# Share Your Fav. Grooming Tips



## mudypony (Jan 30, 2008)

I thought it would be fun and helpful to share some grooming tips you've learned over the years. What's good, what's bad.

Here's some I've learned...
- MTG is awesome!! My tb has the worst tail and MTG has really helped it fill out and grow.
- Using baby wipes around a horses face really gets it clean and the add some show sheen for some extra shine.
- Also, baby wipes are good in the winter for getting off the excess dust when it's impossible to give your horse a bath.
- I've found that brushes the have natural bristles work MUCH better than the ones with synthetic bristles.
- When I used to ride a white horse I used mouthwash to get the stains out.
- Mane N' Tail detangler works really well it gets almost any tangle out and leaves a nice shine afterwards.

That's all I can think of right now but I'd love to hear what tricks you guys use.


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## Gingerrrrr (Feb 12, 2008)

put baby oil on a rag or a sock and wipe inside of the horses ears to stop the flies from biting


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## neigh (May 22, 2007)

Really basic, but, when you get the hair off brushes with the metal curry comb. Go somewhere away from your horse, otherwise the wind will carry excess hair back. Before you know it - back where you started! :roll: lol.

Horses can look alot tidier if you even up the bottom of their tails.
Also, I second that about the babywipes.


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## BrwnEyedGrl (Jul 4, 2008)

Hmmmm... brush your horse often with a soft brush ~ brings out the natural oils & makes your horse naturally shiney. Everyone comments on how shiney my horse is & asks what I do. I usually don't go all out in making my horse look nice when doing just day to day stuff b/c she goes right out & rolls. :roll: However, daily brushing & finishing with the softest soft brush you got will make em' real purty! LOL.

Baby Powder for those white spots when showing! 

Other then that I'm lost.... b/c I just do stuff & don't think much about it. If I think of anything else I'll let you know. 

p.s. Baby wipes... huh, never thougth of that thanks!


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

MTG is AMAZING stuff...works wonders! Esp. if your horse has lost fur anywhere (from maybe a scratch or something). 
Baby wipes are also good, I have to agree. 
Use conditioner on the horse's mane & tail when washing...it makes it nice & soft!!


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## mudypony (Jan 30, 2008)

Great tips everyone!
Keep um' coming!!


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## lacyloo (Jul 1, 2008)

horses roll after you bathe them :lol:


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## BrwnEyedGrl (Jul 4, 2008)

lacyloo said:


> horses roll after you bathe them :lol:


Mine does every single time. Even if I let her dry first b/f letting her out!! GRRRR... but hey I don't mind. It's not like I show or anything. I just ride for fun! If I showed I'd have to keep her in b/c she would never stay clean! LOL


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## amandaandeggo (May 21, 2008)

cowboy magic products can fix anything!!!!!!


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## GallopAway (May 28, 2007)

Miracle Groom, <3
That stuff is AMAZING.
My mare is pretty much completely white, so every little dirt spot or grass stain shows up on her coat. And Miracle Groom gets them out really good. I love that stuff. lol.


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## carriedenaee (Apr 17, 2008)

i have never heard of mouth wash for stains!!! i think ill try that since Taz is a creamy white....he has grass stains from rollin 

i have noticed that wiping fly spray on him with a sponge, since he wont let me anywhere near him with a spray bottle!!, the spray covers more areas better and seems to repel longer...especially on his nose and his nono areas!

I havent seen it mentioned, after we caosted sunscreen on our horses nose we applied a light coat of vasaline nad cream ..kept the grassmuicnhing from rubbing off the sunscreen coat and we havent had any sunburned noses on the horses we did this on... 

we dont put our horses in the barn so they are ion pasture 24/7


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## Horserider (Aug 14, 2008)

Cowboy Magic Shine and Detangler. Greatest detangler ever invented. There's an added bonus: you can use it on your own hair. 

Oh and if you get one of those hard bristled brushes with the handle (I think they're for scrubbing pots but not sure) they are great for getting dried dirt off hooves before applying polish or conditioner. You can find them in the grocery store cheap.


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## sandy2u1 (May 7, 2008)

ok im sorry if this is a stupid question...but what is MTG? I saw where someone posted that it is good for the places taht your horse rubs hair off of?


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

MTG is Mane-Tail-Groom, it's amazing!  LOL! It does smell like bacon...but it really helps with mane & tail growth, rub spots (like if your horse was rubbing & lost hair in that area), etc.


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## ArabianAmor (Aug 20, 2008)

Horse nutrition helps keep a clean shiny coat, nice hooves, and great mane and tail!!


