I’ve been riding before work for the past 5 years, tacking up before dawn most days. And I’m no martyr.
The stinkiest factor is hair, so I keep a lavender-scented dryer sheet in my helmet at all times, especially when it’s on my head.
When it’s unfolded, you can’t tell it’s there, and it absorbs sweat.
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Thank you so much for all the thoughtful responses so far, and @beowulf thank you for your sympathy. In my previous position, I had more flexibility on riding during business hours, but I traveled a ton. So at least I have the OPTION to get to the barn now.
@Fadleen, your suggestion about the dryer sheet is magical. My hair is curly, and while I wash it before I ride, I know it’s picking up all sorts of helmet smells. I do have a removable liner, so I need to jump on washing that more often.
Also, thanks to those who suggested changing ALL my clothes. I’ve been putting on a different bra for work, but I am going to need to do the same for underwear as it gets hotter - that will make me more comfortable.
@endlessclimb, the struggle with hands/fingernails is real. My best bet is to keep nails short and make a point of scrubbing my nails at some point during the morning. Maybe I can get a fun soap to keep at my desk to make that a little more pleasant.
Thank you again for the suggestions, and keep them coming!
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Echo this. My hands and wrists were scrubbed but I still had eau de barn whiffs at my desk. It was my watch, which I had removed for washing but did not wipe off.
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I do gym, barn, work. Gym has no shower or locker room so I get changed twice before work at 8. Even though my work is usually outside and with plenty of dirt itself lol. I used to use my horse trailer dressing room to change and now I have an LQ trailer so it’s perfect for that. I do unscented baby wipes and Native Whole body spray deodorant.
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I did not know whole body deodorant was a thing, but wow! Looking at their scents now.
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You have my sympathy. Inflexible RTO has delivered a big ball of suck to people in the DC area (and other places with godawful traffic and ridiculous commutes). So much productive time is lost sitting on the roads/dealing with Metro.
On days when I have to look like a grownup after my ride, I do a lot of what others have suggested. I start with clean hands — cleaning tack with a sponge, hot water and glycerine soap helps there! Even gets the crud out from under my nails. Then I wipe arms, neck and face with a wet bandanna or towel to get the first layer of dirt and hair off exposed skin. Shuck off barn clothes (including skivvies) and use baby wipes (cheap unscented store brand) for a showerless shower. Reapply deodorant, get dressed, apply makeup. I bring a go bag with me, but if this was a regular thing I’d just keep duplicate grooming items at the barn.
I am not a hair person, so I just brush and smooth into a low pony or bun, or rinse under hose and finger comb when I’m in my bob era. But I imagine dry shampoo might help if you want to have some semblance of style without grease.
Finally, I blast the a/c for the first five minutes in the car. This helps reset my body, with its temperamental middle-aged thermostat, from “outdoor heathen mode” to “indoor propriety mode” and helps keep me from sweating away all my hard work.
If I vacuumed my car more often, I wouldn’t have to worry about my clean clothes picking up random grey hairs. (His, not mine. Well, OK, mine too. Sigh.)
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Be very careful changing your footwear inside the barn.
I feel like just thinking about going near the barn in a pair of not barn shoes manages to get them smelling like barn.
So, unless the path from wherever you change at the barn to your car is totally horse smell free, I would suggest making the shoe change somewhere else.
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Agree! Especially in the winter with the heat on, WOW is that smell pervasive!
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My sympathies! I used to live this reality too, and it’s exhausting but doable.
Mostly echoing what others said, although I’ll caution you on the dryer sheet in the helmet thing, since chemicals in many dryer sheets are carcinogens. I opted for dry shampoo and a pleasant smelling oil or hair spray to run through my hair after a ride.
Whole change of clothes, socks, underwear, and shoes is also a necessity. After baby wipes, I used a nice lotion with a mild scent—benefits of both hydrating my skin after the wipes, and helped mask any lingering barn scent.
For nail grime, my one indulgence is a biweekly gel manicure with a darker polish. The gel helps me from breaking my nails quite as often at the barn, and the dark color masks any barn dirt I can’t quite get out from under my nails.
