Hello, fellow money savers! Here’s a tack tip that employs a common household item! Read and enjoy!

If you have children or if you have ever been a babysitter, you have heard of Desitin, that super sticky thick white substance that is used to prevent and treat diaper rash. Turns out it has uses around the barn as well (or it wouldn’t be in this article, duh.)

Ever gotten a horse kiss or a random dark stain on those wonderful white breeches at a horse show just before you’re headed into the ring? What to do? What to do? Grab that tube of Desitin you’ve been keeping in your tack trunk and dab it on the stain. That stuff is so thick it will cover the stain and stay put while you ride. Problem solved (at least temporarily).

Diaper rash cream is one of those super cheap (less than $3 for the generic) items that are easy to find and great for solving equestrian problems. It can also great used as sunblock on white horse noses. (It has some of the same ingredients as the white stuff we put on OUR noses. Ever heard of zinc oxide?) It doesn’t rub off easily and is super safe. I mean, we put it on baby’s bottoms, right?

One more use: it helps get rid of rain rot/scratches on legs. I discovered this by accident. I ALWAYS have a tube of this miracle stuff laying around. I live in the hot, humid south, AND I have a small child. One day it occurred to me that Desitin is supposed to protect and heal diaper rash because it is made to repel moisture. My horse had a minor case of rain rot on his hind legs. As an experiment, I tried smearing Desitin all over the areas of rain rot. It worked! It dried up the old spots and prevented new ones from forming. I’m pretty sure it made my horses legs feel better, too. One caveat though, if you put boots or wraps on your horses legs AFTER applying the cream, it WILL stick to the boots/wraps.

And that’s my tack tip for the month.

Comments and questions are always welcome!

Happy riding!