Keeping Me Clean!

My mom wrote this article for one of those places she writes for online. I can't use a computer because they have yet to make one that is hoof-friendly, so mom decided to share her special secret on how she keeps me clean. I have to admit I like the part about dirt being a good thing as I loooovvveeeee to roll in the dirt! It feels so good on my itchy back. I have trouble reaching around to scratch my own back, so rolling helps as does mom's "currying" with my mane and tail brush. Neeeiiighhhhhahahahahaha.

Mom's article. Enjoy!


My horse is a flea-bitten grey overo Paint/Pinto (that's me). He is mostly white now, as his grey has faded with age, which is normal. Yet in the show ring he sparkles like the sun, and yet rarely do I ever bathe him.
If you boarded with me you would argue that, as he is often in the wash stall. But what people don't realize is that I am not putting shampoo or soap of any kind to him, merely water if necessary. And usually not his entire body (Oh thank goodness. I get worried every time she leads me into the wash area because I am sure I will come out dripping!)
 

1. Don't Shampoo! Green spots due to lying or rolling in manure can stain coats and become almost impossible to remove, I don't care what kind of products you use. Thus, the secret, if it can be called that, is to merely rinse those spots off immediately, using plain water and your hand or a sponge. You need no shampoos or products of any kind (the horse whitening shampoo companies are going to hate me). This means diligence every single day. Don't wait until the day before a show then slather loads of harsh whitening shampoos on your horse! Not only can that dry out his skin (which will then need time to repllenish its oils) and spray with a layer of slippery shine spray. Nope, keeping your greys and whites looking nice and not dull or yellowish means caring for their coat daily! Read the rest.
2. Groom Daily. I groom my horse every single day. And I don't use horse-made rubber or plastic curry combs either. I am not saying those products are bad or wrong, I just do not prefer them. This may sound stange, but I use a human hair brush (you can get a very inexpensive one that will last a long time if you don't abuse it). Use a nylon bristle brush; It has small nodules on the end of each bristle that won't harm skin or hair and feels like a nice massage. Curry the hair in backwards circles as well as up and down lines, using average pressure. If there's some excess dirt you may use a bit more elbow grease. I even do the legs with the brush, only much more carefully and with less pressure. But this will depend on your horse. My horse likes it, some might not. Currying your horse daily has so many benefits I can't mention them all!
3. Face. When it comes to his face, I use a Dollar Store item: a sisal mitt used for human bathing. The sisal side is just ebrasive enough to loosen dirt, but not so abrasive as to hurt or rip hair. My horse loves it as he can scratch his itchy head on it. I just hold my hand up and let him use his own pressure as he rubs his face on the mitt to scratch it. The other side of the mitt is foam and is great for rubbing the loose dirt and hair off.
4. Soft & Hard Brush. You're probably wondering at this time if I use anything actually made for horses. Yes. I do use a hard brush and a soft brush for finishing touches on the body, legs and face.
5. Conditioners. On most days I don't use conditioners of any kind. But, on occasion I might spray his body with a human-made leave-in hair conditioner. The more natural the better, as these are lightweight and won't weigh the coat down with heavy chemicals or oils. Horse detanglers are oily, so instead use a good natural conditioner (human or horse is fine) with water and when you rinse, the tail will be soft and manageable. Just be sure you get the product all the way through the hair and rinse thoroughly.
6. Shampoos. Eventually, you will need to give your horse a bath (for a show or if he gets super dirty). Instead of using whitening shampoos that have harsh chemicals, use a good natural shampoo that has aloe and/or tea tree oil. I use a nice tea tree oil shampoo on my horse. It keeps his skin soft and his hair in great condition. For soiled stains I use an enzymatic spray that I leave in for awhile and then rinse it off (even if it says not to).
7. Maintenance. The best key to keeping your horse the cleanest is maintenance. Remember good grooming practices, clean stains and spots immediately and don't use a lot of unnatural products and sprays.
   

My horse has a thick bed of pine shavings in his stall. I began using it when he developed a low grade case of laminitis years back. I found that by keeping the bedding thick, it helped him stay clean. At night, as he moves around and lays down and gets up, the manure and urine fall to the bottom so he lays on clean shavings rather than in his own waste. Since he always urinates in the same spot, I often place pelleted bedding (unsoaked) under the pine shavings in that area. It soaks up the urine under the pine and stays dry. This can get expensive so I tend to only use it at times when he is in a lot. Otherwise, I make sure his stall is super clean and pick it out as often as possible. The finer pine shavings work the best. The thicker flakes don't absob as well.