Jen
Grand Prix Poster
Posts: 1,500
|
Post by Jen on Dec 18, 2006 15:47:51 GMT 1
I am hoping to start doing a few events with my new chap, but have visions of turning up at the field on the morning to plait him etc., and he be soaked and muddy.
How do others manage that keep their horses out 24/7?
|
|
gemma
Novice Poster
Posts: 1
|
Post by gemma on Dec 18, 2006 15:51:40 GMT 1
My endurance mare is out 24/7. Most of the time I've been lucky and it hasn't rained the night before a ride so she's just needed a quick flick over and she's clean. On the rare occasions she is dirty, I get most of it off, travel rug on and onto the trailer, and she's usually dry by the time we get there so then I groom and plait. It is a bit different for me though as she doesn't have to be absolutely spotless.
|
|
|
Post by spruce on Dec 18, 2006 16:49:00 GMT 1
I do. I find full neck rugs and those hood things an absolute godsend. Then I only have to brush off his legs and away we go. I do have to get to the yard earlier in the winter though, just in case its a chisel job.
|
|
Jen
Grand Prix Poster
Posts: 1,500
|
Post by Jen on Dec 18, 2006 17:11:43 GMT 1
Thanks gemma, I had thought that I could plait once I arrived where ever I was going. Good point spruce - a full neck or hood would sort the neck and mane out!
|
|
madmare1
Grand Prix Poster
The Gruesome Twosome
Posts: 1,500
|
Post by madmare1 on Dec 18, 2006 17:28:49 GMT 1
I do in summer..but then Crystal is an arab, and pretty easy to keep clean....if it is peeing down, then I will leave her in overnight...and I don't have to plait her up!!!! don't know what I will do with my new girly...depends on how she is!
|
|
|
Post by KoLaTo on Dec 18, 2006 17:32:20 GMT 1
I used to with my Palomino who turned white in winter..... well more of a dirty brown white really, full neck turnout the night before, lycra hood to lay the mane and Equi Turnout Chaps if full feathers and need them clean, didn't like to trim them as was his natural protection so just washed and put the chaps on.... washed and plaited the tail in one big plait so only the end got messy and that just flicked off... warms you up good and proper on a winters morning giving them a lovely good groom and then off to enjoy the day !
|
|
|
Post by azura on Dec 18, 2006 17:38:31 GMT 1
we show our horse from the field, and we are the same a rug with neck bit or a hood. We plait there tail into one big plait and fold up the bottom bit below the end of the dock and wrap it in some vetrap, keeps it nice and clean.
|
|
xxx
Novice Poster
Posts: 0
|
Post by xxx on Dec 18, 2006 17:45:22 GMT 1
I evented from the field in the summer, mine are in at night due to lack of grazing now but otherwise would be happy to turn out. Turnout hoods would be the order of the day though!
|
|
suzieq
Grand Prix Poster
The mind is like a parachute, only really useful when open
Posts: 2,124
|
Post by suzieq on Dec 18, 2006 17:48:06 GMT 1
Oh the tail, especially if its long.. I have a great tip.. get 3 legs of tigths or 3 stockings.. divide the tail into 3 sections.. if you put your hand down the tight and hold the bottom and pull back up, hey presto a stockinged bit of tail.. this is the tricky bit do the other 2 bits (you may need a couple of those big hair clips to stop the tight falling off) then plait all three bits together. I especially like this as you can literally leave it in as there is no dock pressure on the tail and when you take it all off tail is lovely and clean! Apart from that Combo rugs are the best, its just horrible having to bath a grey in winter so this way you don't have to do more than the legs!!
