How to keep a grey clean?.....

[EquiEquestrian556]

How do you keep a grey looking 'white', not yellow, dapple grey, piebald, or dark bay?

My Father's mare is a grey, (the fourth horse in my signature) oh no, hang on, she's a muddy- yellowish coloured mare.

Does anyone have some tips on keeping her clean(ish)? I've tried shampoo for greys, horse stain remover, show sheen, scrubbing for hours, jet power washes, almost everything in my opinion, but she still has yellow stains on her hindquarters, from her thigh to her hoof, and on her knees & cannons on her front legs. It doesn't help that she thinks she's a hippo in the field, finding the muddiest patches to roll in, and loves making a mucky mess in her stable to lie in (I'm so lucky that I've got a clean & tidy chestnut ). She is in a rug with a neck cover.



It's not like there's dirt where her tack is, and she doesn't go out competing, but it's annoying that when she's getting groomed for a ride that she's got yellow stains all over her hindquarters and lower half of her front legs. It's the worst on her gaskin & on her hocks.


Advice much appreciated

 

[MagicMelon]

Turn her out 24/7. Seriously, rugged up and chucked outside properly she won't get the yellow stains from lying in her bed! My mare is WHITE but she keeps herself amazingly clean living out. Her body is generally always white and its just her legs and tail I have to wash off for events.

 

[windand rain]

Use a turnout rug in the stable and the Oz oil winter wash are the ones I use and then she is wrapped up from her ears her tail is bagged and she wears boots but only for one night before a show as she lives out 24/7 and I don't like her going out mucky mind you she is a slightly different colour to a white grey she has a sight pinkish tinge as she is actually a cream dun

 

[L&M]

Oddly I find keeping my grey living out is the easiest thing! Mud is so much easier to wash off than stable stains…

I stabled him last winter and found the only way to stop the stable stains really 'staining' was to deal with them on a daily basis - if I left them and did it once a week the 'yellow' was impossible to get out, whatever product I tried.

 

[L&M]

Sorry Magicmelon as have just seen what you put!!!

Mine is the same and keeps a dazzling white under his rugs, so only legs and tail to tackle if we go anywhere we need to be presentable.

 

[Red-1]

My husband's horse was always immaculate, but we washed him every single morning. I found if you shampooed it every day the stains never did take proper hold. It is not as bad as it sounds, I am not talking a full bath or anything, just warm water and shampoo to the stains on the rear end and sometimes tummy from the stable. He was in at night and rugged all the time though, so he did not need oils in his coat, plus we had hot water to hand and a wash box that was protected from the elements. We also towelled dry so he did not get mud fever.

Nothing as nice as a white grey!

 

[bakewell]

a big bottle of matrix so silver (which seems expensive but is much much more concentrated that others) shampoo will remove any yellowness. I put it in a spray bottle watered down to apply.
I have to use it for cows though most of the time. They'll happily lie in their own poop *at the show*.

 

[Little_Grape]

Keeping them covered as much as possible, coat shine on exposed bits to stop mud from sticking too much and a hot cloth dipped in a bucket of warm water and a tiny splash of shampoo to wash any grubby stains that do occur before they take hold.

 

[muddy_grey]

A slightly odd suggestion, but Virkon (the disinfectant) works wonders for getting white, white. I used to use it on my boys legs to prevent mud fever and his socks were blinding. Just dilute (granules) and use like shampoo, it lathers up nicely and then wash off.

 

[EquiEquestrian556]

Turn her out 24/7. Seriously, rugged up and chucked outside properly she won't get the yellow stains from lying in her bed! My mare is WHITE but she keeps herself amazingly clean living out. Her body is generally always white and its just her legs and tail I have to wash off for events.

She REALLY doesn't like being out at night. In the winter she's lived out, and walked through all the electric fencing & even wooden fencing, and stands at her stable to be let in. And in the summer she gets severe sweet itch, so must come in, and if left out any longer than she wants she starts trying to jump in to her stable to get relief from the flies/ midges, and yes, she does have a field shelter, fly rug & fly repellent etc.

 

[EquiEquestrian556]

Thank you for the suggestions. She doesn't like being out at night, so not an option. It's not like she HAS to be clean, I'd just rather have a
white grey than a mucky one

 

[EquiEquestrian556]

My husband's horse was always immaculate, but we washed him every single morning. I found if you shampooed it every day the stains never did take proper hold. It is not as bad as it sounds, I am not talking a full bath or anything, just warm water and shampoo to the stains on the rear end and sometimes tummy from the stable. He was in at night and rugged all the time though, so he did not need oils in his coat, plus we had hot water to hand and a wash box that was protected from the elements. We also towelled dry so he did not get mud fever.

