How to Clean Horse Hair

A regular grooming schedule is essential to keeping a horse healthy. Mane and tails should be groomed regularly to help prevent tangles and hair loss, and fur coats must be maintained to prevent shedding, mold and rashes. Daily grooming does not take long and is a pleasant experience for both the horse and handler. Clean hair is required if you ever want to show your horse in a competition. There are a variety of shampoos, conditioners and brushes available to horse owners at your local farm and garden store or tack shop.

Things You'll Need

  • Horse shampoo for mane and tails
  • Horse conditioner for mane and tails
  • Horse shampoo for fur coat
  • Wide-tooth mane and tail comb
  • Dandy brush
  • Sweat scraper
  • Hose
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Instructions

  1. Mane and Tail

    • 1

      Apply conditioner to knots and tangles in the mane and tail and work them out with your fingers. Do not use a comb on tangles because it could cause devastating hair loss.

    • 2

      Thoroughly soak the mane and tail with water using either an outdoor hose or a bucket of luke-warm water. If using a hose, make sure the water is not too cold or else the horse may catch a cold.

    • 3

      Apply shampoo to the palm of your hands and work the shampoo into a lather. Apply the lather to the horse's mane or tail. Apply more as needed. Be liberal with the shampoo.

    • 4

      Rinse the shampoo out of the mane and tail. Make sure not to leave any soap behind because dried soap can cause skin irritation.

    • 5

      Apply a liberal amount of conditioner to the mane and tail and allow it to sit for 10 minutes. Rinse the conditioner out of the mane and tail. Again, be careful to not leave any behind.

    • 6

      Allow the mane and tail to dry before combing. Never comb wet horse hair. It is very brittle when wet and can break. Once dry, comb the mane and hair carefully with a wide-toothed comb. Try not to pull out any hair.

    Body Coat

    • 7

      Rinse out your horse's fur coat with either an outdoor hose or a bucket of luke-warm water. If using an outdoor hose, make sure the water is not too cold to prevent the horse from catching a cold.

    • 8

      Apply shampoo to a sponge and rub the shampoo liberally into the horse's coat. Be sure to wash around the horse's jowls, its legs and under the horse's belly.

    • 9

      Rinse the shampoo out of the horse's coat. Be sure to not leave any soap behind because if it dries it can irritate the skin and cause a rash.

    • 10

      Remove excess water from the horse's fur coat using a sweat scraper. Start scraping on the horse's neck and continue your way down the body. Do not use a sweat scraper on the horse's face or legs. Use your hand on these areas instead to remove excess water.

    • 11

      Use a dandy brush (soft bristled brush) to smooth and shine the horse's coat once the hair as dried.