How to Hot Towel a Horse

By Liv Gude, Brought to you by Shapley’s Grooming Products, the Official Grooming Product Sponsor of USPC

With cold weather here in many places across the United States, and cold weather soon to be here to stay in other places, there’s a great grooming technique for keeping our horses clean when bathing is not an option. Instead of bathing, you can give your horse a hot toweling treatment to lift dirt and deep-clean your horse’s coat. It’s especially useful for stains, particularly on gray, white, or light-colored horses.

For this process, you will need the following items:

• Two buckets
• Several hand towels or washcloths
• No-rinse shampoo
• Kitchen gloves, to protect your hands
• A fleece or wool cooler, if you have one

Here’s how to hot towel your horse:

1. After thoroughly grooming your horse, make two buckets of water.
2. Make a hot water bucket. Use a few capfuls of no-rinse shampoo and about two gallons of blazing hot water.
3. Make another bucket with about two gallons of cold water to use for rinsing your dirty towels.
4. Add several small hand towels or washcloths to the hot water mixture and let them soak.
5. To begin hot toweling, grab one of the hot cloths and wring out almost all of the water. Wear kitchen gloves to protect your hands. 
6. The soapy cloth should be warm and barely damp. Don’t use it on your horse until it’s cooled enough for you to touch, but still toasty warm.
7. Use the towel like a curry comb, working against the direction of hair growth to deliver a steamy, no-rinse shampoo to your horse’s coat. 

Your horse should not become soaking wet. If he does accidentally become wet, use a fleece or wool cooler to cover him. As your washcloths become cool or too dirty, toss them in the cold water to rinse. You can then wring them and recycle them back into your hot water. Top off the hot water and add a capful of no-rinse shampoo as needed. 

Hot-toweling is a simple winter grooming secret that keeps horses clean, comfortable, and cared for when a full bath isn’t an option. By taking a few extra minutes to apply warmth, lift away dirt, and smooth the coat, you support your horse’s skin health without risking a chill. As temperatures drop, this small routine can make a big difference—offering your horse a moment of relaxation and helping them stay healthy through the coldest months. As the season settles in, this simple practice becomes more than a grooming shortcut—it becomes a mindful ritual that keeps your horse comfortable, clean, and ready for whatever winter brings.

For further tips on grooming in cold weather, visit “Cold Weather Grooming Tips,” originally provided by Shapley’s, USPC’s Official Grooming Product Sponsor and published in the Winter 2023/2024 issue of Discover USPC magazine.

Stay tuned for an upcoming article titled, “Mud Season Survival Guide,” due out in the Fall/Winter 2025 issue of Discover USPC magazine.

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