# How often should you rinse off a horse



## loveduffy (Dec 22, 2011)

You are right shampooing will remove the oils not just hosing them off . Rain rot is from the horse being wet and not being able to dry and being dirty


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

loveduffy said:


> You are right shampooing will remove the oils not just hosing them off . Rain rot is from the horse being wet and not being able to dry and being dirty


^^^This and high humidity plus not being clean can cause rain rot.

The naysayer at your barn is doing her horse more harm than good by not showering it down. 

I also shower my horses down, if they are sweaty and dirty from rolling and put them in front of big tub fans at night. The fans are on timers.

Today is the first day in nearly two weeks they haven't been sweaty messes and didn't need a shower. They both have glossy, healthy coats.

One horses has allergies. If his skin gets too itchy I will shampoo him with an anti-fungal shampoo not more than twice monthly during allergy season.


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## Cimarron (Oct 8, 2014)

Thank you both for your confirmation 


> Today is the first day in nearly two weeks they haven't been sweaty messes and didn't need a shower. They both have glossy, healthy coats.


Yeah all of the other horses have beautiful coats. I tried to explain to her that shampoo would disturb the natural oils not rinsing. Some people just won't listen


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## Roman (Jun 13, 2014)

I'd only hose off if my horse is really sweaty after a ride. Or if you're preparing for a show. But IMO, I wouldn't hose daily until really needed.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

Horses don't _need_ to be hosed off at any regular interval. However, hosing them off won't strip the oils as the lady at your barn fears, and can help the horse be more comfortable by cooling them off and reducing any irritation from dried on sweat. If she's sponging thoroughly, that will have the same benefits. 

Even if she did nothing, it's not hurting the horse. Let her do as she pleases.


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## Incitatus32 (Jan 5, 2013)

FWIW my horses are NEVER hosed off. Maybe after a VERY strenuous ride I'll sponge them down, or bathe before a show, but other than that they're just put back to pasture after cooling down. 

Never had rain rot, never had non shiny coats on my horses and never seen a difference between the two methods of care. If anything I think my horses are happy taking their 'showers' in the rain :lol:


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

The only time we hose off is after a long ride on a hot day. This time of year when it's 90F and high humidity, the horses are dirty and sweating just rolling in the dirt and standing around in the shade. Ours enjoy being out grazing in the afternoon rains that drop the temperatures a bit, and none of them has ever had rain rot.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Mine get hosed after being ridden if they're sweaty and also if they come in sweaty from the field on a hot humid day - its much easier than sponging and cools them down better
Sweaty horses attract more bugs
My horses never get rain rot


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

I often spray my horse down in the hot winter months.

But if her horse is happy and healthy, then it seems her process is working for her. Live and let live~


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Hot winter months? In Colorado? XD

I hose as needed-when the horse is sweaty (often after I ride) or particularly disgusting.

I don't shampoo often.

If it's 100 degrees and the horses get hosed daily it won't hurt them.

While coat maintenance is good something like heat stroke takes priority in my book.


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## LilyandPistol (Dec 2, 2014)

Hot Winter Months... Made my day! xD
Really, it doesn't matter either way. My colt gets rinsed quite a bit as he enjoys it, but my gelding doesn't like it very much, and Dixie... is Dixie. xD One day I'll desinstitize her to the hose, but not today. None of them have ever had any issues, except Dixie, but that was when we first got her. She had been living in terrible conditions in a muddy pen, so there's no doubt why she had rain rot. But now all three have pretty shiny coats. Never had an issue caused by us. (thank you Lord). I don't think it matters. Unless you have a nonsweater, it won't matter whether you rinse or not.


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

Haha 'dat typo. You all /should/ have known what I meant: hot summer months (which yes, we do have). I do often take liberties in my assumptions on this site, though! xD


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## MyBoySi (Dec 1, 2011)

I only hose my guy if it's been insanely hot and we've been riding. I guess my horse is just clean, I've never seen him so dirty and sweaty that I felt he needed hosing off, especially not daily.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

The only risk of hosing everyday is trashing their feet from being wet everyday.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## sarahfromsc (Sep 22, 2013)

gypsygirl said:


> The only risk of hosing everyday is trashing their feet from being wet everyday.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Unless it hasn't rained in a few weeks.


