Bathing horses in the evening?

M

MontysKeeper

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 September 2015
Messages
67
Visit site
Hello,

Just wondered how people keep their horses warm whilst bathing this time of year in the evening?

Planning on clipping my horse Saturday but would like to bath him the evening before.

Any advise?

Thanks :)
 
I was going to ask the same question - need to wash my mare's mane tonight and the only time I am able to wash her is in the evenings after work!
 
Use warm water only and towel off as much as possible and use a hairdryer for a while then a nice thick stable rug with another rug under it that. Can be removed in about 30mins (it will soak through)
 
I wash legs, mane and tail with warm water and rinse with warm water. Towel dry (blow dry if horse will allow!) and walk them to help them dry off. You could give them a hot, towel rub down and then just wash off the worst bits on the body?:D
 
we are lucky enough to have heat lamps now but before used to fold a thick rug over back end and wash front end and mane, then fold rug over neck and shoulders and wash back end, then rug up with 2 or 3 thick thermatexes/fleeces and wash tail and legs last , then wrap legs.

apart from greys you can normally get away with hot clothing the body(use a square of old rough towel and add a dash of avon skin so soft oil to the water, hot as you can get your hand in) and just washing mane,tail and legs.

if you wash the mane or neck get a full neck fleece over it asap to wick it dry so not laying damp for ages.

some horses will let you blow dry them which helps take the chill off :)
 
I use the hose & only wash the white bits if possible. Then chuck thermatex on if needed & if short for time normal rug on top :)
 
Well I have a white grey (no grey bits at all!) and do dressage so washing nearly every time we go competing. I wash legs and tail in warm water and use cowboy magic to clean the dirty bits on her body to avoid getting her wet where I can.
 
We are lucky to have hot water at the yard so I always wash in hot water then chuck a Thermatex on and a couple of other rugs if neccessary. If its really cold or i've had to wash off after hunting i will rug up and put them on we walker to keep them moving. Praying we get some heat lamps put in this winter as i think thats the plan!
 
We have a horse walker too, so could always pop him on there after. He is a bay, so not too bad to get clean, just don't want to catch him when clipping :)
 
I soap up using warm water rinse off with a hose, dry under a fleece and then change to another appropriate rug later. Tend not to worry too much, they are hardy creatures, they soon warm up. I bath when i need to for shows and the like. Not lost one in the forty years I have had horses, no colds or chills too. Giving them something to eat will warm them up quickly.
 
Sukistokes2 said:
I soap up using warm water rinse off with a hose, dry under a fleece and then change to another appropriate rug later. Tend not to worry too much, they are hardy creatures, they soon warm up. I bath when i need to for shows and the like. Not lost one in the forty years I have had horses, no colds or chills too. Giving them something to eat will warm them up quickly.
Click to expand...

Wish there was a like button! Lol
 
As we are having such lovely sunny days, why not leave a few buckets of water in the sun during the day so they get the chill off them. Also if I'm clipping as long as they are washed a few days before they are usually fine, so wash in the morning at the weekend and clip the following day or when you can.
 
I just wash with plain old cold water from normal hose in the middle of the yard, remove excess water, dry with towel as much as I can, then sweat rug or fleece on, I'm mean I know! :D Same as in summer, and unless they're already fully clipped or really sensitive to the cold, they'll live. :)
 
I washed mine down tonight as he was very sweaty after his work, didn't clean him though really. But all I used was cold water, scraped the excess off with the sweat scraper, put his sweat rug on and put him in his stable. I just waited about half an hour and he was dry, I love that sweat rug dries him really quickly. No rug on at night in his stable either, he is a really hairy warmblood.
 
As soon as I get to the yard I boil the kettle, have two buckets on the go and continue to boil, boil and boil again, I have a tubtrug full of boiling water and a bucket on the go cooled down will some tap water, I use this and a thermatex style rug and quarter wash, going from face, mane, shoulder, bottom etc...covering and uncovering body bits as I go.
I enjoy winter grooming because apart from mane and tail I hot cloth my boy as he is clipped regularly, its summer I battle with grass stains and mud as he goes out naked a lot and his Summer coat isn't that fine.
I long for a lotto win to allow a hot water feed and heat lamps, for my sake as much as his!!!
 
I use an Aqua2Go water sprayer containing warm water to bathe the ponies (these are ace) sweat scrape, rub face and legs with a towel then put a lightweight (lined) turnout on to keep them clean overnight then leave them with plenty of hay

I also have a 'bath robe' which is basically a fly rug with an absorbent lining over the top line and this is useful for after bathing in the summer, not sure who makes them but they aren't expensive
 
Last edited:
Leave the bath until after the clip and lunge to dry.

If you use a 50/50 mix of Kerosene and Oil the clippers will be cleaned, stay sharp and clip well even if the horse is grubby. Dry is the most important condition for clipping
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top