I had heard baby oil, because it greases up the hair shaft so that it comes out easier. I tried this once on a 2 year old that was going to show in hand, and it did end up getting a lot of the hair out. But may need blanketing if the weather gets cold again. I don’t think you want to clip this late as you may clip the summer coat coming in.
I moved to my barn at the end of November. The house was built around 1798. What passed for insulation back then was horsehair plaster. My Paint horse throws a prodigious supply of sorrel and white. I offered it to the BO. They turned me down because the farm was on the market and an offer was in the works. They sold it as-is.
I shed him every few days. I use the Epona flexible curry, EquiGroomer, a stiff natural brush, and a medium finishing brush. If you are lucky you can do it in the aisleway on a windy day. It blows out the door.
Hint # 1: if you have a horse with a heavy coat you know when you are in the heart of shedding season. You spit hair out when you are riding and if you stop for groceries on the way home. I keep a damp washcloth close by. If I keep my face a little bit damp the hair doesn’t stick which pretty much eliminates the spitting.
Hint #2: Keep your brushes and curries free of excess hair. I whack the Epona curry on the poop bucket and pull the wads out. I pull the brushes across the corner of something wood which cleans the hair out and a lot of dust.
Hint #3: I don’t do the traditional circular curry motion. I go back and forth across the hair on smaller sections and then go with the hair. It’s easier when your horse is too tall to reach the top of his butt. Sometimes he’ll cock a hind leg on the side I’m working on .
Hint #4: use a manure fork to rake up hair. It’s much better than a broom. It gathers it up into wads that are easier to pick up. Whoever sweeps the aisleway will finish the job.
Hint #5: he has a lot more soft hair on his belly, which is an easy area to miss.
A couple of days ago a staff member saw a strange area on the ground when they went out to get him. It was an outline in sorrel and white hair, apparently where he took his nap after rolling.
