Making a yellow horse white again!!

[thatblackfriesian]

So we have a show in a little over a month and currently my supposedly dapple grey mare is a rather unpleasant yellow colour covered in stains and dirt. Anyone have any tips or specific products on how to get her gleaming white!! Her old owner showed me pictures of her at shows and she was gleaming so I know it can be done even if it seems impossible now

I already have a tail bag, hood and lycra bodysuit thing to keep her clean once I have bathed her but I'm not sure what products to use. A bit worried to try these blue/purple shampoos as I don't want to stain her!!

Thanks

 

[poiuytrewq]

Fairy platinum plus! I used it on cobs tail after running out of shampoo and it did a great job.
We went through a phase of using it at work on the whole body and it never did any harm. I'm sure I may get jumped on for suggesting that but it works quite well.

 

[windand rain]

what ever you use make sure you patch test it first. I use ketchup on my white pony then wash it out well with baby bath the cheap stuff from tesco then wash with a good white horse shampoo. Hot water is best if you can get it at this time of year it wont strip the coat too much. I only use cold water in winter as it is similar to being rained on and leaves some grease in the coat

 

[Leo Walker]

Nothing beats purple shampoo. They glow persil white! You can make your own or if you are worried use the Cowboy Magic one. Its really easy to use and washes out with no issues. It seems to last ages as well.

 

[Feival]

Purple shampoo is useless, Green Fairy liquid used in WARM water.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Don't use green fairy liquid as it's far too astringent.

Purple shampoo is pretty good, and dolly blue

 

[thatblackfriesian]

I've found some Vetrolin White 'N Brite Shampoo in the shop today and was wondering if anyone had any experiences before I spend £20 on a litre bottle of it?! It's a purple shampoo and internet reviews are good but I'm still worried about dying her purple the day before a show!!

 

[tashcat]

I have the NAF purple shampoo and its great. It comes out purple from the bottle but when you lather it up, its barely even lavender colour and washes straight out. Great stuff (especially at £10 for a good sized bottle!) and makes my grey boy lovely and clean - shame he starts WW3 at the mere thought of a bath!!!

 

[thatblackfriesian]

tashcat is it the NAF Show Off?
https://www.derbyhouse.co.uk/naf-sh...nzDd6p7-r8DnIb2gAVaggY1FIPzJytLoaAnusEALw_wcB

 

[Peregrine Falcon]

Hot water then a good rinse with reckitts blue bags.

 

[eventer and proud]

start now and wash her twice a week

 

[antigone]

I've found some Vetrolin White 'N Brite Shampoo in the shop today and was wondering if anyone had any experiences before I spend £20 on a litre bottle of it?! It's a purple shampoo and internet reviews are good but I'm still worried about dying her purple the day before a show!!

Its quite good but no better than the cowboy magic one imo. both are ridiculously expensive. Both can stain so don't let dark purple suds dry on her (easy to do in hot sun) and if you dilute first rather than using neat this is much less likely to happen. Both also take a lot of rinsing out. Longer term you are better keeping the coat well hydrated and conditioned so stains are less likely to take hold. Botanica spray is good for this. I now only use Eqyss shampoo and their avocado mist is good too. for getting individual stains out shapleys easy out is very good but your horse must already be clean or you will get a very white spot where the stain was and this make the rest look awful. fyo I have a mainly white piebald that loves to be a behave like a bush pig. lucky me.

 

[frostyfingers]

I use Provoke Touch of Silver (human shampoo for grey hair) for mane and tail - leave it in for 5 minutes and rinse, works brilliantly. I use sheep washing shampoo for the body - Showtime Whitening Shampoo is about 15.00 for 4 litres.

 

[Pinkvboots]

start now and wash her twice a week

I would do this and use clean rugs and lots of coat shine, I use the provoke touch of silver shampoo leave on for 10 minutes definitely do a patch test, and please be careful using any kind of washing up liquid it's really harsh one of my horses has very sensitive skin and he was covered in scabs after using it.

 

[First Flame]

I find this the best blue shampoo ever!!! It wont dye her purple but I do recommend rinsing thoroughly as I have on occasions had a slightly blue tinged mane (very fine mane) but to be honest it was barely noticeable and was way better than being yellow!!!! About the only shampoo I have found that makes a grey have a bit of a shine! I have to hide mine away as can always tell when it has been "borrowed" when the other greys on the yard suddenly look very white ;-). At £20 a bottle not one I like to share, lol.

