Horse washing

[horselady]

HI,
so basically I was wondering how often you wash your horses and what do you use?

 

[Dave's Mam]

Only if going to a show & then I use Tresemme shampoo & NAF show shine & AlvaHorse Sparkle.

 

[MuddyMonster]

I have a partially clipped but unrugged native, so never wash in winter.

If I have to sponge off after exercise during the winter, I try to do as minimally as possible.

In the warmer weather he gets washed fairly often. I usually have to sponge or wash down each time after he's worked so I might as well stick some non-rinse shampoo in there for good measure

I tend to use Barrier or Nettex no rinse shampoo the majority of the time.

 

[blitznbobs]

HI,
so basically I was wondering how often you wash your horses and what do you use?

Mare - she's black and gets a full bath twice a year and hot clothed the rest of the time. (Always looks immaculate)

Cob - mostly white tonnes of hair bathed at least once a week in the summer, up to 3 times in a week if going to a big show. ( except the 30 minutes after bath always looks like a tramp...

Use dirty beastie on both of them for first bath of the year and diamond white on the cob and supreme black shampoo on the girl, then mane and tail spray most of the time on both of them but he gets a quick spray of supreme sparkle on his feathers and spats before he enters the ring...

 

[PorkChop]

Rarely bath our horses, only a few times of year tbh. I do hot cloth quite a lot though.

They get their tails washed regularly and I use Tesco shampoo

 

[Dave's Mam]

Mare - she's black and gets a full bath twice a year and hot clothed the rest of the time. (Always looks immaculate)

Cob - mostly white tonnes of hair bathed at least once a week in the summer, up to 3 times in a week if going to a big show. ( except the 30 minutes after bath always looks like a tramp...

Use dirty beastie on both of them for first bath of the year and diamond white on the cob and supreme black shampoo on the girl, then mane and tail spray most of the time on both of them but he gets a quick spray of supreme sparkle on his feathers and spats before he enters the ring...

Dirty Beastie is ace stuff.

 

[Beausmate]

A few, up to several times a month. Rain.

 

[milliepops]

rarely a full body wash though I hot cloth quite a bit with just hot water or a teeny dash of shampoo if very greasy.

Both have got white socks so they get washed whenever we have an outing for lesson or show, and tails get done when they are minging!

I use cheapo supermarket shampoo for tails & bodies, and NAF muck off for white socks (and kira's blonde mane as it doesn't get too foamy so easy to rinse out)

 

[Sparemare]

Never in winter. Last summer in the heatwave they were sponged down every day to keep them cool.

 

[Achinghips]

Tesco value washing up liquid, once a month in summer

 

[pennyturner]

Bath... ROFL

If you could just see what they choose to look like when they've just rolled after a ride. Reincarnated hogs, the lot of 'em.

The one with the cream tail gets it dunked in cheap shampoo just before we do the pony rides at the local fete. Other than that, the mud is scraped off as best we can prior to tacking up.

 

[Goldenstar]

at this time of year up to four times a week before hunting and after although I won't the whole of the horse after hunting unless they are truly flithly .
Mainly I use wahl shampoos and tresemme conditioner but Fatty is washed in the anti itch head and shoulders.
It was an epic mess that came home today.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

once or twice a year if that for one. the other is a little sweet itchy so has mane and tail washed in the summer a few times. I like Ruggle It shampoo-he's a native and lives out so I don't like to wash his whole body if I can help it.

 

[Sukistokes2]

Usually before shows , feathers I usually do once a week, I then apply pig oil .

 

[catkin]

Hairy native who is in at night as he's working. Don't wash routinely this time of year but feathers are oiled and mane and tail have eqyss conditioner in them. He is bodybrushed daily and loves the lincoln groomer especially now as he's changing his coat.

Summertime he's hosed off or washed off with a sloshwash after work. Full bath with shampoo (gallop shampoo - I use it for my hair too ) if the forecast is for settled warm weather for a few days or for showing. He does seem to enjoy it, perhaps because he's very dark coated and clean equals cool in summer.

