HOT OIL TREATMENT
A hot oil treatment is a way to fast-track your grooming efforts to add shine and deep condition your horse’s coat, even in the middle of winter. Professional groom Liv Gude, founder of www.proequinegrooms.com, likes to use this method to deep condition a dry winter coat and build in mud- and stain-repelling superpowers at the same time.
Use an equine grooming oil, such as Shapley’s No. 1 Light Oil.
“I only use No. 1 Light Oil,” notes Gude. “Some people will use baby oil, but I prefer the other conditioning ingredients. The secret of using a grooming oil is that you don’t have to use a lot. A small amount goes a long way, and you can adjust how much you use according to how dry your horse’s coat is.”
◆ Get your horse as clean as possible first, through currying, vacuuming or hot toweling.
◆ Add a few “glugs” of grooming oil to a half-gallon of very hot water.
◆ Dunk a washcloth in the mixture and wring thoroughly until it’s barely damp.
◆ Wipe down your horse, covering him with a cooler if it’s cold out. “Your horse should be damp, not wet,” says Gude.
◆ If more shine is needed, you can top off your bucket with a little more oil, or add a few drops directly to your damp towel.
Another option in the winter is to spray your grooming tools with a bit of grooming oil, and then curry and brush it in. This saves from having to monitor a damp horse.
injuries, not to mention pulled shoes. Drains around paddock edges, mats under feeders and the addition of well-draining sand or stone dust to high-traffic areas are a few of her preventative suggestions—along with finding alternative places to turn your horse out.
“Do not groom your horse with damp or wet mud,” warns Gude. “You need to wait until it dries. You will only smear things around and then you still have a dirty horse and super dirty grooming tools.”
SWEAT MARKS: These are easily buffed out by cactus cloth, a curry comb or grooming gloves.
“Go back to basics and use your elbow grease,” she says.
STAINS: Most of the time, Gude says a good curry and a barely damp hot cloth can take out stains if your horse’s coat is well conditioned. However, in the winter, coats are longer and it’s harder to coax the natural oils along the hair. Gude suggests using grooming oils or conditioners to protect the hair (see “Hot Oil Treatment,” pg. 39). Stains should slide off, and you can use a tiny bit of spot remover if needed. She warns against stripping the coat with harsh detergents.
Grooming is a great way to enjoy time with your horse in any weather. With these pro-level techniques, you can make your horse presentable for winter clinics and early spring shows or treat him to a spa day to look fuzzy and fantastic.
SAVE YOUR WORK
After all your grooming efforts have spruced up your steed, what can you do to keep him that way? Barriers are Gude’s favorite way to keep mud and dirt away; therefore, she recommends incorporating a sheet or blanket of an appropriate weight. Grooming
products can also be part of this strategy to discourage mud, dust and stains from clinging to the coat.
“Nothing beats a good sheen product for this job,” says Gude, noting that you will still need to be ultra-diligent about grooming, especially where tack goes.
Grooming is a great way to enjoy time with your horse in any weather. With these prolevel techniques, you can make your horse presentable for winter clinics and early spring shows or treat him to a spa day to look fuzzy and fantastic.
Check out Part I in this series, “Weathering a Winter Wonderland,” which ran in the November/December 2020 issue, at www. horseillustrated.com/hi-winter-grooming-andblanketing.
Lifelong equestrian ELiZABETH MOYER lives in the beautiful Bluegrass horse country of Kentucky and is the former editor of Horse illustrated and Young Rider magazines. She enjoys dressage and trail riding and has a soft spot for senior horses.