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## sandy2u1 (May 7, 2008)

thanks poptart! my horse has gotten a lot of little rub places on him lately...idk what hes rubbing himself on. hope it helps!! thanks again


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## TracyTracy (Oct 5, 2008)

I Find Cleaning Bits with toothpaste works amazing, It gets the grass and hard stuff right off while makeing the silver sparkleing and Give the horse a nice minty tatste..Until they lick it all off :lol:


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## Zab (Oct 4, 2008)

I'm so gonna watch this thread 
My horse gets really dirty at winter when I can't really wash him..(winters in sweden isn't as bad as they say, but it's still too cold to wet the entire horse down  )
I wash him on day, and he's full of dust the next..I can't get it out even if I groom him for hours because it's so deep.. ><
Any good ideas? 
I've tried most stuff already, it feels like..


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## califcowgirl (Oct 13, 2008)

It is very dusty during the summer where I live...we do not get one drop of rain in the hot months :sad:. I had a bay mare that had the softest coat I have ever felt on a horse...she felt almost like a mink...anyway, the dust would just settle on her, almost like she was a magnet for dust. Brushing brushing brushing did nothing except move the dust around...even with the softest dandy brush and brushing her in a "flicking up" type stroke to get the dust to come up...very frustrating...what I found that would work on her was to spray like a fly spray or grand champion...something "light" on her and then brush...she looked like I had just given her a bath!


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## IrishRider (Aug 7, 2008)

I am a huge fan of those Slick n' Easy bricks for getting deep down loose hair and dirt. They are like $3 and you can find them online and in most tack stores. I love them.


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## Zab (Oct 4, 2008)

I have now wacoom cleaned the pony I'm borrowing. It removed much more dust than the brushingdid, at least


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## xkatex (Oct 7, 2007)

-Pledge. WARNING: Do NOT use if you are tested at shows/racing. Not too sure if anything will come up but you never know. We use Pledge when the horses manes and tails are caked with mud or have "rats nest" like knots. Helps keep hair from breaking. Also baby oil works wonders!

-Sun Flower Oil. Feed a cap full to your horse at every feeding time and within about a month your horses coat will begin to shine. Also heard about using corn oil as well.

-Bot Eggs? I use to spend countless hours using scizzors to scrape away bot eggs. Now I use a PUMICE STONE. Just brush it over the eggs and POOF they disappear!

-Rubbing Tail? If deworming doesnt seem to quell the tail rubbing, put LISTERINE on a clothe and soak the effected part of the tail. Been told by older horse men that it kills any parasites that may be causing an itch. Worked For Me!

- Hoof Care. Dont like wasting money on expensive "name brand" hoof care items. Use left over car oil for hoof oil. Never have I had a "toxic" problem and it keeps hooves supple and healthy looking.


Nothing that I have listed has ever caused me a problem with my horses. Good Luck =) Ill definately be keeping an eye on this thread!


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## CallieMae (Oct 28, 2008)

-Cowboy Magic products are awesome! I've used their SuperBody Shine and GreenSpot Remover (like waterless shampoo...perfect for winter) and they are amazing! =)
um can't think of anything else........=/


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## Painted Ride (Jun 30, 2008)

-Sun Flower Oil. Feed a cap full to your horse at every feeding time and within about a month your horses coat will begin to shine. Also heard about using corn oil as well.


corn oil will wor too but too much will fatten them up too...fyi:wink:


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## AllyKatSki1 (Apr 2, 2008)

I have to agree with IrishRider, I LOVE the slick & easy blocks, I have a white horse and he loves to get dirty like so dirty I call him my Paintabian (hes a Arab) I went over him a couple of times with it and it looked like he took a bath!!. I use to give my horse a bath with cowboy magic but now i use Sharpleys... uhh... dang it i cant think of the full name but its Sharpleys whitning soap. He ALWAYS had a yellow spot on his hock with the cowboy magic.. I tried the sharpleys, Rubbed it in waited a couple of minutes and POFF it was gone...


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## ahearn (Jul 10, 2007)

In Texas, we have have flies like crazy not to mention the biggest mosquitoes you've ever seen! My horses use to also have fungus on their legs really bad during the wet season... The mixture I swear by...I put a cap full of baby oil, Listerine (the yellowish color only!), and Fly spray together. It does a few things... the listerine kills any fungus, the baby oil keeps their coat shiny and keeps the gnats and ticks off, and the fly well keeps off insects. No more problems with any of this. Have used it for years.


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

xkatex said:


> -Rubbing Tail? If deworming doesnt seem to quell the tail rubbing, put LISTERINE on a clothe and soak the effected part of the tail. Been told by older horse men that it kills any parasites that may be causing an itch. Worked For Me!


