How to Remove Stains from a White Horse's Coat
By Aristole
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15th Jun 2010 •
18,806 views
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4 comments
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We have all been there if you own or ride a horse that has a white coat or any white at all on their coat. There is always a stain(or stains) on your horse's coat that you can't seem to get rid of, but I have some tried and true ways to make your horse look as if the stain was never there.
First off, you need to remember that water can actually help the stain lift from the coat. If you have an attachment or mode on your hose that makes it semi-pressurized, this can help greatly. You might want to start off by using this attachment or mode on the stains, really making sure that everything you can get off with the hose has gone. This might work for recent stains, or it might not.
Next, you will want to use a shampoo especially designed to make a horse's coat whiter. These are called bluing shampoos, and typically help the situation. You will probably have to test many of the bluing shampoos out there until you find one that seems to work, I use a shampoo called Quic Silver and it works wonders. If you decide to use a bluing shampoo you will need to know this, some can be blue or purple and once applied, it might look like it is staining the horse. It's not, but it may if you leave it on for an unreasonable amount of time. Moreover, I typically shampoo one side them move to the other and shampoo that side. Then I will move back to the first side I washed and rinse then the other. This usually helps lift the stains.
For even more on bluing shampoos, do NOT expect for the shampoo to magically lift the stains and make your horse whiter without some elbow grease put into it. You can use jelly scrubbers, which are made of flexible rubber and have two different sizes of bristles. These work well. but I find that when it comes down to it, using your hands works even better. For the main part of your horse's body, form your hand into a stiff sort of clawed shape and move your hand in circular motions. Remember to get the hairs to move around to loosen the dirt and stains. For your horse's legs, cup your hands and rub side to side and up and down everywhere. Don't be afraid to use a lot of shampoo, but make sure you are not just rubbing it along the coat just to waste it.
The next thing that I find that works great to remove stains is Dawn Dish Soap. Using the regular version of it is the best choice, because you don't want to experiment with the Dawn Bleaching Dish Soap or the likes in case it ruins your horse's coat. My suggestion is to only use this stuff on the stains and not your horse's whole body. Typically you should use this if the bluing shampoo hasn't completely removed the stains, or you don't want to waste the bluing shampoo(It doesn't usually come cheap). Use the same hand wash or jelly scrubber techniques if you decide to use this.
The next product that seems to lift the stains is Baby Oil. Yes, you read that right, Baby Oil. You can buy this stuff pretty much anywhere. Just scrub this stuff over the stain and let it do it's magic. It might leave the spot on the coat semi-oily so make sure you wash it completely out of the coat unless you want the coat to be shiny for the show ring.
Another product that works is Cowboy Magic Green Spot Remover. To apply it, spray over the stain and scrub with your hands until it is foamy. Let it sit on the horse's coat for 5-10 minutes, or more if you think necessary. To remove it use a paper towel and smooth it off the coat in the direction of the horse's coat. If there is excess, wipe as much off as you can and let the rest stay on the stain it won't harm the coat.
Last, but not least, is a quick fix you can use on a(Small) stain before you enter the show ring. Baby Powder can be found with the Baby Oil, and works wonders to conceal a tough stain you couldn't get out in time. Take a bit of the powder in your hand and slowly work it into the coat over the stain, moving it into the hairs. If this leaves the coat looking dull and powdery, put a bit of baby oil over it and it should fix things.
I hope this helps, these techniques have been LIFESAVERS before a horse show. |
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Riders Up Ranch
A bar of Ivory soap can be used to erase stains from white. Dampen the area and rub directly with the bar then wipe away. Works great as a spot cleaner at shows.
A bar of Ivory soap can be used to erase stains from white. Dampen the area and rub directly with the bar then wipe away. Works great as a spot cleaner at shows.
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Jun 15, 2010
• 16,161 views
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Jun 16, 2010
• 16,186 views
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Aristole
Riders Up Ranch- Thank you, I'll have to try that. :)
halfbrokehorses- Thanks! I hope it helped.
Riders Up Ranch- Thank you, I'll have to try that. :)
halfbrokehorses- Thanks! I hope it helped.
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Jun 22, 2010
• 16,264 views
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Apr 29, 2012
• 16,154 views
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