# How often do you bathe your horse/pony?



## Cerries (17 October 2016)

Hey everyone!

I'm curious - what's your bathing 'routine' for your horse or pony?

How often do you give them a bath? What would prompt you to bathe them? 

Thank you!

C xo


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## Amye (17 October 2016)

I own a grey so you can imagine how often I bath him............. BARELY EVER  

In all seriousness, he gets much more bathing in summer then in winter. He gets a proper thorough wash if i'm taking him out (3 times over the past year ha!) But in summer I would give him a wash every so often, if he got particularly dirty or sweaty he would get a good bath/sponge off. If I had time I'd do his tail to make it white again when I could. On a nice sunny day when he can stand out and dry off so I'd think about bathing him then too. 

In winter... well, until he's clipped and rugged I have a 'if he wants to be a brown pony, let him be a brown pony' rule  Most of the dirt, when it's dry, will brush off but I don't like to bath him too much as it's colder and will take him a while to dry or warm up, and it washes away all his natural defences as he's out unrugged at the moment. He really won't get bathed alot until the weather is better. Before he's clipped he'll be bathed but apart from that, unless he NEEDS it, he won't. 

He does get sponged when the flies are out as he suffers from scabby fly bites and hibiscrub helps this - but once the flies go I stop that too.


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## Cerries (17 October 2016)

That's great, thank you Amye!

Robyn is a grey too. So far, despite being out, he's relatively clean - although he is wearing a coat. But I'm guessing that's not going to last long lol! 

Do you have a way of dealing with wet mud? Or do you just leave it til it dries out? xo


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## milliepops (17 October 2016)

rinse off under the hose whenever they are sweaty, so that's several times a week.
Proper wash with a bit of shampoo when they are greasy and minging and I can't cope with it any longer, perhaps every 3-4 weeks in the winter but more in the summer because I'll do manes -and tails which get full of stinky mare season goo then too.  When they are clipped out then I hot cloth more frequently.

White socks washed properly before lesson or show.


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## Cerries (17 October 2016)

Thank you so much Milliepops! I think I'll be like you - I'm not sure I could cope seeing him dirty lol!  xo


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## be positive (17 October 2016)

Very rarely, most get sweat washed off after work, they may get a bath before going to a show but not always, tails are done when they are dirty, a good groom most days is sufficient to keep them clean, they need a certain amount of grease in their coats to be waterproof and  most shine more from grooming than bathing, even the greys only get washed when they need it with stains being done before they build up.
Of the 9 here I think not 1 has had a full bath this summer, a few manes, tails and legs before a competition and one had a good mane and tail scrub when he arrived as it was a bit grubby and rubbed but generally they stay clean and healthy without constant washing.


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## Cerries (17 October 2016)

Thank you so much Be Positive! 

Robyn is a grey, and his previous owner didn't bathe him often at all. I want to make sure I keep him as comfortable as possible, but I wasn't sure if bathing was even necessary. I think I might wait til the summer before giving it a go with him


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## Casey76 (17 October 2016)

Hardly ever with shampoo, but they get hosed off when sweaty after working, so they get wet at least 3-4 times a week during summer, and sponged off during winter.

I think I've used shampoo once this year!


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## Cerries (17 October 2016)

Great thank you so much Casey!

Here's me buying some fancy shampoo for him. That'll stay in the tack room for now I think lol!


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## Amye (17 October 2016)

Cerries said:



			That's great, thank you Amye!

Robyn is a grey too. So far, despite being out, he's relatively clean - although he is wearing a coat. But I'm guessing that's not going to last long lol! 

Do you have a way of dealing with wet mud? Or do you just leave it til it dries out? xo
		
Click to expand...

Generally I just leave it to dry out and then brush off. Like the others, mine gets a sponge when sweaty but not very often a proper full bath. As he's grey he's normally tinged with a bit of brown in the winter as it does stain - stable stains are also bad!! - I bought some cheap 'dry shampoo for horses' for the really bad stains I want to get rid of. No need to bath, just spray on and using a (damp) sponge rub off, it's generally good at getting most of the stubborn stains off and only leaves a slightly damp patch instead of a soaking wet horse!


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## Sparemare (17 October 2016)

Never shampoo.  Occasionally sponge down in the summer.  However, do groom every day.  Would be a different matter if I owned a grey!


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## PorkChop (17 October 2016)

Rarely 

Never in winter - we do wash their tails fairly regularly and they are hot clothed if necessary.  I probably would do it more if I had the facilities to do it, ie an inside wash box.

They are really clean, but because of elbow grease, not shampoo!

ETA one is a grey  not all grey's are dirty!


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## Cortez (17 October 2016)

I have several greys, only give a full-on, shampoo-and-scrub type bath if they are going to a big do (only in the summer, so) which would be maybe twice or three times a year, otherwise it'd just be a spot clean with a sponge or hot cloth. If we lived in a hot, dry country then it'd be almost daily.


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## MotherOfChickens (17 October 2016)

once a year maybe-the little one is itchy so I sometimes do his mane and tail. they live out and need the oils in their coats so don't do it often.

when I had a grey it wasn't much more often except for his tail!


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## Cerries (17 October 2016)

Thank you so much everyone!

I must admit - I was expecting him to get reeeeeeaaaaalllly dirty, but so far - nothing a good old brush and some elbow grease can't handle!


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## Fiona (17 October 2016)

Mares haven't been bathed this year..

Small pony has her rail washed once a week as she poos in it, and she really  needs a proper bath as her coat is v greasy on the surface ,  but it's also  long and will take weeks to dry  

Should I hotcloth her instead?  

Fiona


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## VikingSong (17 October 2016)

When I used to hunt, I would always "bath" my lad afterwards. Warm water, no shampoo  (I've never used shampoo on horses). Then I'd scrape him off and towel him down under a heat lamp. He used to love it.


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## Celtic Fringe (19 October 2016)

Old cob - once every four years whether he needs it or not!
Young cob - two or three times in the summer. Tail sometimes needs washing more often. He likes a warm bath though. Old cob HATES them. Both are chestnut so usually scrub up well with a really good groom.


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## JennBags (19 October 2016)

I've had my boy for 5 years and I'm not sure that I've ever given him a full bath.  He gets wiped down after a warm session, and a hose in the summer when sweaty.  His coat gleams and he looks amazing.


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## Crackerz (20 October 2016)

Lots!! Every time before a show which is a lot in the summer. Manes are normally fortnightly if i havent needed to bath. No amount of grooming gets rid of the green tinge bays can have in certain light when they haven't been bathed.

I use Tresemme shampoo, much cheaper and nicer than any horse shampoo that i have come across.

I dont tend to bath in the winter, if i am going to a show i am more likely to hot towel (but i would wash manes and tails).
Manes probably get done every few weeks in winter as long as it's not freezing.


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