[teakwood]

We trail ride. I used to fully bathe our horses in the summer probably every few weeks (shampoo). Their coats looked good afterwards but into the next day, they looked kind of dull and "dirty". I know now I was probably taking off their natural oils. The flies are SO BAD this year!!! We have pigeon fever all around this area that we are in so I use LOTS of fly spray!
After each ride, we sponge sweat off - get all the salt off. So how often do you guys actually fully bathe? I'm reading that a good curry and brush session keeps a horse healthy and clean.
When I"m riding and I go to give a pet on the neck, my fingers are black! ICK! But even after I have bathed them, next ride, they are just as greasy.
Does a clean horse repel flies better or one with natural oils?? They all look good now - shiney. I have not bathed them. Just a sponge bath after a ride to get sweat off.

 

[arabbarrelracer]

My horse has very sensitive skin so if sweat is left on he will rub off his hair.
Flies also love to eat him for lunch. :frown:

Here's what I do in the spring/summer after each workout.
For his coat.

I hose him off and then I spray him with a vinegar mixture.
I spray him off after that with a coat conditioner mixture.
Once he is dry I take a dry wash cloth or microfiber rag and wipe him all over that way the dust gets off and the coat is smoothed out.
Then I take my soft horse hair brush and brush him.
Last but not least I put his fly sheet on him.

For his head....

I carry baby wipes in my grooming bucket and wipe off his nose, muzzle and ears.
I have another rag I use for his face, I spray it with the coat conditioner and wipe his face. Then I put on his fly mask.

Once a week I will squirt a tsp of soap in a 1 gallon bucket and add some vinegar (2tsp) and fill with water. Use a rubber curry and scrub a dub dub. lol

Rinse and do the everyday part I mentioned up above.:smileynotebook:

 

[arabbarrelracer]

My fly spray recipe
---------------------

in a gallon milk jug mix together,

3 drops of each oil.
tea tree, eucalyptus, lavender, citronella, rosemary

1tbsp carrier oil (olive oil, jojoba oil, coconut)
I use olive oil.

1/2 cup acv (apple cider vinegar)
fill the rest of the way with water.


Coat conditioner spray
-------------------------

I make it by the gallons lol
1/4 cup baby oil
1/2 cup of conditioner
4tbsp white vinegar
1/4 cup coconut oil (only use this if the weather is hot otherwise it will solidify)
fill the rest of the way with water.

:runninghorse2::runninghorse2::runninghorse2:

 

[WildAtHeart]

Personally, I fully bathe (shampoo) rarely. [fully bathe my horse that is ]
On the first hot day of spring I give her a really good scrubbing with shampoo to get out all that deep winter grime.

I do hose her off regularly. Any time after a hard workout when it is hot. If you use a curry (I use the "jelly scrubber") you can work up a lot of dirt and rinse it off. My mare doesn't really enjoy the hose but she tolerates it...she also drinks out of it like a dog, which is adorable

 

[karliejaye]

I rinse them after rides in the summer and if they are sweating a lot in the paddock. As for full on baths, once every other year, mainly just for fun and to have an excuse to play in the water, such as yesterday since we hit over 100* F (bleh). Other than that, I just use elbow grease and normal grooming tools along with a good, balanced diet to keep them shiny!

 

[Mulefeather]

I wouldn't fully shampoo them unless they are super-disgusting, and even then hosing them off is going to take most of that off. For the riding/driving horses I've worked with, we just rinsed and scraped the excess off.

 

[PaintHorseMares]

We never bathe ours, only hose off when they're very sweaty.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[teakwood]

It's 97 and muggy here today and they are sweating just standing around I HATE summers! I did get out there early and curry them really well (I also use a jelly type curry) and then a soft brush and then fly spray and masks. Thanks for all the advice on what you guys do - sounds good

 

[Yogiwick]

Don't be afraid to go ahead and hose them off. No harm in that.

Nothing wrong with bathing either as long as it's not done frequently. Try monthly. I usually just do them once or twice a year if that, I don't show or anything.

A good brushing is the most important part. Shampooing is really for the people

 

[kewpalace]

I shampoo bathe my horses the night before a show.

Otherwise, I'll hose them off (water only) in summer after a good work out or trail ride.

 

[Wallaby]

I guess I'll be the odd "man" out and say that my horse sees A LOT of water in the summer.

