Anybody bath just for the sake of it?

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joulsey

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Does anybody here bath your horse just for the sake of it?

In the 2 years I've been riding the horse she has never had a bath as she hasn't been going to any shows and hasn't had any health issues which require bathing, she lives out 24/7 365 days a year and has a full gleaming coat. But I was thinking if its a nice weekend I may bath her, but have no idea why!
 
No I don't really. I will hose her down if she is sweaty, purely to try and keep flies away as she is super sensitive. But she only gets bathed if she is off to a show.

I am quite sure there is nothing wrong with one unnecessary bath in this hot weather though ;-) .
 
Mine hasn't been bathed in a few years but he has been washed down lately with peppermint/lavender wash from a bucket if he sweats.

I am going to bath him this weekend just because he hasn't had one in a while, I'm going to use Dermoline tea tree shampoo which I have used on his legs and it was really nice. I use with a shower scrunchy which lathers up lovely. I also like the dirty beastie range they smell lush.

Plus we weren't allowed to use the water at my old yard, I've moved to a new yard and we can use the water woo hoo (but not waste it obv)
 
I used to bath my boy once a year having lost most of his winter coat, on a hot day with weather for following days fair.

I used to hose off if sweaty after rides or sponge off in colder weather.

Like my dogs who have only been bathed twice in 5 years no need to unless smelly. Over bathing IMHO does no good to overall health of skin and coat.
 
I used to bath for no reason whatsoever other than to give them a wash.

Only once or twice max a year really and some years I didn't bother, was just nice to give them a good scrub. Does no harm to them and their often dirty again by the end of the day anyway, we never done any shows or went anywhere exciting.

Mostly I'd just hose down if sweaty, I mostly bathed in spring if it was warm to get rid of dead hair etc.
 
I hose them off with plain water frequently (especially in this hot weather, even the 3 yo loves it!). I rarely use any shampoo on them, though, except for manes and tails, as I don't want to strip out their natural oils. Except of course for the maxicob, who has his legs washed prior to his monthly de feathering (otherwise the clippers would choke ;) ).
 
I hose down completely nearly everytime I ride and use a soft brush to remove sweaty patches properly but only occasionally use shampoo (Apple scented).

In summer we bath just to keep them cool, it regularly gets up to 40 degrees on the farm.
 
No, always for a reason. I hate bathing so horse has to be pretty grotty for me to bath at all! He gets hosed off after riding in this weather, and sweaty bits sponged if it is too cold for hosing. His last full bath was at the start of the eventing season and that was only because I needed to wash his disgusting mane after the winter! I only buy mud and poo coloured horses so it doesn't involve too much bathing. He's out 24/7 through spring/ summer/ autumn so I can usually get away with taking a sponge to any grotty bits, then just wiping him over with a damp cloth. I wash his tail if it is particularly gross but not often.

This is the time of year when he might get a bath as it's sticky, sweaty and dusty so he starts to get grimy. Otherwise he gets a bath a couple of days before I clip, so that the blades go through the hair better. When I do bath I use Johnsons baby shampoo, nothing else.
 
Just before shows and a hose down if he's sweaty after a ride.

When I was younger I used to love bathing for the sake of bathing but owning greys soon put paid to that!
 
My horses are bathed at least every other week in summer it helps keep the flies at bay their hair free of lanolin which prevents efficient sweating and because they love it when it's hot .
Two got a bath today if it's hot on Friday the other too will get done .
I hate handling dirty horses so we keep them pretty well show ready here .
 
Currently washing down after work each time, otherwise a good scrub on the white parts if going out - I dont like the white bits covered in mud/grime/poo or grass stains!

TF has at least 1 bath a year, usually late spring to help coat get shifting - she loves a good scrubbing too :biggrin3: (but not her face!)
 
Goldenstar said:
My horses are bathed at least every other week in summer it helps keep the flies at bay their hair free of lanolin which prevents efficient sweating and because they love it when it's hot .
Two got a bath today if it's hot on Friday the other too will get done .
I hate handling dirty horses so we keep them pretty well show ready here .
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I'm sorry, I'm confused by that? It keeps their hair free of lanolin, which prevents efficient sweating? Lanolin is the oil which helps keep horse coats healthy. Bathing regularly strips the natural oils.
 
Yes, but only 3-4 times a year probably. He's grey going whiter by the year so if I didn't it would get too much. Sometimes I look at him and think 'the next time it's vaguely nice weather I'm going to wash you, you filthy animal'

I've recently got a magic brush, which is excellent for getting ground in dirt out. And I've seem him roll, he really does grind it in!

I wash his tail more often than that, and hot cloth the worst bits on occasion, when I'm fed up of going out looking like a tramp. I love clipping his filthy coat off in winter and putting a rug on, bliss! Although not done that much recently due to not riding through winter /injury etc
 
marmalade76 said:
No, only if going to a show and even then only if they really need it. I will wash off with water if they get sweaty when ridden.
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This.

