Spa Day For The Ponies
One of my favorite things to do is to pamper my horses. Pony pampering is one of the joys of having horses. I think I spend more time grooming and caring for my horses than riding them, and that’s ok. Being with my horses is therapeutic. I just love being around them!
And even though we are getting our house ready to sell, that doesn’t mean I can’t make a little time for some pony pampering time. And today, I did just that with Frisby. He has not had a proper bath since last summer. So, I thought I would share with you my pony pampering process.
Pony Pampering Products
I have tried so many products on my horses, and I thought I would share with you my favorites. There are A LOT of horse products that claim they are the best of the best and I think I have tried them all. I read everything I can find about horse products, and I must say some really work, and others fall short. All the products I am going to share with you are ones I have personally used and continue to use.
Best of The Best Products
Lucky Braids Shampoo
I LOVE this shampoo! It is not cheap, but it is well worth the cost. The shampoo smells great and is very concentrated. A little bit goes a really long way! I will fill up a small 8 qt bucket with hot water, and then I put my scrub brushes and rags in it. And then I use my little dollar store scrub brush (the absolute best for bathing horses.) with a little bit of Lucky Braids shampoo in the bristles, and brush my wet horse, and then start scrubbing in a circular pattern. Then I rinse my horse off, and he is shiny and beautiful!
This shampoo works the absolute best of any I have tried. Even on Frisby’s white legs, it works. I am so impressed with this shampoo I will only use these when bathing my horses in the future. Even if your horse has a dull coat, after using this shampoo he will look incredible, like you have spent hours grooming him for weeks! You don’t even need to use Show Sheen after the bath to make them shiny, this shampoo will bring out the deep shine in your horse.
Collapsible Hose with Spray Nozzle
Having a lightweight hose around the barn is invaluable. And I have found this hose to be incredibly sturdy, and well worth it’s price. I use this hose during the winter to fill my horse’s water buckets because it is lightweight and easy to move and store. It does take a little longer to fill a water tank, but it is worth it. And when you buy this hose it also comes with a nice microfiber rag and a spray nozzle.
Having a spray nozzle on your hose when you are bathing your horse will help to reduce the amount of water you need as well as keep your ground from becoming a muddy mess!
Sweat Scraper
I had never been sold on the idea of having a sweat scraper, that is until I found this one. The Tough One sweat scraper is incredible, because it works! I have bought other styles and they worked about half the time. And some worked for almost one time before it broke.
But this sweat scraper has a 1-piece construction so there are not parts to break off. And it has a rubber coating along the edge which conforms to the horse’s body which helps to remove the excess water. This will help to reduce the drying time on your horse once he has been bathed. Riding Warehouse has the best deal on these sweat scrapers at around $6.00 and they come in many different colors so you can match your sweat scraper to your barn colors.
Fleece Cooler
This is something I never really thought of having. And I didn’t buy the one I have, I got it for free from a friend who was getting rid of horse stuff. But I am so glad I have it now.
When I was bathing Frisby, it was really windy, and he got chilled. I grabbed the fleece cooler and threw it on him. It was incredible! It not only kept him warm, but I think it helped to dry him quicker too! This is a Rambo New Market Fleece Cooler, and the quality is amazing. I am now sold on using a fleece cooler for my horses after bathing, or even if they are really sweaty from a work out.
There is a less expensive version of this cooler which is still made by Horseware, but it only costs around $40.00. It is called the Mio Fleece Cooler/Sheet. This would be a very good option at a lower price.
Regardless of what type of fleece you choose, I think it is definitely worth the investment.
Rechargeable Clippers
If your horse is not used to clippers yet, I would really encourage you to desensitize them to it. It will make your grooming so much faster, and your horse will look polished. This is a necessity if you are planning on showing, in my opinion.
But clippers can be really expensive. And a lot of the expensive ones are corded. This can prove to be a challenge is you are in a place where you don’t have electricity. And the cord can be a safety hazard. So the best option I have found is a large rechargeable clipper.
I found the clippers I use for around $55.00, but then I did a little research, and I found them on Amazon for $29.00! These are the Andis Freedom Clipper. They are rechargeable, and can be used with or without the cord.
I can trim bridle paths, legs, and faces with these clippers and they are fairly quiet. I am lucky with Frisby because he doesn’t care about noises, so he is easy for me to use these on. But Ethan is more of a challenge. He was not pampered at his previous home, so it has taken a few uses of these clippers to get him desensitized to them. But I am happy to say I can now use these clippers on him as well.
Sure you can use scissors for trimming, but for a really finished look, nothing beats a trim job that has been done with clippers. And spending a little extra time getting your horse used to the clippers is well worth the end result.
My Favorite Things
So these are my most favorite items to have when I am pampering my ponies. Yes, some of them are expensive, but in the long run the cost is worth it. Because these tools will help you to make the most of the time that you have with your horse. And after all, we want our time with our horses to be quality time, don’t we?
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