't use either one if I were making a dupe.

Thank you!

 

[Ephemerella]

I don't have anything to add to the discussion directly, but did want to chime into say that this was the best hoof dressing I ever used:
https://www.bigdweb.com/bearcat-16-oz

It closely resembled a "secret formula" my farrier made himself, and we both agreed the key ingredients are the menhaden oil and iodine. It did smell awful and stained everything it touched.

 

[Tammyfarms]

Thank you, menhaden oil is interesting. Sounds like it smells awful, but I would definitely use it if it works. Something to consider for sure.

 

[DeeAnna]

Iodine might be fine if treating thrush or other fungal/bacterial problems, but I'm not sure I'd use it as a routine thing. I had a draft mare who came to my home with terrible feet, including thrush. I used an iodine wash on her feet until we got that cleared up. It also worked well to treat a rescue gelding who was prone to getting "rain rot" (fungal infection) on his back.

 

[Ephemerella]

I personally rarely used hoof dressings, and certainly not routinely, so I don't know what the long-term effects of repeated iodine application would be. If I had to keep applying hoof dressing, it was a clue to me that something in my yard could stand some improvement—if possible — weather was always good for a couple of curve balls throughout the year.

But I will say, when I needed something topical, bearcat worked a charm.

 

[Tammyfarms]

I have also used iodine for thrush and it worked great, but agree it wouldn’t be something I use routinely.

I just purchased this horse a month ago and he had not had much hoof care. He is only two. He has some thrush which is much better, and I am noticing that the frogs on his front feet (the ones with thrush) and hooves are quite dry. His back feet look pretty good. As the summer is coming to an end here I’m not even sure I need to do anything just being an overly cautious mom. Here’s a pic of my boy. He is so much fun.

 

[AliOop]

Beautiful Leopard Appy!

 

[Tammyfarms]

Beautiful Leopard Appy!

Thanks! His looks are a bonus, he is smart, sensitive, curious, brave and willing. All of the best qualities. I’m kinda biased though.

 

[AliOop]

Thanks! His looks are a bonus, he is smart, sensitive, curious, brave and willing. All of the best qualities. I’m kinda biased though.

How could you not be?

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Great photo. He is so pretty!

 

[Tammyfarms]

Great photo. He is so pretty!

Thanks!

 

[Nona'sFarm]

Love how he's "snuggling" up to you, it's obvious there's already a tight bond between you two.

 

[Gaisy59]

I have also used iodine for thrush and it worked great, but agree it wouldn’t be something I use routinely.

I just purchased this horse a month ago and he had not had much hoof care. He is only two. He has some thrush which is much better, and I am noticing that the frogs on his front feet (the ones with thrush) and hooves are quite dry. His back feet look pretty good. As the summer is coming to an end here I’m not even sure I need to do anything just being an overly cautious mom. Here’s a pic of my boy. He is so much fun. View attachment 78914

Awwww so sweet

 

[Cindy D.]

How sweet!
The aloe vera says "oil" in the photo, so that wouldn't introduce any water.

 

[DeeAnna]

How sweet!
The aloe vera says "oil" in the photo, so that wouldn't introduce any water.

Aloe doesn't produce any oil on its own, but I've seen infusions where aloe would be soaked in, say, coconut oil (or other fat).

It's not really oil direct from the aloe, it's really coconut oil with whatever chemicals from the aloe that are fat soluble.

 

[Tammyfarms]

Aloe doesn't produce any oil on its own, but I've seen infusions where aloe would be soaked in, say, coconut oil (or other fat).

It's not really oil direct from the aloe, it's really coconut oil with whatever chemicals from the aloe that are fat soluble.

Thank you for replying. I couldn’t figure out how aloe could be made into an oil. I do see where vendors are selling aloe “oil”. Seemed a bit counterintuitive. Now I know.
Sounds kinda like vanilla or coconut “essential oils”. Navigating some of this marketing is certainly confusing.

 

[MomInWA]

@Tammyfarms Let me know how it goes! The two ingredients that grab me are Pine Tar and Lanolin. I use commercial products for my horse's feet. She actually has great feet, but the turnout pastures get muddy in the winter. If I'm out of town for any length of time, she can develop mild thrush. They say you can paint pine tar directly on the whole hoof, sole, frog, etc. I don't think I've done that since the 70s. These days Durasole is my go-to, and I use Keratex for hardening. But she is an Arab and has naturally great feet with normal care. I'm really curious how your experiments go, so please share!

 

[Tammyfarms]

@Tammyfarms Let me know how it goes! The two ingredients that grab me are Pine Tar and Lanolin. I use commercial products for my horse's feet. She actually has great feet, but the turnout pastures get muddy in the winter. If I'm out of town for any length of time, she can develop mild thrush. They say you can paint pine tar directly on the whole hoof, sole, frog, etc. I don't think I've done that since the 70s. These days Durasole is my go-to, and I use Keratex for hardening. But she is an Arab and has naturally great feet with normal care. I'm really curious how your experiments go, so please share!

For mild thrush I have been using a 50/50 mixture of generic desitin diaper cream and generic lotrimin athletes foot cream. I put it in a small ziplock bag, mix well, cut off a corner and pipe it into a large syringe. To apply, use the syringe to get the cream into any cracks, then use a 1” chip brush to spread it on the surface of the frog. My last horse has pretty good feet but was susceptible to thrush at times. This mixture worked really well. It’s not something I came up with on my own, it was recommended by Pete Ramey https://www.hoofrehab.com/Thrush_treatment.htm.
This article mentions copper sulfate, which is no longer recommend as it is too strong. He does a great job of explaining what happens when thrush turns painful and how the horse/hoof responds.
I think my new guy will eventually have good feet but it’s going to take a few more trim cycles. When I got him 6 weeks ago he had some pretty painful thrush and hadn’t been trimmed regularly until a few months before I got him. The thrush is almost gone and doesn’t seem to be painful anymore. It has been so dry here that I was looking for ways to increase moisture while maintaining antibacterial properties. That may no longer be a concern as it has started raining (yay) and hopefully that will provide the moisture he needs.
Last year the barn owner where I board asked me to dupe a hoof wax product. One of her horses has trouble if he gets too much moisture on his feet, his frogs get very soft and painful. Maybe this product would be helpful?
36% beeswax
36% coconut oil
22% raw honey
2% oregano eo
2% eucalyptus eo
2% lavender eo
This makes a really thick wax, take out a pea size piece, warm between your hands and apply to frog. It creates a moisture barrier that will stay on for several days. https://www.chewy.com/pure-sole-hoof-wax-horse-hoof-care-7/dp/1312590 This is the product I based it on. It has worked really well for her.