Cleaning a coloured for a show

[emilyw]

Hi

I need some tips on making my coloured yearling gleam for his first show in a few weeks time.

He is very very messy, gets far to hot with rugs on so that is not an option.

We dont have a hose/running water at the yard but have a bouser that gets filled up. He hates having water on him although we can easily overcome this.

Any tips on making him clean and keeping him clean? He is fully feathered and very hairy. Mostly white with black sections!

What products etc work well?

 

[Kenzo]

Your stuck between a rock and hard place I think, he needs to get used to water if your going to be doing a lots of showing so I'd wait for a warm sunny day (you may waiting a while though lol) and get him bathed, even if you have to boil a kettle several times to warm the water up, otherwise yes you'll put him off water for life..well having baths that is if you do it with freezing cold water.

I'm sure a very light weight summer sheet...even a mesh fly rug or something breathable and light colour (as dark colours absorb heat and will make him sweat on warm days) will keep most of him cleanish and then just do his feathers the same morning or even when you get to the show as chances are they paddle around in the horse box and get them dirty or poo down their back legs.

Dry shampoo is a handy thing to have and errhh *coughs* chalk, but to be honest if your showing and your going to win (as in taking it seriously)...and not just practice or taking part etc, then your yearling needs to be very clean and presentable, specially traditional types so you stand out, because yearlings always look scraggy because let be honest, its never the best age for any horse as there confirmation is all over the place, so you need to make that extra effort I think with a traditional yearling.

Then highlight the coloured parts with a nice show sheen so you have nice clear contrast between the white and brown/black etc

 

[Rainbowrider]

I have 3 coloured yearlings, all in need of a cleaning session, ready for their advert pictures to send off to the H&H asap, so will need some tips too!

I have a piebald, a skewbald and a blue & white to sell, and am keeping 2 piebalds to show myself this spring.

Good luck at your show x

 

[scrat]

Find out what time your class is and see if cleaning him up on the same day as the show is an option. If it is an early start then he will need to be done the day before and keeping him clean could be a problem if he can't have a rug on. Is he stabled over night? would he tolerate a summer sheet? Take a large flask on hot water and make up a bucket of warm water at the yard. Use this to wash the dirtiest bits (tail, legs and any bad stains). Use cold water from the bowser to rinse. There is a spray called "Dungaway" that can be applied to dry poo stains and it works quite well. Take loads of old towels and cheap white flannels (Tesco / asda about 20p each) and a shower puff is good for scrubbing. Treseme deep cleansing shampoo cleans well and is usually on offer at a supermarket somewhere or a purple stain removing shampoo. Don't be tempted to use too much chalk on a hairy especially the legs as this can just make the hair appear dry instead of silky. Wash and plait his tail to keep it out of the way and put it in an old pillow case if he will let you. Take more clean towels / flannels to the show with you along with baby wipes and dungaway spray just incase he is a messy traveller! Baby wipes are invaluable at a show for you horse and tack. Hope that helps.

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

Firstly as Kenzo says you need to get your yearling used to water!!

For my piebald mare I use a white shampoo all over (except her tail which is black) the only way to do her feathers are to give them a really good clean (I wear gloves and do them by hand not with a brush) with blue shampoo, leave it on for about 10 mins then wash off - always use warm water for best results. Comb through feathers using baby oil - cheaper than detangler when you have huge feathers! - as they will help with tangles and stops the mud and dirt from 'sticking'. The black bits are easy as they shine always finish her off with a 'polish' with a sheepskin mitt - which she likes as she is a big baby!! Huge mane and tail are also treated the same way - wash and then baby oil - sometimes plaited into many smaller plaits to get 'crinkled' look!!

If white feathers etc are really grim wash in 'normal' shampoo first before using a 'blue/white' shampoo.

