If you don’t have a high-velocity dog dryer for winter horse grooming, go out and get one right now! Last year, we took in a rescue standard poodle, and she has high-maintenance grooming needs, so I got a Flying Pig high-velocity dog dryer. Of course, it wasn’t long before I was toting it out to the barn to use on the horses! This is hands-down, the biggest winter horse hack of my LIFE.
Jasper, like most Miniature horses, grows SO MUCH winter coat. He’s puffed up like a marshmallow when it gets super cold. The upside, is that he’s well insulated and prepared for miserable winter weather. The downside is that he’s extremely filthy, especially when it gets wet out.
I don’t have access to hot water at my current barn, and even if I did, it would be a tough bath with cold air. On a hot summer day, Jasper HATES a bath, so I wouldn’t even dream of bathing him in winter time.
A tough problem I’ve noticed that a lot of mini horse folks have is that there coats can get super funky in the winter and spring before they shed out. There is just so much fur, any dirt, grime and gunk that gets in there is nearly impossible to get out with traditional currying and brushing methods.
When I first got Japser, he had an awful case of rain rot and itchy skin from being worked til wet in his winter coat (by the seller, not me!) Thankfully, it was nearly warm enough, I went ahead and clipped him and treated his itchy skin ASAP.
Even without them getting sweaty, it can be a battle to keep a pony, mini horse or long-coated horse clean in the winter. Maybe you want to hit up a few woolly shows, but you don’t want to clip and deal with the hassle of constant blanketing and unblanketing.
Enter, the Flying Pig High Velocity Dog Dryer. This thing will blast the dirt off down to the SKIN. It will do it (relatively) quietly, and it will do it quickly!
I decided to try it out on a day that Jasper was wet and muddy, I didn’t curry or knock off the dirt off Jasper, I just went straight to blasting him with the Flying Pig.
Since it was his first time, I held the lead rope in one hand and started by letting him smell the dryer when it was off, and then turning it on, but not pointing it at him. I gradually got it closer to him and blasted him on his neck and barrel where I knew he wouldn’t be too sensitive.
It turns out, using the Flying Pig on his was a total non-event. He could have cared less, and before I knew it I had a CLEAN and fluffy horse. It actually cleaned deep down to his skin!
Since Jasper HATES baths and getting wet, I’m even going to use the Flying Pig in the summer time to clean up him and spare him his least favorite thing. This cuts grooming time significantly.
The dryer has a no-heat setting and two additional heated settings and a dial to turn up the air speed. You can start it on low when you’re first introducing your horse to it, and then gradually turn up the speed. Additionally, it comes in several cute colors!
If you’re looking for a way to keep your horses clean and dry in the winter, I highly recommend the Flying Pig High Velocity Dog Dryer. Finding this has been like finding Desitin, one of my other biggest horse-care hacks!
Until next time, Happy Trails!