Ok all of you with white/grey horses......

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lensmith7

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How do you keep them clean?

I'm going to look at a lovely little cob x next week, but he's white!!
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What do I do in the winter? Are there any secrets you can share with me? I'm such a clean freak, but I wont be able to bath him!!!

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My horse is coloured so has white legs and I find the Hilton Herbs Ocean Blue (think that's what it's called) fantastic, gets his stained hocks and legs back to white! You can get it from some tack shops or on Ebay.
 
I'm afraid you will probably just have to lower your standards!!

I have a piebald cob who stays quite clean - feathers excepted in the winter and a grey wb who is an absolute minger!! Here is a piccy of the swamp monster so you get an idea.....

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Winter is easier because of the rugs - mind you he still manages to get mud under them etc I find washing him off after excercise (year round) with a slosh wash helps with the worst of it. When the mud is dry is brushes off quite well - just sometimes leaves them a shade of brown......
 
i have a grey and coloured with white legs. Cheap hair shampoo is excellent - better than specific horse shampoo. The coloured has white legs so we dissolve daz in warm water and wash of well. It is brill and we always get commented on how clean her legs are!
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(we use daz non bio twin tub as this seems to work best
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Clip out in winter and rug up, flysheet in summer, its really not that hard keeping them clean honest! and when they do look clean, well there is no nicer smarter looking colour.
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purple shampoo!!!! cant remmeber what its called but it does a smashing job of making white bits SUPER WHITE!

and buy a big stash of chalk for shows!
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Most important of all is Cow boy magic Green spot remover ! Loads of other tips but it is really just hard work!!
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I have my first coloured after having lots of bay / black horses and there is no doubt its just much harder. Worth it though when they are all shiney and clean ( must admit girl who is riding her got her this clean though!!!! Not me
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Avoid livery yards in ares with red mud like Devon! My two greys are true hippos, nothing more fun then a great wallow.
 
Run away now!!!!. The biggest (only) regret I have with my horse is that he's grey. It's soul destroying when you've spent hours getting him clean to go somewhere only for him to roll as soon as possible.

The winter is actually the easiest time, he is rugged and has a snuggy hood that he never goes out without. Legs get hosed down and tail gets washed when necessary and the rest of him stays quite clean. He is also fully clipped and therefore doesn't have much coat for mud to stick to. I leave his turnout rug on in the stable so stable stains don't soak through his rug.

Spring is the worst when he is still in, but not rugged or only lightly rugged as the stable stains are terrible then as stuff soaks through thin rugs (having a deep bed helps avoid the worst of this but you have to decide whether a stained horse or hours mucking out is the biggest problem).

Mud isn't so much of a problem as it brushes off although you do get times when he seems to sweat mud. It gets so ingrained in the coat that brushing doesn't get it out, then he sweats and it comes out with the sweat. This happens most in the summer, along with grass stains. A friend turns hers out in a fly rug which helps, but mine wrecked two in a week so I gave up.

I think mine is worse than most though, he digs himself a mud wallow before rolling then wipes his muddy hooves from the digging on his tummy mid roll (although he loves to by muddy everywhere else he can't possible have muddy feet!) We call him the hippo on our yard. The YO has a grey as well and used to moan about hers being dirty all the time. Now she just laughs at me.

The biggest thing is not to get too obsessive about it, if you're just going in the school or for a local hack then a few stains aren't going to hurt. I only ever bath mine if I'm going somewhere otherwise I'd be bathing him every day, If I'm not riding I don't brush him at all as he'll only be filthy again in 10 minutes.

They do look good when they are clean though! Having said that I'm never having another grey. I love him but if I could modify him genetically to be bay I would do it like a shot.

Cowboy Magic greenspot remover is good and Wahl Dirty Beastie shampoo - put it onto a wet coat neat thougt rather than diluting as it says on the bottle and then scrub with a rubber mitten. My YO also swears by Persil (has to be Persil apparently) Non Bio as long as you do a patch test first and rinse it well straight away. I haven't resorted to this yet, but might in future!
 
My horse is currently a darkish grey dun kind of colour. I have told him in no uncertain terms that if he goes whiter he will be sold
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Lightweight rugs all summer, with hoodies and tail bags the night before a show. Wash off after rides including shampoo on the bottom of the tail and on any stains. In winter deep neck rugs, cowboy magic greenspot remover, shampoo and boiling kettles. You soon get used to it. Often I don't brush them and just wash stains off, it only takes the same amount of time really.
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Ah, its just hit me he's for sale
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He's not too bad in winter, honestly, chuck a rug on and he will dazzle you with how clean he'll start, he picked up the name "daz" last winter cause everyone was shocked how bright white he was
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errr as for legs
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, its awful ! thankgod he's my mum horse and i own a bay
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Yup, I always go straight for the hosepipe if it's not too cold - bucket and sponge if it is, it's quicker that brushing - the same if you could time to dry off as well.
 
Thanks for all your replies!

It all sounds like very hard work! I'll just have to put up with it. I've only ever had bays and chestnuts so dont really know what I've got to deal with. We dont even have a grey on the yard!

Oh well, I like grooming, and he does sound just what I want!
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OOOO also invest in one of those spandex spiderman outfits for him! as if you show or dressage and have groomed your butt of the night before these are a life saver! and also very entertaining!
 
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Tell everyone he is a bay, and never let him get caught out in the rain
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Or I couold just run with that option!!!
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Maybe I am the only one - but I have a grey and she stays remarkably clean all year round - a quick brush over and she is sparkling!.... (Ducks to avoid all the things being thrown!
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If he ticks all the other boxes then go for it, my new neddy ticked everything and is a grey but i wouldn't change him for the world. Yes extra work but i think an extra special bond between you and your horse to.
 
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Hey- there is no cure other than a good bath. My coloured is rugged up to the eyeballs in winter and this still happens:
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Oh dear!
 
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If he ticks all the other boxes then go for it, my new neddy ticked everything and is a grey but i wouldn't change him for the world. Yes extra work but i think an extra special bond between you and your horse to.

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He sure seems to! Owner has been very honest with me, and he sounds like one in a million. Thats a good way to think of the bond too.
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How do you keep them clean?

What do I do in the winter? Are there any secrets you can share with me? I'm such a clean freak, but I wont be able to bath him!!!

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For the summer use Dove soap, I have a white grey show horse, don't know why some times but it works try it.
 
dont buy, dotn buyyy
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joking... greys are the best!
in the winter my horse is stabled- THANK GOD
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but when hunting etc. he gets muddy i use this purple shampoo speacially for grey horses for his tail and legs and then fairy liquid,scrubbing brush and a hose for the rest. it does take some time to wash him- has taken upto 3 hours but is do able!
get a really good rug with a neck piece- i have a mark todd (i think) heavy winter rug which covers half their tail and goes right up to their ears!
my horse likes to pretend hes chestnut... i dont like him pretending that
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i have some awful photos of him when hes dirty- wont post as on my phone but the grey horse on the left in my sig is what he looks like cleannn...
once youve bought one grey you will have many greys after him
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look at my sig 3/4 were greys/very light palamino!
 
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