Nothing as nice as a white grey!

Agree, white greys are so pretty! In the summer after being ridden, she often has a nice hose all over that makes her look all nice & clean, after drying I let her go and she goes and rolls, getting her coat all dusty :S

 

[Ditchjumper2]

I keep my grey fully clipped and turned out 24/7. She only comes in the night before hunting. Mud is easy to wash to out. If you keep them in then you have to scrub and clean the stable stains every day...properly.

 

[Tern]

Can I ask something?!


If she's not going out hunting or competing, what does it matter that she is slightly yellow? If it's lessons then most instructors will not care if they are yellow, in fact most will understand if they have horses themselves and have had greys!

 

[Tobiano]

I can't talk as my piebald is black and …meh rather than black & white but have you tried hot clothing on a daily basis? Just on the dirty bits?

 

[MissJessica]

My blog always has a few hints and tips, but agree with a lot of the above, a deep bed to avoid yellowing stains, plenty of turnout and only even purchase full neck rugs for winter wear, when mud is about.
http://geegeeandme.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/keeping-up-with-unicorns-keeping-white.html
I also plait Oscar's tail when it's seriously muddy and ensure I quickly flick him over each day with a dandy brush to remove dried mud etc...and keeping him clipped helps, but wouldn't recommend clipping to keep clean unless their in the correct amount of work to justify a clip.
I also wash mane and tail weekly. xx

 

[Sukistokes2]

I try not to look at him(unless we are going to a show) from about November to April .....seems to work.

 

[agmp]

I try not to look at him(unless we are going to a show) from about November to April .....seems to work.

lol... ditto this!


I'm lucky that my grey is an iron grey so its a bit easier to keep him clean - but his mane and tail are a nightmare - meant to be white but often more a attractive shade of mud and yellow!

 

[MileAMinute]

Best advice (and advice I wish I'd taken myself after having a grey previously...) don't have a grey in the first place!

I have my boy's mane and tail pulled and plaited. The night before hunting or a show, his tail is washed, plaited and rolled up (like a polo pony) and he wears a hood to keep his neck and plaits clean. He stays in as he will roll post bath, but he doesn't tend to lie in his poo as he always has a comfy bed with plenty of room so thankfully not an issue.

TBH, if I wasn't competing or hunting, I wouldn't bother and would let the horse stay happy and muddy!

 

[irishdraft]

If you live near the beach a canter thru the sea brings them up dazzling white

 

[EquiEquestrian556]

Can I ask something?!


If she's not going out hunting or competing, what does it matter that she is slightly yellow? If it's lessons then most instructors will not care if they are yellow, in fact most will understand if they have horses themselves and have had greys!

She's not slightly yellow, she's VERY yellow :/ It's not lessons, my Father doesn't need lessons hehe :'P
To be honest he doesn't really mind that she has yellow stains on her, but I'm someone who's very particular on how our horses should look, even for a hack they have to look spotless in my opinion, so the yellow stains are not welcome!

 

[EquiEquestrian556]

If you live near the beach a canter thru the sea brings them up dazzling white

Unfortunately we're as far from the sea as possible I would love to go & ride on the beach though, but with the rain we've just had here,
I'm sure I could take the mares for a swim!

 

[EquiEquestrian556]

I can't talk as my piebald is black and …meh rather than black & white but have you tried hot clothing on a daily basis? Just on the dirty bits?

Yes I have, but not much luck

 

[EquiEquestrian556]

My blog always has a few hints and tips, but agree with a lot of the above, a deep bed to avoid yellowing stains, plenty of turnout and only even purchase full neck rugs for winter wear, when mud is about.
http://geegeeandme.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/keeping-up-with-unicorns-keeping-white.html
I also plait Oscar's tail when it's seriously muddy and ensure I quickly flick him over each day with a dandy brush to remove dried mud etc...and keeping him clipped helps, but wouldn't recommend clipping to keep clean unless their in the correct amount of work to justify a clip.
I also wash mane and tail weekly. xx

Thank you for the link, it's very helpful! She does normally have a deepish bed, and is turned out a lot, and has a full neck cover.
She's not in enough work to justify a clip, and she also has a very fine coat, not even a winter coat, if she ever was getting sweaty enough for a clip, she'd only ever have a chaser or bib clip. I do love it how when they are clipped, the mud is so much easier to get out, my chestnut mare is hunter clipped, and it's so much quicker to remove the mud from her face