I generally bath him once a month or so, just because I feel like it [using gentle shampoo, however] and to really get all that flyspray/SWAT/sunscreen/etc residue off him. Last summer he got, maybe, 2 baths all summer. This spring/summer he's already had two [one in March, one in May].

I like to rinse this current horse of mine off every couple of days if it's been pretty hot. If it's 85*+ and he's clearly too hot [sweaty/mopey/whatever], I'll rinse him off no matter the last time I rinsed him.

My previous mare -elderly and immune-compromised- got rinsed nearly every day during the summer. Sometimes even twice a day if it was really hot. She never sweat[ed?] well and she would really overheat even if she stayed in her shed all day. She'd get confused and "weird" if she was too hot and regular rinsing would always bring her right back.

She got baths nearly every week, with "hypo-allergenic and soothing" shampoo. She would invariably rub her butt raw, literally raw, on something if I tried to skip her weekly bath. I never figured out exactly why, but a weekly bath solved whatever the issue was.




For me, it really depends on the horse.
My mare was always significantly more comfortable after a bath, so I stuck with her preferred weekly-bath schedule. My current gelding doesn't seem to care either way, so I just stick with bathing whenever I want to. :lol:

 

[Rainaisabelle]

I usually give my boy a really good bath with shampoo at the end of each month or if he had found some mud and gotten really bad! To clean his ears, nose and face I usually have a sponge to use.

I hose him off if he is sweaty after a work out (which more often then not he is) and then put a mesh rug on him for the flies.


Does anyone clean their horses teeth?

 

[mslady254]

I've only bathed Sonny , with a medicated tar shampoo for an icky case of oily *somethingorother skin condition that I dont remember the correct name for" twice within 2 weeks, several years ago. Other than that I have never washed him with a shampoo. I rinse the sweat off of him after riding in the warm/hot months.
A set of good, natural bristle brushes and a good soft rubber curry pulls the dirt up and off just fine, imho. He has a wonderful natural shine, and I think it's important not to strip out the natural oils.

Fay

 

[arabbarrelracer]

Rainsaisabella, I check my horses teeth quit often.
If there is things in between his front teeth like hay, I will use my fingers and remove it. other than that no

 

[Rainaisabelle]

Rainsaisabella, I check my horses teeth quit often.
If there is things in between his front teeth like hay, I will use my fingers and remove it. other than that no

Ah cool, I was just curious if anyone like brushed their teeth or something.

 

[Yogiwick]

I guess I'll be the odd "man" out and say that my horse sees A LOT of water in the summer.

I generally bath him once a month or so, just because I feel like it [using gentle shampoo, however] and to really get all that flyspray/SWAT/sunscreen/etc residue off him. Last summer he got, maybe, 2 baths all summer. This spring/summer he's already had two [one in March, one in May].

I like to rinse this current horse of mine off every couple of days if it's been pretty hot. If it's 85*+ and he's clearly too hot [sweaty/mopey/whatever], I'll rinse him off no matter the last time I rinsed him.

My previous mare -elderly and immune-compromised- got rinsed nearly every day during the summer. Sometimes even twice a day if it was really hot. She never sweat[ed?] well and she would really overheat even if she stayed in her shed all day. She'd get confused and "weird" if she was too hot and regular rinsing would always bring her right back.

She got baths nearly every week, with "hypo-allergenic and soothing" shampoo. She would invariably rub her butt raw, literally raw, on something if I tried to skip her weekly bath. I never figured out exactly why, but a weekly bath solved whatever the issue was.




For me, it really depends on the horse.
My mare was always significantly more comfortable after a bath, so I stuck with her preferred weekly-bath schedule. My current gelding doesn't seem to care either way, so I just stick with bathing whenever I want to. :lol:

Yes if your horse has issues it may need a medicinal type bath regularly.

Just wanted to add- I completely agree with hosing regularly.

Sweat is gross. Try not showering on a hot day..

While I don't bathe frequently or regularly I should of clarified. Horses get sponged or hosed depending on temperature/work/sweat. If it's hot enough they're sweating just standing there (or they're stupid and running around lol) they will get hosed as well.

On a hot day once or even twice a day is appropriate. I wouldn't "bathe" then but nothing wrong with hosing.

 

[TessaMay]

I usually one bathe with soap once or twice a year. I will house off after a ride if my horse has gotten sweaty though.