Grooming products, fly sprays and toxins?

[dianneS]

You know how most horse grooming products and fly sprays are labled "Not for use on animals meant for human consumption"? Are YOU concerned about the exposure to those chemicals yourself?

I've added equine massage to my practice repertoire and most horses that I work on have been bathed and sprayed and had many a "chemical" grooming product applied to them. My hands are all over these horses. I'm a bit concerned about how much of these chemicals I'm absorbing into my own body.

I suppose I could just forget about it and then some day if I'm diagnosed with an illness wonder to myself "was it all of that chemical exposure"? I don't really know what else to do in this situation?

 

[aggieterpkatie]

If you're concerned about it you can always ask that the owners not apply any products for a day or two before you're there. And wash your hands after you leave. Maybe that would work?

 

[mydakota]

Well, in my experience, most of those products won't even kill the flies. They just don't work that well. I think they are mostly just a bunch of citronella scented water--so I'm not too worried about them. (I know there is other stuff in there, but it is so diluted that it doesn't really work) I use fly spray on my horses because it makes me feel better to at least have tried to keep the flies off them. But honestly, they just don't work that well really.

 

[freemotion]

You should be concerned. I used to be sick by the end of the day when I went to certain farms that doused their horses with every chemical you can think of, it seemed. It took me a while to figure out what was happening. AND they had a central fly control system with spray heads in every stall that came on every so often. I'd try to run outside, but imagine that spray mist coming down on your head with no warning and trying to get out of the stall, down the aisle, and out the door without breathing it in. Sheesh.

Then there are those little battery operated misting units that some put "air freshener" canister into....more chemical slop.

You know that the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet are the areas of the body that absorb stuff, especially oils, very quickly and efficiently into your body. So massage therapists are especially vulnerable. In my office, I use only food-grade grapeseed oil with pure EO's that I add myself. Ever look at the ingredient list on any of the Biotone products? Horrible!

Yes, require that the farm not apply anything on the day you are working on the animals. Ask for a place to work that is well-ventilated and free of spray heads in the barns with central fly control. Offer to go early in the morning if that makes it more convenient so they can still get the horses sprayed and turned out.

You will probably want to establish yourself first before making demands, however. If the trainer is inconvenienced, you won't get hired. You have to prove yourself first. And with the education I know you have in equine massage, you will prove yourself with the first horse. If the trainer/rider is very good, they will feel the difference immediately. For everyone else, show them how the horse walks before and again after so they can see the difference.

Another thing to consider are those hand barrier creams like ClearShield that prevent anything from absorbing. They are also a chemical soup, but once or twice in the day is better than constantly absorbing stuff. I found it made a difference for me in certain barns where the trainer just would not be inconvenienced and I wanted the work. Also support your bodies' ability to detoxify. This has helped me tremendously. I used to be rather chemical-sensitive and it was impacting my life and ability to go out into the world. I can live a more normal life now that I have implemented several strategies with the help of a couple of very good natural doctors. If you detoxify more efficiently you can take a bit of exposure (within reason.)

 

[patandchickens]

You know how most horse grooming products and fly sprays are labled "Not for use on animals meant for human consumption"? Are YOU concerned about the exposure to those chemicals yourself?

A lot of that is probably simply the mfr's not wanting to engage in the expensive testing necessary TO have something approved for use on slaughter animals.

And there is a big difference between "secondhand exposure" so to speak -- touching an animal that, at some hours or days in the past, had the product applied to their coat, versus putting it directly on yourself or inhaling direct spray. (Notice that pretty much all fly sprays say 'do not inhale, wear gloves and mask, etc', although a lot of that is just legally-covering-their-butt stuff IMO) (fwiw, I too despise those in-barn flyspray misting systems, and will not spend one unavoidable extra minute in barns that have 'em)

However, if it's just a matter of handling horses that have had, at some hours or days in the past, these things applied to them, then honestly I do not think it is nearly as big a deal as a lot of other chemical exposures in your daily life.

But, if you are concerned, or have experienced actual health problems from it, I agree with the other posters, just ask that nothing be applied before your visit that day, and wash your hands afterwards. And don't lick the horses

Good luck, have fun,

Pat