This herbal salve for livestock works wonders on minor scrapes and bug bites.
My paint horse has some persistent sores on his belly - he likes to scratch them on the bushes when they itch - and Ella has a hairless patch on her shoulder from an argument with another horse.
I was using a purchased product that someone had recommended, and it worked well, but I'd used it up and needed more.
I'm not a veterinarian. If your animal has more than a minor scrape,
I recommend seeking veterinary care.
Rather than spend the $10+ on another small jar, plus the gas to go two towns over to the farm store, I made an herbal salve instead. It probably costs me just pennies to make the salve, since I bought the beeswax several years ago for another project and this is left over, and the herbs/weeds are free, so the only cost is for several ounces of olive oil.
This time I added some aloe vera gel to it also, hoping that it will help to soothe the Escape Horse's itchiness. I do have an aloe vera plant but it's looking kind of peaked right now, so I'd bought a bottle of aloe vera gel from Mountain Rose Herbs some time ago. (Don't you love having leftovers in your cupboards?)
I make infused oil when the "weeds" are in season, and store it in my refrigerator to use in soap- and salve-making during the rest of the year.
Each year my infused oil is a little different. This year there was very little yarrow, so I didn't pick any. The strength of the herbs will vary each year also. This year the oil contains chickweed, plantain and some dried comfrey.
To make, I used a ratio of one part beeswax to two parts of infused oil. How much is two parts? Well, it will depend on how much beeswax and infused oil you have on hand, and the amount of finished product you want to make. For more detailed information read my post on measuring by parts.
I put the measured beeswax and infused oil in a saucepan and heated slowly till the wax was melted, then stirred and let it cool a bit before adding some aloe vera gel. I poured it into a clean, dry, plastic jar.
When cooled, I tested the consistency - it seemed a little stiff but I didn't change it, and in actuality it is about perfect. I can scrape it out on the back of my fingernail, apply to the horse's wound and rub it in gently.
If your salve turns out too soft, reheat it and add a little more beeswax; if it's too stiff, add a little more oil when reheating. Then pour it back into the container and let it cool and harden, and test again. Only add a little, about a teaspoonful at a time.
We've been known to use this soothing herbal salve on people as well as on livestock. I do keep two different jars of it: one for livestock (horses and goats) and one for us, because the horses' jar tends to get dirt in it no matter how clean I try to be.
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