 

[WelshD]

I wash my itchy pony once a week for ten months a year, I use Shapleys Medicated shampoo which is just fantastic stuff - the best ive found for rinsing clean easily

One of the others is bathed every now and again for shows and the last pony has only ever had her legs washed, she stays lovely and clean luckily

 

[LeannePip]

i dont wash mine too much over winter, just legs and tail if we are going somewhere. In the summer atleast once a week.

Usually wash her in supermarket shampoo and conditioner but i have some aloe vera stuff which is great for white bits

 

[lrw0250]

We have a very light palomino. She doesn't get washed at all in the winter. This year she will get a full bath with Dirty Beastie before the first show of the season then for the rest of the year just tail and legs washed and everything else hot clothed before shows....I usually do two passes, first one with Dettol in the bucket, second one with Bio Oil, comes up lovely and shiny. That is unless she has gone to town mud rolling then it will be a full bath!

 

[Mrs B]

Mine have always hated being washed, so unless I have a very good reason to do so, they remain grubby and oily as nature intended

Tails, maybe 3 or 4 times a year ... Maybe?

 

[Tyssandi]

HI,
so basically I was wondering how often you wash your horses and what do you use?

once or twice a year, and horse shampoo

 

[Gazen]

Bathed..rarely! Legs washed only if really muddy or if going out somewhere. Tails whenever they look grubby and it is warm enough to wash them. I use Baby shampoo mostly. One of mine has sweet itch so has her mane and tail washed in summer in a tea tree oil shampoo. This is as much to remove the gunk I put on for the sweet itch which over time becomes a cause of itching as for its bug repelling properties.

 

[horselady]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I was wondering though, how do you guys get the white parts of your horse white?

 

[JulesRules]

I have a coloured mare who likes to roll and ends up with slightly pink stains from the clay soil. We went out doing dressage last weekend and I brushed all the mud out and washed her tail, but refuse to bath her any more than that when the weather was as cold as it was the day before (about 3 degrees) . I got a few looks, but in dressage you don't get marked on how clean your horse is!!

Any recommendations as to how to get her white again as soon as we have a sunny day appriciated though lol

 

[Charmin]

My two haven't been bathed in years - the mare gets hot cloth every now and then if she's looking a bit grubby. They just get a good strap before we go out to make them extra shiny. The beauty of bays!

My mare does get her tail washed a few times a year as she can be a bit gross. The gelding will get his sock washed when we make our competition debut.

However when I had greys they were washed very frequently! For the white parts, I wash with purple shampoo and then bandage until we get there. Also have a chalk block if want them really white, I'll damp down the white part and then rub the chalk on, travel to destination, and then brush off the chalk.

 

[Lintel]

Maybe twice?
Don't think his face has ever been washed other than the rain.. He throws a real toddler tantrum at the thought of water near his face!

 

[poiuytrewq]

Maybe twice?
Don't think his face has ever been washed other than the rain.. He throws a real toddler tantrum at the thought of water near his face!

My retired horse is like that. Ive had him years and years and never managed to wash his face! We have horses at work who make a fuss at first, without fail they come round and accept it eventually but not my own! Its one of the only times he really puts his foot down and disagree's with me

 

[millitiger]

Only washed 2 or 3 times a year.
I use supermarket shampoo and then also conditioner in their tails.

Tails are done slightly more frequently, maybe another 3 times so 6 washes in total.

 

[Bright_Spark]

Proper baths only once or twice a year if that. They are chestnut and bay, so do not really show the muck.

In the summer washed down with water after being ridden. No rinse shampoo used if especially sweaty.

 

[blitznbobs]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I was wondering though, how do you guys get the white parts of your horse white?

This depends why they're not white but generally scrub with a dirt busting shampoo or fairy liquid on their legs then when clean bath again with a blue shampoo (I like the purple diamond white best) that gets them that glowing white colour then cover up on any bits that don't come white but I only bother with that for the show ring!