On a hot summer day, spraying your sweaty horse down with cold water is second nature. In fact, the sweltering sun and warm breeze might dry his coat before you’ve even recoiled the hose. But what do you do if your fuzzy horse works up a sweat or rolls in the mud the night before a show … in the middle of winter? Is bathing a horse in the winter a good idea?
Factors to Consider Before Bathing a Horse in the Winter
Thanks to their large muscle mass and innate thermoregulation abilities, equines are better equipped than we are when it comes to tolerating cold temperatures. That being said, there are still climate conditions where bathing a horse might not be advisable because of hypothermia (low core body temperature) concerns.
Rather than abiding by a strict, universal temperature cutoff, consider all these factors when deciding whether it’s safe to bathe your particular horse on a particular day:
Temperature
The general rule of thumb is to avoid bathing a horse in the winter when temperatures drop below 50°F (10°C). The horse’s ability to dry off quickly also diminishes as temperatures fall.
Wind Chill
Wind can make temperatures feel much colder, especially for wet horses. A strong wind chill can significantly increase a horse’s risk of becoming cold, even if the temperature is slightly above the recommended threshold.
Horse Coat
Winter coats are double-edged swords. Horses with long, thick coats can tolerate cold temperatures better than those with short, clipped hair. But all that extra fluff can easily double or triple drying time after sweating or bathing, prolonging the period a horse is wet (and cold).
Indoor Facilities
If you have access to hot water inside a heated wash stall and barn, you are much less limited than the equestrian who must bathe their horse in the outside wash rack with ice-cold water.
Drying Techniques
When bathing a horse in the winter, it’s essential to dry him as thoroughly and quickly as possible to prevent chills. Your access (or lack thereof) to towels, moisture-wicking blankets such as coolers and scrims, and heat will greatly affect your ability to bathe a horse in cold weather. Ideally, you’ll want to end a bath by rubbing your horse’s body and legs vigorously with towels. Then, immediately cover his body with a cooler or scrim to keep him warm and help his coat dry faster. If your barn is lucky enough to have a solarium (heated red lamps hanging overhead in a grooming stall or wash stall), stand your damp horse under it to dry.
For more horse bathing guidance, check out these 15 tips.
Alternatives to Full Bathing
If the overall temperature and conditions are just too cold for a full bath, consider these alternatives to maintain your horse’s cleanliness:
- Spot cleaning: For dirty areas such as legs or mud splotches, spot cleaning with a damp sponge and warm water can be an effective alternative. Just be sure to dry the area quickly.
- Hot toweling: Use a towel soaked in hot water and wrung out to loosen dirt and wipe off sweat without fully wetting the coat. As an alternative to a towel, you can rub your horse’s sweat marks with clean, fluffy straw. This material is naturally absorbent.
- Rubbing alcohol: You can spray alcohol on a towel and wipe it on the horse’s sweatiest areas (usually the girth, saddle area, and base of the ears). Use it sparingly, though, because alcohol can dry out the skin.
- Dry shampoo: You can find dry shampoos designed specifically for horses and apply them to soiled areas without water. This is particularly helpful for removing stains on gray and white coats.
- Body-clipping: If you plan to ride your horse through the winter, consider body-clipping him. A short coat helps the horse sweat less—reducing the need for bathing—and dries much faster. Whether you choose a full or partial (trace) clip, keep in mind you’ll need to blanket your horse to compensate for the loss of his natural coat.
Conclusion
If the prospect of having to get through winter without giving your horse a single bath feels daunting, don’t worry—you have options! Strategic body-clipping—and blanketing—spot cleaning, and dry shampooing are effective alternatives to keep your equine companion stain- and sweat-free through the winter. You’ll find that at many barns, equestrians celebrate the first warm spring day by bathing their horses with the water and shampoo they had to go without for several months. Happy scrubbing!
Lucile Vigouroux, MSc, holds a master’s degree in Equine Performance, Health, and Welfare from Nottingham Trent University (UK) and an equine veterinary assistant certification from AAEVT. She is a New-York-based freelance author with a passion for equine health and veterinary care. A Magnawave-certified practitioner, Lucile also runs a small equine PEMF therapy business.
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