drying a sweating horse off quickly

[Kezza]

My welsh is not clipped as he doesn't grow much of a winter coat but when he gets very, very silly which he tends to do on a hack and the sun is out, he sweats up. I took him out yesterday with 3 friends and he got very excited and sweaty in the sunshine. I gave him a warm sponge off when we got back and then proceeded to put 2 coolers on him like I always do and left him to dry off for a while in his stable. If he's not too sweaty, this will usually wick the moisture away after about half hour to an hour, however, an hour and a half later he was still wet so I changed him out of those rugs and into his thermatex (unfortunately I can't leave him alone in his thermatex as it's not got cross surcingles, plus I don't want it covered in shavings really if I can avoid it). I then walked him off round the sand school a few times but half hour later he was just beginning to dry. So it took just over 2 hours to dry him off properly

Anyone got any better ways to dry him off quicker, ideally without me having to walk him round loads? My cooler is a waffle cooler by masta. the rug I put under it is a colin cook travel type rug. I have lots of fleeces but have never thought of using one of those to dry him off. What are the masta coolmasta's like?

 

[AmyMay]

There's no quick way to dry off an unclipped horse unfortuantely. Can you clip him?

 

[Kezza]

no, I don't want to clip him really, might do next year. Any tips which will help shave half hour off would be good. i.e. better rug recommendations. thanks

 

[Nic]

Equilibrium make x surcingles that you can attach to any rug & Thermatex make a cordura covered rug that won't be a shavings magnet.

 

[Kezza]

so do you think my thermatex would be the best rug by far to dry him off and it wouldn't need changing half way through the drying process like my coolers? If so I could just get an elasticated surcingle and then cry as he rolls in his stable wearing it and gets up with it covered in shavings ....

 

[Maesfen]

Have you got an old style sweatsheet, the ones like a honeycomb hole vest? Sorry, not a good description! So many people seem to have binned these but they are still very useful.
Put that on first, then your waffle cooler, it will give you pockets of trapped air which will help, then finish off with your Thermatex. Otherwise, is there no reason he can't be tied up with a haynet and the Thermatex on from the start so he can't roll; that would be quickest of all? (maake sure he has a drink before his hay)

 

[Nic]

I have a thermalux, very similar but they have x surcingles & they are the best things for drying them off. I leave them on until mine are totally dry, they are great.

 

[xxcharlottexx]

maybe try just using one cooler as wouldnt it make it dry slower as it would wick the moisture away on the first cooler but then get trapped on between the 2nd?

or you can get elasticated surcingles...

mine has one as his fleece/cooler doesnt have one, and whilst id prefer x ones thy stil keep the rug in place.

 

[WelshRareBit]

I use a netty cooler thing under my normal rug, but also if he's really sweaty I stuff it with hay/straw which is great.
x

 

[Sparklet]

I usually try to get the cooler on as quick as possible because they work better on a hot horse and if I am in a desperate rush I will put two collers on and thatch with hay/straw between them. That usually speeds the job up.

Might get myself an old fashioned string vest rug though - probably so the same job with less mess.

 

[RachelB]

Was there a reason you wanted him dry quickly? Like to turn him out? I used to put a sweat sheet and cooler under a lw turnout rug when my pony was out 24/7 and left her in that, she always dried off well. Now I have a Fal turnout I stick that on over a cooler as it's really breathable and she cools in no time. Best thing I can do for her in the stable is either a fleece and the Fal, or a fleece until I leave then replaced with her Thermatex (I paid the extra few quid for one with cross surcingles though).

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Why don't you put your thermatex on and then a summersheet or cooler with x-surcingles over the top, this will help keep Thermatex in place (althought mine has never moved, even when left on over night) and will keep it clean if he rolls.