A question for those with greys?

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MS123

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How do you get them competition clean in the winter? T is an absolute mud pig in the winter and I worry without being able to bath (we have water facilities, but only cold water that runs from the hose), it will be impossible to get her clean enough to compete. So, what does everyone else do?
 
My sister either turns out with one of those lycra hoods on with rugs on top so then its usually just legs and tail thats dirty! or he just gets wet and deals with it we do have access to hot water thou so she doesnt just turn the hose on him!!
 
I only have cold water at the yard so take a bowser of hot up with me and boil a large canteen kettle to keep the hot water going, I have a coloured pony that lives out 24\7 and we show in Winter! I get everything ready to hand so I can bath quickly and get him dry and rug before he gets cold.
 
*smug post alert*

You have a little grey like ours....he tiptoes carefully through mud and certainly never rolls in the horrid stuff!

We once were really worried as he looked so weird but no one could quite put their finger on it, turned out he had mud on a cheek and no one had ever seen him dirty before!
 
If you have electric, boil a kettle and hot towel the dirty bits. Or take big thermos and do same. It's not difficult to spot clean the really dirty bits (like hocks, knees, and tail).
 
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Mine is still very dark but she gets lighter by the day :/

I use a full face hood, rugged up well, tail is plaited all the time, legs are rinsed daily as I always cold hose after exercise anyway, and hot clothed daily with baby oil and detol :)
 
Lyn Russell stain remover and shampoo with some warm water in a bucket. Then jet wash (a gentle nozzle, not the patio cleaning ones !!).

Dry off, then snuggy hood and suit and a rug on top.
 
I've only ever done it once but it was a freezing day in February so I was really worried about her getting a chill! I took up a large container of hot water (I live really near the farm so was easy to do) then filled a bucket with part hot/ part cold and used that to get her wet and wash the really dirty bits, then rinsed with more warm water, then a quick blast with the hose for any really soapy bits, then more warm water. I kept boiling the kettle as I was going so I could top up the warm water. Then I scraped off the water, towel tried as best I could and wrapped her in just about every rug she owned. If I had to do it on a regular basis though I'd go for stain remover on any really dirty bits then a wipe over with a damp sponge, I think, and only properly wash mane, tail and legs (using warm water from home). Although I'm spoiled now as new yard has a hot water tap in the tack room, so I just attach the hose to that :D
 
Take a flask of hot water and after a good brush get the cloth with hot wate wring the excess and in circular movements rinsing the cloth often wash the whole body amazing how clean they come up. My cob is now white with no dapple and it works on him
 
I am also a very lucky 'Grey owner' - he doesnt really roll!! But when he does get the ocasional stain i use:
Babywipes and also grooming blocks are fab :-) use block to get worst off, babywipe over area then brush and if still little mark use chalk block over and bingo white horse :-) x
 
Mithras said:
Those with light greys - do you use snuggy hoods and suits in the field? What if they slip over their eyes? (Have just bought a very light grey...)
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This happened to my girl, so I unfortunately have had to take it off :( ....but I'm going to invest in the lycra neck hood that attaches to the head collar.
 
No, I never use neck covers at all (as they rub her mane out) or rug to keep her clean. I also fear that the ones with eye holes will slip - it does happen and horses have lost eyes because of it.
 
Mithras said:
Those with light greys - do you use snuggy hoods and suits in the field? What if they slip over their eyes? (Have just bought a very light grey...)
Click to expand...

I almost lost a horse with one of those hoods, it slipped over his eyes and he ran blind, luckily I managed to calm him before he ran into something solid. I won't use one again after that.

I just rug ours, cope with the mud during the week and wash before going anywhere - if you have a grey it is usually sods law that it will love to rub its head in the mud!
 
Anyone watch Countryfile? An exhibitor was washing a prize cow with a pressure washer!

I want one! I want one!

beigepony.jpg
 
Honestly, I spot wash a lot in the winter, but if he's particularly filthy he gets a full bath - remove/lift dirt with warm water (I boil several kettles) and then he gets rinsed with cold and a thermatex put straight on. Obviously, I don't give him a full bath in the worst weather (I'm not that cruel ;)), but needs must when you've got a grey ;). I do find, though, that keeping him well groomed/stay on top of the worst of the stains helps . . . and there are coat conditioning sprays on the market that contain silicon which helps the dirt (in theory) slide off.

P
 
I don't bath mine all over very often. He gets well brushed. The oils in his coat stop the dirt sticking - well I think that's what happens. Either that or I have a very clean horse. The more I bath him the muckier he gets... When he does get a bath I use wahl diamond white. Another vote for cowboy magic too.
His mane and tail have 'seven day mud away' applied weekly and washed when needed.
 
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