Facebook-f Twitter Pinterest-p Instagram Youtube
Sign Up for Newsletter
Get Unlimited Access

Infographic: Bathe Your Horse Like a Pro

Follow these 10 steps to maximize bathtime for your horse. Sponsored by KineticVet.
Share
Favorite
Close

No account yet? Register

ADVERTISEMENT

How frequently we bathe our horses can vary tremendously and often depends on factors such as the climate and our horses' jobs. Routine baths can help remove dried sweat, caked-on dirt, debris, and flakes of dry skin. They allow us to inspect our horses' skin and coats and remove foreign material that could damage the skin or cause painful infections. Bathing is often necessary after riding, on hot summer days, for itch relief, to treat skin conditions, or before going to a competition. Gather your supplies and find a safe place to wash your horse. Rinse your horse's entire body, mane, and tail, positioning yourself so he can't strike or kick you. Use a damp sponge or mitt to apply your shampoo of choice- which might range from a shine-enhancing product to a medicated shampoo--following application instructions found on the product label. Some are used full strength and others diluted.If your horse has white markings, apply bluing shampoo to a sponge or mitt and use it to scrub those areas, again following the manufacturer's instructions. Shampoo the mane and tail, using your fingers to massage it into the hair roots and tail dock. Some horses tolerate having their faces gently sprayed with water. You can also use a sponge to dampen the face and forelock. If you're not confident you can remove all the soap from your horse's face, skip shampoo and use water only. Use a clean sponge or rag to wash other delicate areas, such as the teats and vulva on a mare or the outside of a gelding's sheath. Rinse the horse's body, mane, and tail to remove shampoo and body wash until all signs of soap and suds are gone. You can use a sweat scraper to remove water so the horse dries quicker. Apply a small amount of leave-in conditioner to the tail. You might also apply a conditioning spray to the body of horses with dry coats or that get bathed frequently. Apply a cotton scrim sheet or cooler and, if possible, hand-walk the horse while he dries.

Share

Written by:

The Horse Staff

The Horse: Your Guide To Equine Health Care is an equine publication providing the latest news and information on the health, care, welfare, and management of all equids.

Related Articles

Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with

FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com

Learn More

Sponsored Content

Weekly Poll

sponsored by:

Which of the following is a proactive measure to protect your horse from infectious equine diseases while traveling?
15 votes · 15 answers
VOTEView poll results
View All Polls

Readers’ Most Popular

Western Horse Legs,Hooves, boots
Bandaging Leg
iStock-948972934
pastern dermatitis

Top Categories

Partners in Equine Health
AAEVT Logo
World Equine Veterinary Association logo
AAEP logo
BEVA logo
International Association of Professional Farriers logo
Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis logo

Seek the advice of a qualified veterinarian before proceeding with any diagnosis, treatment, or therapy.

Follow us

Youtube Instagram Pinterest Facebook Twitter

Our Sites

Resources

Company

Seek the advice of a qualified veterinarian before proceeding with any diagnosis, treatment, or therapy.
Copyright ©2024 Equine Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without written permission of Equine Network, LLC is prohibited. THE HORSE, THE HORSE logo, THEHORSE.com and THEHORSE.com logo are trademarks of Equine Network, LLC.

© 2022 Copyright Statement dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing User Terms, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.

© Copyright 2022
Subscribe

Sign In

Don’t have an account? Register for a FREE account here.

Need to update your account?

You need to be logged in to fill out this form

Create a free account with TheHorse.com!