Bathing Alternatives for Cold Weather

KarinUS

KarinUS

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May 20, 2001
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Since DJ is out 24/7 I have kind of let him be a wild child for the winter. I brush him down before tacking of course, but he does currently sport a more rugged look...
My instructor is making a website for our stable and wants to take pictures of us during our lesson on Sunday.
She let me know ahead of time in case I wanted to wear something 'special'. I am wondering what special something I could wear riding a horse?!
But anyway, my main concern is getting DJ to look sharp. We don't have hot water so I definitely can't bathe him. He loves to roll in the mudd. What can I do with his mane and tail (since I can't wash it). Any tips and tricks?
 
Yikes! Without hot water, I wish you luck. We had an unseasonably warm day on Tuesday (as in, it wasn't going to get colder than 50F for abt 10 hrs), and I took the opportunity to wash the mares' tails...but I used warm water, and kept them warm until they dried.

Even with a sweat scraper, I had difficulty getting my mares dry over the summer--sweat scraping first then towelling. I'm pondering bathing them for the HT on the 25th, and dreading the thought in their happy winter fuzzies.

One thing you *can* do is get him as clean as you can, then wipe him with a damp cloth. That will get his body fairly undusty-looking at least temporarily. If you slick his tail with conditioner or baby oil it may look halfway decent for photos.

Is there any way you can transport hot water to the barn? Or transport DJ to somewhere close by that does have hot water?
 
oh, dear. If I was a stable owner, I'd wait 'til spring to get pictures of the horses! All the ones up here look like large shetland ponies, they're so winter-fuzzy:) I've been told that washing horses in winter is not a good idea unless you keep them rugged, because it strips away the oils and temporarily lay the hairs down, when they should be fuzzed up for insulation. If the weather forecast is calling for a couple of nice days, though, maybe you could lay a hose out in the sun for some hot water.
I do this when I'm working outside in the cold early spring, so I don't have to wash my hands in cold water!

Blackjack lives in a muddy paddock for the winter, so I've gotten into the habit of taking a couple of old towels with me to the stable. I use one to wipe the wet mud off, then use the dry one to rub the dried mud off. This works well on legs and belly. But you'd need a lot of towels if D.J. likes to act like a pig and wallow in it!:D

Good luck!
 
I use baby oil on Kerry's mane and tail only - in fact Tesco's own brand but I'm not sure if you have Tesco over there. It is really brilliant - it gives such a good shine but doesn't grease your reins etc. plus it smells really nice.
 

I have never used them but I know some people who always use stain remover and mane and tail spray on their horses. I don't know how well this works. I would suggest a really thorough grooming session is the best alternative and perhaps sponging out some of the stronger stains... sounds like fun. :)
 
bathing in cold

They say you should never ever bath them in cold weather - if you do, you must must must rug up for a week after as horse needs to replace oils lost by bathing. The oils protect against cold and wet etc.

I wouldnt want to be bathed outside in the cold - imagine it !!! ? even if it was warm water, as soon as there was a slight breeze you would freeze - oooooooh horrid.

you only have to think what it is like to get out of a shower into a cold room, or the sea, or an outside swimming pool in cool weather. Poor things !

Try elbow grease - that is what the old timers used.



I liked signature on someones post
it was similar to this.

:Grooming - the process of removing dirt from the horse to the groom
 
Am I a terrible horse owner? I wash my horses tail (well the last half a metre at least) even in the cold weather. I wash it before I take him out for a hack and its dry by the time we get back. Its only the same as getting wet in the rain surely? Sure I wouldnt do his main as that has direct contact with his skin and anyway doesnt get as dirty but I dont think its so bad to do the tail. Let me know if you disagree.
 
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