 

[Janette]

Tresemme shampoo is great for shifting muck - but you do need a horse which will let you wet it....... Then a really dark blue shampoo. (Brite White is fab stuff - really gloopy)

Cowboy magic green stain remover is fantastic stuff for getting rid of poo stains on hocks/bums/belly......well anywhere. Baby wipes are good for smaller areas.

Chalk mixed to a powder is really good for covering up stains as well, but don't put it on feather as it just weighs the hair down, atrracts the dust etc. I find the best thing for feather is a really good wash by hand, then a 'sparkle' spray which seperates the hair, stops it clumping and makes it look gorgeous.
Alva do a mane, tail and feather spray, IV Horse do a nice one which also makes them 'glitter' in the sun (It's basically spray on shine - no glitter in the mix), and so do Supreme but I've never tried theirs.

If the legs are white - keep them bandaged as long as possible to keep them clean. Star's bandages come off just before she goes in the ring. If the tail is white, a tailbag from Tailgator is the best bag I've found for keeping a tail clean. Again, it goes on before loading and comes off just before going the ring.

 

[Theresa_F]

This is how I get Chancer, my gypsy cob ready for a show - I do have a hose but have to boil the kettle.

In summer he lives out 24 x 7 and does not wear rugs other than a SI one so can be filthy.

Day before. He is groomed to get all mud off, his mane and tail are taken out of their bags.

Whilst doing this I boil 6 kettles and put them in various buckets ready to mix with cold water.

I then have large sponge, scrubbing brush, a mixture I make of tresume deep cleaning shampoo, a little vanish liquid and equine blue - so a dark blue shampoo with a bit of omph added ready to go.

Take pest out and throughly soak his body - if it is warm he is hosed and then gone over with warm water, if cool, then only warm water and the sponge - he is good to bath but loves the warm water method best.

This is how I got him used to be bathed - just cross tied him so he could not get away and kept following him with bucket of warm water and sponge and made it clear he was being bathed. If you do it with warm water to start and take it slowly they soon get used to it. When he stood nicely, he was given a treat and praise. I then built up to hosing him down.

I then proceed to put blue shampoo on to the scrubbing mit and scrub him from one end to the other apart from the head. He is then a pale blue skewbald.

Rinse with warm water until no soap left.

Then I shampoo the mane and forelock - I bring the forelock back so it is behind his ears. Rinse. Then do the tail - in four sections as so thick and rinse, top with warm water, bottom with the hose. Sponge his head with just water, but do add a little shampoo to his blaze but only a tiny bit so it can be easily sponge out.

Next. take on the legs - first I use fairy liquid and then lots of shampoo mix - he is a mud monster covered in P&S. Rinse - this I do with the hose.

Now, I get some more hot water and add a tiny bit of equine blue and pig oil - rinse over to have a very faint blue tinge - it goes when dry - if not rinse again with water and a tiny bit of pig oil.

Now he is clean, I then coat him with alva sparkle and brush like mad to lay the coat. Puts lots of survivor detangler onto his forelock, mane and tail - it also gives a great shine and carefully comb them out and put into bunches with bands all down to stop them snarling up again. He is then popped into his dress circle body suit and his tail bag put on. I put on stable wraps and a turnout rug. This keeps the worst off overnight. If the field is dry he goes out - he is a sensible type so I am able to do this, but if wet, he is stabled on a clean dry thick bed.

Next day, carefully wash any stains off his hocks or knees - and then put a tiny bit of whitener paste on anything that is not snowy white, apart from his feather - makes them flat. Then travel him.

On arrival, strip him off, groom him, especially any pasted areas and then apply alva gleam, brush and then polish with cloth.

Final touch is a little supreme sparkle on his mane, tail and forelock and then comb through and a tiny bit of supreme highlighter gloss on his nose - he should not have any obvious make up for his type. Fluff up feather and if really pushed a little supreme spray whitener to cover any stains - pop on bridle and into show ring.

It takes me approx 1 - 2 hours to get him from mud monster to in the show ring in pristine condition.

Lot of work but worth the end result.