I will have to try this, Tana is always rubbing her tail! Thanks for the top Kate!


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## Connemara93 (Nov 7, 2008)

Head&Shoulders shampoo for dandruffy manes - works wonders!

Wow - toothpaste to clean the bit is a good idea, I'm gunna try that - I hate sitting there scraping it all off with your fingernails!

Another tip, probably fairly obvious - If your horse's mane never sits on one side of the neck, wet the bristles of your body brush and brush it all over to the side you want. When it dries it will stay there (well, at least long enough for your ride =P) but I found that after I did this every time I groomed my horse, after about a week, my horse's mane has stayed on that side.


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## Arrow (Jul 21, 2008)

Wow, great thread, awesome tips!

I don't have anything to add, really. I guess I'll just say something most of you are probably already doing: I'm really careful to always brush, or even sponge if needed, the bridle marks off Arrow's face, over his forehead, and around his ears after a ride. It makes them so much more comfortable! Arrow's always good about it, but yesterday it was 70 degrees in Ohio, and he has a full winter coat almost! When I brought out the water and the sponge, he dropped his head almost to the ground for the first time ever and closed his eyes and waited--he was just begging me to sponge all that sticky sweat away!


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## equinkel (Oct 25, 2008)

-Bot Eggs? I use to spend countless hours using scizzors to scrape away bot eggs. Now I use a PUMICE STONE. Just brush it over the eggs and POOF they disappear!

Can you elaborate on these "bot eggs" Where are they coming from? Where do they show up?


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## moomoo (Feb 21, 2007)

Do you need to wash off the listerine afterwards?


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## Blkjimni (Nov 11, 2008)

Hey I have a good one, Keep the mane braided all the time. I condition it every two weeks and re braid. My fillys mane is so loneg now. I have had her for three seasons now and her mane has doubled in length. I keep it clean and braided tight. lose near the root though, they will rub if it is to tight.
Comb it very soft and easy, wet and condition with cowboy magic detangler, leave it in and braid. you will see a differance in just few months.
good luck.


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## Caboose (Nov 5, 2008)

I'm surprised this wasn't posted yet, though I'm not even sure if it's common knowledge.... but I recently discovered that if you don't have any special products for untangling manes and tails; Rubbing peanut butter in over a knott will help it loosen up.

The trouble is washing it out lol


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## sempre_cantando (May 9, 2008)

Here's my fav tip - wear your oldest clothes when grooming. Because, guaranteed, you'll end up covered with a centimeter of dirt before you're finished! lol

But seriously, one of my tips is to use a thinning comb/scissors instead of pulling a mane. Its much kinder on the horse plus its faster once you're good at it.


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## equineangel91 (Oct 8, 2008)

sempre_cantando said:


> Here's my fav tip - wear your oldest clothes when grooming. Because, guaranteed, you'll end up covered with a centimeter of dirt before you're finished! lol
> 
> But seriously, one of my tips is to use a thinning comb/scissors instead of pulling a mane. Its much kinder on the horse plus its faster once you're good at it.


I just used a thinning scissor on my horse's mane. its so much easier. I mean he didnt care about getting it pulled It didnt bother him. but its so much easier with those scissors...

i just wonder about when it grows back...
His mane grows fast as heck. LIke his bridle path has to get redone ALL THE TIME


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## Zab (Oct 4, 2008)

You only re-braid every two weeks? How do you keep the horse from rubbing it off?
I braided it losely but he rubbed it after two days,, and he never rubs his mane otherwise.. you have some sort of hood on or what?



Blkjimni said:


> Hey I have a good one, Keep the mane braided all the time. I condition it every two weeks and re braid. My fillys mane is so loneg now. I have had her for three seasons now and her mane has doubled in length. I keep it clean and braided tight. lose near the root though, they will rub if it is to tight.
> Comb it very soft and easy, wet and condition with cowboy magic detangler, leave it in and braid. you will see a differance in just few months.
> good luck.


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## kickshaw (May 7, 2008)

moomoo said:


> Do you need to wash off the listerine afterwards?


no, you don't need to wash it off, just be sure to use the original "brown" stuff - it doesn't have any sugars in it!


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## Blkjimni (Nov 11, 2008)

Zab said:


> You only re-braid every two weeks? How do you keep the horse from rubbing it off?
> I braided it losely but he rubbed it after two days,, and he never rubs his mane otherwise.. you have some sort of hood on or what?


