I purchased this one. It was the largest one I could find.
I don’t have hot water down at the horses. Since we soak feed, in the winter that presents as somewhat of a hardship. A large electric tea kettle has been a game changer- suggested to me years ago by a fellow COTHer.
Automotive rags are great for wiping down tack, but I like baby wipes as a cheap tack-wipe alternative. Castille soap is my go-to soap for all things horses; cleaning boots, saddle pads, tack, etc. I reuse an old fly spray bottle and do a 1:7 concentrate of castille-water for tack cleaning spray.
Cattle tags for blanket identification/ownership. White cattle tags are for all light weight blankets. Yellow is for midweights - and the rare heavy gets an orange tag. Cheap and on Amazon.
Black gardener velcro wrap has a stunning amount of uses. I use it to keep my bell boots together in storage. Elastics for keeping like-items (bandages, wraps, etc).
Beowulf, the ear tags are genius. I may get them at Tractor Supply as they have smaller packages (25 per) as opposed to Amazon’s 100 piece package.
I learned that from a clever Pony Clubber you may know – a certain lovely woman that used to run Shepley Hill.
I write in big black marker the horse’s name on the front. It’s great for when you have 6 of the same style blanket, in all different sizes, and you have to figure out whose rain sheet is whose.
Dairy cows are not supposed to be fluffy.
A roll of black velcro is right up there with zip ties and gorilla tape on my trailer and barn. Velcro strips make the perfect keepers for so much of my tack (all black). You know that stupid keeper that always falls off the crank noseband? Velcro keeper to the rescue! And it’s beyond useful for the driving harness keepers. Those cable Velcro straps are also really useful to make bridle keepers. But it’s a black tack game until they make brown Velcro lol
Suave Strawberry shampoo works beautifully on white horses and it’s cheap.
That’s actually a much better idea than my electrical tape and rubber bands I use for missing keepers. I have a ton of black Velcro tape.
Wonder if you could buy the white and dye it?
i have a horse that absolutely will not grow a tail. argh! i just ordered this to try. do you use it like show sheen in the tail or do you comb it through etc?
Oh man, I have a lot…
Apple Cider Vinegar, Listerine Gold, Gold Bond, Witch Hazel, Vaseline, Baby Oil <— so many good uses!
Meat tenderizer - helps with proud flesh (don’t come at me)
Dial Antibacterial Soap - the best for literally any type of wound cleaning etc. Also great to use at the top of the tails to keep them clean.
Hemorrhoid Cream is great to use to regrow hair on rubs and scrapes.
I use an electrician’s tool bag as a grooming tote and a lot of packout tool boxes to stay organized.
Or a brown sharpie…
— Baby burp cloths or cloth diapers for wiping/buffing tack (post-cleaning) without leaving streaks
— Long-handled, one-piece silicone shower back brush, for scrubbing legs in the wash stall
— Silicone-dipped garden gloves (the $5 version) to protect hands from muddy hooves while picking, and to scrub coats at bath time
— Large disposable wet wipes designed for bathing nursing-home residents, for spot cleaning
— Thrift-shop bath towels
— Silicone-containing sprays/lotions for human hair, if clearance-priced: good substitute for Show Sheen, etc., and ideal for treating burr-infested tales, manes and forelocks
— Plain contact-lens solution, on a round cotton cosmetic pad, to help loosen goopy eye funk
— Disposable face masks when grooming very dusty coats
— Tyvek suit for clipping
A package of non-flushable baby wipes, to which I add a generous dose of liquid saddle soap. Snap shut “lid” keeps it contained. Instant boot cleaner for post-ride, and saddle/bridle touchup.
This thread needs to be sticky-posted at the top so we can all find it when we need it!
Some of these hacks I already know/use and others never heard of but sound very useful.
Oooh!
I’m going to use this for my biothane harness
My Cleaning Kit now has a Tupperware that holds a sponge. I add water & use Murphy’s spray, rinsing the sponge in the container as I go.
But your idea beats the heck out of toting around mine.
I clean harness only after particularly dirty/sweaty drives, so it would last a while
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Infusium 23 Pro leave in hair treatment. I put this on my horses tail bone to prevent dryness/itchiness, and it works beautifully! I have heard it also encourages hair growth. I personally have not seen a remarkable amount of growth, but my horses tail is healthy and never itchy or dry, so I am a believer in this product. I also recently saw someone using a root comb applicator to apply MTG to their horses tail bone and I thought that was very clever. I personally just rub the Infusium in with my fingers, but the root comb applicator would be a great option as well! The Infusium also smells very nice.
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Baby oil - I periodically rub my horses coat down with baby oil, particularly in the winter. I find that keeps his skin and coat hydrated and shiny, and it seems to help prevent a lot of skin funk! I apply once a week or once every two weeks depending on how dry his skin looks. Its worth noting that my horse has a “normal” coat length in the winter. This might not be quite as effective for skin moisturizing on horses with thicker winter coats.
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Baby powder - When my horse is a bit sweaty on his saddle/girth area during the winter (or any time its too cold to bathe), I curry his hair and apply baby powder to the sweaty areas. I put his cooler on and do chores for 10-20 minutes depending on how sweaty he was. I typically brush the baby powder off and smooth his coat before putting his blanket back on, but the baby powder could also just be left on I suppose.
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Drug store shampoo/conditioner - As others have mentioned, I have found that bathing with drug store shampoos and conditioners to be very effective and easy on the wallet!
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Gas Can - I keep a gas can full of water in my horse trailer to use for drinking water or bathing water for my horse when we are out and about. To be clear, this can has only ever been used for water. I really appreciate how easy it is to move the can around without leaks or spills. Although, I do occasionally get some strange looks from bystanders. The convenience of the water can is unmatched!
Oldschool way was to stick handfuls of hay under the cooler.
Provided loft & insulation & nothing to brush off when horse is dry.
Also, horse can then eat the hay
Arm and Hammer makes a talc free foot powder that I swear is perfect for this. It’s just as good as the Coat Defense powder. I use it to dry out areas and any skin gunk.
Armorall for making plastic girths (Professionals Choice Vent Tech etc), helmets and tendon boots look like new again: it’s my new favorite cleaning step.