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## Asimina (Apr 21, 2013)

I ride a tobi gelding who has more white than bay on him, so he gets grungy looking pretty quick. I rinse most every time I ride, about 3x per week. Of course, me and the horse are generally both dripping sweat by the end so it functions s a little bit of an extra cooldown- it's hot in florida! He gets a 'real' bath(completely scrubbed head to toe and braids redone) anywhere from 1-3 weeks depending on how bad he is/the weather is/any shows.
I usually give him a quick bath just to get the sugar sand off and scrub his legs(tons of feather) once a week.
The one thing I generally only clean for shows is his face. The dirt protects him from sunburn better than applying actual sunblock xD


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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

Ok hoseing them off wont hurt them. now bathing them with shampoo everyday will cause the oils to be stripped from their coat, but hosing off no. if my mare dos not get hosed off at least 3 times a week and sweat is left on her, her hair falls out in clumps. if she gets hosed off and not aloud to get to nasty she is fine.


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## gigem88 (May 10, 2011)

Hmmm, how would she like to go home after riding/sweating and NOT take a shower, go to bed/wake up and go about her day? Plus, it's extra bonding time while hosing them off in my book!


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## DuffyDuck (Sep 27, 2011)

I definitely shower the horse off on a hot day after a ride.
However it tends to be for my benefit over the horse's. I need to cool down too!

However, in all seriousness...

If you hose down a horse that is hot and sweaty, scrape off the excess water and hose again if cooling down is your goal over just removing sweat. The horse's fur traps the water (natural oils) and will heat the water up, and provides a lot less relief for the horse. I always shower, use a water scraper, and hose off again if I'm turning out (then horse makes himself in to a mudcake)


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## Rideabighorse (Jan 12, 2014)

I have only washed my horse two or three times in the 15 years I have owned him. He is thoroughly brushed before being ridden, but usually not after because he always rolls anyway. I let him play in water to keep his feathers white. His coat always looks great. Never had any problems with any kind of slain condition. He lives outside and so gets rinsed off with rain occasionally and is pretty careful where he rolls avoiding poop.


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## anndankev (Aug 9, 2010)

Rideabighorse said:


> ... is pretty careful where he rolls avoiding poop.



Lucky you


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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

here is a vid of my mare. she was given a bath the day before. and i let her graze until she was dry, so she was COMPLETELY dry before going back in her stall. she was then turned out in the am and managed to do that to herself within a 24 hour period. 

Here is a pic of her clean for comparison (and no amount of brushing gets her clean enough to prevent her hair falling out).

im quite impressed with her ability to get dirty...
https://youtu.be/g5bjlf0QwdU


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## LopinKing (Sep 20, 2014)

I only rinse off when I ride really hard or if its super super hot out. When its super hot i try to get the water off them because it can insulate them. I only shampoo before a show because it will dry my horse out if a shampooed all the time..


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

If it's warm outside and the horse is sweaty, he gets hosed off, otherwise no. Never had rainrot nor any kind of unhealthy coat on a horse, always shiny, winter coat, summer coat, you name it.


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## Annette Hadley (Sep 6, 2015)

Do you need to dry your horse after rain?


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Annette Hadley said:


> Do you need to dry your horse after rain?


No
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

^Unless you're planning to blanket them for whatever reason.


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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

^^ or unless it's freezing (or evening and will be cold) and your horse, in all her brilliance, thinks that standing in the rain for hours with a full winter coat is a good idea. THEN you might want to try and dry them. and lock them in their stall because their outside privileges has been temporarily revoked.


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## nrhagirl09 (Jul 27, 2015)

I hose my show horse off every time he gets super sweaty or after any ride. If I don't, his coat gets nasty and clumps badly. My pasture horses get hosed after SUPER hot days when they come in for the night (we have coyotes around so we bring them in at night).


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## luke4275 (Aug 3, 2013)

So. after hosing and using a scraper for a sweaty horse.., you should re hose them? and of course scrape again? why?


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## paigekeim (Jul 21, 2015)

Since bathing causes all three of my horses stress, I steer clear of it a lot unless I can't get everything up with just grooming. If I lived in a hotter place, I'm sure I would do it much more often.


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