I have a number of spruce and cedar trees in my turnout field, and Juno always finds the sappiest tree to rub on. Then she rolls so the sap gets coated with dark dust. That's an ugly picture on a light grey horse. :)

The only things I know that can remove tree sap are all very odiforous. Liquid Pine-sol, turpentine, lighter fluid, etc. All are a bit less expensive than Avon stuff. And I'm getting very skeptical about all the alleged multi-use properties of Skin-So-Soft in particular. Next thing I expect to hear is it will give you 50 MPG if used as a fuel additive.   ~FH

Aren't things like turpentine hard on the skin/coat? I've heard of WD-40 used to detangle manes and tails: do you suppose it might get rid of sap?

i was going to suggest wd40 too.

WD 40 should work. It's petroleum based but more diluted than other stuff. And if you are concerned about odor, well.... your horse will smell like you just got it back from the mechanic. ~FH

I don't like the idea of using petroleum products on a horse's skin/coat, but I might have to. Maybe I can dilute the Pine Sol before I use it. I hear Google calling.

Tide Laundry detergent works. I always used the free and clear variety. The orange gojo hand cleaner works too - but Tide seems to be easier.

Something like Goo Gone would work.  It's a citrus oil based adhesive remover and smells much nicer than WD40.  I wouldn't use WD40 on myself, so I wouldn't use it on my horse

BoyleHeightsKid:

Something like Goo Gone would work.  It's a citrus oil based adhesive remover and smells much nicer than WD40.  I wouldn't use WD40 on myself, so I wouldn't use it on my horse

 

Actually, my mom just read in a medical article in a news paper to use WD40 on your body for arthritis.  She has a bum shoulder so my dad would spray it in his hand to rub on her shoulder.  After just a couple treatments her shoulder felt better and so did his sever carpal tunnel.  lol  So I wouldn't rule it out.  

journeygirl:

Actually, my mom just read in a medical article in a news paper to use WD40 on your body for arthritis...

Al developed some rain rot on his back a few weeks ago and I'd been treating it with Vetericyn because the spots were too big to economically use my favorite treatment, Micatin (athlete's foot ointment). The vet that's treating Jack's eye looked at Al and said "WD 40". Huh??? Yep. WD 40. So... WTH... gave him a healthy spritz and got hair re-growth starting again in 2 days. 

I tried the WD-40 on the sap, and it worked. I guess it must not be too bad to use on a horse if vets recommend it, and doctors advise it's use on humans. I might swipe it with some vinegar/water to get rid of the residue when done with the sap.

journeygirl:

Actually, my mom just read in a medical article in a news paper to use WD40 on your body for arthritis.  She has a bum shoulder so my dad would spray it in his hand to rub on her shoulder.  After just a couple treatments her shoulder felt better and so did his sever carpal tunnel.  lol  So I wouldn't rule it out.  

That's interesting!  That stuff stinks so bad I wouldn't think it would be good for anything living!  Gonna have to go start reading about it. 

Here's the MSDS for WD40:

http://www.wd40company.com/files/pdf/msds-wd494716385.pdf

From about.com:  2006 so outdated...

A look at the WD-40 MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) shows that the product contains petroleum distillates. Skin contact may cause drying of skin and/or irritation. According to the WD-40 MSDS, it is advised to wash with soap and water if you have contact with your skin.

Greater risks can come from prolonged exposure. According to the article, WD-40 for Arthritis? by Katherine Poehlmann, Ph.D., "To date, no credible scientific studies have shown any benefit from the use of WD-40 for arthritis. In fact, there may be cumulative harmful effects."

 If you are looking for something more natural that works like a hot damn, don't laugh, is Peanut Butter!

My mare had her hole forehead, ears and neck covered in sap and mane, loves rubbing on those and it was bad, all dry and hard. so I was told by my vet to Peanut Butter on it. you put the PB on it, let it sit for a couple minutes and you can wipe or brush it off. It doesn't harm them and it works wonders. 

 

mtegge - that's a great one! I'm gonna remember this - Thanks for sharing!!!

When I Googled "sap removal" I got a lot of suggestions, including the PB. Also baby oil, olive oil, many oils. Since oils seem to be the majority of the treatments, I'm going to try a mane/tail de-tangler. Although it's not oily, it has silicone in it for the de-tangling agent. Maybe silicone will work on the sap the same way PB does. PB is great for sap on dogs--they lick the PB off--but I suspect horses will not be interested in the PB. Then you'd have PB all over the horse rather than sap. I also have a spray can of olive oil--a can like Pam--and I'll try that. Juno gets sap on herself so often that I'm sure I'll have opportunities to try everything I've heard of here. Thanks for the tips.