YORK REGION – When Phoenix McMillan’s horse, Harris, was diagnosed with Cushing’s disease, the then 12-year-old boy knew he needed to do something to help.
Cushing’s, or pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, is a hormone disorder that impacts between 15 and 30 per cent of horses over 15 years old, according to Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Canada.
It’s a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects horse’s pituitary glands, sometimes leading to changes in hair growth, lethargy, recurrent infections, and laminitis (inflammation of tissues inside the hoof).
McMillan said he and Harris have a close bond. “When I walk into the barn he always whinnies really loud, like ‘oh, he’s coming over, it’s my kid!’” McMillan said.
“Whenever he’s in the paddock and I’m walking over, he always gallops over to see me,” he added.
“I’m special to him … [and] he’s special to me.”
When Cushing’s disease made Harris’ hooves brittle and flaky, McMillan struggled to find a product that adequately eased his horse’s discomfort.
Photos by Jay Perry
So he decided to try making his own.
He did some research, and learned that horses’ hooves absorb moisture through the periople, just under the hairline at the top of the hoof.
“I wanted to make a product that could help him grow a better quality hoof by moisturizing the periople (the origin of hoof growth) and making a healthier hoof wall from its origin,” McMillan states on his business website.
“I researched which oils are best,” he told the Advertiser, “and through a bit of trial and error in my kitchen, I came up with a great recipe that works.”
Since applying the dressing, he said Harris’ hooves are growing more and are less flaky.
“The best part of it is, it’s vegan, which is important to me. I don’t want dead animals on my horse’s feet,” he said.
Many hoof products are not vegan, he noted, with ingredients such as fish oil which he said smells bad.
McMillan’s initial plan was to sell a few tubs, to help cover his horse’s vet and farrier bills.
“But then I realized something,” he states. “I could make a difference to more horses by starting Pheonominal Equine Products.”
“I understood that there were a lot of horses in need, and I wanted to do something to help,” he said.
While the hoof dressing is particularly beneficial to horses with Cushing’s disease, McMillan said it works well as a moisturizer for all horses.
McMillan continues to mix the concoction of coconut oil, canola oil and tea tree oil in his York Region farmhouse kitchen, but now he takes orders online to ship across Canada.
He spent the summer working with a business coach, Christa Myers, “learning all about websites, copyrighting, and behind the scenes parts of the business,” McMillan said.
“The science is easy, but the business and marketing is all new to me. I’m lucky to have her guidance,” he said.
As part of his recent website launch, McMillan also launched a fundraising campaign for metabolic testing and treatment, something he said was “life changing and lifesaving” for Harris.
Thanks to the treatment and testing, Harris’ treatments are under control, but “unfortunately, for many horse owners it is cost prohibitive,” McMillan said, and as a result of the high cost, “many horses go untested and untreated.
“I don’t want the cost to prevent other horses from getting help,” he said.
So he set up a gift account with his veterinarian, Bennett Equine Veterinary, and encouraged customers to donate to the account through his website.
“They will be able to use this money to provide testing and medication to horses and horse owners who do not have the resources to pay for this expensive process,” McMillan told the Advertiser in an email.
The veterinarian serves a wide area, including Wellington County, McMillan said.
He also expanded his products to address other issues such thrush, abscesses, and skin conditions.
He makes a hoof mist with mixture of purified water, magnesium sulphate, and tea tree oil, that he said dries out the frog to reduce thrush and dry out abscess exit points.
To help with skin conditions, McMillan makes a “5-in-Wonder Spray” – a moisturizing spray for horse’s skin, mane, tail and coat.
The spray includes coconut oil, vegetable glycerin, witch hazel, and lemongrass, tea tree, peppermint and eucalyptus oils. “Bugs don’t seem to like the smell, but horses and people do!” the website states.
The website also includes details of more products that will be coming soon.
McMillan is grateful to the support he has received in launching his business and fundraiser.
“It’s really nice to be able to help horses everywhere, and make a difference,” he said.
And he hopes other people know “if you see a need for something, or a problem, you can make a difference. Research, trial and error, and going for it – that’s all it takes.”
For more information about Pheonominal Equine Products or to donate to the fundraiser, visit phoenominal.com.
