# Tips for keeping a white horse clean in the winter!



## ThoroughbredJumper (Oct 30, 2012)

My old TB was a darkkkk brown and white paint, more white than brown. The best advice i can give you is rubbing alcohol on a towel after a normal or rough grooming makes stains come out. and a slightly damp rag works like a sham-wow on dirt 
As for if you will be showing, baby powder is a cheat ;D


----------



## Marissa08 (Nov 5, 2012)

Thank you! I'll have to try these ideas. I'm used to dark horses and never really had to keep a mostly white horse clean so I'm not sure what works


----------



## Tessa7707 (Sep 17, 2012)

A blanket and a hood would help a lot. 
Like this hood EOUS Cotton/Lycra Horse Hood and Horse Blanket Neck Covers | EQUESTRIAN COLLECTIONS.COM
This Blanket Rambo® Optimo Turnout Blanket | Dover Saddlery


----------



## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

As far as his mane goes, don't try to get mud/dirt out of his mane when it's wet - use a hard brush after it's dry to flick the clods out, then, once most of the dirt is out, you can safely do whatever you usually do.


----------



## ThoroughbredJumper (Oct 30, 2012)

I recently gave away that paint and got a dark dark brown TB who could fit me correctly. Needless to say, i DO NOT miss cleaning Gent every day hahahha. but keep with it! We all know they sparkle and shine the brightest at shows ;D


----------



## Coffeejunkie (May 17, 2012)

Also green spot remover is great for bath less clean up. Baby powder or corn starch for shows (for white enhancing, not a bathing substitute). The white (purple) shampoo as needed. Dawn dish soap works really well but don't use regularly as it can strip the natural coat oils. also a non-silicone based coat spray will help repel gunk. The mane as mentioned let it dry before brushing. Also make sure its well conditioned. If its more of a don't want to deal with it thing, could also consider roaching off the mane.


----------



## ThoroughbredJumper (Oct 30, 2012)

ehh.... roaching... *shudders* i personally never liked the look or idea of chopping off a horses mane just cause its hard to maintain. imagine if that were your hair. Not happening. lol but i do agree with everything else CJ said.


----------



## Marissa08 (Nov 5, 2012)

Thanks for all the help! He's in a stall right now and gets turned out in the arena since he's not very nice to other horses but he's getting a lot of 'green spots' on his body and his mane is turning yellow :/


----------



## Tessa7707 (Sep 17, 2012)

If you do get warm enough weather to bathe him, the whitening shampoos work great. If you don't want to spend that much money on something like quicksilver, someone on here in another thread suggested adding Mrs. Stewarts Bluing to any shampoo and it works just like the expensive shampoos. Haven't had a chance to try that yet since I don't have a paint anymore. But quicksilver worked fantastically getting urine stains out of a paint mare's white tail and for whitening up her mane


----------



## ThoroughbredJumper (Oct 30, 2012)

YESSS Qucksilver and Quickblack are WONDERFUL!


----------



## wetrain17 (May 25, 2011)

I've used Cowboy Magic during the winter for spot cleaning. I can't say it worked wonders, but it worked to an acceptable level. I would get it again. Having lots of chrome = lots of elbow grease. Thats just the way it is.


----------



## Marissa08 (Nov 5, 2012)

I'll have to try using Qucksilver if I get another warm enough day to give him a bath


----------



## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

Trade him for a solid! 
My one stallion (avatar) is a royal pain in my rear end LOL


----------



## Marissa08 (Nov 5, 2012)

I just had to retire my TB who is a bay due to an injury and the barn I'm at now has a lot of horses that need to be worked and I fell in love with this ones personality but never realized how much work it is to keep them clean since I'm used to having a bay lol


----------



## Coffeejunkie (May 17, 2012)

ThoroughbredJumper said:


> ehh.... roaching... *shudders* i personally never liked the look or idea of chopping off a horses mane just cause its hard to maintain. imagine if that were your hair. Not happening. lol but i do agree with everything else CJ said.


LOL I'd totally love to not have to tame my wild mane!!! I personally wouldn't roach as I have show horses, but if I had a pasture pet or just a be-bop around horse that rolled in the mud all day I may consider it.


----------



## karliejaye (Nov 19, 2011)

Believe it or not charcoal works wonders on manure and urine stains in the knees and hocks. That was where my big grey would ALWAYS get stubborn stains when he would lay in his stall.
I just used charcoal briquettes (WITHOUT lighter fluid built in! very important not to rub lighter fluid on your horse!) and rubbed it into the stains, then brushed the charcoal dust off. Cheap and easy and it worked!


----------



## Muppetgirl (Sep 16, 2012)

Full body Saran wrap! Lol! I don't envy keeping a horse with load of white clean!


----------



## QHGirl (Nov 7, 2012)

Diluted vinegar mixture. 1/2 cup vinegar to every quart of water. My mom has a small breed dog with a white coat and the vinegar bath makes her coat gleam. (Groomer suggested it) It should work on a horse too (be careful around the eyes and nose) Gotta be careful though it's totally safe but vinegar is acidic (even when diluted like this) so over use could break down natural oils in the skin and coat. Rinse well!


----------



## Tnavas (Nov 29, 2011)

Move to the dessert!

White horses and mud - never a good combination.

A tail bag, well rugged and silicone spray on the legs to fend off the mud. 

Otherwise pretend you have a pinto and cope until spring.


----------



## Ace80908 (Apr 21, 2011)

Ivy is 90 percent white. I keep her stall well padded with clean shavings and keep a blanket on her while she's in her stall. it is 12 by 24 and lucky for me she poops in one end and sleeps in the other. She is out in a large paddock during the day, but it is mostly sandy dirt, so is often dusty, but not too dirty. She stays pretty clean that way, but with a white one you just have to accept stains for their daily life... for shows, I body clipped my old (also max white) tovero as the short hair was much easier to clean, then used loads of quicksilver shampoo ...


----------



## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Tnavas said:


> Move to the dessert!
> 
> White horses and mud - never a good combination.
> 
> ...


I agree...One of our mares is almost all white (and a 'mud-er') and I was going to say "don't even waste your time trying".


----------



## AnimalChiro (Nov 28, 2012)

I would have to agree with blanketing!


----------



## nikyplushbreyer (Dec 4, 2012)

you could keep a blanket on him/her thats what my freind dose


----------



## Lwhisperer (Sep 11, 2012)

Personally, I'm just closing my eyes and pretending I don't care about the stains on Caly. She's got sooo much white and she's in the pasture 24/7. Not like we're doing any shows anytime soon, though. However, in warmer weather I've been told any shampoo with "blue" or "purple" in it works wonders for white. Can't wait to try it on my mare on the next warm day!


----------



## WesternRider88 (Oct 30, 2012)

My neighbor rubs baking soda on the stains and then brushes it out and the stains are gone.


----------

