How clean should your horse's things be?

[Wagtail]

I am the first to admit that I love washing, both the household laudry and the horses' wardrobes. I service wash my liveries things too for a small price (less than what they would pay at a professional cleaners). However, there is one livery who does not use this service, and I am not at all bothered by this as I appreciate them wanting to save money where they can. When I asked her last week she said they have an old washer in the outhouse they use for dog blankets etc. However, the poor horse's rugs have not been washed for five years. His fly rug stinks and can virtually stand up by itself. I would like to urge them to do something about it as part of my duty of care. But really, is it important? I wash my horses' fly rugs once a week along with their saddle pads and girths etc. And their stable rugs, once a month. What do others think?

 

[tabithakat64]

I wash saddle pads and girths when they look grubby (usually about once a month, more in summer).

Stable rugs get professionally cleaned at the end of each winter, turnouts get professionally cleaned and reproofed once a year too.

Coolers, fleeces and fly rugs get washed when they start to look grubby, so if they were used daily they'd be washed once a month too.

Bits get cleaned every time the horse is ridden, tack gets cleaned twice a month, more if it is greasy or if it gets wet or muddy.

 

[stencilface]

Stable rugs once a year (only worn during winter months anyway), sheets etc when they look grubby. Turnout rugs rarely tbh, they get rainwashed, fly masks get hosed and scrubbed, but not washed properly until the end of summer.

Saddle cloth might be every week or fortnight (but rotate 2 saddles so both get done at same time). My horse stuff isn't sparkling, but its clean enough not be able to stand up and walk by itself!

 

[JFTDWS]

Erg, mine rarely get washed - stable rugs don't get that dirty, fleeces are just a little hairy, turnouts get washed over summer (if they survive the winter ) and I don't use fly rugs. Saddlecloths get hosed and scrubbed if they look like they need it (i.e. every couple of months - I tend to go through the lot before I wash them!).

Girths are leather so done with tack whenever I'm competing so pretty frequently over summer.

 

[dafthoss]

Fly rug gets washed when it smells, stable rugs get washed at the end of winter and put away for next (he keeps them really clean) and turnouts get hosed off through out the season if they are muddy (very unlikely for mine) or greasy inside the shoulders when ever its conveniant and he isnt wearing it. In winter he is normally only rugged once he is clipped and then once he is clipped he is kept fairly clean, hot clothed fairly regularly and brushed more than when he isnt rugged.

Rugs not being washed for 5 years is excessive IMO.

 

[TallulahBright]

Tack cleaned generally every time it's used and oiled every fortnight, rugs washed when they need it and numnah and girth sleeve once a week. I'm a fan of the 'illegal wash' (when hubby is not home!) and don't like the thought that dirty kit might rub my ridiculously thin skinned TB princess!!

 

[glamourpuss]

I have enough laundry without overdoing it in the horse department. Stable rugs, I try & get done once a year likewise turnouts (professionally cleaned). Don't use fly rugs. Fleeces/coolers dont really get mucky. Saddlecloths & girths when really dirty/sweaty. Rinse bit after every ride but only tend to clean tack when going to a show.
As long nothing is rubbing a horse because of dried on sweat/muck does it really matter if it's grubby?

 

[Copperpot]

Yuck! I wash my stable sheets every 2 weeks. Stable rugs get
cleaned end of winter and turnouts too. Fly rug gets washed frequently too. Saddle cloths I change every week as are sheepskin. Tack cleaned once a week. Plus wash his boots too. His stuff is sparkly. Shame I can't say the same for my house

 

[Perissa]

I wash numnahs after every single use (I have lots of numnahs!), stable rugs get washed once a week, and more often if they get a big poo stain on them. Fly rugs are also washed once a week unless I bring them in and it is soaked, in which case I take it home to wash it. Sunday is clean rug day!

Copperpot - my house is the same!

 

[MerrySherryRider]

Can't bear dirty rugs and kit.

Stables, feed and water bowls, grooming kit, bits, girths, tack, feed containers, saddle pads and rugs are all kept clean and fresh.
Keeping a horses environment and kit reasonably clean, and free from sweat, dust and urine etc is good horse management, means the horse is happier and healthier.

Standing a horse for hours in a sinking stable in a sinking rug is unreasonable.

Smell is so important to horses, how unfair it is to put them out with the herd smelling of urine.

 

[Buds_mum]

Rugs after each season of wear, fleeces/under rugs more often whenever they are grubby.

Saddle cloths get worn once then put through washing machiene. Will not ride in a mucky saddle cloth, pet hate of mine.

Same with boots and girth, maybe not washed in machiene every time but chucked in bucket of water and scrubbed, after every ride.

Tack complelty cleaned every month.

