Getting thick pony feathers WHITE.

[deltawave]

Every year I toy with the idea of clipping my piebald Shetland's feathers off, and every year I just can't do it. She's got beautiful little legs and a beautiful trot but she has REALLY thick, heavy feathering on her legs. We call her my mini Gypsy Vanner. :) I figure they help with flies and I have no earthly reason to clip them, but they are, I must say, sort of dingy.

Now all of a sudden we're going to a show in June and I'm wondering how the HECK you can get dingy yellow feathered legs to be glistening white, in a pony who lives outside. I don't mind confining her in a stall for one night before a show, but in reality she's an outside critter.

I've used all the whitening shampoos with decent results, sometimes a little peroxide works wonders, too, but mostly I do regular short-haired legs and socks and even clip if the hair on the socks is really dirty. Need ideas for whitening hair that is long and thick and bushy and is going to stay that way. ;)

TIA!

[ddashaq]

Last year I rode a Shire that had some seriously hairy legs. To get them white, I used bars of Ivory and was AMAZED at how white it got them. I have no idea why it works, but it does! I am told that the liquid works just as well, and is a bit easier than scrubbing horse legs with a bar. Your pony sounds adorable-- you should post s picture!

[mhtokay]

It's funny, but iodine shampoo, or betadine scrub does wonders.

[Sonic Boom]

I like the Orvus concentrate. :) Was excellent for our Shire-girl's feathers and whitening (before we clipped them, anyway), and makes all the horses sparkle, including the greys. I swear that it works much better than the whitening shampoos.

Best part to me is that it is clearly very gentle, as even my horse can use it, and he breaks out in hives if so much as a soap bubble of anything but Microtek or aloe shampoo gets near him. I love this stuff, and it lasts FOREVER.

ETA: I too have had good luck with Ivory soaps for this sort of thing.

[goodhors]

You might try washing her ahead, a few times. Like once weekly for several weeks, getting her white as clean as possible. I find it may take some work to get them REALLY clean. Then successive washings are much less work to reach the clean stage again.

And if you can't get that glittery white then, maybe clipping is needed. You will know after the first couple washings.

I am more a clipped leg person, think it adds to the refined look, especially for smaller animals like ponies. Not a feathery leg person at all. Maybe my old 4-H training!

Might just be the mix of colors, which prevent the white look. Had some palominos that had mixed color hair in tails and legs, would not wash to real white. Pulled black hairs and clipped legs, horses then APPEARED to be blinding white in those places. Just the depth of hair on legs would not let it be white.

I have had great luck with Orvus, Wonder Blue, done Quic Silver soaks on mane and tails, but not used Ivory.

[Kenike]

Don't laugh, but I use Spray & Wash (in the red bottle, "max," I think) on the white tails. Works wonderfully and always makes me go "wow!"

Seriously, the dingy, yellow & brown yuck gives way to that sparkly white that is so lovely to see! Just spray it on very thick, let it sit for like 5 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Viola! Oh, and when it was first suggested to me I was concerned it would be drying. Oddly enough, it's actually quite moisturizing! Leaves soft & silky hair behind! It's a trick that I'll keep using forever! Oh, and I use the red spray bottle "max" stuff just because that's what I also buy for my laundry. I don't think it really matters whcih exact formula you use.

The Ivory soap works well, too...but I still think S&W works better.

[Cherry]

Way back in the good old days we used to use LaFrance Bluing and Ivory Snow on the horses legs--rinse well though. Nowadays some use Mrs. Stewarts liquid bluing.

How about Oxi-Clean????

In addition, when the socks are nearly dry you could use a 50/50 combination of cornstarch and baking soda--it deodorizes, helps to dry the legs and "should" cover the dingies ("fight for the bright!")... ;) Allow the leg to dry and then comb through....

I don't blame you for not clipping her legs--especially if she looks like one of those majikal horses that pass butterflies! :winkgrin: :lol:

[goeslikestink]

Every year I toy with the idea of clipping my piebald Shetland's feathers off, and every year I just can't do it. She's got beautiful little legs and a beautiful trot but she has REALLY thick, heavy feathering on her legs. We call her my mini Gypsy Vanner. :) I figure they help with flies and I have no earthly reason to clip them, but they are, I must say, sort of dingy.

Now all of a sudden we're going to a show in June and I'm wondering how the HECK you can get dingy yellow feathered legs to be glistening white, in a pony who lives outside. I don't mind confining her in a stall for one night before a show, but in reality she's an outside critter.

I've used all the whitening shampoos with decent results, sometimes a little peroxide works wonders, too, but mostly I do regular short-haired legs and socks and even clip if the hair on the socks is really dirty. Need ideas for whitening hair that is long and thick and bushy and is going to stay that way. ;)

TIA!

use pig oil and sulphur with rubber gloves matey,

A couple of "handfuls" of sulphur per litre of P/O, apparently (tis very scientific ). Use rubber gloves and a sponge, get right down to the skin. Horse will have yellow legs for a few days so be prepared for that.

then they go white as white ok dokey

[Moocow]

It's funny, but iodine shampoo, or betadine scrub does wonders.

Exactly what I was going to say! It really does work wonders. :D

[deltawave]

What a bunch of good ideas, thanks!

What on EARTH is "pig oil"??!! And where do you get it? :) That and bluing are the only things on the list I don't already have--and bluing I know I can find.

I'm at work so don't have my picture files to post, but if you look on the driving forum under the "suitable fabric for a driving apron" thread you'll see my Majikal Mini Gypsy Vanner Pony. :D

[Reds-n-Greys]

I had great success with original Palmolive liquid soap (the green kind) and bluing for my 4 white stocking legged mare.

Of course, the day my older sisters "bluing-ed" my grey pony so he was a loffly shade of lavender was not a happy day!! They, of course laughed themselves silly - me? Not so much! Wish we had taken pictures!

[Fireangel]

I have had plenty of greys in my time and I had a big old container of orvus and then I would add a bottle of Quik Silver to it. Worked great! Also I know we used to use Wisk.

[goeslikestink]

[QUOTE=deltawave;4034768]What a bunch of good ideas, thanks!

What on EARTH is "pig oil"??!! And where do you get it? :)


here at heavy horses supplys http://www.heavyhorsesupplies.co.uk./

delta click oils-- it works has done for years here

[ddashaq]

Deltawave, your pony is adorable and I LOVE the baby! How darling!!

I had another whitening suggestion, too. There is this stuff called WOW! that works really well-- a friend of mine used on her horses yellow mane and it came out bright white. I think you can get it at Dover or SmartPak.

[twofatponies]

It's funny, but iodine shampoo, or betadine scrub does wonders.

I was just going to say that! I've been washing my older mare's heel for scratches (almost gone, yay!) and I was surprised how beautifully white it made her white sock!

I read the label and it says it's fine to use as a general shampoo, so this weekend she's getting the head to tail spring scrubdown!

[sublimequine]

A little APHA trick... after they're clean and bright, rub some baby powder into them for even more white shiny goodness. :lol:

[Renn/aissance]

Re. Oxi-Clean (I saw someone suggested it)--makes tails fall out. I wouldn't use it on socks either. I do like Ivory and Orvus.

[ponygrl25]

After you get them clean spray liberally with Show Sheen. I start washing my girl (also a paint) about 2 weeks before a show, twice a week give her a good scrub and condition well, spray all over ( not where the saddle/ girth goes) and let her dry before turn out. Then she gets a double bath, one with Ivory, one with Quic Silver, the night before and lots of SS., then a sheet. I would die without Show Sheen!! (or at least have a very dingy pony):D