Was at a yard where some people would bath every week in the summer... Which was fine (apart from the extra water useage for the poor yard owner!) apart from when I needed to bath before plaiting for a show and would have to wait hours when already against the clock.
 
Harvey gets bathed once (maybe twice when flies are really bad) a week during the Summer with a soothing shampoo because he has sweetitch. Other than that, ours are just washed off after exercise.

Will start on the grey tails soon though so they are nice and white for when Autumn Hunting starts.
 
Moomin1 said:
I'm sorry, I'm confused by that? It keeps their hair free of lanolin, which prevents efficient sweating? Lanolin is the oil which helps keep horse coats healthy. Bathing regularly strips the natural oils.[/

Lanolin slows down evaporation do sweat by insulating the horse
So in hot weather you wash them to allow to cool as efficently as possible .
Washing also gets the dead skin out their coats which helps as well.
That's why horses eventing get scrubbed before the XC at three day events , to get every bit of lanolin and loose skin out of the coat .
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Goldenstar said:
Moomin1 said:
I'm sorry, I'm confused by that? It keeps their hair free of lanolin, which prevents efficient sweating? Lanolin is the oil which helps keep horse coats healthy. Bathing regularly strips the natural oils.[/

Lanolin slows down evaporation do sweat by insulating the horse
So in hot weather you wash them to allow to cool as efficently as possible .
Washing also gets the dead skin out their coats which helps as well.
That's why horses eventing get scrubbed before the XC at three day events , to get every bit of lanolin and loose skin out of the coat .
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Mm I can see the logic in that, however I prefer not to remove the natural oils from the coat. I can imagine at a high level where horses are sweating profusely regularly then perhaps a good idea though.
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Field based/non ridden horses, virtually never unless there was a specific problem that needed it.

For the competing horses, reasonably regularly. Before bigger shows certainly, then hot ragged most weeks too
 
mine get hosed down after every ride in this weather and probably shampoo'd once or twice a week and always before shows.

manes and tails get done at least once a week and legs daily if white.

i cant believe any horse not bathed for years is clean.....which is fine if they live out but must be fairly minging and greasy to handle.
 
Prince33Sp4rkle said:
mine get hosed down after every ride in this weather and probably shampoo'd once or twice a week and always before shows.

manes and tails get done at least once a week and legs daily if white.

i cant believe any horse not bathed for years is clean.....which is fine if they live out but must be fairly minging and greasy to handle.
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I can't see it really matters if they are greasy and minging, if they aren't competing?
 
Not as much as I used to as they are now on sandy soil so if they roll the grease and dirt is rubbed off on the sand but I too wash to remove the lanolin a because it caused me to have eczema and it makes my grey pony uncomfortable when it builds up and she gets itchy after a good soapy bath she is far more comfortable. I dont do it as often as now she is older she isnt making as much grease
 
My mare gets sponged down after riding and she has just had a back legs and bum wash as she gets grotty in season. My youngster also had a jet wash today simply to get him used to being hosed.
 
My chap loves a bath. I think the water eases his itchiness/soothes his skin during the summer. I like to give him a bath once a month during the summer and always wash him down after riding. I feel as he is permanently rugged it's a good way of getting rid of the dirt/scurf in his coat .
 
I like bathing them I find it quite nice bonding :-) I don't do full baths often unless going to show, but I give her a little wash off in the sweaty areas after riding, I think it's nice for them and keeps the flies away as I usually put a capful of dettol or some fly repellent shampoo in. I'd probably leave it if it was cold out unless she was really sweaty. She wouldn't get dirty if she was just out in the field really, I wouldn't bother if she wasn't doing anything.
 
Moomin1 said:
I can't see it really matters if they are greasy and minging, if they aren't competing?
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Nah, I think it's like humans washing their hair, it kind of gets greasy because we wash it, if you leave it alone they don't get greasy unless they are rugged all the time. I think rain helps too.
 
Bathtime this weekend it is!

Luckily she is completely bay with just a star, so dirt doesn't show in summer (winters a different matter, she is a full time hippo then!). Coat looks in fantastic condition, and she doesn't seem greasy/scurfy when handling her, but come to think about it the saddlecloth is always full of grime!

I remember as a kid I was constantly bathing ponies just to prolong the time at the yard!
 
My lad will be getting washed tonight as coming back in after 3 weeks holidays so bath and trim will be happening. I regularly just bath if there dirty but that's coming form a showing background so cant cope with any dirt
 
I rarely ever bath my lot. In 16 yrs, I think I've bathed my cob twice. He has sweet itch and I don't think it helps to bath them. I rarely groom any of them either though...not fully...usually mane and tail once a week or so depending on time of year.
Nowt wrong with the occasional bath though if that's what you fancy :)
 
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