Introduction

We all ask ourselves, “what is the best way to get my horse really clean?” “How do I get that tail and mane to really shine?” Haflinger owners are particularly interested in getting the tails really white. I will attempt to give you some ideas to consider when washing your horse. Like all the other advice on my website, I don’t pretend to be the foremost expert on detergents and cleaners. But I have been washing for years, and I’m willing to share my experiences. If anyone has any other great ideas they would like to share, feel free to email me. I will try them and add them to this site if they work well.

How often should I wash my horse?

Wash her as little as possible. Most horse people will tell you that the best way to make your horse look great is to brush her every day. Soap removes the oils from a horse’s coat. Nothing beats a well groomed horse that is brushed every day. Actually, I wash my horses as needed, but they usually need a good scrubbing over the whole body when I pull them out of the pasture and start prepping them for a show. Once the coat is clean, the brushing is usually all they need to keep their coats looking good. Haflingers (especially mares) usually have white tails that are stained with urine and manure. I usually try to wash their tail a minimum of five times before I get to the show. Each washing will get the tail a little whiter, but there are diminishing returns. I usually try to give the mane two good scrubbings to get the deep dirt out. Most of this topic will be a discussion of getting tails white, as that is the Haflinger owner’s most formidable challenge.

How do I wash a tail?

Since you will be washing this tail repeatedly, and some of the cleaners can be a little harsh, try to keep most of the washing below the base of the tailbone. Stay down where there is only hair and no living tissue. Sure, you need to get the whole tail clean, but most of the deep stains will be closer to the bottom, so focus most of your attention there. Don’t ever leave the detergent cleaners on the skin of the tail for more than a few minutes. Other than that, it’s simple -wet - suds - soak – rinse – and repeat. A stiff hair brush can add some good physical cleaning action that will help remove caked on manure.

What do I do for water?

A garden hose with a nozzle is a great start. Good pressure can help as the mechanical action of the pressure saves your arm and back the need to do all the scrubbing manually. Warm water always cleans better than cold and soft water always cleans better than hard. So if your garden hose only has cold, hard water, you might want to get a pail of warm, soft water from the house. It may really help your cleaning efforts. You should notice that the soaps will suds up a lot better with the soft water, particularly if it’s warm.

What soaps, cleaners, and conditioners do I use for washing my horse?

Orvus

Orvus is a detergent manufactured by the Procter and Gamble Company. It is made for livestock and has been used for many, many years to wash horses. It is an effective detergent and it works great for removing the caked on manure. The funny thing about Orvus is the fact that I’d almost forgotten about it. Now I’m a big fan again. I’ve used it my whole life, but I’d stopped using it in favor of my own little homemade concoctions. Then, last year, we bought a filly at an auction. She was one of the cleanest, brightest Haflingers we’d ever seen. So we asked the owner what they had used. They told us it was just plain old Orvus. We’re back to using a lot of Orvus again. I find that Ovus can be a little difficult to rinse out, so you may want to try a pail of soft water. It’s also a little harsh on my skin and the horse’s skin so take it easy on too many multiple washings. Don’t leave it in for an excessive amount of time, and rinse very thoroughly all over the horse.

Technical info.- Orvus is a paste which becomes an amber liquid in warm weather. It is biodegradable. Its active ingredient is SLS, a detergent called Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. SLS is an irritant. However, SLS is commonly found in shampoos and toothpastes. I believe the SLS is pretty concentrated in the Orvus.

Orvus costs $15-$20 for a 7.5 lb container. This will last a long time, so its pretty cost effective. Put the lid back on while you're washing so your horse doesn't kick the container over.

Here is one site where you can buy Orvus

Joy Dishwashing Liquid

Joy is also manufactured by the Proctor and Gamble Company. It is a detergent. It’s not made for horses. But because it is a product designed for humans to use with their hands, I assume it is a fairly gentle product. I often use it for washing the bodies and faces. I also have an interesting story for how I got hooked on Joy. I show horses with an old horse guy who used to work in a “soap” factory. He essentially told me that Joy was the gold standard of the industry. That was funny to me because a few years before, I had the opportunity to work with a large consumer testing laboratory. They test consumer products of all types to find out which ones work the best. They had been hired by an expensive, name brand shampoo company to evaluate their shampoo against all of the high end salon products. They evaluated many shampoos and used Joy as the control. When Joy out-performed all of the shampoos, they were shocked. The results were not published.

Technical info.- Joy also contains the detergent SLS as one of its primary ingredients. In addition, it contains emollients which are to prevent the skin from drying out. Joy is a very good emulsifier, which basically means that it cuts though grease and oils.

EZall Products

The EZall company provides a full line of horse cleaning products. They are endorsed by many equine professionals such as Clinton Anderson, Dennis Reis, and others. EZall’s products are Bio-based products derived from plant sources. They have a nice spray-on applicator that makes washing your horse easy. I first became aware of the EZall products several years ago at the national Haflinger show, where a friend told me that she really liked the products. I have just begun to evaluate the products myself, but so far I’m impressed. I brought two of my two year old mares in from the pasture for their first washing of the spring. I lined them up next to each other and washed one tail with Orvus, one with EZall’s mane and tail formula. I washed each tail twice. The EZall tail was definitely cleaner and whiter when I finished. I realize that this is not a conclusive scientific study because the Ezall tail was slightly cleaner to begin with. Still, the product works, and I was impressed. I will keep evaluating their products and provide any updates.

Here is EZall's site.

Bluing

If you’re not familiar with bluing, you may not believe this, but bluing is not a shampoo, detergent, or anything that cleans your horse. Bluing is to make your horse’s tail and mane more blue. Shades of white usually have some shade of color to them, whether it’s blue, pink, or yellowish. Laundry experts have known for decades that the blue shades look the whitest to us. That’s why many laundry detergents are blue (whether or not they actually contain bluing). Bluing will make your tail look whiter, but don’t over do it or your friends will be laughing at the horse with the blue tail.

Diluted Vinegar

I occasionally rinse a tail in vinegar diluted with two parts water. I'm not really sure how well this works. I can't testify that I've seen dramatic results. I do know that other people have told me that they think it works well. Here is why I use the vinegar: Vinegar is acidic. Acids are good at removing mineral deposits and build up. I believe that there are minerals in the urine stains. If I can strip away these mineral deposits, it will hopefully loosen the stain so that additional washes with detergent will be more effective at lifting the stain. Therefore, I use the vinegar rinse on tails with stubborn stains that have been washed a few times already.

Infusium 23 Leave in Conditioner

I like to use Clairol’s Infusium 23 leave in conditioner. I use my fingers to work it into the mane and tail after washing. It helps me to comb the hair when it’s wet and after it dries. You can buy large bottles for a pretty good price at the big discount stores. I find a little goes a long way.

Cowboy Magic

This is the conditioner I use for really tough jobs. I use it for working out knots, tangles, and the dreaded “dread locks.” I also use it when battling those nasty cockle burrs. Just work it in and let it do its magic. Unfortunately it is costly so I usually save it for those special occasions when I really need help.

Here is one site where you can buy Cowboy Magic