Reviewed by Sarah Mellings, EC Licenced Competition Coach

Can this horse really be sore no more?

I recently acquired a seven-year-old AQHA gelding named Playboy. Never in my career have I seen a horse holding that much tension in his body. His entire neck felt like one gigantic stone. I was told that he had been a rope horse at some point, was very cold-backed, had suffered some physical abuse, and that last year he endured a full rotational fall in a horse trailer and had torn his latissimus dorsi muscle. 

Everything about this situation told me to turn and run, but there was something about his eyes that made me act immediately and go pick him up. There started our journey together of recovery and building trust.

Upon my initial assessment using some basic “carrot stretches” (dynamic mobilization stretches), Playboy was unable to move his head laterally more than five percent in either direction. He was also unable to reach a carrot held about a foot away from his chest. I immediately had the vet out to float his teeth, as well as vaccinate and deworm him. He also had some heat and swelling occasionally in each leg on various days.

I researched Arenus Animal Health, the makers of the Sore No-More (SNM) products. It was encouraging to read on the Arenus Animal Health website that SNM is the only liniment with university published research related to back pain, and that its herbal solution has been trusted by equine professionals and top competitors for over two decades, with research and published evidence to prove it works. I ordered both the SNM Performance Ultra Liniment and the SNM Performance Ultra Gelotion, which are their clinical strength, FEI-compliant herbal formulas designed for fast-acting pain relief in performance horses.

I started on a daily routine of using the SNM Performance Ultra Liniment, doing massage and release work on Playboy’s neck, back, and girth area. I also applied the gel when rubbing down his legs. The Gelotion formula foams up in areas with a lot of heat, helping to pinpoint areas of inflammation. At this time, I was only hand-walking him and doing light stretches.

After building up to some light work on the lunge line and under saddle, I put the SNM Performance Ultra Liniment into a spray bottle so that I could easily apply to all areas of concern both before and after I worked him, including the soles of his feet. I was very impressed to learn that it is safe to apply the liniment under saddle pad, polos, and stable wraps, and it will not cause blistering.

The SNM Performance Ultra Liniment is the most powerful liniment in the product line from Arenus, and Playboy needed as much strength as possible. It provides long-lasting, rapid pain relief while still being gentle on both your hands and your horse’s skin. It has a highly concentrated blend of herbs that limbers up and prepares muscles and soft tissue before exercise, and it has really proven to relax and soothe Playboy’s sore muscles, back pain, and leg fatigue. I use a grooming mitt to curry it into his muscles and legs before and after riding to promote circulation and to draw out heat and toxins.

After the first month of use, day by day I saw an improvement in Playboy’s mobility, and the muscles that originally felt like solid rock were starting to soften.

After two months of use combined with a slow and gradual increase of work, when doing “carrot stretches” Playboy is now able to reach around to his girth area on both sides. He is also now able to reach down to his knees and we are slowing working toward reaching his fetlocks. This is a MASSIVE improvement from where he started!

I have found the SNM Performance Ultra Liniment products to be highly effective for soft tissue rehabilitation and will continue to use them as part of my daily routine to quickly reduce pain, inflammation, and reduce the risk of injury. I love that it is effective, fast-acting, and convenient as a direct spray, massage, or invigorating bath brace, and safe to use under my saddle, wraps, and bandages. 

A huge thank you to Arenus Animal Health, as Playboy is now on the road to recovery and to being Sore No-More!