[TheJenners]

Fav products:

Orvus shampoo, gets them clean and soft, rinses ridiculously easy.
A silicone spray (they are all the same IME) for socks after baths.
Diluted bleach for white tails and socks, plus a good conditioner obviously.

Tricks of the trade? Show up an hour earlier than you need to...

[LordWentworth]

Fav products:
Tricks of the trade? Show up an hour earlier than you need to...

Yup. Definitely the truth.

For me, lots of currying and I love finishing up their coat with a good rub from a rag. Always brings out the best shine!!

[MoonLadyIsis]

My first spring bath routine is as follows. It is long and detailed but does really well for the spoileds.
1: Curry with Epona Shed Flower http://www.doversaddlery.com/epona-s...iqyj55zr4spo45
2: Curry with rubber curry with cones on it http://www.doversaddlery.com/grooma%...mer/p/X1-1069/
3: Curry with a regular curry comb
(the curry process is long, but I feel it massages the skin well gets out all itchies and really brings up the ground in dirt and dander)
Step 4: Wash beast (I use the shampoo bottles that attach to the hose and dilute the water automatically)
Step 5: Curry while wet to work up good suds (like when you get shampooed at the salon..feels so good)
Step 6: Wash legs (for my horse who is prone to scratches on her white legs, I wash them with Betadine scrub, it works like quick silver and kills the grossies at the same time)
Step 7: Rinse beast thoroughly. I like to rise several times
Step 8: After sweat scraping, spray with Healthy Hair care
Step 9: let beast dry
Step 10: Apply Farrier's fix hoof oil all over hoof (frog/sole/heels/wall)
Step 11: Curry again while hoof oil soaks in
Step 12: Use body brush
Step 13: Use soft brush
Step 14: Rub horse down thoroughly with rub rag (my favorite is the gray/white rubber ones, but any old towel will do) THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP!! It really brings a bloom out in their coats.

[Kat.]

Coat moisturizers/sprays: Showsheen for tails/ hind end, Marigold spray for everyday use, and baby oil for going in the bath
Shampoos: orvus for intense cleaning, vetrolin liniment with green soap for a pretty much clean horse, purple soap for whites/ grays, and cheap suave/ drug store brand is always on hand
Conditioners: Aussie 5-minute miracle or Rosewater conditioner
Hoof polishes Feibings for show and farriers fix at home
Brushes/towels/implement thingies: I just use the traditional stuff, but I will say I love the jelly scrubbers
Tricks of the trade: cornstarch for white legs, so much better than baby powder, baby wipes are magic, expensive seam rippers are worth it and pledge keeps your horse clean

[kmwines01]

Healthy Hair Care conditioner (or pink spray, as it's affectionately called)
Slick-n-easy block to help get sand up
desitin- my horse loved to play in the water trough so he pretty much lived coated in desitin during the summer to prevent fungies
Cowboy Magic Rosewater conditioner
Jelly Scrubber- love it for a curry and for bath time. Really make it so much easier to curry their legs than the normal curries.

[Perfect10]

Question: Is cornstarch better than baby powder for whites?

[MoonLadyIsis]

Question: Is cornstarch better than baby powder for whites?

I like it better because it had no fragrance to irritate skin (miss mare has very sensitive skin) but I also like it as a dry shampoo in the winter, so maybe it is just because I am used to always having it around

[ElisLove]

Coat moisturizers/sprays: I'm still on good ole Show Sheen for tails especially.
Shampoos: Don't really matter, I buy a regular shampoo and a whitening shampoo
Conditioners: After bathing I put in a touch of Cowboy Magic Conditioner in the tail
Hoof polishes : Effol
Brushes/towels/implement thingies: I feel my bath mitt really does a good job on the tail, Epona all purpose mitt. Flower Shedder, my horse really likes this for currying (not when he's freshly clipped, but in regular summer coat)

[Felix76]

Effol hoof oil. Effol hoof gel. :-)

My favorite shampoo of all time is head and shoulders 2 in 1 for all over the body/mane/tail. Makes it super slick and soft.

I use a product called Goop for whites. You can find it in specialty pet/grooming shops. It's inexpensive.

[billiebob]

Coat moisturizers/sprays: Don't generally use them, but I'm intrigued by the pink stuff
Shampoos: No More Tangles or other baby shampoo, Vetrolin shampoo
Conditioners: Eqyss Premier Creme Rinse, Vetrolin detangler
Hoof Polishes: Horseshoer's Secret, Farrier's Fix
Brushes etc: Cactus cloth, rub rags, Epona Shed Flower, metal curry for cleaning brushes every couple of strokes, natural fiber brushes, and my favorite curry mitt is this one that I found at Petsmart. It gets ANY caked on mud off easily and it's sensitive TB approved.

[ybiaw]

Tricks of the trade: cornstarch for white legs, so much better than baby powder, baby wipes are magic, expensive seam rippers are worth it and pledge keeps your horse clean

Sooooooooo glad someone else knows the magic of Pledge! I always felt like such a freak!

[reay6790]

my favorite brush EVER:

http://www.smartpakequine.com/easycl...x?cm_vc=Search

[LoveJubal]

YES, those are the ones I love. The older they get, the better they are, too.

