Weekly Tips Feb 09

Russos Tack Shack | home

Winter Grooming

It is probably more important to attempt to keep your horse clean in winter as it is in summer. Under blankets, dirt can get trapped and rubbed into the coat and skin. Even without blanketing, dirt and manure can get trapped in long winter coats. When this happens, pores get clogged and cannot function properly to help cool or warm the horse. Concerns with saddling a dirty horse should also be carried over to the blanketed horse. Trapped dirt will cause rubs and sore spots. There are a number of steps that you can use to help keep your horse clean when winter chills prevent bathing.

You will need a handful of items to help you do the job correctly:

bucket

stack of clean towels

rubber gloves

currycomb

stiff brush

soft brush

mane and tail comb

Cowboy Magic or similar product

waterless shampoo

waterless stain remover or cornstarch

Show Sheen or similar product

corn starch or baby powder

Daily Grooming

A thorough daily grooming routine will help your horse's circulation and bring dirt that can cause irritation to the surface. Three simple steps work well even with long winter coats. Curry the horse thoroughly, then use a stiff brush for removing the majority of dirt, then a soft brush to remove remaining dust and dirt. Also, use the soft brush to fluff your horse's coat.

Often it is thought that blanketing eliminates the need for careful grooming. Even when blanketed, dirt particles can become embedded as the blanket moves on the horse. Daily grooming before and after riding, or even if not riding, also provides a good time to check for blanket rubs and other skin irritations.

Beyond Daily Grooming - Sauna for Your Horse

Steam cleaning your horse helps remove dirt particles embedded in the skin pores. This will be beneficial in keeping your horse warmer by allowing the coat to fluff as needed. It also helps prevent blanket rubs and girth sores. Follow these steps to get a deep clean job in about an hour.

Simple Steps to Winter Grooming

daily grooming - vigorous currying and brushing improves circulation.

steam cleaning - hot toweling to unclog pores and remove embedded dirt.

mane and tail treatment - keep manes and tails clean and tangle free.

spot cleaning -remove stains from light colored areas.

1. Vigorously curry your horse to loosen the dirt on the skin and bottom of the coat. Brush (or vacuum) thoroughly to remove as much dirt and dust as possible. Gather a pile of clean towels and fill your bucket with almost boiling hot water – hot enough so you need rubber gloves. Cover the bucket to help keep the water hot.

2. Dip a towel into the hot water and wring it out thoroughly (wear your rubber gloves). Rub the hot, damp towel in circles over small sections of the coat, working in the opposite direction of the hair growth. Remember to rotate the towel frequently so you are using a clean section. Re-dip and wring out the towel when it becomes cool.

3. Clean your horse section by section, covering him with a cooler if his coat gets damp. (Try to wring out the towel as much as possible to cut down on dampness.)

Mane and Tail treatment

The mane and tail are also part of the warming mechanism of your horse. Keeping them clean and tangle free helps your horse keep vulnerable body parts warm during windy weather and snow storms.

A couple of easy steps will help keep your horse's mane and tail tangle free and cleaner.

1. Pick out any burrs, debris and larger tangles by hand. Using a quick spray of Cowboy Magic, Show Sheen, or other detangler will help remove burrs and tangles.

2. Apply a waterless shampoo according to the directions on the bottle.

3. Separate the hairs a few at a time and spray with Show Sheen or other coat/mane/tail shine.

4. Dirty tails can be cleaned in the same way as manes – and finished off by using a tail brush.

Important Note: If you are going to braid or band, most sprays will make the hair too slick. If this is the case, simply brush the areas that are to be styled. For a deep cleaning, use the hot toweling treatment above on the crest of the neck and tail bone.

Those Nasty Stains

Spot cleaning is your last line of defense against dirt and stains on white or light colored areas. To clean white socks and stockings, or remove stains from light colored horses, use a waterless shampoo/coat stain remover. Apply the product as directed. If you don't have a waterless shampoo, you can hide light stains with cornstarch or baby powder by rubbing the powder into the white areas and brushing out the excess.

Weekly Tips Feb 02