 
Okey there is a trick to it. I keep her in the stall at night or during the day in the summer. she can't put her head out of the stall and she has no place to rub it out. If the horse is out in a lot or turn out runner, hot wire keeps them off the pipe and gates.
I now that a lot of people don't have the means to keep one from rubbing. You can put a hood over the braids and that will keep it from being rubbed out also. 
I hope that helps you out. I have Arabians and I want their manes to be long a lush but that takes hotwire. Its worth installing the electric fence if you realy want that amazing mane....


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## Zab (Oct 4, 2008)

We already have electric fences, it's the cheapest there are to use..
But our horses are let out practically 24/7.. and when they are in the pasture there's lots of trees, and in their stalls there's thousands of places to rub.. we have special stalls..
I think a hood will make his fur fall off.. -_-; he manages to get ugly, hairless spots from halters or blankets after just looking at them.. >_>

I'll try once more tho and braid looser..maybe put some anti-itch stuff in the mane.. 

Thanks for the help tho x)


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## horseyloon (Nov 10, 2008)

*thinning scissor*

thinning scissor is the best to use on the mane.

but braiding...i wonder if hairspray would help ROFL

:lol:


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## AceofHearts15 (Oct 22, 2008)

How do you keep a grey gelding who has green and brown spots on him, clean?
and how to make him stay clean, especially in winter?

I'm on the verge of giving up. D:


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## AceofHearts15 (Oct 22, 2008)

Here is my favorite grooming tip!

If you have a horse with a blaze or something, and you really want it to look bright. Put baby powder on it. 

I know people use blueing, but if you put baby powder on before you go in the show ring, it makes your horse's white look extra bright.

A judge actually said I was blinding her xD


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## Zab (Oct 4, 2008)

My friend used some sort of dry shampoo and then charchoal (rub it in and brush it out on yellow spots.. seems to work somehow) when the horse is dry, on her white mare she had long ago.



AceofHearts15 said:


> How do you keep a grey gelding who has green and brown spots on him, clean?
> and how to make him stay clean, especially in winter?
> 
> I'm on the verge of giving up. D:


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## bedouin (Oct 12, 2008)

Seems to be a good one. Bedouins use charcoal for whitening their own teeth! Use the powder of the charcoal. Why it works?


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## AceofHearts15 (Oct 22, 2008)

Zab said:


> My friend used some sort of dry shampoo and then charchoal (rub it in and brush it out on yellow spots.. seems to work somehow) when the horse is dry, on her white mare she had long ago.


 I'll try that! Thank you


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## AceofHearts15 (Oct 22, 2008)

bedouin said:


> Seems to be a good one. Bedouins use charcoal for whitening their own teeth! Use the powder of the charcoal. Why it works?


 Wouldn't that hurt though. O.O


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## Midwest Paint (Oct 21, 2008)

AceofHearts15 said:


> Here is my favorite grooming tip!
> 
> If you have a horse with a blaze or something, and you really want it to look bright. Put baby powder on it.
> 
> ...


 You know they sell "cowboy magic" chalk dust in an areosol can that you can spray on even a few minutes before entering the ring? It's pretty good stuff, and is safe on the horse as well!


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## moomoo (Feb 21, 2007)

Oh yeah! Cowboy magic!  greenspot remover is awesome :shock: 



> A judge actually said I was blinding her xD


lol, I get that from a few judges :lol: thats why i like having a grey


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## xilikeggs0 (Sep 14, 2008)

PoptartShop said:


> MTG is Mane-Tail-Groom, it's amazing!  LOL! It does smell like bacon...but it really helps with mane & tail growth, rub spots (like if your horse was rubbing & lost hair in that area), etc.


 Speaking of bacon... I've heard that putting bacon grease on a horse's cuts/scrapes makes them heal faster. Can anyone confirm or deny this?


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## hhadavis (May 3, 2008)

I got a recipe for a detagler off one of my horse magazines, equal parts of normal hair conditioner, water, and apple cider vinegar, and mix in a spray bottle and it works great...the faint apple cider vinegar smell also helps some with the flies. I like it, and its alot cheaper than buying bottle after bottle of conditioner. I also gone to mixing my own fly spray with the 10% perynthin (not sure of the spelling) because fly spray was getting expensive and they never work as long as they promise anyway. I pay a fraction of the cost buying the concentrate and mixing with water. Also I used the black oil sunflower seeds for awhile and it did help their coat, it helps with weight gain too. Adding alfafa to my black walkers diet I think helped darken his coat up, someone told me that on a trail ride and I do think it works, because when I stopped using it he started getting the lighter black tint back to his coat. course could be my imagination. Im going to have to try that baby powder trick for my paints...


