How To Keep Greys Clean

It still seems like the middle of winter, and it’s definitely still what we call the ‘Mud Season’. We are on a clay soil and this time of year the paddocks are like a battle field and full of soft, sticky, squelchy mud. This mud gets everywhere: boots, jods, jackets, gloves but one thing you can’t put in the washing machine is your horse! 

 

Its even worse for us grey owners. They only need to look at the field and they are a horrid patchwork of white and brown. My two also have a terrible habit of rolling in the wettest dirtiest corners of the field, why do they do this? Why have I owned greys for 8 years, why haven’t I learnt.

So what to do?

 

 

 

With a rubber curry comb, with a circular motion and some elbow grease, rub the dry dust and mud off the top surface of the coat. This rubs a lot of the larger mud particles off as well as bringing dust from deeper down to the surface which can then be flicked off with a dandy brush.

 

Trying to brush off wet mud is futile, it just gets spread around even more and deeper into the coat. The only way is to use water. In the Summer I use a normal hose pipe but this time of year I either use a bucket of warm water, or our horse shower which is heated. Usually with just water the mud comes off easily so shampoo isn’t always needed.

 

You can’t brush them off, you can’t rinse them off, you have to use shampoo. The best I have found are blue or purple based shampoos as they lift up the stains and remove yellowing. However I understand washing your horse in the Winter might not always be possible or comfortable for your horse. Make sure they don’t get too cold. So sometimes I use spray on stain removers for smaller areas to avoid washing, this can then be easily brushed off with a body brush.

 

One of our horse’s legs gets irritated by wet mud, I use vegetable or baby oil as a barrier on his legs to keep the worst of it off. With this the mud brushes and washes off a lot easier. 

Here’s looking forward to drier times!