How do you clean your horses for shows?

Spiritedly

Spiritedly

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I'm hoping to do a couple of inhand classes with one of our youngsters in a couple of weeks, the problem is he is out 24/7, unrugged and a mud monster! I was going to stable him the night before but I don't know what to do about washing him off. I have no electric at the field so can't heat any water but he is really dusty and his white bits are looking a bit yellow :rolleyes:
So what does everyone else do? How do you get your horses looking show worthy when it's too cold to bath?
 
I did a 'family pony' class once.
I washed the pony the day before, plaited his tail and left it in (I know I shouldn't have now, this is 2 years ago) Rugged him up and left him in overnight.
6am next day went down, brushed him, plaited him up etc and he was sparkly and white.
(he's a skewbald) and i've never seen him look so clean. Wooo!
 
I'm want to do as much as I can the day before, it's the washing I'm not sure about. In the summer it wouldn't be a problem but with the weather at the moment I'm unsure what to do :o
 
Spiritedly said:
I'm hoping to do a couple of inhand classes with one of our youngsters in a couple of weeks, the problem is he is out 24/7, unrugged and a mud monster! I was going to stable him the night before but I don't know what to do about washing him off. I have no electric at the field so can't heat any water but he is really dusty and his white bits are looking a bit yellow :rolleyes:
So what does everyone else do? How do you get your horses looking show worthy when it's too cold to bath?
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My older two got bathed on Wednesday before going jumping - they were vile mud monsters from a winter in the field too. It would be near enough impossible to get J to show standard without a bath. He wasn't cold at all. Fergs shivered like a baby though and ended up wearing two rugs while I did his tail and brushed out / plaited his mane :cool:

Where abouts are you in the country? I'm Essex and mine survived the bath ;)
 
Mine get a good old fashioned grooming with a rubber curry, dandy and body brush every day for a week before a show, and wear a light turnout rug (they are normally naked) just to keep muck off. I wash manes and tails the day before (mine all have very long manes), and any white/especially stained bits get hot towelled.
 
[QUOTE Where abouts are you in the country? I'm Essex and mine survived the bath ;)[/QUOTE]

I'm in Kent, Did you use cold water or warm?
 
good god I don't have electricity either :eek: I'd have had to box them home and shove the highland in the bath :eek:
 
Spiritedly said:
Mind would probably enjoy that....but only if he could roll on the compost heap after :rolleyes:
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Haha. Yes it would be quite a picture... I can just see Fergs playing with a rubber duck :cool:

As it was, he had to deal with the cold water from the hose :p

IMG_15701.jpg
 
I hot clothed mine last time we copmpeted but hes fully clipped. Have you got a thermal flask you can take some hot water down in as thats what I do.
You have a few weeks yet if we get any warm weather then do it then and then a quick one the day before.
 
dafthoss said:
I hot clothed mine last time we copmpeted but hes fully clipped. Have you got a thermal flask you can take some hot water down in as thats what I do.
You have a few weeks yet if we get any warm weather then do it then and then a quick one the day before.
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Unfortunately the shows a week Sunday and the forecast is for rain and a temperature drop :( I have a flask but it won't hold that much hot water.
 
Use a 20 litre water container, I fill them with hot water & take them to the field. If washing def rug up preferably with a hood or neck cover and hope they don't get too muddy. I showed my mare from the field this week but had a stable for the night before.
 
I will be stabling him the night before whatever method I use for getting him sparkly clean as he'll find the dirtiest patch to roll in otherwise. :rolleyes:
 
can you not thoroughly groom daily keep rugged even if a LW then the day before take plenty hot water down in 20L containers and bath his dirty bits off, hot cloth the rest of his body then he is not standing there all cold and wet... how much white does he have on him? if its just the legs tbh i wouldnt bother to much just make sure there chalked up as most likely there will be covered in surface/ mud from the show ring
 
As one of the above, I take hot water from home down the yard in large containers to mix with cold at the yard for baths. I have a grey, nothing other than a bath will usually do...
 
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