The Best Horse Liniments

Written by Susan Olayode
Updated: February 21, 2023
© Tanja Esser/Shutterstock.com

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Horses have muscle stiffness, joint pain, and aches just like we do. They can get overworked and experience muscle tears and swelling too. The best solution in situations like these is to use liniments

Liniments also help with injuries such as broken bones and sprains. If your horse is healing from an injury, applying liniment can help speed this along and make your horse feel better. It is the same for horses with arthritis and muscle tears.

Liniments are a great topical medication that has been used to bring horse relief for centuries. They are easy to apply and help to reduce pain and swelling. They’ve also been noted to help improve circulation, which brings comfort.

Liniments, like other medications, come in many types. Some are liquid, others are gel, and we even have foam liniments. These all aim to give your horse treatment that works for it without stress.

A simple search also shows you many types of liniments available in the market. How can you find which works best for your horse? We reviewed many of them, taking into account factors like effectiveness, affordability, etc. So here is our list of the best horse liniments.

  1. Farnam Vetrolin Horse Liniment Gel
    • Liniment gel offers fast relief to horses' sore muscles and achy joints
    • Improves circulation for healing relief
    • Contains hyaluronic acid, which aids in coat health
    • Should only be applied with gloves to protect human hands
    Check Amazon
  2. Absorbine Veterinary Liniment Gel 2-Pack
    • Provides solid relief for horses
    • Easy-to-apply gel
    • Thick formula must be applied gently
    • Contains natural oils that are beneficial to your horse's well-being
    Check Amazon
  3. Farnam Cool Pack Green Jelly Horse Liniment
    • Affordable price point
    • Comes in 64-ounce jar
    • Won't cause burns or blisters
    • Thick consistency makes it easy to apply
    • Mess-free application
    • Cooling effect relieves aching muscles and joints
    Check Chewy Check Amazon
  4. UltraCruz Veterinary Liniment Spray for Horses
    • Great for sore muscles and achy joints
    • Works great on abrasions and minor cuts
    • Contains antiseptic for cleaning and natural ingredients to help with healing
    • Spray bottle makes it easy to apply
    Check Amazon

A-Z Animals Top Picks for Horse Liniment

#1 Best Overall: Farnam Vetrolin Liniment Gel

Our selection as the best overall is the Farnam Vetrolin Liniment Gel for a variety of reasons.

Although this liniment is the most expensive on our list, it is highly effective. It gives horses fast relief from pain and swelling caused by minor injuries. It also relieves stiffness, soreness and inflammation. Plus, this liniment also improves circulation immediately.

This liniment contains hyaluronic acid, which is great for your horse’s coat. So, your horse gets relief from pain, less swelling, better circulation, and a healthier coat all in one go. Please note that this liniment can cause burns to human skin and should only be applied with gloves.

Pros and Cons of the Farnam Vetrolin Liniment Gel

ProsCons
This liniment provides fast relief from pain, swelling, stiffness, soreness and inflammation.It can burn human skin.
It improves circulation.It is more expensive than other options.
It contains hyaluronic acid which is good for the coat.
Best Overall
Farnam Vetrolin Horse Liniment Gel
  • Liniment gel offers fast relief to horses' sore muscles and achy joints
  • Improves circulation for healing relief
  • Contains hyaluronic acid, which aids in coat health
  • Should only be applied with gloves to protect human hands
Check Amazon

2. Best Value: Absorbine Veterinary Liniment

Our selection as the best value liniment is the Absorbine Veterinary Liniment.

Firstly, Absorbine is a trusted brand when it comes to treatment for horses. They conduct excellent research and work with an experienced and talented team to develop remedies.

That being said, this liniment provides fantastic relief for horses. It comes in gel form, which is easy to apply and gets into areas that would be hard to reach otherwise. Please note that it is thick and strong, which helps its efficacy. However, you have to apply it to surfaces gently.

This liniment uses natural herbs and oils from calendula, echinacea and wormwood to provide a natural form of relief for your horse. We also love that it comes in a two pack which means that it’s great value too!

The only drawback to this product is that it has a strong scent which can be overpowering.

Pros and Cons of the Absorbine Veterinary Liniment

ProsCons
This liniment uses natural herbs and oils from calendula, echinacea and wormwood to provide a natural form of relief.It has a strong scent which can be overpowering.
It comes in gel form which is easy to apply.
It comes as a two-pack which is great value.
Best Value
Absorbine Veterinary Liniment Gel 2-Pack
  • Provides solid relief for horses
  • Easy-to-apply gel
  • Thick formula must be applied gently
  • Contains natural oils that are beneficial to your horse's well-being
Check Amazon

3. Best For Cooling: Farnam Cool Pack Green Jelly Horse Liniment

When it comes to cooling and soothing joints the best option in our opinion is the Farnam Cool Pack Green Jelly Horse Liniment.

