# washing a horse down after hunting



## L&M (1 November 2009)

What do you do with regards to washing down your horse after hunting? We had a very 'sweaty' day yesterday but no mud, and he had dried off by the time I got home, so just brushed him off rather than bathing as I didn't want him to get a chill.
What do you guys do? Also do you shampoo or just use warm water?
Thanks in advance.


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## star (1 November 2009)

i take a flask of boiling water, mix it with a little cold water and just sponge off the worst bits on his body.  normally then wash off his legs with cold water if they're dirty, otherwise leave them.  if it's really chilly then i just hot cloth him.


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## chestnut cob (1 November 2009)

Depends how sweaty he is, what time I get back and how warm/cold it is.  Usually would bath quickly with shampoo and warm water (we've got a shower on site so easy enough to fill a bucket up).


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## Steeleydan (1 November 2009)

I do a full body wash with shampoo and hot water even if the horse has dried off, then put his thermatex on untill he has dried then brush and put his stable rugs on. To wash the sweat off would take less time to do than brushing it off. We have recently had an electric shower fitted under our car port so no more carrying buckets off hot water I used the shower for the first time last tuesday it took less time than with buckets wished Id have thought of it years ago.


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## Irishcobs (1 November 2009)

We leave them tacked up until we get home. Then we untack and hot rag the body and head and hose the legs. Using shampoo if they are very muddy or have been through cow yards.


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## 3Beasties (1 November 2009)

Millie has not had any really sweaty days yet.  When we get back to the box we tend to un-tack and quickly sponge of all the sweaty bits, we then stick a cooler on her with a stable rug over the top.  By the time we get home she is nearly dry. 

I had to hang around in the parking area yesterday due to my jockey being taken to hospital and me being left to mind the ponies and I was so surprised by how many people didn't un-tack or wash off before traveling them home.  A whipper in came back to the box early as his horse had been injured (had blood all down front leg) and all he did was stick it in a horsebox and then disappeared on the back of a quad. He didn't even untack or put a rug on it, and it was left for at least an hour (we then went home so may have been left for a lot longer!). Maybe I am just too soft!


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## henryhorn (1 November 2009)

If you have the facilities a horse appreciates a warm bath as much as you do after hunting, best set up I ever saw and at a time when things like overhead heat lamps weren't in common use was at Marjorie Sheard's yard in Cheshire. 
We arrived as she got back from hunting, and the horse was hosed off completely with a normal shower fitted in a wet box she'd made, then stood under several heat lamps to dry with a net. 
She explained she had found it the easiest method and the horse appeared to benefit too, as any small cuts etc were easily spotted right away.
If your horse lives out I think all you can do is wash off their legs, rub as dry as you can get them, bandage if you can leave them to stand in until they're dry , then turn out again.
I think you have to do whatever fits your method of horsekeeping, MS method really looked so simple, a ten minute job and a clean happy horse..
She was a really hospitable lady too, we all trooped into her kitchen after she'd finished and had piping hot coffee laced with plenty of brandy..(oh yes, we also bought a horse.... :grin


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## L&M (1 November 2009)

Oh to have a wash room with hot water and heat lamps! 
I am interested in the comments about travelling home still tacked up and must admit I do tend to do this - I was told it helped keep their backs warm, so just loosen the girth and put a cooler over, and untack,wash off etc at home.
Both my horses are fully clipped and out during the day, in at night. If it is still light when I get home I do like to turn out for 1/2 hr so they can have a stretch and a roll, but now the clocks have changed they go straight 'to bed'.
Could somone explain to me 'hot ragging' as I imagine that would be quicker and less stressful for a tired horse than a full on bath.

Thanks for all your replies!


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## Irishcobs (1 November 2009)

We don't untack until we get home as removing the saddle off of a hot horse can cool their backs too quickly.
Hot ragging is using a cloth and hot as you can bare water to wipe the horses off. Ring the cloth out as much as possible so you don't make the horses wet.


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## 1036Jones (1 November 2009)

I untack and put Newmarket cooler on Jasmine to tavel back.  Immediately on arrival home they are washed off with warm soapy water, bandaged up and fed.  The cooler stays on until they are cooled down and then the stable rugs go on.


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## hunteress (2 November 2009)

www.mobiwasher.co.uk I bought one of these i put hot water in it then when I get back to trailer i wash boys off then thermatex on, onto trailer big hay net, coffee in lorry by the time I get home they are nice and dry brush off snuggy hoods , on rugs on then they go out in field (good old turf not muddy !!) which is very sheltered with big field shelter they are out 24/7 people can't believe I hunt them off the field even though they have a large stable I prefer for them to be walking round and not stuck in a stable after hunting getting stiff. its a realy good routine. The Mobi is ecxellent has a realy good preasure its washed my dogs off and even washed down the trailer check it out !!


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## SunSmile (2 November 2009)

I untack back at the trailer and rug up with a thermatex then back at the yard I always wash off with warm water and hibiscrub all over.


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## kick_On (2 November 2009)

All depends on how cold it is - if very cold will wash of as little as possible with hot water and cold hose legs and leave rest for sunday morning. 
If like saturday as it was such a hot day out came hose pipe, and always wash of with hibbyscrub.
Then wrap up with tematex with leag bandages on, water warmed............ then after an hour, feed tea. Then i normally wait another hour to make sure he's stopped hunting in his head, before i change to his night rugs and then i can go home.