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## hrsjmpr32 (Nov 4, 2008)

fly spray
1/2 cup blue dawn dish detergent
1 cup white vinegar
and fill the rest of the spray bottle with water. The flies hate it!but the horses love it also Bounce dryer sheets rub them all over the horse (especially the face) and no flies and they smell good


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## starlinestables (Nov 24, 2008)

Instead of cowboy magic shine spray or show sheen.. I buy regular shine serum at walmart or Sally's beauty supply.. My favorite is the Proclaim stuff.. you can find a big bottle of it in the "ethnic" section. 

Stuff marketed for horses are soooo expensive!


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## CiscoKidd (Dec 5, 2008)

witch hazel is great for removing manure stains!


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## cowgirlfitzy (Jan 27, 2009)

W-D 40 on the hooves! Its much easier then dealing with the other conditioners that you have to paint on and it keeps the mositure in. Plus it is inexpensive! 

Recommended by my Farrier.


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## zanytactics (Sep 8, 2007)

show off time's Know knott...works amazing!! Also there product called shoo-fly, all natural flyspray that actually works.


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## toosleepy (Jan 14, 2009)

*to clean bits* : put them in the dish washer, yes it does work great
*Hoof *: sand the foot smooth, then spray ultra hoof polish enhancer on it, it will wear off naturally and no need to worry about clean up. i never use hoof black or clear
*white legs/face*: keep the hair shaved short, wash with quick silver or vetrolin blue shampoo, and spray showsheen on it. the show sheen helps deflect the dirt. then before you go in the class use chaulk/powder/or spray white to fine toon
*tail:* wash and condition, let dry. put in infusium leave in hair conditioner. that stuff works great. try to stay away from oily products as it will attract dust.
*face / ear shine*: baby oil gel works 100X better than straight baby oil. just be carefull on fair skinned horses for sun burn. 
for sun burn control use any 30x sunblock

*for body shine* i love the vetrolin shine spray.


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## makin tracks (Jan 25, 2009)

Bot eggs are layed by the bot fly and they are usually on your horses legs and shoulders, but can be anywhere the bot has time to lay.
It's really annoying when they are in the mane though.


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## jchunterjumper (Jan 30, 2009)

I like to use a vaccum on my horse. And no, you dont need a $150 dollar horse vaccum! I use a shopvac on my horse. I know not a lot of horses would like that, but if your horse doesnt mind, like mine, it works amazingly!!! I actually have not asked my vet if it is ok, but I dont see the harm and I have been doing it all winter just fine!! Just dont sue me if it does something wierd, but it wont.


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## koomy56 (Jan 19, 2008)

Dryer sheets help with static. Rub them in the tail or mane to get rid of static. 
Also, you can mix Downy fabric softener to water, and spray it on the body and wipe away with a rag to remove excess dust. I think the ratio is 1 part downy, 8 parts water.
I always used to use corn oil on the hooves. Put it in an old coffee can, cut a slit down the lid and use an old paint brush. Watch out though, horses like to suck on the brush. lol
I also heard and tried it this winter, that if you bang the tail up to where it's the most thick, the tail will then grow even all the way down. 
You can use an old dull clipper blade to thin the mane too. You use it like a pulling comb, teasing the hair up then cutting the remaining hair with the blade. 
Dishwash soap is great for getting rid of green spots, too.


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## Lucara (Apr 5, 2008)

To get ultra soft and shiny mane and coat, I just used Pantene Pro-V Ice Shine shampoo and conditioner I never had any problems with it but it almost instantly gave Samson that Show Sheen look =D. It also kept his tail and mane soft enough for a couple days that I had no problem with knots or tangles.


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## Larra98 (Jan 17, 2009)

when u pick the hoove don't yank no matter how hard it is for it will come at the wrong time and the pick will cut u. L0L


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## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

-Vacuums, nothing beats a vacuum. 
-Blowdryers excellent for drying a sweaty horse when you don't want to leave them in


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## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

*Ok*

*I spray the Vetrolin Shine on a soft brush, brush it AFTER the ride so I can kinda see where my saddle was so no slippage! I then go over the whole body with shammie. *
*Use Vet's Choice supilments, it makes the coat SOOOOO Shiny! *
*Brush the mane and tail daily, really helps keep soft and long!*


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## starlinestables (Nov 24, 2008)

1. I love my shop vac for dusty horses!!!! Curry and vac!
2. I also second the blow dryer!
3. I use ivory soap for body wash.... it is cheap and very gentle.
4. I use a loofa instead of a sponge.. it hangs on stuff and comes in a ton of colors so you know which one you've used for what.
5. For lintiment I mix mint extract and tea tree oil with water.. it helps fight dry skin and fungus too!
6. I take a sanding block to the hooves before applying oil it seems to absorb better.

I think thats it for now..


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