|
|
|
Post by Lulu on Dec 18, 2006 19:19:36 GMT 1
Thanks for that handy tip SuzieQ. I might just use that for the girls when we show them next year as mine live out, but luckily I have no greys. Sooty palomino dun easy to keep clean as is the colour of light mud ! I never bath mine over the winter, I might cheat with a bucket and old towel and hot water with a sprinkle of dettol in, and give them a good old flannel wash (few cut up strips of an old towel), and rinse the towel out each time. I've done this with mine a few times rather than a full bath when it's been cold, and they've won the next day at a show ! It cleans the dust out fo the hair but doesn't get them soaked to the skin. I have done a "blanket bath" as I call it now, on the morning of a show, but always wash the legs (lots of white socks and feathers to wash) on morning of show. I like the mane/tail slightly greasy for a good grip in plaiting, otherwise the plait comes undone easier, so I only wash tail a day or before a show, as hate the shiny slippery feeling when plaiting tails. I have gone over the plaits after with a hot cloth and wiped the dust off if any showing . Just attention to detail really When it's hot hot, I have given them a full bath and then put a very lightweight summer turn out rug on when they go back in the field. Only put them out when dry as they love to roll more when wet and the mud gets in better when they are wet (arggghhh) Hence I wouldn't want a grey, all mine are dark coloured, bar one sooty palomino, who is a easy colour to keep clean outdoors. I would use a neck cover for one night only if needing to plait up, so mane is clean and dry in the morning. However I don't use them in general as they thin the mane out a bit, as Star's mane has never been thick at the bottom half since she wore a full neck cover all winter once.
|
|
|
Post by rbefarm on Dec 18, 2006 19:46:43 GMT 1
Yes, all of my horses live out 24/7 here in Virginia. Our climate is a bit cold and damp in the winter but very hot & humid in the summer. Highs in the high 90's (not sure what that is in Celsius) are common and air conditioning in the house is a must. It can get pretty nasty and buggy also with some big biting flies and lots of mosquitos. However, I find the horses are much happier outside and if they need shelter, they go stand in their run in sheds. If I do bring them in, all they want to do it go back out...
I compete my stallion in dressage and hopefully in eventing this next year. I blanket him in the winter to keep his coat from getting overly long/thick and leave him out. He lives with his mares and is very content. It is nice as when I want to ride, I can just pull him out of the field, knock off his dirt and pick his feet, and ride. He's settled and calm.
|
|
|
Post by jennyb on Dec 19, 2006 9:32:50 GMT 1
I do in the summer. As you can see from my avatar, my boy has a lot of white! He normally keeps himself quite clean in the summer though, I normally wash his legs, tail and whatever white patches have got dirty. You just need to allow yourself an extra hour or so to wash & plait. Luckily my lad's mane is quite short and thin so it's very quick to plait.
|
|
hkvevans
Grand Prix Poster
Grand Prix Poster
Lucy Grace Antonia Evans 30-07-07
Posts: 2,418
|
Post by hkvevans on Dec 19, 2006 19:38:29 GMT 1
A friend of mine knows David Green very well, and he keeps his horses out 24/7 all year round! They have about 3 rugs on over the winter, but they seem fine, even on nights where they are going to compete in world class events the following day!
|
|
|
Post by ceiron on Dec 19, 2006 19:48:17 GMT 1
just plan extra time so if you do need to clean up before showing you can arrive early and prepare
the hoods and guards etc are all good too.
im also guessing if you ahve a decent size box you could stable the horse in the box overnight before comepting
|
|
julia
Intermediate Poster
Posts: 161
|
Post by julia on Dec 19, 2006 20:19:15 GMT 1
My daughter has a white grey who lives out 24/7. She is good at keeping herself clean and has a rug with a full neck. Before a competition we just wash her legs and tail and sponge any mud off her face.
Last time we went out to a dressage competition I wondered why I bothered to wash her legs. The competition was in a lovely indoor arena but the warm-up area was a flooded outdoor school, the surface of which was a lethal mixture of bark and mud. Consequently my daughter and others warmed up in the field which was being used as the lorry park.
When our horse entered the arena her legs and belly were covered in mud - she looked as if she'd come straight from the hunting field! But you do feel as if you have to arrive looking smart even if the judge sees a different picture.
|
|