Will my cob ever be clean again?

[Bangagin]

I was feeling quite smug earlier this year about my recently acquired blue & white cob staying clean. Keeping her clean? Piece of cake I thought. Yes she rolled, but there wasn't a lot of mud and whatever dried on just brushed off.

However I am wondering now if she will ever be clean again? She is plastered every single day and loves nothing more than a roll in the muddiest area of her paddock. We've had some lovely sunny days here so I gave her a good groom the other evening - and found to my dismay that the muddy areas are now stained an orange brown colour. No idea why the mud has stained her such a weird shade of brown though.

It's far too mild to rug her, but I just wondered if anyone has any advice or tips to clean my grubby pony - or do I need to tolerate the muck until next year when I can bath her?

 

[Catbird]

Need photos
I end up bathing every month(ish) as my cob needs regular clips year round. Clipping does help as the mud has less to stick to! Can't help with stains as I just pretend they're not there

 

[JFTDWS]

For your sanity, for the next six months, you own a bay. Introduce her to people as your pretty brown horse. Deny all knowledge of a blue and white one. This is your horse, and it is brown.

I own also two lovely “brown” ponies…

 

[Bangagin]

Need photos
I end up bathing every month(ish) as my cob needs regular clips year round. Clipping does help as the mud has less to stick to! Can't help with stains as I just pretend they're not there

She hates being bathed and I don't really have the facilities. I'll try to sort some photos!

 

[Bangagin]

Before and after photos. @Catbird

 

[Catbird]

I call mine Bog Pony.... at least he's hiding his head in shame!

 

[meleeka]

Unless you are taking her somewhere special, I also agree to embrace the bay! She will shed her bay coat in the Spring and you'll get your shiny pony back again.

 

[Bangagin]

Unless you are taking her somewhere special, I also agree to embrace the bay! She will shed her bay coat in the Spring and you'll get your shiny pony back again.

Well I was hoping to clip her at some point but she's far too grubby for that!

 

[Highmileagecob]

Looks pretty normal for a coloured horse to me! As soon as you get them clean, they scuttle off to find a swamp to roll in. Clocks go back at weekend, then people won't see the mud if you ride out in the dark....

 

[KittenInTheTree]

Nah, that's just the normal winter colour for pale horses. They're supposed to look like that!

Isn't that right, Blossom?

 

[Bangagin]

Nah, that's just the normal winter colour for pale horses. They're supposed to look like that!

Isn't that right, Blossom?
View attachment 148873

At least you have decent mud so Blossom has an excuse! Molly's paddock doesn't have poached areas as we're on sandy soil, so she's been very inventive. Blossom has managed a very even coverage hasn't she? Clearly talented!

 

[KittenInTheTree]

At least you have decent mud so Blossom has an excuse! Molly's paddock doesn't have poached areas as we're on sandy soil, so she's been very inventive. Blossom has managed a very even coverage hasn't she? Clearly talented!

That was her back in January She's fairly clean at present, but I expect this to change by November! Sandy soil must be lovely. We have clay.

 

[SEL]

My grooming standards are somewhere between token effort and non existent until around May now.

 

[Bangagin]

I suppose as long as the saddle area's reasonably clean ..............

You've all made me feel that I'm not alone. Thank you. I'll stop trying to make her look presentable!

 

[poiuytrewq]

I have a black and white coloured. He is rugged but when he rolls gets it all down his neck and welded into his white mane so spends the majority of winter a lovely tinge of yellow with mud dreadlocks in the top third of his mane.
He refuses to wear a snuggy hood.
This year i have kept him in a sweetitch hoody and its a revelation! He wears it under his rug but has kept his white mane beautifully clean and white. Legs are another matter but I can handle that!

 

[nagblagger]

Also available in white ! And it was wet mud...
You just have to laugh and enjoy people's reactions when you say you have 2 horses (or mules in this case)

 

[Pinkvboots]

Clip and rug keeps them cleaner.

 

[tda]

I have a fab pic of my grey (brown) pony but it's too big to load up here

 

[HJJ]

Round where I live the soil is a rich red-brown colour. Anything grey that rolls in it becomes a dusky pink. It's a sight that never fails to make me smile, especially the black and pink piebalds!

 

[Pippity]

Even black horses aren't safe.

I once loaned a black cob who lived on chalky soil. I walked down the field one day, getting more and more concerned that I couldn't see my black cob, but this strange grey cob had appeared since that morning...

Yeah. About an inch thick in chalk mud. Took me forever to chip it off her.

 

[Spotherisk]

Polished up a treat!

 

[Annagain]

The only thing to do at this time of year is learn to turn a blind eye. Once it’s cold enough to rug, cover them nose to tail (Snuggy hoods and tail bags are your friend). Clipping helps too, there’s less coat for the mud to cling to. There are about another 30 photos where these came from.I stopped taking photos in the end because this look ceased to be remarkable! I miss Archie terribly but I don’t miss having to get him clean.

 

[Gloi]

Next time buy a dun. The shade of dun depends on the type of mud you have, pick the matching.one.

 

[First Frost]

Totally agree with buying a dun!!
I have a pure white grey and a dun (buckskin). It takes me 20 minutes to get the grey reasonable and about 5 mins to do the buckskin! The only problem with the buckskin is he is so mud coloured that i sometimes miss bits without realising.