# Keeping Feathers White?



## RachJeremy (Sep 14, 2012)

Anyone have any tips? Boycie's feathers are just growing back now, and i'm eager to keep them clean. Especially as i found some white stuff hiding in his legs. I must have spent a good hour bathing just his legs the Friday just gone, and Saturday they stayed clean. I used our hose pipe (it's not got a strong water flow, so kinda took ages) and fairy liquid. 

Does anyone have any tips for keeping or repelling the mud from feathers? I have some show shine, which he's gets on his coat to repel the mud a bit, and his fly spry also acts as a bit of a barrier, but i don't want to mud getting deep into his feathers like they were before. When we took him on, the tips of his feathers were a manky brown/white colour, and the bits underneath where just brown, it was horrible. I spent ages washing them, but couldn't get much of it out. So when the vet clipped one leg to check his tendon when he went lame, we clipped/trimmed the other three so he didn't look silly, and it's enabled me to get them nice and clean. 

I know the current mud doesn't help, and since we only really hack out, avoiding all the mud isn't possible. But i would be more than happy to try out new ideas in keeping the mud out of his feathers. As when i last saw him Saturday night his legs were still nice a shiny. And tomorrow i will see if they have lasted!!!

But yes... Tips on repelling mud from feathers would be appreciated.


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## x clo x (Feb 24, 2012)

hi 

i help show shires who have white feathers, and to keep them clean, once they are washed out and clean, we oil them so that it repels the mud. some people tend to oil about once a week. hope thats some help.


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## AlexArt (Apr 25, 2010)

Try pig oil to help repel mud - not much else you can use in winter really, you don't want to keep washing as that strips all the natural oils out of the hair and makes it not only brittle but takes away the horses natural protection against the mud and dries the skin out! 
I had a fat fluffy cob with white feathery legs years ago and used the pig oil and it worked well over winter, and just washed with a very tiny amount of bleach diluted in a load of water if we were going out with a load of conditioner to keep the silky shiny look. 
Don't use show shine or other silicon based sprays or pantene products as that coats the hairs in plastic - looks great for a few hours - but it stops them absorbing moisture so dries them out often leading to more dirt getting stuck onto them, brittle hair and a dull look the next day so avoid them, just use a normal conditioner or even coconut oil I've heard is quite good too although haven't tried it myself.


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## Dingle (Aug 29, 2008)

Another vote for pig oil here... it also helps as a barrier against mud fever


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## Elles (Aug 15, 2011)

Take care with pig oil (well anything else too really) horses can react to it, so do a little test first and keep a careful eye on it. Don't apply it to the horse's skin if it's warm and sunny too, as it is an oil and can burn. Pig oil is oil that is used on pig's skins btw, it's not made from pigs, though you may already know that of course.


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## reallyshouldnotwearjods (Nov 19, 2012)

To wash out blue washing up liquid then allow to dry, then apply coconut oil x


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## RachJeremy (Sep 14, 2012)

Thanks guys! And yer don't worry i know pig oil isn't made from pigs haha... But shall maybe give that a go. It's mainly just to repel the mud, as once it gets stuck in his feathers its a real bugger to get out!


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## AutumnAngel (Oct 16, 2011)

Baby oil works just as well as pig oil for repelling mud - and is easier to find.

I wouldn't be without baby oil in my tack box - wipe on legs to repel mud, put in tail and it works as a detangler, squirt up sheath of geldings to keep that clean too.


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