Winter Grooming Tips

Winter is fast approaching and I thought it would be nice to share your tips to keeping your horses clean when it's impossible to give a bath. Even just a few weeks of winter I already feel like my horse is filthy and there's no way to get rid of the dirt excempt to wait for spring. That is why I thought it would be nice to share with everyone on HF how you keep your horses clean in the winter.

Here are a few of mine...
- baby wipes are great for getting some of the dust off
- blankets are extrememly helpful for keeping a horse dry and/or sort of mud free
- useing brushes with the natural bristles instead of synthetic really makes a HUGE difference, it picks up the dirt and dust much better
- try to regularly groom your horse so the mud and dirt don't keep adding on
- a cooler is great for after those hard rides when your horse is sweaty and your can't hose him off

That's all I can think of now but would love to hear your tips.

Here's one I discovered the other day. Soak a sponge and then wring out all the water so its damp. It helps keep off the dust.

I'm definitely going to try the baby wipes or the sponge. All of my guys love to get dirty and when I clean them in the barn, they look great.. until I go outside and see how bad they look

I'm not sure if it's so much a tip or not, but removing shoes off horses is a good safety tip. A lot of our equine athletes are put on a slower training schedule that does not maybe require regular showing all winter. Helps prevent slips and other various injuries.
Just an idea.

I usually just take a damp washcloth and a bucket or warm water out with me at least twice a month to keep the dirt from pileing up, I also try to braid his tail during winter to try to prevent our cows from chewing the ends off:roll:

Chloe lets me shop Vac her... it works really nice with getting the dust and stuff out. I use the attachment for cleaning drapes and stuff. I wouldnt recommend this for just any horse though. I know my limits and she is really good with most everything... April would probably have me in a body cast if I tried that with her.

I do the whole warm towel treatment on the nicer afternoons. Or just a dry towel with THIS awesome stuff (but TJ hates the smell ??). I also like the Cowboy Magic Green Spot Remover, which also has herbal extracts and Shea butter. And brush, brush, brush!

For anyone else w/a horse w/feathers, I use MTG religiously during the wet months. It keeps them clear from scratches et cetera, and leaves an oily slick behind to help w/ keeping mud and ice off. You could also try baby oil, but I don't find it leaves enough slip.

Mirrorstage Im confused w/ your feather comment.Feathers are the longer hairs behind the hoof/legs correct?And what exactly does the MTG do for them, sorry for being dumb about this LOL.

To help keep the tail lovely:)

-spray some cowboy magic coat shiner in it and then braid.

It stays super soft and shiny and it grows!
And its not all creepy bacon greasy like mtg makes it.:roll:

Wiping with dryer sheets can help cut down on static in the fall and winter (which are pretty dry where I live). Repels dust and cuts down on shocks to you and your horse.