Whitening Shampoo and which coat?

[HighHeelsHurt]

My DD (11) and I are really excited to be starting a new loan just before Christmas. The gorgeous boy is a piebald cob and his hair is really yellow. I appreciate it might be the time of the year but we’d like to start the process of trying to get him white again. Can anyone recommend what’s best to use? Cutting him is not an option- it’s the only rule the owner has given us!
Also, we will need to do turn out and in and so we will need to go up before school. My DD will have to wear her uniform to the yard as I won’t have time to get her to school and me to work otherwise. What coat is best? I’ve looked at equidry and dryrobe but as they are £££ I was wonderful if anyone has any other recommendations. It will need to cover her completely as she will be in her uniform.

Thanks!

[twistyizzy]

I would recommend overalls rather than a coat if it to go over school uniform. You will need a couple of pairs: 1 to wear and 1 in the wash. The smell of urine is very pungent and you don't want her going to school being paranoid of smelling.
Definitely wrong time of year to try to keep white bits white plus not healthy to be constantly washing in winter. Wait until spring before you tackle the colour but even then you will have to accept that white does turn yellow, don't stress about it unless entering a competition etc.

[maxelly]

Yes you're fighting a losing battle against stains this time of year with any horse with white bits I'm afraid - good news is it really doesn't bother them having grubby/discoloured hair so long as the skin under the saddle/bridle areas is clean to avoid rubbing - unless you are lucky enough to be on a fancy yard with warm water and a heated dry off bay I really wouldn't be bathing him until it gets a lot warmer as you risk chills (and besides, he'll just be dirty again as soon as he goes to the field or into his stable overnight). You can spot clean using a stain removal spray (and ideally a warm damp cloth/sponge) - I use a NAF one but they're all much of a muchness. Otherwise good old fashioned elbow grease and plenty of grooming (just don't use soft body brushes as you'll extract too much of the oil from his hair which is an important part of their natural weather proofing). In summer I find the best thing is any human shampoo designed for gray/white hair, works just as well as any of the equine ones I've tried and much cheaper - but be warned if you want to keep him glowing white you probably will be fully bathing him several times a week, with spot cleans in between, you can drive yourself a bit mad with it!

Re clothes/coat, is there no toilet at the yard? I'd bring her uniform to the yard and change personally (bottom half at least) - I think you'll really be struggling again particularly at this time of year to avoid mud splashes and smells penetrating through even if she wears a long coat and wellies and like a PP says teenage girls are sensitive about these things - or if that's really not an option a farmers boiler suit would probably be best? She must wash her hands thoroughly before going into school including a good scrub under the nails, and keep her hair tied up out of the way as smells cling to hands and hair like nothing else...

[HighHeelsHurt]

@maxelly @twistyizzy

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. Ok noted on the whitening - I’ll leave it until the spring to start working on it. I’m not after pristine white, but he just looks a bit grubby and I’d like him to look a bit better kept.
There are toilets and a cafe so getting changed is a good idea. I’m not sure I’ll be able to get her into overalls due to the look of them (although that would be perfect!). I’ll be doing the grunt work - she will just have to put him out in the field, but you’re right I hadn’t considered the smell and potential embarrassment at school- I was just thinking about logistics of how she could still come in the morning to see him. It might be too much of a tight turnaround with the light in the winter- we will see! So so excited to start caring for him- only 8 days to go!

[twistyizzy]

@HighHeelsHurt this has been such a wet winter that most fields are currently swamps, she will get filthy even just turning out. Presuming horse will need rug change and feet picking out beforehand. Honestly I get pitted just by getting out of the car, I don't even need to touch a horse 😆

[RatherBeRiding]

I do my horses morning and evening before and after work and CBA getting changed so wear some joggers that I don't mind getting filthy or a pair of decent (Berghaus) waterproof trousers if it's raining, a decent coat (EquiTheme - Vinted - under £20) which is warm and pretty waterproof - again if its really chucking it down I wear another Berghaus waterproof. Good muck boots and warm and waterproof gloves and I'm good to go. Strip off filthy and wet outer layers in the office, leave muck boots in the car and I'm good to go!

[EverestMilton]

Simple cheap light weight waterproof over trousers from Mountain Warehouse are brilliant. I live in mine in winter. My daughter has a fleece lined pair too.
Agree with other posters don't worry about the white at this time of year. Unless he's clipped and rugged he'll be filthy again in 2 seconds flat. Mine is grey with an enormous tail. He currently looks like an African hippo happy wallowing in his bog pit of a paddock......I'm resigned that he will stay that way until next time we go hunting and I'm forced to make him presentable.
My go to is hot water, fairy liquid and then touch of sliver purple shampoo (human stuff from supermarket buy it when on offer). Use neat on mane and tail and tough yellow patches. Diluted purple rinse for body. I use the purple conditioner for the tail too and plenty of conditioner spray.

[Express0]

What do you mean you’re not allowed to cut him? Do you mean clipping his body?

[backinthebox]

If you are desperate to get him looking a little cleaner over the winter, I would recommend starting with the tail. I wash with a concentrated shampoo, then hold the tail for as long as you can in the hottest bucket of water you can make with Napisan in it (don’t touch the dock though.) Then rinse this and wash with Quiksilver shampoo, twice. Then rinse with a cold rinse of water and white vinegar. Then condition it with human hair conditioner. Brush through and plait in about 3 long plaits. Use a tail bag to cover the plaits up.

You can do all of this without needing to get the horse cold or wet, just his tail. Tbh we just wash our grey when we have a big competition on. DD is a grubby sort herself, so trying to get her to clean her horse is near on impossible! Pic below is what can be achieved though with a horse who’s normal colour scheme is piss-yellow tail at the top fading to mud-slop-beige at the bottom, with a crunchy pebble dashed body and ground in dirt in the roots of the mane!

[HighHeelsHurt]

Sorry I mean cutting his tail or mane- some searches on google suggest to chop it off, but we won’t be doing that

[HighHeelsHurt]

@backinthebox that’s impressive! I did see a video of someone using a bucket on the tail and then wrapping it. Thanks I’ll give that a go in the hope I will get results like yours! Looks beautiful 😍

[frostyfingers]

When it comes to washing, I can highly recommend this from Showtime - it's much cheaper than specific horse shampoo but very effective.

[CurlewKate]

We see to wash my DD's grey with blue fairy liquid. Better than all the posh special shampoos.

[CurlewKate]

Also-she can't possibly do a pony in her school uniform-can't she change at the yard?

[HighHeelsHurt]

Hi- just to update - getting the white back into the horse- what was I thinking! All going v v well with loan though.
For my Dd I ended up purchasing a dry robe and grub boots (gosh it got cold), we are just in a place whereby she can wear her school uniform under the garb and I muck out whilst she turns out into the field. We have a straw bed and my gosh the wee does smell, but as long a she is covered in her dry robe she is good for hay and food whilst I do all the smelly jobs and so far it’s working very very well and she doesn’t get picked in for smelling at school.

Loan horse is delightful but it’s a mud fest so we are holding off the bathing! Can’t wait for spring to give him a complete pamper. Thanks so much for all the advice x

[user1471505494]

I like Diamond White as a shampoo for getting the white bits white and you can use it on other coat colours
If you have a white tail wash it plait it and put a waterproof tail bag on. I go for bright orange or line green so I can find them in the field if they come off . I leave them on for a week then take them off brush and spray on conditioner plait and re bag

[RedPony1]

You're going to be so sad the first time you bath him, he looks fab, then you put him out and he rolls, and rolls, and rolls 😁