People with horses that live out..

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cobden99

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.. do you ever get sick of them always being covered in mud ?
I know mine are happier out but I do sometimes wish I had an immaculate mud-free yard and could hack/compete on an gleaming horse
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Perhaps its just the time of year that is making me depressed.

On a more positive note, anyone got any tips for keeping tails clean ? Cant you buy things that you wrap them up in or something ? Its too cold to wash it all the time, and if I leave it until he is going somewhere its so filthy it takes hours.
 
I used to have two that lived out all year round - didn't have a stable and they were clipped because they were worked. So they were rugged. The rugging and clipping was the best way to keep the clean! Their tails could touch the floor so I used to plait in to about 5 plaits then plait that then fold up and tuck in side the top of the plait so its above their hocks and put in bands around that, I used some huge bands for human hair to hold it all in place. Used to plait their mane up too. I plait it all loosley otherwise the hair falls out.
 
Hello 99 cobs in a den! I am soooo lucky as we do not have any mud at all and our grey ponies are as clean as clean can be. Rosie is in foal and so not in season too which means her tail is more bearable than it used to be! I normally use Showsheen or whatever detangler I can get my hands on as it discourages grit from staying in the hair.

We have only had our new field for 2 months so I am sure we will have mud soon, but it is heaven while it lasts! From the perfectly formed pink weasel!
 
Mine live out, Lance gets hogged in winter because he is such a hippo.

As for tails, I cut them a bit short and put some babyoil on the bottom (when I can be bothered!) to keep the dreadlocks at bay!

Generally though, I just get the worst of the mud off before I ride, full neck rugs help a lot.
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Hello 99 cobs in a den! I am soooo lucky as we do not have any mud at all and our grey ponies are as clean as clean can be. Rosie is in foal and so not in season too which means her tail is more bearable than it used to be! I normally use Showsheen or whatever detangler I can get my hands on as it discourages grit from staying in the hair.

We have only had our new field for 2 months so I am sure we will have mud soon, but it is heaven while it lasts! From the perfectly formed pink weasel!

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PMSL ! That cracked me up, my team are now looking at me wondering what I was sniggering at ...
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I would love it if my pony could live out, the mud wouldn't bother me one bit! We have VERY limited turnout in winter because the fields get so muddy
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I would love it if my pony could live out, the mud wouldn't bother me one bit! We have VERY limited turnout in winter because the fields get so muddy
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The field mine are in is currently like this:

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There is only grass left at the back (where you can see it).

The field is about 7 acres and there are 9 horses on it, they get adlib haylege. 6 of them live out all year.

We only have 13 acres in total, split into 2 fields, but its amazing how well the front field recovers.
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Mine is rugged (although she is supposed to be & registered as purebred NF I am certain her daddy is not who they think but something finer, she is very, very 'Arabby' & needs to be rugged up as well as supplemented in winter) that keeps biggest part of the mud off but to keep her mane & tail knot & mud free I use Canter mane & tail conditioner. Keeps her mane & tail silky & the mud is not nearly so much of a pain to brush out. I find it helps repel it a little too. I've also used a coconut deep conditioning oil from Superdrug before now which is excellent, it's about £1 I think. It's a solid wax texture & I soften a bit in my hands & just massage/run it through her tail so the hair is just coated & it really helps keep the mud off. Also smells delicious! Lol

Baby oil sounds good though Kerilli, might have to try that.
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These are some pics that I have on my PC at work from between December and March last year. I thought I had some pictures of the mud they had to stand in but I can't find them. Unfortunately I didn't own them so couldn't dictate where they spent their winter months but they had to be shut in these two small paddocks and it turned to mud within two weeks - after 2 months I'd stopped poo picking because I couldn't push the wheel barrow through the mud! I used to put the crap hay down first and then put the good hay on top just so that they had somewhere nice and clean to stand and eat and laydown. That winter was the worst winter I have ever endured with a horse! If I find the pics showing just what they were stood in mud wise I'll post them. One of the paddocks was would be flooded with water whenever we had a decent downpour as well!

These pics really just show why I plaited their mains and tails!

