keeping feathers white, on a budget [Archive]

clydesdalelover

16th Mar 2009, 09:49 PM

does anyone have any tips on getting sparkling white feathers (apsrt from the obvous washin, orthe wonderfull but expensive whitner spray??):D

ive resigned myself to the fact that fudges will be cream apart from about 10 days per year

kat1

16th Mar 2009, 09:59 PM

I am eagerly awaiting a response to this one too! only Rosies arn't cream, they are muddy beyond repair:eek:

Soot

16th Mar 2009, 10:00 PM

This white enough?
http://gallery.spak.org/d/3511-2/lusy_amp_anna_standing.jpg

Kobey

16th Mar 2009, 10:41 PM

WOW your horse is amazing! tell me more?X

clydesdalelover

18th Mar 2009, 08:22 PM

so how do you keep that white without wrapping in cling film???

holz

18th Mar 2009, 08:29 PM

Fairy liquid then glow white (Curtain whitener) and if your horse doesnt mind then pressure wash them off. Then while there still wet lag them in chalk and bandage them. When u take the bandages off they will be gleaming!! I have always owned grey horses or horses with white legs so i know every trick in the book. This has been my top sectrect for years and im finally shareing it! lol:D

Shire Monster

18th Mar 2009, 09:57 PM

not a miracle cure but apparantly blue coloured shampoo helps with whiteness

Twigletz7

18th Mar 2009, 10:52 PM

Pig oil & sulphur:p wash with shampoo and use chalk powder once dry:)

chubbles

19th Mar 2009, 02:24 AM

Mine doesn't really have feathers, but white legs. I wash them with blue fairy liquid or any other blue washing up liquid. Great stuff, cheap too! Oh also, chalk up aswell :p

Soot

19th Mar 2009, 07:47 AM

Sorry for the delay

-- It took about 20 minutes to get Lucy looking from field condition (she lives out) to that photo above.

She is slathered in pig oil (& sulphur) during the week - I don't touch her feathers. I don't groom them or wash them or even look at them.

To bring them out white: Fairy liquid wash to get out the oil and then copious amounts of talcum powder to help dry them out and bring them out whiter. I don't bandage - travel in big travelling boots if I have to ....

And that's all - you wouldn't believe how little work I put into those feathers!!

susannah_x

19th Mar 2009, 09:38 PM

Soot

19th Mar 2009, 09:49 PM

soot, first of all, i dont believe that gleaming sparkly gorgeous gem lives out! second of all, can you come and clean mine? and third of all, are those legs half clipped??! or is that a shadow....?
eta.. 4th..... pig oil? all over?

Not clipped :eek: !
Out 24/7 - pig oil from kneww & hocks down + in mane & tail. The rest of the coat washed with normal baby shampoo and groom-groom-groomed until it gleeeeams!

This is the everyday look ;) - That would take muuuuch longer to clean, but the feathers are never a problem because of the oil.
http://gallery.spak.org/d/4754-2/Lucy+muddy_.jpg

susannah_x

19th Mar 2009, 10:09 PM

well you're more than welcome to come clean mine!!! its just in the first pic, his nearest leg especially, looks like a perfect straight angled line between short coat and feathers :D do you want to swap??!! :p

Soot

19th Mar 2009, 10:11 PM

LOL
I have too many to keep white already ;). But I honestly don't do much during the week - filthy horse is happy horse!!!
http://gallery.spak.org/d/3505-3/lucy_feathers.jpg

susannah_x

19th Mar 2009, 10:18 PM

stop showing off with your pics :mad:
only joking in just jealous :p

cinammontoast

19th Mar 2009, 10:43 PM

This white enough?
http://gallery.spak.org/d/3511-2/lusy_amp_anna_standing.jpg

Oh.....my.....GOD!

She is so fabulous, it's just unreal. Please don't part with Lance-what a stunning couple!

I'm going to be more vigilant with the PO+S-you saw Beau's feathers looking grungy-yuk!

How did you get the shine-Showshine?

scottishterrier

19th Mar 2009, 11:04 PM

so with this pig oil..do you rub it into her feathers daily or weekly? x

does it not make them really greasy looking?

also you say add talk to help dry, does talk onto damp/wet feathers not go gunky?
xx

colettybetty

19th Mar 2009, 11:06 PM

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n96/santafecob/Wildoaks%20Warrior/malachyshow20champion.jpg

I use Lemon fairy liquid and Avon Skin So Soft bath oil in the final rinsing water. Chalk or talcum powder to finish.

