Devonshire dumpling
Well-Known Member
Whats your regime pre hunting, do you give a full bath, mane etc etc, if so how do you cope in the depths of winter when its - brrrrrr
Bathing horses for hunting!
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katherine1975
Well-Known Member
I have a coloured horse, who gets a tail and leg wash the night before and left in over night. She wears a rug with a full neck in the winter. Then wash off any stains in the morning but in no way immaculate.
My horse is black so doesn't get much done as the dirt doesn't show.
My horse is black so doesn't get much done as the dirt doesn't show.
Maesfen
Extremely Old Nag!
Long time since I've done hunter liveries but if necessary I'd usually bathe them straight after exercise so that they were warm anyway then they'd be rugged and bandaged which would be changed at tea time; it did help being at home all day though of course. Don't think I would want to bathe at night if I worked elsewhere all day, I'd rather wash tail in the morning in that case. I found it very much helps if you clip every three weeks which keeps the coat short and far easier to keep clean without bathing, just hot towelling instead after a good brushing. Very rare for me to bathe after hunting unless they came in early all hot and sticky, would just wash tails, thatch and bandage then check and wisp over later. Of course a lot depends if you live on site or not I think how you can manage them.
Enfys
Well-Known Member
I had a white horse, always rugged and tail tied up at home, but even so always bathed before a Meet.
I would never dream of turning up on a less than sparkly horse...15 minutes on we'd be our usual mud colour of course, but it was the principal of the thing for me.
Washed in chilled water, quickly, and lunged afterwards.
As for temperatures, well, it is just a matter of common sense really, depending a lot on what sort of facilities you have.
Only a cold hose out on a yard then probably not, more likely a bucket wash. If I had an indoor washbox, warm water and heat lamps, then I'd wash in any temperature.
I would never dream of turning up on a less than sparkly horse...15 minutes on we'd be our usual mud colour of course, but it was the principal of the thing for me.
Washed in chilled water, quickly, and lunged afterwards.
As for temperatures, well, it is just a matter of common sense really, depending a lot on what sort of facilities you have.
Only a cold hose out on a yard then probably not, more likely a bucket wash. If I had an indoor washbox, warm water and heat lamps, then I'd wash in any temperature.
PorkChop
Well-Known Member
I am lucky that I have my horses stabled in a barn - but I routinely wash throughout the winter, however I would always use warm water on any part of the horse other than lower legs or tail. Usually find that after they are clipped the best course of action is a good sponge over the body with warm water with a little lavender wash in it - no need to rinse.
For hunting I wash tail and lower legs the night before, and rug up as necessary, and this applied even when I had a grey. The thermatex style leg wraps and snuggy hoods are also great in the winter.
For hunting I wash tail and lower legs the night before, and rug up as necessary, and this applied even when I had a grey. The thermatex style leg wraps and snuggy hoods are also great in the winter.
spotty_pony
...
Atm my boy is still living out 24/7 (although he is stabled the evening before cubbing) so I have just been washing his mane, tail and legs so I don't take too much grease out of his coat. He has been wearing a rug most of the time anyway now the weather is a bit cooler so his body is clean anyway. I also make sure I give him a really good groom. For hunting, he is fully clipped except for his legs so I just wash off any stains and his legs, mane and tail. I always hose him off with warm water after cubbing and hunting and then make sure I keep him warm while he is drying. He dries pretty quickly once he is clipped though!
I always turn him out immaculately and take great pride in the way he looks.
I always turn him out immaculately and take great pride in the way he looks.
Starbucks
Well-Known Member
I've got a grey and although he's had a bath today (he's hairy and scruffy!) I never really feel the need when it gets cold. Just wash the dirty bits (and tail) and he has to put up with the hose pipe and washing up liquid!
Ditchjumper2
Well-Known Member
My big grey lives out 24/7, just comes in the night before hunting. When clipped out he comes in at tea time when I get home and gets blasted with the hose to get worse of mud off, then bathed with hot water, rugged and in. After hunting usually checked over and put straight out. Unless we have been on certain ground when I will cold hose legs to get the cr$p off then put him out. I could never take him unless he was sparkly white.