What transcends discipline, location, breed of horse or level of rider? The excitement of a warm day, new shampoo and the wash stall alllll to yourself and your horse. Even as a professional groom, I get a little giddy on bath day myself!
However, as a professional groom, there are numerous considerations that go into each horse’s bath day. Horses in riding programs are subject to a number of stressors on their skin – from fly spray to sweat and boot rubs. A professional grooming program is designed to prevent negative effects and take consideration of stressors on the horse’s skin. Bathing itself can be considered a stressor, and I like to ensure that I am minimizing the risks as much as possible.
Consistent Cleanliness
Keeping a horse consistently clean has proven to amplify the positive effects of a thorough grooming routine. I do not like to leave dirt and dust on the skin for more than a week, and even the best groom will struggle to remove every bit of dirt off the horse with just brushing (or worse, layering on products to hide the dirt!). Regularly bathing the horse with gentle shampoo removes these irritants, helping keep the skin clear from dermatitis and preventing boot, saddle and blanket rubs.
Overbathing concerns
Overbathing and drying out the skin and coat is a very real concern. The sequence outlined in this article plays a major role in the prevention of dry skin. However, the real work comes from the day-to-day grooming routine, the careful currying and daily maintenance.
Think of this through the lens of a common riding dilemma: an inexperienced rider is afraid to pull back on their reins in order to add the extra stride down a line of jumps. They pulled, and maybe the horse refused, chipped the last jump or it was just plain awkward. The confused rider thinks pulling must be a bad thing until their trainer reminds them to add leg! Not just a little leg, but at least twice as much leg strength as pulling strength, and soon, things are falling into place.
When considering dry skin in the horse, one must ensure they are putting at least twice as much effort into their day-to-day grooming routine as they contribute to their bathing day. Daily grooming, especially currying, will be the skin’s best layer of protection.
NOTE! For the purposes of this article, “bathing” is considered putting soap and water on the horse and scrubbing. This is not the same as “rinsing” which is only using water, likely to cool the horse or rinse sweat off.
But wait there’s more!
Bella Nye details the considerations you should take when determine when and how much to bathe your horse, her specific routine, her post-bath care and her go-to products. This article is available in full on the HorseGrooms Community. You don’t want to miss it. Sign up for free for the HorseGrooms Community today!
I began my grooming career at a young age. From the moment my childhood trainer suggested I’d become a professional groom, my destiny was set in stone.
To further my knowledge, I attended and graduated from Centenary University with a degree equine science in 2022. In the following years, I gained experience traveling and show grooming with top-ranked combined driving and dressage trainers, honing my FEI skills. Today, I am a professional groom for Jess Idol of Dynamic Dressage, of Winchester, Virginia, and Wellington, Florida.