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That’s fair and probably depends on your barn’s set up. In my case, the barn had a locker room / social room with concrete flooring. I always changed in the bathroom there, then walked out to my car.
In my current situation there is no barn ( 
) so all I do is kick off my Wellies in the tack shed, and put on my Sperrys and off I go.
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Is there a cheap gym (planet fitness, etc.) somewhere between the barn & work? Not sure what the climate is where you are but sitting in professional clothes all day after sweating sounds terrible. If that’s not an option I would towel off and bring a loose tee & shorts to change into at the barn so you have a chance to cool down on the drive before putting on the stuffy clothes.
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That’s actually a good idea. I did this on overnight shows - I’d head out to the Anytime Fitness for a shower after the day was done.
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I am sure there is, but adding any extra stop in rush hour traffic is really not feasible, particularly since I rely on the express lane to get to my desk by 9ish. (Schedule is: 4 am wake up, leave house before 5, at barn/walking to field before 6, on by 6:30, done at 7:15, short hack until 7:25, groom/put stuff away, change in barn bathroom and on the road to office by 8 to get to desk by 9). There’s not really any leeway for an extra stop unless I get up earlier, which I don’t want to do.
But I like the tshirt/shorts idea. I’d just have to figure out how to look professional enough by the time I hit the parking garage (where I inevitably see people).
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Shoes are also not something I’ve thought about. I currently walk in my work flats about 30 feet from the barn bathroom, across a gravel road (that horses cross) to get in my car. I change from those flats to heels before meetings, but the flats do sit under my desk. Maybe I should put on flip flops for my 30 foot walk and keep any barn smell from the work flats.
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I adore this suggestion, though it’s always hard for me to find the time. Ironically, when I traveled, I ended up knowing the best airport spas to get a great pedicure/manicure. I’ve neglected that since being off the road, but maybe I need to find a place!
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can I just say this thread is making me incredibly glad that I do not work in an office
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I’d go with some dry shampoo (with a fragrance you like) for your hair. Keep a brush in the car.
As far as your nails go, yes, keep them short. Then, after you’ve groomed the horse and ridden, put some saddle soap on a sponge with a small bucket of warm water and wipe down your saddle, boots, whatever. Use both hands to dip into the water and wipe. The saddle soap is kind to your skin and between it and the warm water, your nails will get passably clean.
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First, more power to you for making it work!
Second, take a look at the full body wipes. I’ve used these when camping and they do a surprisingly decent job.
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Thank you! Super helpful. And I love REI.
I’ve done this off and on in my riding life and will echo what others have said.
Dry shampoo is a MUST for me, and might also be worth mastering a “hair up” style that works for your work setting so you can disguise helmet hair. That said, the dry shampoo often makes this unnecessary for me. I like the “not your mother’s” brand you can get at most drug stores and supermarkets, but Trader Joe’s also makes a good one. Not sure if you have access to a mirror, but something easy to pack like a travel hair straightener also helps to smooth out any pony tail bumps etc. This all depends on your hair type though. I would leave my makeup for after I rode, and use wipes or a washcloth to wipe down my face, arms, chest, pits etc. before re-deodorant applying. Then skin care and makeup on a fresh face. And THOROUGHLY wash hands including using a nail brush to clean out any yuckies from under my nails.
Otherwise what others have mentioned is the most important - clean change of clothes, and separate footwear.
Leave time to grab a coffee or something else that will provide you a “moment of zen” before transitioning from your horse girl identity to bad ass corporate professional. I always found taking a few minutes to switch my mindset helped me transition more easily into the less fun part of my day.
Editing to add some products that might be helpful:
www.https://lumedeodorant.com/ - bunch of different deodorant products for the whole body
Equestrian Wellness Helmet Spray There’s a couple different helmet deodorizing sprays on the market, but can personally vouch for this one which smells great and helps cut the drying time of my helmet liner. I also keep a fresh helmet sack in my helmet in the summer which helps a lot with absorbing smells and moisture.
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