Bathing Your Horse in Chilly Temps

With spring shows on the near horizon, learn how to safely bathe your horse when the weather's less than ideal to ensure he's show-ring ready.

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It’s a tricky time of year for bathing. The calendar indicates that spring is almost here, but there’s still a nip in the air and you might be wondering if it’s too cold to bathe your horse to remove the winter grime on his coat and get him looking his best for that first show of the season.

It’s important to know when it’s too cold to bathe and how to safely and effectively do so when the temperatures are less than ideal. ©Amy K. Dragoo

We’ll explain the various factors you should take into consideration when determining whether it’s too cold to bathe and provide step-by-step instructions on how to bathe your horse during the chillier months and offer “dry” bathing/grooming options for when it’s just too cold to bust out the suds.

When Is It Too Cold to Bathe Your Horse?

In general, horses are more tolerant of cold temperatures than humans. Even when it’s moderately chilly outside, you can hose most horses off from their elbows down without causing them any discomfort. However, horses completely wet to the skin can get chilled very quickly when temperatures drop.

Healthy horses should be able to handle baths without special treatment in temperatures as low as 50 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have a heated grooming area and an enclosed wash rack with warm water, you can bathe below 50 degrees, as long as you take certain precautions. Determining whether it’s too cold to bathe is also relative to your horse’s age and general health.

There are several factors to consider in making this determination:

Is your horse clipped, or does he still have a full winter coat?
His age and overall health. If your horse’s health is compromised in any way or he’s older, determine whether it’s absolutely necessary to bathe him or if a thorough grooming session would suffice. (More on non-bathing options below.) Chilly weather and a reduced body temperature can exacerbate existing health issues or create new ones.
Do you have an enclosed wash area with warm water? Or do you only have access to cold water?
Do you have sufficient time to ensure your horse’s coat is fully dry before turning him out or stalling him?
Do you use a cooler to help him dry faster?

If you only have access to cold water and your horse has a thick winter coat, a full bath usually isn’t a good idea when the temperatures are chillier, especially if he’s turned out most of the time or you don’t have access to an enclosed wash area.

It is not safe to bathe your horse outside in cold temperatures. Even if the weather is milder one day, you might not be able to get a horse with a partial winter coat fully dry before the temperatures drop again—and with a wet, thicker coat, your horse could very easily get chilled. In this situation, spot cleaning would be the safer option.

How to Bathe Your Horse in Cold Weather

The key to bathing your horse in cold weather is to ensure he stays as warm as possible throughout the process and is completely dry before stalling or turning him out. If your horse is clipped, the drying process will be relatively fast; if he still has a partial winter coat, it can take several hours for him to fully dry.

Supplies:

Source of warm water (preferably)
Heated or enclosed wash area that provides protection from wind, rain and drafts
Bucket and sponges
Shampoo
Sweat scraper
Several large, thick towels
Cooler
Plenty of time to fully dry your horse

When the temperatures are still on the chilly side, it’s best to bathe your horse in an indoor, draft-free wash area with hot water, preferably during the warmest part of the day. Hose him down with warm to mildly hot water and work a minimal amount of shampoo through his coat as quickly and thoroughly as possible. (Hot water actually accelerates the cleaning and drying processes.)

After using a sweat scraper to remove excess water from your horse’s coat, throughly go over his body with towels to soak up any remaining moisture so he’ll dry faster. ©Amy K. Dragoo

Once you’ve rinsed off any remaining shampoo residue to the best of your ability, use a sweat scraper to quickly remove excess water clinging to your horse’s coat. Preferably, opt for a rubber-edged scraper, as the rubber easily conforms to the contours of your horse’s body to remove water more effectively. Then, rub his entire body down with the towels to soak up remaining moisture. Toweling him dry will also elevate the individual hairs of his coat, which allows them to dry more quickly, and it increases blood circulation to help keep him warm.

