Washing horses.....

[horsemad]

Is there any reason to wash a horse using shampoo and hose etc, other than just to make it look pretty? I notice that some people in my yard spend a lot of time shampooing their horsies, and they do look lovely afterwards.....but is it really necessary?

All I ever do with my shared horse is give her a good brushing, which seems to do the job......but should I be washing her as well? And is there a danger that you would wash out the natural oils in the coat?

[Lgd]

Bathing does take the grease out of the coats so only do it if you have to. Mine are only bathed if they are competing and they are dirty and it isn't too cold (essential with the baby as she is a grey and really shows the muck). For security reasons mine live in at night all year round and in lousy weather wear turn-out rugs so removing the grease is less of a problem for me.

[Wally]

We NEVER bath ours unless they are going to a show (once a year)

I am toying with the idea of giving Kina a bit of a bath as she is so scurfy after the winter, wearing a rug all winter hasn't helped.

I don't beleive in washing them on a regular basis just to make them look pretty. Horses need to be horses and smell like horses too, herd scent is important to our lot. They all roll in the same patch of earth.

[Moonlightrider]

We wash our horses nearly every day of the summer... however, we only shampoo etc every month or so. It gets to over 100 in the summer, and the horses sweat in their stalls even with the fans, so after an hour's ride, it's necessary.

[Maci]

We rinse the school horse after a lesson just with water in the summer time because it gets really hot, and the water cools them. I only use shampoo if they really need it or a there's a show to go to.

Maci :)

[jUmPingIsLifE]

where we live it is... but we only do it twice a year. we have a sand pit by our house.... even with a every day groom after a WHOLE winter and mud season a brush wont get rid of all the dirt. also (not sure about this) under the mane i herd somewhere that if that gets to dirty (right at the mane/neck area where the roots are) and it isn't washed that they will start to really loose their mane (no clue where i herd that lol)! but we do it twice a year (first hot day after winter and august). This year we will do it early july too cuz we are taking them to thier first parade :)

[AmandaW]

A friends horse suffers horribly with sweet itch and she benefits from a good shampoo once a week or so. It seems to soften the thickened scaly skin and make it more comfortable, aswell as keeping any really sore bits clean.

Amanda

PS When I become a proud horseowner I think I'll be sticking to activities where turn out is directly related to the comfort of the horse and the job in hand!

[ALLISON2001]

I wash my before shows. Its good for their coats and their skin too;)

[Bebe]

Last year my horse got bathed about 5 times but that was due to her having rain scald when I got her, we had to use an anti-bactieral wash.

So far this year I haven't bathed her at all and doubt I will. She gets washed down with water when she's really sweaty (in summer, has a cooler in winter) and I have washed her tail with shampoo but otherwise she doesn't need shampooing. She gets groomed twice a day every day with a dandy brush and/or rubber curry comb so stays pretty clean most of the time.

Amanda

[sweetbriar]

I only bathe Lizzie for major shows in the summer, never in the winter. We only do jumping classes and she doesn't have to be spotless. I do have some very good stain remover for white horses which helps as she loves to lie in a big dollop of poo the night before a show.

[Danae]

I'd like to clarify a few things..

Washing your horse alot will strip the horse's natural coat oils which makes your horse shiny and healthy looking. Their oils also help protect them from the weather if you do not blanket your horses.

I only bathe my horses, regularly, once a year. It is usually around the beginning of summer to get the few fuzzy hairs left from their winter coat.

Hopi is white, not grey, white lol. Dirt is magnetic to her therefore she is ALWAYS dirty whether I brush her 4 times a day or once a week. I believe there is a mixture you can make to use after heavy work outs that will not deplete the coat of oils. If I can track it down I will post it up here.

I would not hose them off all the time after work outs but maybe just to the shoulders/hips on each leg. Once in awhile on very hot days, maybe hose them off all the way.

[CarolineR]

Ours are only ever washed in the summer, and usually only once at the beginning of summer to get rid of excess winter coat and all the scaly bits left, to ensure there is no bacteria building up under the skin and in the coat.

However if they get sweaty they will be rinsed down with water, and Lavender Wash which is not a shampoo, just helps the coat recover and also acts as a good fly repellent whilst the horse cools down, as well as a relaxing effect following a working session.