Bit washed after every ride (why can people not do this?!! Hate crusty bits!)

Headcollar quite often.

Grooming kit always getting a good wash through.

I'm also fanatical about perfect mucking out, and bucket cleaning

My tack room is lush, its so organised I love it

Cant do with mucky things for him, it takes no more time to keep things clean!

My house/car however is hovering on the clean side of hygenic and no more, woops

 

[Puppy]

Numnahs and girths I do very frequently, about every 2 or 3 uses. Brushing boots go in the machine less frequently, but will be hosed off and hung up to dry after use if needed.

I only have turnout rugs and they are done once a year, professionally. Fillet strings I swap around between rugs to clean more often as they do get rather gross.

ETS - Oh yes, bits and buckets are done after every use.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Saddlecloths washed every Sunday - at this time of the year its a clean one every day I ride (possibly might do 2 days if not got sweaty)
Indoor rugs when they pong too much or at least 3 or 4 times over the winter.
Fleeces/thermatex etc, washed after use or once a week if used for any length of time.
Outdoor rugs all cleaned & re-proofed during July (I keep 1 LW back for 'in case' which goes later in the year when others back).

Grooming kit: washed monthly, brushes cleaned out each (just about!) use.
Boots hosed off after use, washed in bucket at yard weekly in winter.
Tack - strip down on Sundays, bit washed every use. Soaped over if got caught out in rain etc

 

[Littlelegs]

When they need it really. I only rug in winter, so tend to wash them once a year. I also use a summer sheet or fleece under rugs mostly so I can wash that every few weeks. Numnahs, saddlecloths, girths etc I tend to brush off when dry, or if sweaty I wash them. Headcollars get a wash when I bath, or in winter when dropped in mud. Only use boots rarely for very fast work/jumping, tend to either brush or hose after to get rid of sweat. 5yrs is excessive, bet they stink & can't be comfortable or doing much to keep horse clean. Lady I know has one of those red/blue stable rugs that came out decades ago as an alternative to jute rugs, she still uses it each winter & even on the horse you can smell it at a distance as its never been washed.

 

[AmyMay]

All rugs get professionally cleaned once a year. Numnahs washed every couple of uses, unless have got particularly sweaty.

Lighter weight rugs, such as fleeces and towling ones get washed as and when.

Providing the livery's horse is showing no ill effects of dirty rugs, then it's not the end of the world. But I can't think it's very healthy to wear stinking rugs year after year.....

 

[PolarSkye]

Hmmmmm . . . had to think about this a bit.

Saddle and bridle cleaned at least once a month - sometimes more often depending on weather, workload, etc. Bit rinsed off every time used.

Fly rugs, numnahs, summer sheets, fleeces, lightweight stable rugs all get washed as needed . . . more in summer.

Turnout rugs get professionally cleaned, repaired and reproofed at the end of the appopriate season. If his turnouts get particularly muddy, I hose them off.

Five years? Oh my . . .

P

 

[Flicker51]

I have to say I always thought fly rugs lost their efficacy the dirtier they get ...they certainly attract more flies !

They also sweat underneath them which causes rubs etc so I would probably say something to her - at least they go in a normal washing machine so it costs nothing to clean...

 

[LeannePip]

bit - after every ride
numnah - clean one on every couple of days but of course if its rank afetr one day then she can have a clean one again the next day then just put a few in the washing machine at home
tack - bridle de-greased once a week good clean condition every few weeks or before show/comp saddle wiped over every few weeks or cleaned before a show/comp unless its got wet or muddy then condtion over
turn out rugs - had them all done last summer and pony isnt a mud monster so practically clean still so tehy'll do for this year too
sheets/fleeces - every other week or so
stable rugs - just chuck them in the machine when necessary
headcollar - leather one gets cleaned for a show. everyday one - never. its never left on for long periods of time so doesnt get muddy/dirty and gets hung up outside the field or stable so when it rains it gets a 'rain clean'
Brushes - dont remember when i last did them thats tonights job then

also another major mucker'outer - cant stand a rank bed!
troughs in fields are cleaned out once or twice a week in summer to be filled again, less in winter because we dont tip the water out because it just freezes/makes everywhere muddy so we top it up for a couple of weeks then let them drink it down then scrub it out and re fill again. stable buckets everyday or everyother day depending on how much they've been in teh stable.
feed buckets every day

 

[Wagtail]

It's funny how many of us keep our horses so clean but hate the housework! I love mucking out and doing the washing. But housework... Just cleaned the kitchen and vaccuumed downstairs and hated every minute of it. Had to go out and put a rug in the washer to make me feel better.

I think I will put the liveries dirty washing in a pile for her as I am cleaning the tack room. It's attracting the mice!