Soot

19th Mar 2009, 11:43 PM

How did you get the shine-Showshine?

Probably sweat ;). I don't really use any of those products - a yellow duster and groominth with a soft brush do the trick in summer. She's a healthy horse and he coat seems to glow naturally (although not at the moment, as you know - it's driving me nuts - want to clipclipclip!!).

so with this pig oil..do you rub it into her feathers daily or weekly? x

does it not make them really greasy looking?

also you say add talk to help dry, does talk onto damp/wet feathers not go gunky?
xx

Pig oil goes on every 5 weeks after the farrier's visit. If the weather is very bad (winter!!) it goes on every 3 weeks instead. I rub it right down to the skin if she lets me. They look horrid afterwards, but when you lift them up, the roots are snow white so you know everything is being kept clean and safe inside. Mus and gunk just slide off the oil & even riding through a puddle makes the feathers come up snow white.

I use a whole bottle of talc before a show -- never seen any gunk. But I don't bandage or anything like that so it all dries out naturally. I actually put talcum powder in my own hair instead of using a hair dryer and it no longer gets greasy even if not washed for aaages (probably shouldn't be admitting to that!) + is healthier than ever before in my whole life.

scottishterrier

20th Mar 2009, 09:18 AM

thanks for that..i think i may try this pig oil..its just unfortunate no one nearby sells as postage is obv a lot due to weight x

blonde

20th Mar 2009, 06:03 PM

coralwings

20th Mar 2009, 06:09 PM

thanks for that..i think i may try this pig oil..its just unfortunate no one nearby sells as postage is obv a lot due to weight x

this is what I use, amazing stuff, LOL xx

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/pig-oil-5-litres-sulphur-powder-IF-REQUIRED-horses_W0QQitemZ280324874970QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Horse_Wear_Equipment?hash=item280324874970&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1688%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

scottishterrier

20th Mar 2009, 06:12 PM

well have just ordered myself my pig oil to try out, ill do a patch test first though lol.
i can also use it in manes yeah? what benefit does that have x

VickyS

20th Mar 2009, 06:56 PM

not sure if its already been said but i use washing up liquid (tesocs own does the job :p) on indys feathers (they need 3/4 washes each normally!!) then bandage 2 keep clean night before a shown then a dusting of chalk on the day :)
then he looks like this :)
http://i701.photobucket.com/albums/ww19/vickysinski/Image028.jpg
vicky
x

cantata007

22nd Mar 2009, 08:51 PM

I am thinking of doing the pig oil thing for the show season this year with my boy. I have seen you can get it on ebay Scottish Rider, price seems reasonable

Question for Soot, as she seems like the expert!!! Should I clean feathers first before putting pig oil on? Do you use the sulphur as well?

My boy lives eau-natrel, but rugged as he is VERY white! I do not touch his feathers from October to March, much to my riding instructors disgust probably!! Last year I did the laborous scrubbing the day before the shows malarcy with cowboy magic blue shampoo (Expensive:eek:)then used talc and bandages. but the feathers that stick out the botom still looked gruby. Plus it all seemed like hard work, crawling round on the floor scrubbing legs!!!

Chestnutter

22nd Mar 2009, 08:59 PM

Mine doesn't really have feathers, but white legs. I wash them with blue fairy liquid or any other blue washing up liquid. Great stuff, cheap too! Oh also, chalk up aswell :p

I tried this on daughter's pony as he was out showjumping today and it really worked! Thanks for the tip. Now if only he didn't dribble horrible brown stuff all down them as soon as the travel boots come off!

l7oopys

22nd Mar 2009, 09:11 PM

does everyone use the same techniques to get white tails??

VickyS

22nd Mar 2009, 09:13 PM

yep i do :)

DarenC1

23rd Mar 2009, 10:22 AM

http://gallery.spak.org/d/4754-2/Lucy+muddy_.jpg

*steals* :D

First Highland Show I attended (2006), I remember one of our group asking one of the Clydie owners how they got their horse's legs so clean.

Answer: Fairy Liquid.

Pig oil and sulphur's good for keeping the majority of the mud at bay (Sally and Arwen used to be slathered in it - and my jacket stank of it!)

Another good way to dry the legs is sawdust - it's quite quick and brushes out easily.

