How to wash your horse?

Warm summer days are perfect for a refreshing horse shower – but a wet wash may also be necessary in other cases, for example before a competition to make your four-legged friend shine, or for sweet itch horses with skin or coat problems, which can be helped with special sweet itch shampoos.

What do I need to shower my horse correctly?

The skin forms the horse’s natural protective barrier. As the largest organ, it is confronted daily with many toxins and pollutants from which it is supposed to protect the horse. This, and sweat after training, makes it the perfect place for bacteria and fungi. The skin has quite a lot of work to keep the horse healthy.

You can support your horse’s skin health by showering your horse when needed. You can find out more about skin health in our guide to skin care of the horse. In this guide however, we show you what you need for a horse wash.

The right horse shampoo – less is more

In principle, there is nothing to be said against giving the horse a pleasant cooling down as often as possible in summer. However, horse shampoo should always be used sparingly and as seldom as possible, because it attacks the natural protective layer of the skin that protects the horse against wetness and cold. For washing in between, water is perfectly sufficient, but if you want to remove stubborn muck stains and deep-seated dirt from the coat, you can use a special horse shampoo that should have replenishing ingredients and a neutral pH value.

How do I shower my horse correctly? It is the right sequence that counts!

The horse’s cardiovascular system reacts sensitively to cold water, so you should accustom the horse to it slowly to avoid problems with the circulation. The water jet should not be set too hard.

First spray the hooves, which can be cleaned of mud and dirt with a hoof brush. The moisture is also good for the dry hoof horn in summer and keeps the hooves elastic.

Then, starting from the hooves, slowly work your way from the hindquarters over the forehand to the neck. Be careful of the back and the sensitive kidney area: It is best to use a sponge here, as direct spraying with the water hose can be very unpleasant for the horse in this area and lead to tension. The head should be cleaned with a separate sponge. Do not spray the head with the water hose. Also make sure that no water gets into the sensitive ears, otherwise the horse’s sense of balance can be disturbed.

Afterwards, if necessary, the coat can be lathered with the help of a sponge and horse shampoo. After lathering, make sure to thoroughly rinse out all shampoo residues, as the dried shampoo can otherwise lead to unpleasant itching.

To wash the mane, first place the mop of hair behind the ears to moisten it, to prevent water from getting into the horse’s sensitive ears. Then lather up a little horse shampoo between the palms of the hands and spread the lather into the mane, right up to the base of the mane. Then rinse the mane thoroughly with water.

Some horses are reluctant to have their tails washed. You can help yourself with a bucket by first soaking the tail in water and then lathering up a little shampoo in it. Again, all the shampoo should be washed out. If you use a bucket, you will have to change the water more often. After washing, shake out the excess water from the tail and sort the tail. The long hair is divided into strands and untangled one after the other. Tail spray makes combing out easier.

How do I get my horse dry again?

Immediately after the shower, the horse should be dried with a sweat scraper to remove excess water from the coat, otherwise it will cool down too much due to the evaporation cold. However, a sweat scraper should only be used on well-muscled parts of the body. For sensitive areas, soft towels – preferably made of microfibre – are suitable to absorb the excess moisture from the coat.

The most species-appropriate way to let the horse dry after washing is to roll in the sand. Since this is not always possible (e.g. before an upcoming tournament), you should put on an wicking rug and walk the horse dry.

Consider the following when showering your horse

At what temperatures can I wash my horse?

To prevent the horse from getting cold, the temperature should be at least 20°C on the day of the shower. However, the water temperature also plays an important role: it should be neither too hot nor too cold. If it is comfortable for us humans, you can assume that it also feels good for the horse.

Do not shower your horse straight after feeding and work

Showering should be avoided directly after feeding, as the horse’s circulation is doubly stressed by the digestion of the feed and the cooling down. In sensitive horses, this can even lead to a circulatory collapse. Therefore, it is best to wait half an hour before starting to wash the horse. The horse should also not be showered directly after work; it should cool down in peace afterwards.

Never hose the horse’s head

The horse should never be hosed down the face with a water hose. The water can run into the sensitive ears, which can massively disturb its sense of balance. Therefore, be careful and gentle with the head wash. Rather use a damp sponge to clean the horse’s face.