Washing horse down after every ride - thoughts please?

[pipper]

In the summer after schooling my horses get washed down when sweaty. My question to you all is - do you do the same after EVERY ride, even in the winter? if you do - how do you cope with them getting cold and having to rug up afterwards?
thanks x

 

[noodle_]

mine never gets washed down... i dont ride if its boiling hot anyhow as i dont feel its fair on them (or me!!)

if shes dripping she gets hosed but rarely.......!

 

[Nocturnal]

I wash off any sweaty patches - I don't wash the whole horse after every ride. I wash off sweaty patches in winter too (with warm water), and put a fleece rug on to dry them off. My current horse doesn't get sweaty easily in the winter, though.

 

[PennyJ]

They get washed off when they need it, not necessarily after every ride. In winter, I will mainly do "undercarriage" and tail wash, if it is bad enough to warrant it. My definition of that being if my grey does not look grey anymore. He is stabled at night though, it would be different if he lived out.

 

[Honey08]

I have one very sweaty horse that I have to wash off for ten months of the year. In summer I wash off with plain water after a ride, and lead about in the sun for half an hour if I can.

In winter, this particular horse is blanket clipped, or hunter clipped, which helps, and I just sponge off the sweat with a damp sponge - I don't get her soaking wet.. I use a fleece rug to dry her off in the stable afterwards. Luckily she is a very warm horse, which is why she sweats, so she doesn't get cold while drying off. This winter I didn't clip as I was injured and couldn't ride much. So I only did very slow hacks to avoid her sweating.

My other horse very rarely sweats, so doesn't get washed off much - just sponged a bit around the ears and girth areas with a damp sponge.

 

[whisp&willow]

i only sponge them off if they are realy sweaty- but that is rare these days. in the height of summer when me and my sister were still in school they would het washed down more, as we were doing a lot of work with them- or after going swimming in the sea to wash the salt off.

in the winter whisper is clipped if she's in work- that way she doesnt sweat up. she is still kept out 24/7 when clipped- jusy rugged up well.

 

[leflynn]

If he's sweaty then he either gets the sweat patches sponged off or hosed if really bad/muddy. If he's not then I don't simple

 

[NicoleS_007]

I usually hose neck and saddle area if its sweaty Winter if the horse is sweaty then i would hose the neck and thats it as i leave a saddle patch and that would take hours to dry!! I used to hose under belly and legs due to the arena surface splashing dirt/surface everywear but we have moved so no longer have to deal with that

 

[ellie_e]

Always wash at least neck, saddle area and legs down in the summer, if hes really sweaty then hose him down, in the winter he's clipped so just if hes sweated under his girth area.

 

[Ranyhyn]

I sponge down sweaty bits, or a quick hose down if really sweaty - no soap etc just to freshen up - nothing more gross than salty sweat stains on a horse and it makes the flies go crazy I think!

In the winter its a warm wash with a sponge yessss mine are spoiled

 

[Mrs_Wishkabibble]

Hubby bought me a shower for the yard for Christmas so they get a warm shower if they are sweaty. I just rinse off the sweaty bits and I also sponge off bridle marks and mouths.

In winter I generally just sponge down any sweaty bits but they are clipped so normally isn't such a problem.

 

[Winklepoker]

Always! With a few drops of baby shampoo in the water. Cannot stand sweat marks! urgh!

 

[9tails]

Washed down in summer, thermatex in winter. She is fully clipped in winter as she works fairly hard and is a "warm" horse naturally. Cold water doesn't get applied deliberately to my horse in winter.

 

[monkeybum13]

In the winter I just brush off, use a sponge if really sweaty.

In the summer and warmer temperatures I hose her as she gets sweaty under her saddle and girth. She loves having a shower and the hose is on the way to the field so it seems silly not to.

 

[sazzle44]

I usually use a wet brush or sponge to wipe down the saddle area and behind their ears, but if they get particularly sweaty I'll hose them off. After XC I will wash off two, maybe three times if its warm (three times after XC in the heat on Sunday), scraping the water off each time and using calming lavender wash in the last bucket (not that he's precious or anything...) I think it's important to wash them off properly, it can't be nice walking round all sweaty and yuck, afterall I shower everyday, twice a day when its super hot and I'm working, so why shouldn't they?
Also, have seen numerous horses who aren't washed down properly with sun bleached saddle patches from the sweat left...

 

[justjoules]

Normally just sponge the sweaty patches (saddle/girth area) after hacking or light scholling and if he is particularly sweaty after schooling I normally hose him off - legs, neck, saddle area and then take him for a wander or leave him to dry in the sun. He loves wash time as long as we don't venture too far up his neck...then he can be a wally

 

[aimsymc]

i hose off in summer, she loves it! and hot water and sponge in winter and fleece on to dry. I hate seeing horses with sweat marks, its horrid x

 

[millitiger]

I very rarely wash mine off- she is a hot horse but cools down remarkably quickly after work and is usually dry by the time we get back to the yard from the arena, and is certainly dry by the time she is untacked.

tend to only wash after xc schooling etc, mainly to get the grit off, as again she is dry after the walk up from the course!

 

[kerilli]

i always sponge off, and wash whole horse off if really sweaty. in winter i'll just put turnout rugs on over the damp bits, or put them under the solarium if they're too damp to rug, or put a thermatex on if they're in a stable without solarium.
a friend's horse had really nasty sores under her armpits (which i noticed when i checked the girth, when teaching her) and it turned out they were because her groom hadn't bothered sponging the mare off, so the sweat dried and rubbed.
sweat attracts horseflies too, another good reason to get rid of it asap.

 

[blakesmum]

I always wipe down any sweaty bits, whatever the weather.

I've seen the problems not washing off sweat can do particularly in geldings where they have got sweaty in the folds of their sheath and between back legs. Try getting cream on a boy who's skin is so raw he's lashing out with his legs as soon as you go near. Not my horse I hasten to add.

It always amazes me the number of people who despite the sweat between the legs being visable don't hose/wipe/wash the area down. Or sweaty patches on their back and girth left then they wonder why the horse gets sore, when next time they just plonk the saddle on, without even brushing the area, because there's no point in brushing as they are not muddy.

Even in winter mine get washed down with warm water and a sponge, I untack and they have wicking rug put straight on so they can't get cold, then they are quartered so I know they are sweat free.

 

[camilla4]

Always wash off sweaty patches and wash down the whole horse in hot weather, even if not particulary sweaty.

 

[POLLDARK]

Mine usually cool down on the last leg of a hack & I just brush over any patches. If they are sweating a lot then I would sponge off the sweaty patches, no more. Not needed.

 

[Marydoll]

Sponge of sweated areas but not a full blown wash down unless been worked really hard and always hose legs down then dry off

 

[OliveOyl]

I always sponge off saddle/girth areas with warm water, whether summer or winter.

If she's still wet after a ride in winter, despite her being hunter clipped then she goes out in a thermatex underneath her turnout rug and will stay in that all day until I get back from work.

 

[Megibo]

hose off the sweaty bits if she needs it

usually turned away for winter, if she's going to be worked during the winter she gets a clip

 

[NU ABO]

I only wash down my boys really sweaty bits (under the saddle/girth, 'armpit' areas, between his legs etc etc)
Plus if it's been hot he always enjoys a good cool sponge down

But he obviously doesn't always get extremely sweaty (only after a hard workout), so definately not after every ride.

 

[PolarSkye]

Kal gets either a hose down, a sponge down or a brush down depending how sweaty he is and/or how cold it is. I simply can't put him away sweaty - it's not fair and as he's fine coasted/thin skinned I would worry about rubs. In the winter he gets sponged off with warm water and rugged up in a thermatex until he cools down/dries off. In the summer, he gets a nice cool hose off, paying particular attention to his girth/saddle area, between his back legs and his chest (he hates having his neck hosed so I just sponge that and his ears/face) and then a thorough going over with the sweat scraper and a walk in hand to dry off. If it's winter and he's not too sweaty, I just let what sweat there is dry and then brush it out of his coat - but I never leave just leave him sweaty.

Oh - and as soon as the weather's warm enough he gets regular baths (once a week or so).

N

 

[BRIMY]

Always! With a few drops of baby shampoo in the water. Cannot stand sweat marks! urgh!

Im the same....I HATE it when liveries leave their horses/ponies sweaty (urgh!!!) They leave them all night crusty, then they're turned out for the flies to mull over.....YUK!!!! Rince them off, I say

I rince my boy off in the summer with hose pipe, he can even sweat up just standing in the stable in the summer so he is frequently hosed !

Obviously if its boiling hot I dont ride him, as I too feel this is unfair to him .

(Show him a rug and he sweats LOL)

Winter time he is fully clipped , legs and everything off.......so he gets a lovely hot sponge bath every week after hunting and wrapped up nice and cosy with a waffle weave and old stable rug, once dry I change his rugs for nice warm , dry, cosy stable rug

 

[Rose Folly]

Sweaty patches sponged down - maybe a hose down on a really boiling day (but then I wouldn't be riding anyway unless it was really necessary). Our horses live out, and though they are rugged in winter that doesn't happen until late autumn, and they need the natural oils in their coats. Nobody washes horses down in the wild!

 

[CBFan]

One of my pet hates is seeing horses turned out with visible dried sweat patches where tack has been... It takes a few seconds to sponge / hose off and would a) make the horse more comfortable b) make it less attractive to flies and c) prevent nasty skin conditions / sores developing. If it's warm enough (as in about 30 degrees! lol) my boy LOVES being hosed off... otherwise he puts up with it (if it's under 25 lol) or has a light sponge off.

If the winter I use a really well wrung out sponge to wipe sweat off and then let the horse stand in a cooler while I muck out etc before i rug up to turn out. Never had a problem with a chilled horse yet.