How neat do you like your horses to be?

I groom as much as I can especially before I go out but Im not like super clean freak. Especially if I ride my cousin's grey as theres only so much a brush can do when he has got himself covered in mud :')
 
Both out 24/7 but rugged as fully clipped expect legs. They are both brought in a groom every night before exercise, dinner and turned back out. Yes I work full time with a 45 minute commute each way.

I can't not groom them both daily luckily for me they don't really like the mud bad for them as the field is just mud at the moment
 
When had Rosie, was pulled, trimmed and banged but would often go out on hacks with mud hanging off, but would take the view that she'd get covered in it on the hack :D

Fat Boy however is supposed to be au naturel and have to admit I have been naughty and pulled him, and in summer is trimmed. Especially his beard :D Luckily he is reasonably clean most of the time although can anyone explain how horses manage to get between their front legs? It's like Nugz launches into mud like someone diving into a mosh pit :D
 
I'm one of those that can't go out on a dirty horse! Making Leo look nice is something I take pride in :D
I give him a full groom everyday, he's stabled at night, but he rolls EVERY day!! But he is spotless when he does to bed and when I take him out on a hack :)
 
My horse, tack, stable & equipment is spotless (I have terrible OCD!) & I wont ride unless tack & horse are speck free :o
Even his field is spotless, not a drop of poo to be seen :o
 
It depends for me, Shylah, my girly is groomed spotless everyday whereas the grey I was talking about is given a groop to get off dry mud but unless he has a freezing shower its pretty much hopeless!
 
I keep mine virtually prestige, except his mane needs pulling but it's winter so I will leave that and his tail needs a good brush/wash and mane and tail unknots it for about 30 seconds and his blooming his face, the little money has a big blaze and is very messy when eating and it is always yellow/brown from his feed! So I've given up on that too.

It's the wettest muddiest winter, just think of the changing room moment when the summer comes and they all stop being hairy and look lovely!
 
Oh dear, I feel bad now......she is rugged as fully clipped, but I just brush off under the girth and where the bridle is going to sit and that's it during the week. There are plenty of people at my yard with spotless horses but they also tend to be the ones who either don't work or don't ride.

Not saying its not possible to have a spotless horse and work and ride, I'm just not worried enough about her being a bit dirty to groom her thoroughly every day :-)
 
pffftt Rio looks dirty even when he isnt! he doesnt roll at all but he is so scurfy and oh yeah what colour is scurf? oh it happens to be white and he just so happens to be black! he can go out looking immaculate and will get dirtier and dirtier and then branches will run along his sides and then he will have stripes! least once you have the mud off most horses they look clean... on a black like Mr. R no chance! Taz on the other hand only looks immaculate in the summer... during the winter he looks like a bog monster and he is one of the clipped and stabled horses he just attracts mud and im lazy ;)
 
I'm so glad I have a dun - the mud doesn't show! Grooming isn't my favourite thing so he gets a quick brush where the tack goes. Have told my daughter she's never to go in a pony club team - the standard of turn out horrifies me!
 
I keep names pulled, tails trimmed and feathers trimmed/clipped. He lives out but I still like to brush him all over, including tail, before I ride :)
 
I am really odd and love grooming. I really enjoy it, I find it relaxing and love a shiny, clean coat but saying this riding and hang fun together comes first & if I'm invited on a n unplanned hack out with friends or last minute adventure. I don't care how we look, mud or no mud! But if we're competing I am quite anal :o everything hair has a place.
Oh my. I need help.
Did anyone see the Budweiser horse being Hoover on Martin Clunes programme? Well that did nothing for my OCD!!!!:(
 
since fox is fully clipped hes pretty easy to keep clean anyways! but if im just going for a quick walk or ride in the school im the same as you and just brush where the tack goes :) i too have had that :o moment when you pass someone on their perfectly turned out horse, but who has time for that everyday?!

however if im up at the farm all day i will spend ages grooming him to within in inch of his life haha :o
 
I also have been known to ride H when he resembles a swamp monster esp when he has had a rug on...

His legs need trimming and his tail is muddy but did pull his mane last weekend as it had reached the growing out stage & didn't want it getting too long as he is a knobber to pull/ use mane thinning comb on

Don't like his legs hairy but atm its too cold to sit there trimming them plus he's usually a prat about it

He is headshy so the beard and moustache have to remain, would love him to be 'clean shaven' but we don't compete and not sedating just for that.

Moustache does need trimming any tips for how as he throws his head up as soon as he feels the scissors :(
 
Mine live out, they sport the au naturel look when I am just bimbling about.

I wouldn't dream of going to a competition/party without the horse, and rider, being anything less than immaculate though.

I used to have white horses, the hunter got washed - a lot, he was dazzling at meets - that lasted about 5 minutes once we got going, but the thought was there. Daughter's ponies also got the purple shampoo treatment regularly - after one minor blip I learned to rinse, rinse and rinse again. (Blip = a shower during prizegiving -we'd won BTO, pony went slowly mauve - caused great hilarity :D)

I think having a buckskin horse with no white to compete this year may be easier.:D
 
At work ours have to be kept trimmed and very clean at all times. And so its just habit i keep daughters pony like that. Shes clipped and trimmed up. Gets cleaned before ridden if shes not been out in the feild daughter with grease hooves for riding too. She could be going to show how she looks for riding!!:o And after shes gets a full groom curry comb flicky brush then body brush either by daughter or by me. We both really enjoy it and have the time to do it. She would ever get ridden with mud on or go to bed with mud on. But she is very clean pony she only gets splats on her legs if its wet and although rolls usually what mud is on her can be brushed off in less that 5 minutes.
Shes gets whiskers/ears trimmed for shows and is usually plaited for jumping unless im really short on time. Always for dressage. Daughter always used to win tack and turnout at shows when she was younger. Doesnt really show anymore as prefers jumping.
We both really enjoy pampering her daily and realise that everybody has time/wants to do that.
 