 

[Fransurrey]

Fly rugs are done every two weeks at the very least. T/O has been washed once this summer (I think I bought it in May), as it was looking a bit greasy on the lining. I don't think I could go more than a few months without washing rugs. All that dirt would be an ideal breeding ground for bacteria, i'd have thought and with a thin skinned pony, it's not worth the risk.

I do grooming brushes probably twice a year, soaking them in dermolene before scrubbing. Buckets I take home to wash properly, otherwise they're left outside in the rain and scrubbed with the rainwater. I scrub them everytime I fill up the trough, too (once a week). Otherwise it's a quick rinse, as I don't have running water on tap - it's a 10 minute faff!

 

[whizzer]

Heavy turn outs go to be prof washed at end of winter, I have the use of a heavy duty washer at work so can do stable rugs & lighter turn outs myself & these are all done several times a year. Don't use fly rugs or masks. Wash saddlecloths,fly bonnets & boots after 2-3 uses, girths are wipe clean. Wash travel stuff-tail bandage,tail guard & polypad boots after 2-3 uses. Other bits & bobs get regularly washed including grooming brushes. Hate filthy,dirty equipment!

 

[Brightbay]

Just checking the make of this fly rug that has lasted 5 years?

Mine seem to last about two weeks. Not really much point washing them in that time interval...

 

[PolarSkye]

Forgot to add . . . feed skips, buckets scrubbed every day - they're the cleanest on the yard. I'm so anal, that as soon as he's finished, I spritz them out with water and leave them to soak - don't like crusty feed bowls.

P

 

[thinkitwasjune]

Numnahs, girths and fleeces/coolers/summer sheets get washed when they need it. Stable rugs go to be professionally washed at the end of the winter, as do turnout rugs if they're really in a state. If they're not too dirty, they don't get washed. Can't afford to be forking out tons of money on getting them washed and reproofed, and my 3 horses are still alive

 

[Tnavas]

Saddle and Bridle speed cleaned after every use - strip cleaned weekly

Saddle Cloth - don't own one - have never used one on my own horse - have used them on other peoples horses and are changed daily

Stable rugs weekly or if they have chosen to lie in a dropping or urine.

Winter cover - is really a rain sheet - I wan't some weight off the hairy beasty and winter is ideal

Headcollars get wahed every couple of weeks.

Body Brush and Dandy brush after each use - full grooming kit weekly

Boots & Bandages after each use

Feed buckets, water bin daily

Wheel BArrow and stable tools after each use - cannot stand dirty wheelbarrows.

Towels and stuff like that after each use.

My horses stuff is kept really clean and tidely stored, my home is clean but untidy! HAve little time for housework!

 

[Twinkley Lights]

I think I will put the liveries dirty washing in a pile for her as I am cleaning the tack room. It's attracting the mice!

Good grief tell her you are changing the yard rules and that washing has to be kept in her car boot - she will soon wash it if it stinks her out. Poor horse I always clean rugs and numhnahs etc and scrub water troughs as it's unpleasantfor us to wear dirty things and drink green water so I dont ask my horses to!

 

[wench]

Wash rugs as and when needed. Generally when they go off for repair.

Saddlecloths, again get done when needed.

 

[TicTac]

Ewww some people are really skanky! My fly rugs get washed once a week . One on,one in the wash as do my stable rugs as well. All my rugs are lightweight so I can layer accordingly and wash in my own machine. Numnahs get washed every single time they are used, more so in the summer than in the winter though. Turnout rugs get washed/ reproofed and changed about 2 or 3 times over the winter depending on the condition they are in.

Boot and bandages get washed when needed, probably more in the winter than summer and I regulary clean all my grooming kit brushes . I am fussy about my tack as well.

I think it's disgusting that some people dont see fit to keep their kit and rugs clean, apart from anything else dirty equipment makes you small too!

 

[sonicgold]

Wash lightweight rugs at home as and when needed. I have a large capacity washing machine in shed for animal and grotty stuff. It is me that won't do hairy or grotty washes in the kitchen machine. Tack/ saddle cloths etc gets washed/cleaned as required. Rugs I am anal about mending. A nick gets patched as soon as I see it. I do my own, so save a fortune. Also my rugs last for years. I hate dirty feed buckets, with a passion!! Fly rugs and masks I don't use.
ETA Oh and the tack room gets scrubbed out from top to bottom, ceiling walls the lot once a year, but brushed out as required.

 

[Shysmum]

I'm a bit of a clean freak tbh - after an outbreak of acne on the boy's saddle area, numnahs are washed every two uses, brushes disinfected every week, bridle wiped down with tack wipes every use....bit in dishwasher every few weeks......rugs washed every month.....I could go on, but I won't bore you