Horses were designed by nature to grow long, wooly coats in winter to protect them from the cold. Various breeds still retain the genetic predisposition to grow various types of coats, based more on light cycles than temperature. So if you are lucky and have a horse with a short but dense coat, you may not have to worry about managing the dirt, mud, and sweat of a winter coat.
To clip or not to clip? The answer will be based on time, horse, location, and environment. You must evaluate your “horse time.” Grooming is a great winter activity, bringing people closer to their horses by spending more time on the ground doing what horses like to do with each other— groom. If however, you “need” to ride, then having a relatively clean horse is essential, but know that you will probably be more concerned about a clean horse than your horse will be!
Evaluate your situation and weigh your horses’ needs against the time you are willing to spend keeping them clean. Staying outside with horse friends may make more work for you, but staying in a stall with a blanket on and a nice clip job, may cause boredom for your horse, even though it will reduce cleaning time at your end. Every situation is different; here are some ideas and tips to help:
Vacuuming your horse Horses often enjoy a good vacuum and, although this does not work on sweaty horses, it is an option for dust and dirt on wooly coats. Horse vacs are made to handle the dust and hair, but in a pinch a “shop vac,” especially the ones that allow both wet and dry vacuuming are great. As with any new equipment, your horse can easily become fond of the vacuum when it is introduced with positive reinforcement.
Grooming and brushing Face it, it will take more time, but if you condition the coat with an organic coat conditioner, it can help to absorb the dirt and make it easier to brush out.
Spot cleaning Just like a carpet or a wool blanket, you can use a spray shampoo or a bucket of warm water and soap with a sponge and towel. This is great for just washing the sweaty areas such as the chest and flank.
J Quin
Spot cleaning horse
Spot cleaning horse
Dry shampoos There are a number of pH-balanced shampoos available. Many are not really “dry” but a spray requiring you to spray on and wipe off with a clean towel. To give your horse a dry shampoo, simply rub an organic baby powder into the skin, and then brush or rub; it will pull the dirt and oil off and make the coat easier to groom.
Partial clipping Clip the areas most likely to get dirty and sweaty. Depending upon your discipline, clips may vary. If you clip legs, you must pay special attention if your horse is out in the mud so it does not get rain rot., as the long hair protects the horse’s skin.
Full clips This technique is not suggested if you live in a cold climate, but if you are in the South, or other warm climate, then it may be a must for winter. The amount of light either daylight or artifical, light still triggers the horse’s coat to grow, especially “Cushings” type horses. Depending upon your horse, you may have to clip one or more times during the winter.
Ionized/magnetized grooming tools By attracting charged particles, these can help to loosen and pull dirt off the coat. It’s important to note that we have not yet seen any of these types of tools for horses—only for dogs and people.
Winter time is a great time for “bonding” and one of the best way to do it with horses is through grooming rituals. Scratching, massaging, brushing, and cleaning can become part of your daily “horse time” giving both you and your horse an opportunity to grow your relationship.