willothewisp
Member
Hi Looking for some tips for getting my grey horse looking immaculate - thanks in advance!
Best grooming tips to get a grey horse gleaming
- Thread starter willothewisp
- Start date
Vodkagirly
Well-Known Member
Keep your eyes closed till the fields dry up! Not very helpful if know but it's hard at the moment.
Keep on top of marks so they don't stain.
Get the silver shampoo / conditioner from the pound shop for tails. Condition and oil when clean to try and stop mud sticking. Plait tail.
Hope that summer arrives soon!
Keep on top of marks so they don't stain.
Get the silver shampoo / conditioner from the pound shop for tails. Condition and oil when clean to try and stop mud sticking. Plait tail.
Hope that summer arrives soon!
Red-1
I used to be decisive, now I'm not so sure...
Charlie Horse was always immaculate, we spot washed him every day. If they are spot washed every day then they do not stain. We got some patio heaters so he could be spot washed first thing, then stand under the lamps with a Thermatex while I mucked out. He was fully clipped so drying did not take long.
tristar
Well-Known Member
this thread gave me a laugh, thanks
i have two greys here. sort of white ones, but they are cheating ones, the older one is heavily fleabitten grey, almost chestnut in parts, i`ve had people want to breed from him for colour alone, the other one, joy of joys is showing signs of going the same colour.
we have a hard turnout yard ajacent to the stables this helps a lot to keep them clean, and some of them go out on the riding surface.
rugs with neck attachments help a lot.
i have two greys here. sort of white ones, but they are cheating ones, the older one is heavily fleabitten grey, almost chestnut in parts, i`ve had people want to breed from him for colour alone, the other one, joy of joys is showing signs of going the same colour.
we have a hard turnout yard ajacent to the stables this helps a lot to keep them clean, and some of them go out on the riding surface.
rugs with neck attachments help a lot.
BallyJ
Well-Known Member
Use ‘touch of silver’ shampoo
hopscotch bandit
Well-Known Member
The old brush and curry comb method seems to have declined over recent years. You brush the coat with a body brush and every third stroke put a rubber curry comb over it and knock the curry comb contents (scurf) on the floor. Put some elbow grease behind your strokes and you will soon get your horse gleaming as the natural oils can come out. They will never come out if you keep putting a dirt laden brush over your horses coat no matter how much you try if you don't use a curry comb as you do it.
Elf On A Shelf
...
This drives me insane! People that don't clean their brushes out whilst grooming! I clean mine between each section - Neck & Shoulder, Body, Bum and then the same again the other side before going to the head.
As to keeping a grey clean - forget it if you don't have time to keep up a daily scrubbing regime and no mud!
madamebonnie
Well-Known Member
Way back in pony club camp they made us make a pile of the dirt, prize for the biggest pile. If you keep knocking out the curry comb in the same place it's amazing how much builds up!
Embo
Well-Known Member
IME people who don't own greys love to see a grey owner turn up to find their horse dirty. I don't know why they derive such pleasure, but I've heard all the comments. It doesn't bother me anymore. I like to have a sparkly white grey and I always get comments about how clean he is when I'm out and about! My top tips:
- Spot wash stable stains as they appear. Invest in a decent no-rinse shampoo for winter. Warm water is better at removing dirt (and nicer for the horse!) as it lifts the hair cuticle allowing the dirt to come out. Cold water closes the hair cuticle so using cold won't be as effective.
- Tail wash AT LEAST once a fortnight, more often if you can. Again with hot water. I use blue fairy liquid to clean and follow up with a cheap conditioner to help de-tangle and it helps dirt not set, as the hair cuticle is nicely moisturised. Follow with a cold rinse to close the cuticle. When I bought B his tail was badly stained and nothing would get it clean. So I had to wait for it to grow out so I could cut the worst off. Keeping a routine has prevented this happening again, so his tail is lovely and long and pretty much white at all times now.