 

[Embo]

IME there is no magic shampoo for getting stains out. If there are deep-set stains, nothing will get it out. You will have to wait for it to grow out or tone it with a coloured shampoo.

Best way to keep a grey gleaming is to spot wash any stains as soon as they appear. Tail wash at least once per week.

This is my routine:

For his tail, I use the blue Fairy liquid, followed by blue/purple shampoo if needed then finally a conditioner (which I leave for 10 mins before rising). I use cheap human conditioner, a favourite is Garnier Fructis for dry/damaged hair. Tail trim regularly to keep the ends getting too close to the ground!

For his body, I will apply a 'stain remover' to any stable stains (I like the NAF one, this seems to really help lift the grime out and tone the hair before washing it out) and will use whatever shampoo that's in my wash box! Wahl dirty beastie, Gallop extra strength and a NAF one are current bottles I have.

I keep his tail plaited but that's it. Sometimes use a coat spray, but don't find them effective at dirt prevention. The only sure way to keep them stain free is to spot wash daily and not let anything set. Once the hair cuticle is stained, there is no washing it out.

A note on blue and purple shampoos - these provide a slight tint only, which is why they are marketed as stain removing. In fact, they only remove surface. Use a colour wheel to decide what you need to help tone out stains (use the opposite colour on the wheel).

For yellow, you need purple. Orange needs blue. For this reason, ketchup is pretty useless as a toner unless your horse is green... it's the vinegar content in ketchup which helps lift dirt, in which case you're better off doing a straight vinegar rinse

Good luck. A pair of good Marigolds for you, tinted shampoos can stain skin

 

[tatty_v]

I agree with Embo - prevention is the key. There's a limited amount that can be achieved on really set-in stains with shampoo unfortunately. I spot clean daily with hot water and a dab of Gallop stain removing shampoo if required. I'd also be really careful with any dirt preventing coat sprays - 7 day mud away created an oily yellow stain on my boy!

 

[Annagain]

start now and wash her twice a week

This I'm afraid. I'd also get some sort of conditioner. A well conditioned coat will absorb less moisture (i.e pee and muddy water) than a dry one. I just use a cheap human one but there are horsey products out there you can use.

You could try soaking her tail (up to the bottom of the dock) for 10 minutes (bandage a plastic bag full of it into place to save you having to stand there) in a solution of steradent tablets. Rinse clean and then rinse again with Supreme Products blue rinse (or a blue bag if you can find them, they're a bit old fashioned now - people used to add them to their whites washes, pretty much same stuff but cheaper).

Their whitening powder is also good - you apply it to wet legs, bandage overnight and any excess comes off with the bandages so you don't have to touch the legs in the morning. You can also mix it into a paste and use it to cover stains or dip a damp water brush into it and brush over the body for an all over general whitening. Just be careful it doesn't come off all over your boots when you're riding! I put too much on and we looked like we'd been powder puffed!

 

[thatblackfriesian]

Thanks everyone for your replies! I cleaned her tail and legs today and will keep them bandaged when she's in so they don't get stained. I gave her body a quick wash with a purple shampoo and shes cleaner than she was so that's good

 

[Bav]

For a cheaper home made purple shampoo, I get an old finished shampoo bottle, tip some purple wound spray into it, dilute with water and add some cheapo any brand shampoo and shake. Make sure the horse is already wet, never apply it to dry and it may take a few rinses with bog standard shampoo afterwards but it works incredibly well!

It is alarming to begin with though as if you don't dilute it enough you can end up with a purple pony - but trust me it does whiten up once dry!

 

[Clannad48]

As the owner of a grey (well almost white in places) I used all of the above - mind you I drew the line at using MY Provoke Hair Shampoo but have used horse shampoo on my own hair. To be honest keeping on top of the stains is the only way unless you are prepared to spend hours on the day of the show to get her clean.

PS. Walking through Sainsbury' today I was surprised to see Mane and Tail Shampoo in the shampoo aisle - I had to check that is wasn't horse shampoo that should be in the pet aisle