Grooming white socks

Midge13

Active Member
Joined
12 February 2019
Messages
30
Visit site
Advice please to whiten socks on chestnut horse. Shampoo not always good enough especially on grass stains. Thanks
 

windand rain

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 November 2012
Messages
8,517
Visit site
Depends what for and weather conditions for showing scrub with shampoo getting fingers right into tha skin while wet coat in chalk or baby powder bandage with gamgee under the bandages and brush vigorously in the morning once at the show. For every day clean then a soft brush and keep dry you can use baby powder as a dry shampoo
 

Midge13

Active Member
Joined
12 February 2019
Messages
30
Visit site
Depends what for and weather conditions for showing scrub with shampoo getting fingers right into tha skin while wet coat in chalk or baby powder bandage with gamgee under the bandages and brush vigorously in the morning once at the show. For every day clean then a soft brush and keep dry you can use baby powder as a dry shampoo
Thank you. Not for showing just daily grooming.
 

windand rain

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 November 2012
Messages
8,517
Visit site
Keep as dry as possible and use baby powder as dry shampoo white legs are often more likely to get mud rash so the drier the better
 

HashRouge

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 February 2009
Messages
9,254
Location
Manchester
Visit site
Oh goodness for daily grooming I wouldn't bother with more than a brush over! I find a rub over with a rubber curry comb and then a brush with a body/ dandy brush usually has them looking fairly respectable. They don't need to be spotless for everyday riding. I speak as someone who has owned a grey for the last 20 years...
 

Widgeon

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 January 2017
Messages
3,821
Location
N Yorks
Visit site
Oh goodness for daily grooming I wouldn't bother with more than a brush over!

I was going to say....life is far too short to be getting grass stains out every day - I only bother when we're going out somewhere in the trailer! (mine is coloured, with white, aka green, knees and hocks....) Then I use Fairy Platinum, a pait of bobbly grroming gloves to rub it in, then a sponge and hot water to get it out.
 

Spot_On03

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 August 2021
Messages
86
Visit site
If stains are particularly bad, you can try hot clothing. basically get water quite warm, dip cloth in water, wring out and wipe over. Can bring up a lovely shine on coat.
 

Kat

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 January 2008
Messages
13,061
Location
Derbyshire
Visit site
I have asked a tame pro groom who recommends using a water brush (vale brothers equerry do a traditional one) to really scrub with shampoo when bathing. I think they bath twice, once the day before needed.

If you were showing then chalk but for competition just a good scrub should do.
 

PSD

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 March 2020
Messages
1,608
Visit site
Mine has 4 big whites and o don’t bother keeping them clean day to day.

But for shows I’ll shampoo twice and then I use supreme products leg whitener and make it into a paste, paint on and bandage for travelling. By the time I’ve arrived it’s dry and I brush any dust off.
 

Midge13

Active Member
Joined
12 February 2019
Messages
30
Visit site
I have asked a tame pro groom who recommends using a water brush (vale brothers equerry do a traditional one) to really scrub with shampoo when bathing. I think they bath twice, once the day before needed.

If you were showing then chalk but for competition just a good scrub should do.
Thanks a lot. Very helpful
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kat

NinjaPony

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 March 2011
Messages
3,031
Visit site
Give them a good wash with purple shampoo, dry, and then spray liberally with pig oil or similar (please patch test first!!). Then any mud flicks right off and stains don’t tend to stick. For grass stains, I like carr&day&martin stain remover, just spritz on, rub in and wipe off. No need to do it every day though unless you’re showing or competing regularly! I’m lucky, my Welsh’s 4 white socks seem to repel mud and stains, they always look immaculate even though I barely touch them.
 

Spot_On03

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 August 2021
Messages
86
Visit site
Give them a good wash with purple shampoo, dry, and then spray liberally with pig oil or similar (please patch test first!!). Then any mud flicks right off and stains don’t tend to stick. For grass stains, I like carr&day&martin stain remover, just spritz on, rub in and wipe off. No need to do it every day though unless you’re showing or competing regularly! I’m lucky, my Welsh’s 4 white socks seem to repel mud and stains, they always look immaculate even though I barely touch them.

Funny you say that, my welsh, also with 4 white socks never seems to get too dirty either. Only really when she's first in season spring time.
 

Widgeon

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 January 2017
Messages
3,821
Location
N Yorks
Visit site
Funny you say that, my welsh, also with 4 white socks never seems to get too dirty either.
Ugh, you people make me sick :p I think I might try the pig oil trick this winter, we have orange clay mud and it's horrific. Vets, farriers etc say no one else in the area has mud like it. Clearly we are uniquely blessed :eek:
 

milliepops

Wears headscarf aggressively
Joined
26 July 2008
Messages
27,538
Visit site
My Welsh stays fairly clean too, the worst thing with her is that her feathers get greasy from the wax on the arena surface ? I wash with a good shampoo every few weeks to de-gunge that but otherwise just ignore any stains that don't brush off, they're usually gone by the next day anyway ?‍♀️
 

I don’t like mondays

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 December 2020
Messages
487
Visit site
Echoing what others have said, unless you’re going out (out out ?) learn to turn a blind eye. My horse has white legs, lives out and in winter his legs are always dirty. If we are going to a show, I wash his legs in human purple shampoo (has more pigment than horse purple shampoo) and use naff brighter than white chalk as a paste, then bandage or pop stable wraps on. Brush out the next day, looks fab. [Then during travelling poo all down your back legs...if you’re my horse ?]

Day to day cowboy magic is great (my kids used a whole bottle on their grey pony when they were younger, that’s £6 I’ll never see again haha). Naff also do a spot cleaner that’s good (muck off I think it’s called)
 
Top