Bathing in the Winter

[Paolaane]

We have two Arabian mares that are kept in pasture most of the time. This winter we've been bringing them in at night and during the rainy weather, however they are still very muddy Is there a safe way to bathe them. We'd like to wash 'em and then put raincoats on them to keep them clean. They haven't been clipped so we are concerned about them being wet and cold too long and getting sick. The winters are pretty mild here in California, USA Thanks for any suggestions

[beckys]

Remember that it is winter!
Well, I know here in Washington unless you have hot water and about ten blow-dryers you just shouldn't wash your horse. You have to remember that it is winter and there is really no need for them to be extremely clean. The only way that you should give you, horse a bath is if you use warm water and you barn is heated, and after you rinse him you must towel dry them. It's not wise to give you horses baths in the winter because of the likelihood of catching cold. Unless you are showing there is really no need for it.

Good Luck,
Becky

[michal]

I just put a blanket on them...and it drys up great...by the end of the day they most of the dirt is gone! It drys off and falls off itself...

[1tkathie]

Hi I would second becky, winter is a bad time, better to groom them as well as u can.
Just remember never brush wet mud it just gets further into the coat and spreads with your brush!!

[Mavi]

As California has the same kind of weather than Alicante - Spain, I will suggest that you bath your horse as we do Here.

Before bathing a horse is very important to have them sweating and very hot from excercise and always choose the warmest part of the day (12-3 pm) and wash them as usual, start with the legs and then go up. we do use to dry a long metal thing to take the extra water off and make real sure that they do not have their backs with water (this is very important or they will get back-ache) damp is allright.

I do wash my mare a lot this way as she is very messy and she is quite happy with the cold water even at 12-16 degrees C.... I should think that the weather in California does not get colder than this at lunchtime.

Mavi

[bren]

Hello, not even attempting to wash mine (we have several feet of snow and more coming down) but I cant see why you couldn't do this: brush them real well than run a damp rag over them to get all the dust off, scrub any stains with a wet cloth and dry with another rag. Wash mane and tail in pail of soapy water and rinse well. Dry as much as you can. I would assume you have somewhere indoors that you can do this stuff.

[Paolaane]

Thank you to everyone who responded I appreciate all your help and great ideas. Here's what I did:
I decided that my desire to bathe my horse was more about my level of comfort than theirs... Truth is, they are perfectly happy out in the pasture, all muddy. They are well fed and out in the fresh air

Soooo, after a good hard (but rather warm) rain... I put them in the barn... their stalls freshly bedded with shavings... and let them roll to their hearts content. Also gave them a nice flake of hay and some sweet grain. Next morning they'd rolled most of the mud off and were dry... then I gave them a good curry and grooming and they look pretty good...

I'll wait for the warm Spring weather for a good bath. Thanks again everyone!

[Northern Dancer]

Well, if I was you give them a good currying when they come in or put a blanket on them when there outside but otherwise you could bathe them in hot water, and rub them dry with blankets, and blanket them up when they go to sleep in their stalls so there's no risk of flus.

[Paolaane]

Hi Northern Dancer,

Thanks for your suggestions... if I had hot water out there, I'd do that... but I'd have to haul it from home and I don't think I could haul enough to do an adequate job.

Next year I will blanket them in the fall, so they won't get so shaggy and I can avoid this problem all together.

They are not getting soaked all the way to the skin in the rain... but I don't curry/brush them until they are dry because I don't want make the mud problem worse. The barn is quite warm for them.. I think that blanketing them while they are still damp or wet would keep them from drying completely.. and I have no way to get them really dry if I bathe them.

Thank goodness Spring is right around the corner...