# Any white-horse secrets? And feathers - how do you fluff them up and keep clean??



## zoeshiloh (29 March 2010)

"little horse" (still nameless) had her first bath at the weekend. She was a star - a bit stroppy at times, but stood tied up throughout and let me rub copious amounts of shampoo into her feathers and tail. After an hour of scrubbing away with three different 'super white' products, and two stain removers, not to mention fairy liquid, vanish, and numerous other potions, she still had lovely yellow staining on her legs and body! Is there a trick to getting these horses a lovely white colour or so people just resort to clipping?! Now, after I had washed her legs I sprayed her feathers with mane and tail conditioner, and once dried I brushed these out (so bushy!). After five minutes in her stable (on a deep, clean straw bed) her feathers had already gone brown around the bottom. 

So, my questions are

1) Does anyone have any surefire whitening potions/recipes
2) How do I protect her feathers
3) Is there anything that makes feather look super amazing? I heard people use pig oil and suplphur, but how do you apply this? 

And of course, some after-bath piccies....


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## Amymay (29 March 2010)

I wouldn't worry too much about it at the moment - in her winter woolies it's a much harder job to get rid of the staining. Once she's in her summer coat you'll manage to keep her a lot cleaner.

She looks very sweet


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## picolenicole (29 March 2010)

I use tresemme deep defence (green one) on my ponies white bits, works well. Sorry don't know about the feathers as he's my first hairy beast so would love to know what people say.

Heres a pic of him after a bath with tresemme:-






It works wonders on any yellow/green bits, and you don't need loads!! So quite inexpensive.


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## E_Lister (29 March 2010)

I have never managed to keep a horse in their winter woolies "whiter than white", in the winter I settle for "yellower than white"  
Wait till her summer coat comes through and just make sure, if you intend to show her that you bathe her regularly to keep the whiteness topped up as it were!

(I think she should be called Stinky Malinky because of her stains  )


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## lillith (29 March 2010)

VERY dilute bleach just on the bottoms of the feathers (keep it away from the skin) and tail can be great but don't leave it too long or you will damage the hair. 

Baby wipes are really good for stable stains (not sure what they put in them) 

Talc/chalk can help whiten up once you have washed out as much as possible.

There was a purple shampoo that was whitening that worked well on my hairy mares white socks. (do not accidently pick up the purple spray because the bottles looks imilar though, kids will love your greys new 'my little pony' look.)


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## ironhorse (29 March 2010)

Designer Browbands do a whitener that is a tiny pot of blue crystals - you dilute literally a quarter of a teaspoon in water, which then goes navy blue and use this as a final rinse on tails and feathers.
Coat gloss does help keep them clean, but TBH you need a VERY clean bed to have any chance of keeping white legs white. At shows you can bandage right down to the hoof and take the bandages off at the very last minute.
Yellow stains are best treated with blue shampoo rubbed on neat and left while you wash the rest of the horse before rinsing, but as others have said, it's much easier to clean a summer coat than winter woolies.
I'm embarrassed to say that my mare competed in an indoor trec this weekend with a suspisciously yellow face, despite two washes!
I think I have finally learned my lesson and definitely will not be having another grey


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## Double_choc_lab (29 March 2010)

We have used non bio handwash daz on white bits of coloured horse.  So long as you rinse well it doesn't irritate the skin and works a treat on yellow stains.  As for keeping it white - pass.


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## Lanky Loll (29 March 2010)

When we used to show shires (many years ago) we used to use very pale shavings dust in their feathers to fluff them out and enhance the white after washing, or chalk dust if they weren't too huge.


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## Theresa_F (29 March 2010)

First, in winter apply pig oil and sulphur, it will not only prevent mites but keeps the hair from getting burnt and stained.  If you want the huge PM I do on hairy horses and keeping them in healthy condition with show quality hair, PM me an I willl send it to you.

I don't wash out in winter, just oil up - washing does more harm than good on hairies.

It is time for Stinky to go to a show, so this will be how Saturday will be spent.

Plenty of hot water,  Fairy green washing up liquid mixed with arial excel gel 50 - 50.  Applied several times to the legs.  Then go over with tresume deep cleansing shampoo mixed with a little equine blue to get the yellow out.  Then plenty of cheap conditioner.  Do not bandage the legs or you will get crinkly hair.  Stinky naturally is curly, but your girly has nice straight hair.  I use stable wraps overnight once the hair is dry which keeps the worst off.

If still a little yellow, I will use talc the next day.  Do not use leg paste on feather - it looks terrible as it leaves them flat and dull.  It you are desperate a tiny bit mixed in water and painted on the ends can help.

I keep the mane in plaits and tail bagged - though I am lucky in that Stinky's hair apart from a bit of his mane is black.

Whatever you do, do not use bleach - I have seen several cobs with ruined hair - it goes orange and brittle and all you can do is cut it off.

If you keep oiled up in winter, and wash out every other week in summer, but avoid combing or brushing unless showing it does help.

This is Stinky before and after - though I have been known to spend two hours just bathing and brushing out the hair the day before a show.







Legs here have not been washed since early October, this pic is in January and he has been out in a muddy field most days.  I did hot towel them and then apply talc - the mud all fell off when the legs dried out due to the pig oil.

How the little beast normally is in winter







and after a hour of leg scrubbing







and hair in action - this is why you don't want to clog it down with lots of paste etc - the hair should flick and float, better to be a tiny bit yellow than heavy and dull looking.







Hairies look fantastic, but there are days when I still wish I was turning out a bay T/B - far quicker to bath, plait etc than scrubbing away at the hair.

Good luck - she looks a nice little filly.


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## zoeshiloh (29 March 2010)

Thank you Theresa - a PM is on it's way. That was really helpful. With the Pig oil and Sulphur, how is this applied? Are the two mixed together then applied, or is one applied before the other? 

I am really worried about travelling her to shows, as as soon as she puts her feet on the ground, the feathers start picking up dirt. How can I wrap her legs up without risking the hair going on crinkly?


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## kirstyhen (29 March 2010)

All I have ever really used is Champion Tails Silver Highlights Shampoo. His tail dunked in a bucket of hot water with 8 Sterident tablets dissolved in and then scrubbed with the shampoo. If he is really grotty I wash him with Fairly Liquid first.













Then I clipped him out and never had to worry about his hairly legs again!


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