Also make sure he has huge fluffy straw banked bed, plus also makes sure he's left with lots of water.....


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## RobinHood (2 November 2009)

I loosen the girth and flash and then stick thermatex on over the top for journey home. Then once back at yard I untack and sponge back/neck/head with warm water and lavender wash and cold hose legs. If very dirty then I quickly rinse tail with fairy liquid (grey horse!). Then snuggy hood on and out in the field for a few hours to stretch legs.


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## KatB (2 November 2009)

We always got back to the lorry, untacked/unbooted and washed with hot water, with an iodine mix on their legs. Scraped off, then thermatexed and boxed up as quickly as possible so they are kept warm on the lorry and can stand with a net nice and warm drying off. By the time we got home, they would be pretty dry, would have a quick turnout to stretch etc, check legs when they come in, bandage/thermatex wraps and rugged up for bed  

ETA we always made sure the last couple of miles (15mins or so) we walked back to the box where possible anyway, so the horse has cooled off a bit naturally


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## Orangehorse (2 November 2009)

Leaving the saddle on - this was always recommended if you have had a long day, as it is supposed to prevent a lot of blood returning to the saddle area at once, as it removes the pressure gradually.

I'm not sure if this has been proved!

So I wouldn't be too hard on the whipper-in, although he should have put a rug of some sort on the poor horse, surely.


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## jomiln (2 November 2009)

The people my daughter goes hunting with leave the horses tacked up with a rug over until back at the yard. 
Horses then untacked and hosed off - cold water - soft brush used if needed on tummy
The horses are then sponged over with warm water &amp; hibiscrub solution - sweat scraped then thermatex type rug on before going to stables. 
The horses have fab coat &amp; skin and dont seem to have any problems by them using cold water. 
I find it great as my daughter washes her horse off there before I take her horse home.


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## peanut (2 November 2009)

Lots of you seem to put on leg bandages after hunting but I've never seen anyone at my yard do this.  Do you leave them on overnight, and why exactly do you do it?


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## kick_On (2 November 2009)

keeps them warm, plus helps supports there legs and puffness after a long days hunting. Plus if there is something wrong you'll spot it straight way in morning - never know hunters not be to bandaged after hunting


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## RunToEarth (2 November 2009)

Untack, box them, get them home, stick them in the wash room, wash them in warm water, put them under the lights, banage legs and rug up. 
I wouldn't get home after a day's sweaty hunting, brush the dry sweat off of my head and go to sleep. 
Although I appriciate that not everyone has heat to dry off.


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## maddyb (2 November 2009)

i tend 2 sponge his legs down and around the bridle area and tail area shove his sweat rug on him, then next day brish him off.
he tends to fidget with washing him down and we dont have any access to hot water at our yard and i wont hose him downa as he will get a cold


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## icemaiden113 (2 November 2009)

Mine are always washed after hunting - with cold water as hot opens the pores and more likely to cause mud fever. I tend to put hibiscrub in the water just in case we went through anything nasty. They are all full clipped as well so that helps.  They are then left to dry with coolers on bandaged and rugged later.


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## star (2 November 2009)

warm water on body, cold on legs - nicer for their bodies but cold better for legs as wont open pores.  we're never out for more than 3hrs so no real need to leave saddle on.  i put thermatex leg wraps on for journey home and then un-rug at home, normally change to a dry cooler while i sort stuff out on the yard, then he has leg wraps off and night rug on and goes out with his dinner and stays out.  he lives out 24/7.


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## JenHunt (3 November 2009)

Ours are always washed off quickly with luke warm water and hibiscrub as our area has loads of mud fever. I then hot rag to help them dry off. fleeces on under light stable rugs and into bed with lots of hay for a good hour before feeding up. 
rugs are changed and aired just before feeding up. keeps everyone clean, warm and free from mud fever!


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## MrWoof (4 November 2009)

What do you do with regards to washing down your horse after hunting? We had a very 'sweaty' day yesterday but no mud, and he had dried off by the time I got home, so just brushed him off rather than bathing as I didn't want him to get a chill.
What do you guys do? Also do you shampoo or just use warm water?
Thanks in advance.
		
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Bridle off, girth loosened and a Thermatex rug on to travel home. I cannot understand that when a dry and warm horse gets back to the yard, why some people have to soak them all over again. Washing may be easier for the person involved but can they not groom properly, quartering, with some elbow grease involved the next morning? Does no-one these days know how to make a wisp? Rub off their legs, tummy etc, put on bandages and pyjamas - and leave until morning. Horses which have had a hard day's hunting normally do not like being messed about with. They just want to settle down, eat their supper and pull at their hay net - and drink Warm Water.


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## MrWoof (4 November 2009)

Maybe I am just too soft! 

In one word - YES.
Horses are not pieces of the best china. 
As long as they are fit and well fed, horses will cope with most situations.
Have you not thought that the Whipper-In maybe had to scoot off very quickly to rescue a hound??
For how many years have you been hunting??


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## palomino_pony (11 November 2009)

Have you not thought that the Whipper-In maybe had to scoot off very quickly to rescue a hound??
		
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Did you offer to stick a rug o it? The Whip has a job to do and the grooms usually see to the horse


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