How often do you bathe your horse?

Hippophilia

Hippophilia

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 July 2011
Messages
355
Location
Saskatchewan, Canada
Visit site
I live in a mud-free zone where it is too cold to consider bathing the old girl for most of the year (-20 in the winter and lots of snow), but once spring is here I would like to bathe her because I think it would feel good after a long winter and shedding season. Does anyone else bathe their horse just because or do you save it for muddy disasters and show prep?
 
I might do it the most twice a year!!Full shampoo and set! was thinking of doing it today as is in full moult and needs a bit of a de dusting etc however he was eyeing up the mud patch by his water trough so I might give it a miss! He lives out etc

I do give him a tail wash probably every 8 weeks in the summer, just to de poo his tail re flies.

I use to hose off his legs if he got muddy but I stopped doing that as I dont think he was drying off well in the cold weather ie cracked skin etc.So just leave mud all on. He is cremello so you can imagine how much dirt/mud shows up on him.
 
I have a grey skewbald so she sometimes needs to have a bath because she aspires to be brown... :rolleyes::D

I probably end up giving her a bath once every couple of months purely depending on the need for it, although had to bath her twice in two weeks once because she thought being nose to tail in mud was fun! With a less messy horse I wouldn't bath them as much though :)
 
When they need it tbh, before a show, or if really clarty.
Im lucky in that ive a hot water horse shower and a set of heatlamps for drying, that said, i wouldnt bath the whole horse in the dead of winter, just the legs and any other bits that need it. I would hot towel them with no rinse shampoo
 
I'd love to give my boy a bath. He gets SO dirty compared to my mare, who always seems to look sleek and shiny. But it is far too cold for bathing horses right now, unless you have heat lamps. I miht just do his tail this week though. It is a pale grey colour and should be black!
 
I do them for shows, more often if grey/skewbald.. I do like bathing them on a warm day in spring to get the coat out, but agree its too cold yet..
 
I bath as little as possible, maybe once a year in early summer. They need their natural grease IMHO. I do hose down in summer when sweated up after riding.

Tail washed as needed up to the bone. Only wash the whole tail in summer.
 
Tails are usually done weekly, then prior to every competition, and if they sweat up I wash them down with shampoo in water, then clean water.

Sweat can make the sun bleaching on dark coats worse, and can give them sweat rash.

Going to wash my broodie ASAP as shes shedding, and ever so itchy.
 
I only bathe mine in summer, maybe 2 or 3 times a year. I wash off sweat after each ride though, and hot towel stable stains through the winter. I would like to wash my skewbald mare more often but its usually too cold and after riding, poo picking, mucking out and everything else I always run out of time!
 
NEVER... and I have a grey!!!!

The natural grease in his coat keeps him as clean as bathing/shampooing does. I wash his tail and his sheath regularly, I wash out stable stains and shampoo his legs ready for a competition and he gets a hose-down when he is sweated up in summer. I am not into showing, we just do a bit of RC stuff so no need really. I have tried bathing him in the past but it doesn't really make much difference to his colouring, he is a nice bright grey anyway. It's not worth the fight to me, he hates a bath.
 
One in late spring, one in fall. If it's really hot & humid in the summer, maybe a few sponge baths to cool them down after riding.
 
I LOVE to bathe my horse; he looks so nice and clean afterwards... mind you he is a bit of a dirty pig so sometimes he needs it!! :P
Do you rug your horse? If you do, i would say its fine to bathe quite often because they are protected and don't need the natural oils in their coats that would help protect them from the elements in the wild
I bathe a couple of times in the spring and summer and before shows (because my pony's stablemate's owner has a hot water washer!! :)), plus I will sponge down where his saddle has been after a long ride on a hot day!
:)
 
Never! I've had our NF pony for 11 years and apart from a wet sponge if sweaty, he's never had any sort of shampoo/spray on him. He's got a lovely coat and seems to self clean! He's not rugged/clipped either
 
not in winter, but a few times in summer, i wash my mares before foaling they love it, nice massage with there shampoo, they feel great after it. my mare last year wanted it everyday before foaling, she would wait at the hose for me and just stand with no head collar or anything and let me wash her, so they do love it. also my riding horse i would wash if sweats up in summer, or just sponge him.
 
Short answer - when he needs it . . .

- Right now he's shedding (wasn't clipped) and must be very itchy - plus he hasn't had a full bath since about Sep/Oct so he'll be getting one tomorrow after our hack.

- I spot wash him year round b/c he's grey and I hate seeing him dirty . . . I wash his tail once a week or so when it's warm enough, and he gets full-body baths when he's really sweaty and it's warm enough.

I hate putting tack on a dirty horse so I do work hard to keep his coat clean - really good groom every day . . . but in the winter he wears rugs so that's pretty easy. In the summer, it's a constant battle of the conscience between letting him be au naturel (which I prefer) and therefore rugless and putting at least a summer sheet on him to keep him clean. If he goes naked, he gets washed more often - seemples.

P
 
He only has a full bath probably 2-3 times a year on really hot days in the summer. He will get hosed down though after I have ridden him in the summer if he is sweaty. I wash his mane, tail and legs every couple of weeks, e.g before hunting or if he is particularly dirty.
 
I have two to bath tomorrow which was a bit of a surprise as I don't have any mud! I had to search the field to find how they got so dirty. They must have decided to make a mud patch by pawing at the ground, pooing on the torn up area then both rolled in it, several times. They stink!!
I had been hoping to bath less often now now they are living and competing less frequently but I may have to think again.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top