Here's the pics:

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x293/hercjen/HJLAIDDOWNWINTERO6SPRING07.jpg

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x293/hercjen/Image013.jpg


http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x293/hercjen/Herculessausageofburrs1.jpg
 
This is a picture of my pony who lives out in a field not disimilar to the one shown about and he is still shiny.

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He wears a rug and then the other bits I just brush off takes 20 minutes at the most. Tail I spray 7 day mud away or mail and tail conditioner. Legs are tricky don't like to hose but use muddy marvel and leg guard and once the mud is dry brush it off. He stays in the night before we go to a show in the winter and comes in two nights a week to dry out a bit.
 
My three are out all the time...I rug them from standard to full necks depending on the weather...and which horse it is (my TB likes to be kept very warm).
I feed them/hay them twice a day, keep brushes in a bucket under a tarp next to the field, and groom them while they eat...so they're never completely filthy...showsheen stuff works, too.
I don't worry too much...spring will soon be here...and their tails are washable then.
S
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Mine guys live out. I get used to ignoring the dreadlocked feathers and tail and hacking a wet, muddy horse.
God knows how I am going to scrub Gyp up so he looks clean enough for dressage in 2 weeks.
 
Managed a show last year with a welshie looking pretty darn good even though he'd "just been dragged in from the field that morning"
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(well, the day before he had had hours of bathing and was covered from head to tail, literally, with last minute white feather re-washing but still....)
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Full neck rugs, canter tail spray, I do hose off legs occasionally but lucky enough to have full feathers and only when its been wet anyway. you can get tail bags and plait in things which are brilliant for the night before shows, but I wouldn't like to use one every day, might pull and or rub. If they don't have to be clean for a show then don't worry too much. I've done winter dressage with (admittedly a bay) just a full rug (thankfully he hasn't needed to be clipped as rug has kept him from growing a full coat) and a feather hose down to look vaguely white again, and washing just the bottom of his tail of the weather is horrible, or full tail if not too bad. He's starting to look in proper need of a bath now though.

His owner also has a palimino (spelling?) and its his first year with us - boy does he like the mud, little so and so! She has just been washing his tail occasionally to keep on top of any long term stains, but he does get it filthy in between times.
 
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Mine guys live out. I get used to ignoring the dreadlocked feathers and tail and hacking a wet, muddy horse

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Its the dreadlocks that kill me
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Thanks for all your advice anyway folks - Ive just hacked about 6 inches off all 3 tails, Im going to wash them this weekend as the big one is stressaging on Sunday, then Im going to try the baby oil and the plaiting tricks
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And pray for a nice Spring ..
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All 6 of ours live out 24/7/365 but we really don't care about the mud, they don't seem to get too dirty - then again, we haven't got mud like in the photo
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Merlin lives out 24/7 and has a good grassy field, so why oh why does he have to roll in the gateway where it is really muddy???

I largely ignore the mud, tail never brushed, legs from the forearm/hock down never brushed (dont want to scratch the legs and let mudfever get in as he has four white stockings)
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Wish I could clip him but he is terrified of the clippers so havent bothered.

That said I havent actually ridden all that much since the end of november, but hoping to start again soon.

The worst places are where the headpiece sits and the girth goes.... you just cant ride if they are dirty
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Every now and then I get fed up but most of the time it is fine.

The only time my horse gets a thorough brush and tail wash in the winter is when we are competing the next day. I then cheat by fencing off the field shelter and concreted area so he can not get back to the mud and roll. I feel mean doing this and he has a round bale of haylage. His two mates, a 30' x 15' field shelter and a concreted area of 35' x 25'. What hardship huh? for one night every now and then. pmsl!!

It will soon be spring
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Blimey, I'm really surprised at how muddy some peoples fields are!

This is our paddock when it had two horses out on it 24/7.

Theres a bit of churned up mud where Snowy has pawed the ground (as he does at feed time
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), but all in all, I feel quite lucky compared to some...

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The mud does drive me mad, and although the ponies hate walking through it, at least they love rolling in it!

I don't touch their tails I have to admit, unless we're going to a show!

I'm not too proud to ride down the road with mud and briars in their tail!

Canter Mane and Tail Shine is the best for getting a brush through it and the mud just drops off.

I'd love a huge well lit barn to shut them into at night, at the very least so their legs would dry off and I could actually see them!
 
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