Pre-clip washing.

[PapaverFollis]

What do you do? What products do you use?

I want to give mine a wash this year before clipping as the clip ends up just being such a mess if the coat is greasy and yuck. But I'm also keen to avoid the cold hosepipe option if possible.

What can be done with buckets of warm water? Or even minimal water? Any magic products or techniques? Especially for hairy yaks. It's going to take them a long time to dry whatever I do.

 

[PapaverFollis]

(I'm still waiting for my hot wash and solarium) ? It might be a while on that.

 

[Denali]

If I can’t do a full bath I have about 4 extra blades. But really you want to work with a clean coat. If you can get it done with hot towels that’s great. Just have spare blades handy.

 

[Snow Falcon]

I did my hairy pony last Saturday. A quick bath, sweat rug and fleece popped on in the sunshine. Few hours later the clippers went through like butter. If you do it quickly the cold hosepipe is similar to the downpours and storms we had Sunday!! Alternatively have you got electric? I dried one of mine once with a hairdryer-he loved it.

 

[Sossigpoker]

Barrier anti itch shampoo is all natural and doesn't need rinsing if diluted so if I didn't have a hot wash I'd use that.
You don't need a solarium for drying off as long as you have good wicking rugs and can leave them in for long enough to dry

 

[Sossigpoker]

For drying I use Ruggles wicking rug , a Ruggles fleece, a Mark Todd Coolex and a Rhinegold Celltex. Once the rug has transferred the moisture to the outside , I put a dry one on top. These are just rugs I have accumulated over time and they're all excellent for drying.

 

[Starzaan]

I have used the cold hose option many times before I had hot running water on the yard. As long as you’re fast and have good wicking rugs for afterwards you’re fine. I used to use buckets of warm water and a dandy brush to scrub, then cold hose to rinse, then finish, Chuck on two Thermatex rugs, and then pop them on the lunge for a good swingy trot to warm back up.
I’m so glad more people are starting to wash before clipping. I used to charge a £30 dirty horse fee when I was clipping professionally.

 

[mavandkaz]

My boy was done on Wednesday.
It's so mild at the moment (high teens) he just had a standard bath with the hosepipe, left to dry overnight, and clipped the following morning
Coblet will probably done the same way over the weekend.

If there really is no way i could cold hose, they just get done dirty and I take the hit with blunt blades. Luckily there is a sharpening place in the village with very quick turnaround

 

[Griffin]

I used to use warm water and a no rinse wash. Alternatively, if it was very cold I would have to just hot cloth but it does help remove grease if you do it properly. As long term as they can stay in with a fleece or drying rug long enough to dry, they should be ok.

Now I am at a yard with a hot wash and solarium, which is bliss!

ETA: I have just checked and I use Biteback Sweet Relief shampoo at the moment because you don't have to rinse it out completely.

 

[PapaverFollis]

I suppose warm water to shampoo and then a cold hose off would be OK. I only have one fleece rug for them each. But can stable them while they dry now.

 

[PapaverFollis]

It won't go over 15 degrees here now until next June though. ?

 

[TGM]

We use one of the EqWax no rinse washes as it cuts through the grease without getting them sopping wet, then scrape and towel dry. Followed by a loose schooling session to warm them up and evaporate the remaining moisture.

 

[Starzaan]

It won't go over 15 degrees here now until next June though. ?

I have washed hunters in cold water in winter when it’s below freezing. If you’re quick and thorough they’re fine.

 

[Abacus]

I have a couple of large water containers (no idea how many litres but I can just carry them) - usually they are in the lorry. I fill them with the hottest water I can from the tap and wrap them in rugs. Take them to the yard and dilute with cold water for a quick wash with shampoo. Then put on thermatexes (which are warm from the containers). I do the same for the hot towel treatment afterwards. I do live 2 minutes from the yard so they stay very hot.

 

[spacefaer]

Genuine question coming up as I bath thoroughly with a hosepipe and NAF tea tree shampoo. I find that clipping a dirty horse leaves a rubbish finish on the coat (the blunt blades are a secondary issue to me)

or those who use no rinse shampoos, what happens to the grease in the horse's coat if you don't rinse it out??

 

[millitiger]

Boiling hot water, dettol and lots of scrubbing with a microfibre cloth- keep it well rinsed and put some elbow grease in.
Once dried off, a good body brush and keep cleaning the brush with each stroke.

Never an issue with blunting blades or bad finish on the clip- my blades regularly do 5-6 full clips on my 17hh horse before sharpening.

I personally wouldn't be doing a full bath on a wooly coat but it has been said before that my pets are pampered!

 

[sakura]

Hot cloth! Boiling water (as hot as you can stand), anything grease removing (ie washing up liquid or white vinegar), two buckets (one for clean and one for dirty), a micro fibre cloth and lots of elbow strength!

 

[Sealine]

I used to regularly wash my horse mid winter when we were hunting. He was always fully clipped and I kept him covered up as much as possible whilst washing him. I have multiple coolers to make sure he dries as quickly as possible. I use the same approach with an unclipped horse but obviously they take a lot longer to dry.