In the winter the cob has his legs - below the knee only - rinsed with water mainly and ocassionaly wash with anti bacteria wash as he is prone to mud fever on his 4 white socks. But the bodies are never touched.

[Somethingroyal]

Where I live it gets SOOOO hot that our horses are rinsed 4-5 times per day in the summer. We just squirt them with the hose to cool them down. They are always rinsed after a ride to remove the sweat, but actual bathing occurs once a week and before a show. We give them suppliments for their coats, and use mild shampoo and conditioner.

Most of our horses are fine with this schedule, and their coats reamin helthy and shiny. Occasionally we will get one that is more sensitive or needs more bathing, and we adjust accordingly. However, I think that if my horses were just for pleasure i would only bathe them if they were caked in mud- just let horses be horses:)

[floppy]

my horse gets sponged down after rides. I gave her a bath though today. Mainly because i am taking her to a show next week and her mane and tail were so dirty that not even mane and tail conditioner worked anymore. And seeing as the past 4days have been 35 degree C. It may be my only chance to bath her :D

But i intend to only bath her once a year like we do with our big guard dog- which is we always bath the dog when the temperature remains hot for a few days and doesnt get cold during the night. and we only do it at th ebeginning of summer to get rid of the old winter hairs and smelly oils adn then she can prepare herself for the up adn coming winter.

[HAYLEY GITTOES]

I never bath my horse unless i have to.

If she is sweating after a ride i wash her down (only where she is sweating)

[HAYLEY GITTOES]

I only bath my horse if we have a competion but if we dont i only wash her down if she sweats.

I dont just bath her to make her luck pretty.

As she lives out all year we dont bath her.

Hayley

[maverick927]

I bath once a year just to get the horrible grease out after the winter. I always prefare not to bath. I would rather use elbow grease to get the pony clean, but i do understand for grey or coloured horse owners.

[Yvonne M]

My pony is grey so I tend to just wash any stable stains off,sometimes using shampoo. I wash his legs off at times.
I do wash his mane & tail regularly to make him more comfortable.

[Wally]

It was SO HOT today that we did bath one or two of our lot.
Andy Pants, who is black, black, shiny BLACK came up so bright that I was gobsmacked at the shine. He almost looked good!:D

Ugla, who is rauðvindott (silver chestnut) has not lost he winter coat yet, but she looked a bit better for a good bath. And Fivvie Whiflet scrubbed up a treat.

If it is hot again tomorrow some more might get a bit of a wash...If Claire and Hannah feel the urge!!;) :D :cool:

[deborah ann]

I love to bath and primp over my horse, but live in a tropical climate and farriers all tell me the same thing, namely to keep his feet DRY. He has "thoroughbred feet." We were in a long drought and his feet were great. (were that is). After a month and a half of the wet season now hes losing shoes again. I give sponge baths when hes overheated from a ride or pasture run. My electric fan is priceless these days. With alittle luck the rainy season will pass soon! I love the scent of the liniments that you mix in with the water to cool them out. When I shampoo I use selsun blue. (Just between all of us, if hes REALLY hot I hose him and horsefeathers on the farrier)

[Gracie]

I wash my horse after every work out to cool her down (**in the summer any ways**) I used to keep her at a barn where a lot of people only brushed their horses, my horse got bathed(*without soap) and looked A LOT cleaner then most of the other horses at the barn!

[Bebe]

Bebe got her first bath of the year last weekend and I have to admit she looked fab afterwards. It was so warm that most of the horses got a bath and the little 11.2hh pony was coal black and shiny until he was turned out and promptly rolled in the dustiest part of the field. Admittedly he did go a nice silver grey colour but his rider was a bit upset :)

I do rinse Bebe off after long rides when she's really sweaty but I don't use shampoo, just spone barely warm water with fly spray added to it over her.

[Maci]

I just love (;)) when you rinse off a horse after a hot ride, take out all the dust on him, turn him out, and he goes to the dirtiest place he can find and rolls!! :mad: :rolleyes: At least he's healthy!

Maci :)

[K&K]

My barn bathes it's horses a lot, usually once a month. Some of the boarders even stick a sheet on their horses for a few days after ... even when it's scorching hot. I bathed Beauty once when she first came here (May) and once today. I do wash her legs more often though, since she's a black & white pinto and gets very stained :rolleyes: