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How would you clean this?

4K views 23 replies 14 participants last post by  my2geldings 
#1 ·
I *tried* to clean Gem, my mostly grey leopard appaloosa.
This is the before shot.


I used a shedding blade to get off what mud/dirt I could, which wasn't too much.
Then I took a curry comb and did that.
Then I took a medium brush (I can't use a hard brush because he has very sensitive skin)

And this is what he looked like afterwards


Not much better IMO.

It was in the high 30s (F) today but with the wind chill, it made it in the low 30s. There is no heated water, or indoor wash stall. He is also out during the day and in at night and he is not blanketed. (We are not planning on blanketing this year unless a specific horse is cold and needs it)

What would you use/ do differently?
 
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#3 ·
Was he wet when you were trying to mess with the dirt/mud? If he was, wait until he's dry. It should come off much much better then.
You could stick him in a stall or indoor/covered arena...

Good luck!
 
#5 ·
Honestly, I would clean it like you did and let time do the rest. It isn't going to hurt him to be dirty, unless his skin is, right?

Do you get snow? We are lucky because if our horses are dirty going into winter the snow is going to do the cleaning!! They roll almost every day and once the snow is here it is a natural "bath!"

Good luck and next time buy a bay!!:D LOL!! I can safely say that since I have two greys!!
 
#6 ·
Yes we get snow. Lots and Lots of snow! I also know with some rain he'll get cleaned as well.

I dont think it's down to his skin. He has a good inch of fur on him right now.

well, he's not technically mine, he's my fiance's. I have a chestnut and a bay and love the dark colors!
 
#10 ·
i dont think he looks that bad,fluffy dirt heheheh i fight the burrs day in and day out, winter and a white horse??? i dont see how you'd ever keep him clean without warm water and a dryer. Personaly i think they like to be dirty, sonny makes a point of sticking his head into the yuckiest whatever he can find. green out doesnt work on him at all but being buckskin it doesnt show so badly.
 
#12 ·
i know what you mean i just bought a new hoodie that is from my orchestra at school and i went to pet my horse and i patted him real good on the side and looked at my sleeve and it was all dirty, you could see the layer of dirt on my sleeve lol i havent gotten around to it lately, but on days when the wind isnt blowing i take a rag out with a bucket of warm water and i brush him with a soft brush then run the rag over him a couple of times to get the dust off so he looks like hes cared for lol ive heard baby wipes do the same...ive never tried it though good luck!
 
#13 ·
I totally forgot about baby wipes! Though I'm sure that could get pretty expensive cleaning him off with them all the time.

Unfortunately, i board and where we board there is no hot water, so I'd have to bring it with me. I'm gonna be looking into a bucket or thermos or something.
 
#14 ·
Aww, Darylann... Haha... Don't you hate that? When you brush and brush and feel you've gotten no where? I agree with the others, don't worry about it too much. Although you could try dampening a sponge and flicking off the dirt that way. Ooh, and try using a rubber mitt and brush in circles. That should help some.

Good luck! :wink:
 
#15 ·
Baby oil is one of my main cleaning gizmos. For 99 cents you can condition the tail and mane, and de-burr both quickly. In the fall you can add a few drops of citronella oil into the bottle and give your horse some added anti-fly/gnat power! LOL.

As far as removing mud .... if you are not gonna ride a little dirt is ok as long as it doesn't matter their fur down. Fluffy = warm. I adore a general use people brush that has those little plastic balls on the end. They are fantastic for cleaning the dirt off very sensitive spots - like the withers and back of the legs. Be very very gentle and they will also break up 'sheets" of dried mud. My TB is super sensitive but she will accept that brush.
 
#16 ·
He still seemed fluffy both before and after I groomed him.

It hasn't rained in a few days and it's been cold so hopefully the ground is frozen (no more mud). I'll try grooming him again to see if I can improve his look at all.

I guess any riding I wanted to will have to wait until spring lol
 
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