This liniment cools, soothes, and tightens muscles. It also helps to relieve soreness and stiffness in joints. It works by drawing out the heat and inflammation from the affected area to help relieve the swelling and discomfort. It can be applied to the shoulders, ankles, tendons, and suspensory ligaments. Plus, each application provides 12 to 24 hours of relief.

The only drawback to this product is that it is thick and can be sticky to apply.

Pros and Cons of the Farnam Cool Pack Green Jelly Horse Liniment

ProsCons
This liniment cools, soothes, and tightens muscles.It is sticky to apply.
It relieves stiffness and soreness in joints.
It draws out the heat and inflammation from the affected area.
Each application provides 12 to 24 hours of relief.
It can be applied to the shoulders, ankles, tendons, and suspensory ligaments.
Best for Cooling
Farnam Cool Pack Green Jelly Horse Liniment
  • Affordable price point
  • Comes in 64-ounce jar
  • Won't cause burns or blisters
  • Thick consistency makes it easy to apply
  • Mess-free application
  • Cooling effect relieves aching muscles and joints
Check Chewy Check Amazon

4. Easiest to Apply: UltraCruz Veterinary Liniment Spray for Horses

If you’re looking for something that is easy to apply then look no further than the UltraCruz Veterinary Liniment Spray for Horses.

What you’ll love best about this liniment is that it comes in a 16 oz spray bottle. This makes it easy to store and apply to the affected area. Just spray and knead in. While the smell can be a bit strong, the effectiveness of this product makes it worth powering through.

This spray liniment provides instant relief to sore muscles and is ideal for horses that are sore from overwork exertion. It contains natural ingredients which have antiseptic properties, making this product suitable for use on minor cuts and abrasions too.

Unfortunately, some customers reported that the spray bottle sometimes leaks.

Pros and Cons of the UltraCruz Veterinary Liniment Spray for Horses

ProsCons
This liniment comes in an easy to use spray bottle.The spray bottle can sometimes leak.
It provides instant relief for sore muscles.It has a strong scent.
It is made from natural ingredients which have antiseptic properties.
It can be used on minor cuts and abrasions.
Easiest to Apply
UltraCruz Veterinary Liniment Spray for Horses
  • Great for sore muscles and achy joints
  • Works great on abrasions and minor cuts
  • Contains antiseptic for cleaning and natural ingredients to help with healing
  • Spray bottle makes it easy to apply
Check Amazon

Choosing the Best: What to Look For

There are some crucial factors to consider when choosing the best liniment for your horse. You want your horse to get the best care when you use it without getting any side effects yourself. Below are some of the critical things to look out for when choosing.

Volume and Pricing

Knowing how long you’ll need it is important when choosing the best liniment for your horse. For short-term use, you could go for a small product. For long-term cases like arthritis, you might need to go for a product with more volume at a fair price.

Concentration

The higher the concentration of your liniment, the more effective it will be at relieving your horse. So, it’s best to check the label for ingredients and their concentration when making your purchase. All the products on our list have been proven effective at bringing relief.

Temperature

Some liniments work with a burning energy while others use a cooling effect to heal. You can choose the best liniment for your horse based on these. For example, if your horse has just been working through a sweltering day, a liniment with a cooling effect might soothe it even better.

Type

Liniments come in liquid, gel, or foam form. Each of these has its pros and cons, which we describe below. Please choose the best liniment for your horse based on its condition. The brands we’ve chosen above include mostly gel and spray liniments to give your horse the best.

The Different Types of Horse Liniments: Pros and Cons Compared

As mentioned earlier, liniments come in either liquid, gel, or foam form. Each of these has its pros and cons. We discuss them below.

Liquid Liniments

Liquid liniments are the earliest way liniments came and were used on farms for horses. They are great for offering an excellent stress-relieving massage. However, getting a liquid to stay on a horse when fighting gravity can be a bit hard. So, these types of liniments tend to make a mess.

Gel Liniments

Gel liniments are great with soothing and give the best results. Since they are thicker and don’t run off, you can massage them into hard-to-reach places without making a big mess. You might, however, need to wear gloves when applying as they can absorb into your skin and be harder to get off.

Foam Liniments

Foam liniments are the newest of all three. They are best used if you’ll be putting your horse in bandages or breathable wraps. They make for a great foundation that won’t soak the bandage or cause it to slip off either. They can, however, be on the expensive side. 

The Best Horse Liniments FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) 

How often can you put liniment on a horse?

This depends on the reason why you are using liniments on your horse in the first place. With horse legs, experts recommend a once-a-week application. However, it can go as high as thrice a week or even daily for some other conditions

Does horse liniment reduce swelling?

Yes, a good horse liniment is known to help reduce swelling and also pain.

Can you use horse liniment for arthritis?

Yes, horse liniment works very quickly and helps to reduce the swelling and pain that comes with arthritis.

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