Once you’ve dried his coat as much as possible, outfit your horse in a wool or fleece cooler to accelerate the final drying process. Coolers are designed to wick moisture away from the skin to help prevent horses from getting chilled. If possible, hand-walk your horse in the sun or stall aisles until he’s completely dry. If this is not an option, allow him to fully dry in an enclosed area that’s protected from the elements. You might also provide him with extra hay while he’s drying to help keep him warm.

The Bucket-and-Sponge Method

If you don’t have access to warm water but really need to get your horse looking presentable for that first schooling show of the season, fill a five-gallon bucket with cool water and use a large sponge and minimal amount of shampoo to wash the most crucial areas of his body. The sponge-and-bucket method allows you to be more precise with your water and shampoo, especially if you’re concerned about your horse getting chilled.

If it’s absolutely necessary to wash his entire body, you might consider washing one side of your horse at a time, making sure to sweat scrape and towel his clean side before tackling the other. By washing small areas at a time or only areas that really need to be cleaned, you can limit the drop in your horse’s temperature.

If you don’t have access to warm water and it’s too cold for a full bath, the sponge-and-bucket method will allow you to clean small areas of your horse’s coat at a time. ©Amy K. Dragoo

Ideally, solicit a friend to help so you can shampoo and scrape off excess water from his coat twice as fast. If you don’t have a bathing partner, work on small sections of your horse’s body, being sure to shampoo, rinse, and scrape/dry each section as you go.

If you have enclosed wash area, but only have access to cold water you might be able to at least rinse/bathe his legs. This will limit the amount of his body that’s exposed to the cold water and allow you to more easily remove and any dirt or mud from his legs.

Additional Drying Tips

No matter which bathing strategy you opt for, ensuring your horse is completely dry before turning him out or stalling him is crucial to prevent him from getting chilled.

Outfitting your horse in a cooler after bathing will help accelerate the drying process. ©Amy K. Dragoo

Once outfitted in a cooler, walk your horse in the warmest area you have access to—an indoor arena, up and down a barn aisle or even an outdoor windbreak if it’s sunny outside.
If your horse still has a slightly longer winter coat, you can also use a heat lamp to promote faster drying or even a hair dryer, as long as he’s comfortable with the noise.
After he’s dried a fair amount, you can put him in a clean, dry stall, but keep a careful eye on him until his coat is completely dry. To best gauge this, ruffle different areas of his coat with your hand; the hair closest to his skin should be dry to the touch.
If you plan to turn your horse out after his bath, use the same protocol above and watch for any signs shivering. If the temperature still necessitates blanketing, do not put his sheet or blanket on until you are certain his coat is completely dry. Blankets provide protection him from rain, snow and wind but do not wick moisture away from his coat or provide ventilation to facilitate drying.

Waterless Bath

Supplies:

Rubber curry comb
Grooming towels
Stiff and soft body brushes
Waterless shampoo
Spray-on conditioner

If you live in a part of the country where it’s still just too cold to incorporate water in your pre-show prep, a thorough grooming session can suffice. Use a rubber curry comb and thoroughly curry your horse’s coat in small, circular motions to loosen any dirt, caked-on mud, manure and loose hair. Currying will help stimulate hair follicles’ natural oil production to enhance his coat’s shine. Follow up with a stiff body brush to remove any debris brought up by the curry. For sensitive areas like his legs and face, use a soft body brush or a grooming towel. A conscientious grooming session also provides the opportunity to check for any swelling, bumps or cuts on your horse’s legs, which are easy to overlook during the winter when he has more hair.

Apply waterless shampoo to your horse’s coat and work it into individual hairs with a soft body brush. This will help remove any remaining dirt as well as urine, manure or sweat stains and doesn’t require rinsing. Lastly, spray your horse’s coat with a leave-in conditioner to moisturize hair and help repel dust and shavings and use a soft body brush to work the conditioner into his coat.

So, even if the last winter snow is still thawing in your area, you can still get your horse squeaky clean with these chilly-weather bathing strategies to ensure he has that show-day glow for your first competition.