Arwen after a bath, prior to a show:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/DazDaMan/Horses/DSCF0192.jpg
I don't think she stayed this clean for long! :rolleyes:

Soot

23rd Mar 2009, 10:34 AM

I love Arwen's marking - the white above the knee is gorgeous!
Such a sense of pride when the feathers are clean - I'm not sure I could have a non-feathered horse again (even though I only saw my first feathers horse outside a farm yard in 2003 :eek:!)

scottishterrier

23rd Mar 2009, 11:16 AM

Soot

23rd Mar 2009, 11:38 AM

so my pig oil is on its way..do i wash his feather first before applying or will a good brush be enough? how much do i use, is it a case of covering the whole lot or just making sure its rubbed right into the base? x

I make sure they are brushed out and dry. Don't apply i t on wet feathers if you can avoid (sometimes not possible in winter obviously), so best to just brush ... I tend to use about a pint per leg on Lucy - but a pint is enough for all of Lance! - so it really depends on the amount of feather, size of bone, etc ... I'd imagine on your lad, a half pint per leg would be more than enough - just make sure it goes right to the skin - don't worry about the tips. You get into the swing of things after a few application. And it WILL look gross for the first few days after application so don't panic!!

scottishterrier

23rd Mar 2009, 11:51 AM

I make sure they are brushed out and dry. Don't apply i t on wet feathers if you can avoid (sometimes not possible in winter obviously), so best to just brush ... I tend to use about a pint per leg on Lucy - but a pint is enough for all of Lance! - so it really depends on the amount of feather, size of bone, etc ... I'd imagine on your lad, a half pint per leg would be more than enough - just make sure it goes right to the skin - don't worry about the tips. You get into the swing of things after a few application. And it WILL look gross for the first few days after application so don't panic!!

thanks for that..i can just hear the other liveries now! lol xx

sancho

23rd Mar 2009, 12:09 PM

Fairy liquid and then a small blob of Cowboy magic!

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii93/sancho_horses/stephtaya-1-1.jpg

cinammontoast

23rd Mar 2009, 08:24 PM

Re tails: a mate has 2 grey wedding horses who have a thorough wash in shampoo and he does their tails on Daz non-biological, hand/twin tub stuff. Have to say, they sparkle!

Avoid the dock, obviously and rinse off really thoroughly.

Louki

23rd Mar 2009, 09:58 PM

when I groomed for a local heavy breeder who also ran wedding carts it was daz non bio we used on the feathers, not only did they scrub up gleaming white despite having been removed from the field some 30 mins earlier (usually at 5.am) but these guys never ever suffered from scurf.

joey_olop

24th Mar 2009, 10:01 AM

My old YO used to swear by Tesco Own Brand shampoo, it was purple in colour. She said the purple balanced out the dirt or something, her horse's feathers were whiter than white :D
Good luck :)

colettybetty

24th Mar 2009, 10:37 AM

My old YO used to swear by Tesco Own Brand shampoo, it was purple in colour. She said the purple balanced out the dirt or something, her horse's feathers were whiter than white :D
Good luck :)

Yes, Tesco's own is really good and cheap as chips.

Trewsers

24th Mar 2009, 10:52 AM

What about that purple shampoo you can get in old fashioned chemists? I have some for my blonde hair - cos we are on spring water my hair has a tendency to go brassy (not a good look!) and I was told to use the purple shampoo to get out the rubbish and bring it up a nice shade! I wonder if it works on grey horses and feathers? I can't remember the specific brand but if you ask at a chemist they should know. (Think its quite old fashioned stuff)

baybabe

24th Mar 2009, 12:24 PM

A small dob of ultraviolet spray in with the shampoo, brings it up super white, remember to wear gloves. The purple fools the eyes into thinking its white or smething like that. Just like a blue rinse.:)

DarenC1

24th Mar 2009, 01:23 PM

Funnily enough, I was looking for an old thread on another forum and found the photos of Arwen, along with a post by her then-owner as to how he got her feather so white:

Just "soft soap", warm water a a bit of elbow grease !!!!

I also mix a little sulphur power into some pig oil and rub this into the feathers once a week. This does a few things.
although a bit messy at the time it protects the feathersfrom becoming badly stained, but washes out fine with warm water.
keeps the feathers nice and silky.
protects against "grease"
a little rubbed into mane and tail seems to stop itching and protects against mane getting rubbed out.

Hope this helps.