September 2002

Spice Up Your Pain Relief

Capsaicin — the stuff found in chili powder — has come into its own as a topical pain reliever, using a weaker concentration and soothing bases.

If your horse came in from a hard day’s play ûwith a sore bump or bruise, you may find top- ûical pain relievers are just the right thing.

Whether it’s acute pain from a recent injury or nagging chronic problem, when your horse hurts, you want to help. Sometimes you need to contact your veterinarian to get a firm diagnosis and/or a prescription drug, but many times you know you don’t need that strong an approach.

You want something like what a person with arthritic joints uses for a pain-relieving rub. But similar products for horses can be pricey, and you wonder if they really work. More importantly, you may wonder if there are drawbacks or side effects to the products. So did we. …