Where do you find the good grooming rags? I need a stash for my trailer!

[kmwines01]

http://www.smartpakequine.com/world-...ner-6244p.aspx

Absolutely love some Pepi! It smells absolutely amazing and I like it better than show sheen for the shine. Also works on feet if you need to do a quick shine and can't get to the hoof oil. WD-40 works well for that too.

[woodhillsmanhattan]

Coat moisturizers/sprays: Healthy hair care for all over body, showsheen or vetrolin shine for tail

Shampoos: Head and Shoulders dry scalp conditioner for body, mane, and tail; Ivory dish soap for leg washing

Conditioners: Mane and Tail

Hoof polishes: Baby oil

Brushes/towels/implement thingies: I use old bath towels and cut them in half so I have two smaller towels. Also like those towels that you can find in the auto section at stores. The ones that everything sticks to. Don't remember the name of them.

Tricks of the trade:
- curry. a lot.
- Healthy hair care on coat every day (it has sunscreen in it), rub in with hand towel
- When giving a bath. Dilute soap in luke warm water and sponge all over wet horse on one side and then CURRY CURRY CURRY before you rinse! Finally do a diluted vinegar rinse to strip the remaining soap, protect from flies, acts as a brace, and leave a nice shine! (When it's after a work out I often dilute vinegar and the vetrolin stuff together)
- Only give a bath before a show! While at the show simply hose off, vetrolin/vinegar rinse, and wash legs with dish soap.
- Wash your brushes at least once a month. There is not use grooming a horse with dirty brushes. I keep a separate set for shows and home.
- curry some more.

[Mukluk]

LOVE this thread. My usual grooming routine depends on filth of the girl. She lives in a stall with an attached dirt paddock- so she can get muddy. She's a sensitive OTTB but if she is muddy, she will tolerate a metal curry if I am VERY gentle. It does wonders to get the muck off. Then rubber curry. Then flick brush. Then Jelly scrubber. Then a medium brush. Then the pimple mitt (can rub her anywhere with this and she is pretty fine). Then body brush. Second going over with body brush if needed. Then rub rag. Then healthy hair all over. She has a special brush just for her face. Try to only bathe before shows and may use vetrolin or head and shoulders or pert plus. Discovered vetrolin shine last year and LOVE it- make her so soft and silky. If going to a show will use show sheen on tail and legs to repel dirt. Writing this makes me want to go out and brush/dote on my lovely mare. Don't do much for hooves but every so often, when her feet are damp from being hosed off, brush them with "shur hoof." I think it's made with fish oil. Second the corn starch for white socks. I just love keeping my little princess pretty, and she just loves rolling in the mud!!! Also cowboy magic detangler for da tail. I only ever comb it after it has been washed and doused in cowboy magic. The rest of the time I practice "benign neglect" of the tail- except for brushing with a normal brush and regular dousing with healthy hair care.

[meboss84]

I really LOVE the Eqyss products, they are a little pricey....somehow I seem to find myself spending more on my horses grooming products than my own "grooming" products.....without hesitation I might add. Also, I love adding a little baby oil to my shampoo when giving a bath, it makes them so soft!!

[FLeventer]

-My soft touch curry, I will never use a real curry again.

-Goop Hand Cleaner for white markings and white tails. Cheaper then any whiting shampoo and does not leave a purple residue if left in for too long. White Paste and can get at walmart/hardware store.

-Healthy Hair Care for coats. Best to just spritz on their coats daily. No slick residue and great smell.

-The only time I use hoof oil is before my dressage test and I use Fiebings Hoof Oil as it is cheap and the best for swiping hooves before going into the ring.

-I like microfiber rags for wiping away dust on a clean horse. Cheap and just pick up the dust.

-Vetrolin Shine for the tails after Show Sheen changed their formula. That or Exqyss Survivor which smells great and last forever.

-Long bristled brushes are the best for a quick groom.

[comingback]

Canter Silk Mane & Tail Conditioner....LOVE this stuff. I usually spray it on the tail as soon as I have the horse on the cross ties, do the rest of the grooming (including lots of currying) and then brush the tail out. The tail can be caked in manure and urine and I am still able to get a brush through the tail without any pulls, snaps, breaks, etc. I'm someone who brushes the tail daily. Usually one application of this will last me 3-5 days but will keep the tail nice and manageable.

Healing Tree Private Reserve Tea Tree Shampoo...it's a little unconventional in that it doesn't suds up quite as much as other shampoos but boy oh boy does it leave a soft coat. I've been wanting to try it on a grey to see if there is any difference in managing their color/cleanliness, but the dark horses I have used it on just gleamed like crazy!

[Renn/aissance]

Curry, medium natural fiber brush, nubby towel, hoof pick, a spray bottle of alcohol, and a jelly curry mitt. The latter is for faces and for chewing on. For baths, Ivory soap for white and Vetrolin for everything else. Human hair conditioner for tails, and Cowboy Magic's or Carr Day and Martin's Canter Silk detangler.

Tricks of the trade: nothing can replace elbow grease. Curry curry curry, rub rub rub. Shine doesn't come out of a bottle, it's good nutrition and good grooming, every day.