What do you use to help dry and remove sweat from your horse’s saddle area after your ride when it’s too cold to hose? Cooler and stiff brush, rubbing alcohol, or something else? Coat defense keeps popping up on my Facebook and I’m intrigued.
[B]Rub rags to dry … stiff brush to finish the cleaning ”¢
Never underestimate the value of lots of clean rub rags in the barn :lol:
- old socks are really helpful - wear like gloves and have two sides … use them turn inside out and use again …
Spring will be here soon ~ :D[/B]
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In unclipped hairs (like the little spot under my saddle): I use a a mane brush (like a paddle brush I would use on my own hair) to comb through the hairs and get some air to the skin (since it leaves little “rows” between the wet hair), and leave the horse under a cooler and/or heat lamps until dry. Periodically I keep brushing through to let it keep airing out. Once it’s dry (or close to it) I use either tiger’s tongue or a stiff brush to finish.
For the wet parts around the ears, I just use the tiger’s tongue/stiff brush method.
Wool cooler or multiple coolers as one gets damp, bath towel to rub and fluff (sometimes with rubbing alcohol), and if I’m running out of time or he’s really sweaty, a hair dryer. Once dry, I use a jelly curry to remove the sweat marks.
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This is my process as well. I like to use heavy cotton scrims under the wool cooler and swap those out as they get damp instead of swapping the cooler(s) themselves.
If the horse is still sweaty and warm, I’d walk the horse out while wearing a fleece cooler. Once the horse is less warm and the sweat has mostly dried, I take off the cooler and brush with a stiff brush.
If it’s too cold to use a hose, but it’s not super cold, you can take a sponge (or a Tiger’s Tongue, there’s just been a thread on this) and dampen it and wipe the marks off. You don’t want the sponge to be dripping wet, just barely damp. Then brush.
I just looked at the website which gives info on Coat Defense. (Product mentioned in OP’s original post.)
It’s primarily marketed for horses as a powder that can be used to soak up sweat and then brushed off. Horse dries off more quickly than with coolers or hair dryers. (My sister uses a hair dryer on her horse as she boards where she has use of an indoor. I don’t board our two horses so I don’t ride during the winter at all.)
I’ve never used it so I don’t know if it works as well as it says it does. The website tells you that it can be used on dogs and even people as it has additives for preventing or helping with skin problems. Worth checking out.
My horse’s unclipped spots (head, legs, saddle area) take for freaking ever to dry, so I’ll stay tuned to this thread.
I put him in the solarium for 15-20 min and he’s still wet. After 30 min he’s almost dry. But usually I put him in there for 15 min then put his wool cooler on. I could stuff straw under it, but haven’t tried yet.
The wool cooler stays on for 20-30 min while I do a few other things and then he’s usually just a little damp but dry enough for his blanket. Sometimes I walk him for awhile too.
I use a Tigers Tongue like product, hard stuff brush (Magic Brush) and curry. It’s like a full day event when I ride and he sweats a lot. Next year he’s sporting a full clip! His hair isn’t long, but it is thick.
Once my guy is cool and just wet, I use towels and a hair dryer. Works really well and he loves the attention and rubs from the towel.
Well, as OP only asked about the saddle area, dare I admit to grabbing handfuls of bedding and rubbing the area briskly and leaving any further grooming until the usual daily brush?
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cooler, towel, vinegar and water for the dirt on the mark. rub rub rub