- Keep tail plaited. Not everyone will agree with this, but B's tail is always plaited up (fairly loosely and starting below the end of the dock). I also use a tail bag in winter. He lives out in summer so doesn't get that dirty.
- IME coat sheen sprays don't do very much, so I generally don't bother. If they lay down in poo/pee, they will get a stain. But it doesn't hurt if you choose to use it.
- Rugging correctly helps a lot. I use a turnout rug with neck at all times when he is stabled, this has been the biggest help. It won't totally prevent stains, but the waterproof outer will stop poo/wee soaking through. Again he lives out in summer so only use a fly rug or rain sheet if needed.
- Snuggy hoods Spik & Span rugs. Again, they won't totally banish stable stains but they do really help!
- All these special shampoos for white horses are all much of a muchness. We all have our favourites but all they do is tone the colour of the hair, they are not a miracle cure for stain removing. Don't let stains set in the first place and you'll be golden (or rather, WHITE!).
Good luck, keeping greys looking their best is definitely a labour of love.
- Spot wash stable stains as they appear. Invest in a decent no-rinse shampoo for winter. Warm water is better at removing dirt (and nicer for the horse!) as it lifts the hair cuticle allowing the dirt to come out. Cold water closes the hair cuticle so using cold won't be as effective.
- Tail wash AT LEAST once a fortnight, more often if you can. Again with hot water. I use blue fairy liquid to clean and follow up with a cheap conditioner to help de-tangle and it helps dirt not set, as the hair cuticle is nicely moisturised. Follow with a cold rinse to close the cuticle. When I bought B his tail was badly stained and nothing would get it clean. So I had to wait for it to grow out so I could cut the worst off. Keeping a routine has prevented this happening again, so his tail is lovely and long and pretty much white at all times now.
- Keep tail plaited. Not everyone will agree with this, but B's tail is always plaited up (fairly loosely and starting below the end of the dock). I also use a tail bag in winter. He lives out in summer so doesn't get that dirty.
- IME coat sheen sprays don't do very much, so I generally don't bother. If they lay down in poo/pee, they will get a stain. But it doesn't hurt if you choose to use it.
- Rugging correctly helps a lot. I use a turnout rug with neck at all times when he is stabled, this has been the biggest help. It won't totally prevent stains, but the waterproof outer will stop poo/wee soaking through. Again he lives out in summer so only use a fly rug or rain sheet if needed.
- Snuggy hoods Spik & Span rugs. Again, they won't totally banish stable stains but they do really help!
- All these special shampoos for white horses are all much of a muchness. We all have our favourites but all they do is tone the colour of the hair, they are not a miracle cure for stain removing. Don't let stains set in the first place and you'll be golden (or rather, WHITE!).
Good luck, keeping greys looking their best is definitely a labour of love.
willothewisp
Member
Thanks all, lots of excellent tips which I will take on board. Very interesting re the keeping the brushes clean. I was taught to scrape the body brush across a metal curry twice after every two brushes ... so body brush, body brush, clean, clean. It amazes me how often you see people grooming and never cleaning the brushes in between strokes. Anyway, it keeps me fit if nothing else!
NZJenny
Well-Known Member
I always said I would never own a grey, but now I have one I love her dapples and have embraced the work it takes to keep her sparkling. Not too much to add to what has already been said - as a typical NZ horse she lives out 24/7 and has a wardrobe of rugs. She is a bit of a princess and even when left rugless, prefers a scratch to a roll.
Her tail has driven me nuts, but like Embo I have just had to wait for the worst of the staining to grow out. I wash and condition every weekend and keep it in a plait (I take it out to ride), this has stopped her staining the top, and shortens it a bit so she can keep it out of the way when weeing.
It really is a labour of love!
Her tail has driven me nuts, but like Embo I have just had to wait for the worst of the staining to grow out. I wash and condition every weekend and keep it in a plait (I take it out to ride), this has stopped her staining the top, and shortens it a bit so she can keep it out of the way when weeing.
It really is a labour of love!