RachelFerd said:
I always keep manes pulled. Not too worried about a bit of mud when I'm riding - I have to squeeze riding into short spaces of time, so I prioritize riding over grooming most of the time! I also keep tails regularly brushed through with mane & tail conditioner so they never get too horrible.

However, if competing, I do always make an effort, even if it's unaffiliated and low-key. Always have plaited manes and plaited/pulled tails and clipped out horses if competing.
Click to expand...

This. I am also short of time, but when out in public I like to make sure my horses are properly turned out. However I work with horses for a living, often taking horses in for breaking etc, so first impressions count for either potential customers or employers. I would rather be remembered as the person well turned out rather than a scruff.
 
I like em hairy! ;) But I also like grooming, and ponio gets a good groom every time I go up, and before riding. I'm not OTT, I just enjoy grooming and he seems to too :) I find brushing out his tail especially therapeutic lol!
 
Umm.... Fig went out hacking today like this:

479867_10152668899575195_1110299704_n_zpsa10ca3aa.jpg


:o

I will happily admit I'm a 100% certified neat freak!
 
I like my horse to look smart and well kept. I'm not anal about it but he always has a short mane and a pulled tail and I like to brush off all the mud and make sure he is clean and tidy
before riding.
Before a show he will get his feet painted, his chin beard tidied, plaited, strapped to make him shiney and his tail washed and brushed out with conditioner. He only gets bathed in the summer.
 
I like my horses to be very neat. I can't stand mud, hay in manes or stable stains.

Unfortunately they don't care what I think :mad::o:D

They are out 24/7 and all have white socks and 3/4 have light or white tails and 3/4 have white on their bodies too. What was I thinking!!! Tis impossible to keep them looking clean, even after loads of washing and brushing, they look more stained than my friend's bay who has just had a brush.
 
Neat. I always brush him clean before I ride. I like his mane, tail and forelock pulled too. The retired one I have let go to pot and now he resembles a shaggy highland cow! I keep looking at his mane and thinking I must pull it!!
 
Generally mine both get a minimum of a quick brush over to take worst of the mud off and hooves picked out each day, whether they are ridden or not. However I will not take them off the yard for a hack etc if they are not clean and presentable, and for trips out to shows etc, nothing less than immaculate will do. If they don't look spotless they don't get to go in the trailer!

As far as I am concerned my boys are representing me, themselves and also the yard whenever we are seen anywhere, and I want to present a good image.

However, I am not nearly so anal about ANY other aspect of my life, I look like a scruffbag most of the time and my house and car are both a mess, ha ha!!! ;-P
 
I like my horses neat.

Last year both were rugged over summer and washed once a week. Manes were pulled, one tail was clipped and trimmed and the other was just trimmed as his tail is epic and is plaitted for shows. In winter they were rugged and had hoods on.

This year, it has been too hot to have them rugged, so they have been chilling out naked. Over xmas they has 6 weeks off and were allowed to get hairy and just be horses however now they are both back in work and have nice neat bridle paths, saddle paths, clipped ears, clipped socks, and their manes and tails are as above. They are not as clean as they were last year, however it is nothing a good brush doesn't take care of. They are brushed all over before and after I ride :)
 
I like mine to have no mud on them, for their mane to be neat (although Larry's is never very neat, it sticks up like a bog brush most of the time) and tail not to have any bedding/knots etc in. I prefer hooves not to be muddy but that's so unrealistic!!

Although I do love a wooly winter coat over a clipped one! I like soft and fuzzy ponies.

They will always get a full groom over before riding, not just the bits where the tack go. And if they were competing they'd be clipped, trimmed etc but for the most part they don't do anything so it doesn't matter at the moment!
 
like mine to be neat and tidy and don't tend to leave the yard unless have had a serious attempt of getting the majority of the mud off at this time of year. Luckily he just does not seem to get particularly muddy as a bit of a woss and hates being out in the mud and wet!
 
I vary.

If I'm pushed for time / there's wet mud (cobby is usually out nakey), he gets a quick scrub under where tack goes. If I've got the time, I scrub anything that's dry. I've got a coloured, hairy, naked cob. We've accepted the fact that he usually looks slightly grubby, no matter the effort :o

He gets a proper going over at least twice a week though, inclusive of mane, tail and feather :)
 
I wouldn't care that much only we live in the middle of hunt community and it really is a bit embarrassing meeting one of the neighbours (or the entire hunt) on their super clean, fully clipped and pulled, spotless horses when I'm riding a mare with a beard to match Ben Affleck. But it is winter and there are limits on time so the CB goes out after a quick dandy brush. Unfortunately I also have a piebald, but when he's rugged it's not so bad. Green and brown legs are more acceptable when the body is nice and white!

In the spring they'll get their usual tidy up though; smooth legs and faces, and a good old solocomb and thinning scissor job.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top