If you own a grey horse, you know how grey horses seem to be mud and dirt magnets. Unfortunately it’s impossible to hide dirt in a grey coat and impracticable to keep your horse in a cover sheet all the time. You will need to be talented in your grooming to have your grey horse looking great. These tips can help you in the challenge to keep your grey horse clean.
Spray-On Spot Removers
Whether preparing your horse for a clinic or show, or simply wanting him to look his best for a lesson, spray-on spot removers will become your best friend. There are a variety of spray-on spot removers on the market for you to choose from, but they all share the same ability to remove manure, grass, and urine stains from your grey horse’s coat.
A spot remover is ideal for cleaning up stains and dirty patches on your grey horse. You can target specific areas without having to bathe the entire horse. Spray on the liquid, wait a few minutes, and then rub a rag over the stain, lifting the dirt away. Let the area dry and brush the hair down again for a smooth finish.
Grooming Wipes
Grooming wipes are also handy for grey horse touch-ups. Grooming wipes are great for cleaning up smaller areas, especially those on your horse’s face where a spot remover may be difficult to apply. If you don’t have grooming wipes handy, then baby wipes can also be useful for small touch-up jobs.
Shampoos for Grey Coats
Baths are so important for the grey horse, since they’re one of the few opportunities that you have to get your horse truly clean. Using shampoos intended specifically for grey coats can help to bring out the shine in your horse. Whitening shampoos are often highly successful in removing any stains from grey horse coats.
When you bathe your horse, bathing heavily stained areas twice can help to get a deep clean. Legs and tails in particular may benefit from multiple washings. Just make sure that you thoroughly wash out all of the shampoo from your horse’s coat once you’re done.
Baby Powder and Corn Starch
If you’re heading into the show ring, you may need to cover up small areas which just didn’t come completely clean. Baby powder and corn starch are both useful for lower-leg touch-ups and spot cover-ups on your horse’s body. Just make sure that your show clothes are covered when you apply them – otherwise you could end up with white powder all over.
Coat Conditioner
Finally, choose a coat conditioner which actively repels dust. Finishing off your horse’s coat with a quality conditioner can help to preserve the clean appearance that you’ve worked so hard to achieve.
Grey horses are a major challenge to keep clean, but with hard work and elbow grease, it can be done.
Photo credit: Oakhurst Thoroughbreds (Giacomo - 2005 Kentucky Derby winner)
