Have you been thinking about hot oiling your horse, but you’re not sure where to start? Hot oiling is a technique used by professionals to achieve a healthy, glossy shine in their horse’s skin and coat. It’s especially helpful during the fall and spring, or when your horse’s coat is going through major changes, like shedding.  

Gather Your Equipment 

This is a relatively simple technique, but you’ll need a few supplies to get started. A small to medium-sized bucket and several hand-sized towels or rags are essential. You can use anything clean you have lying around the barn, but these FarmVet grooming towels and wash buckets are a great option as well.   

Shapley’s No.1 Light Oil for Hot Oiling Treatments for Horses Available at FarmVet

You will also need a light conditioning oil, like Shapley’s No.1 Light Oil, or the Hairy Pony Essential Oil Coat Conditioner.  

The name hot oiling is slightly misleading, as you really won’t be using anything “hot.” You’ll be combining a small amount of oil with warm water to create an ultra-conditioning treatment for your horse. It’s important that the water is comfortable to the touch; you do not want to create an environment where your horse is too hot, and overheated oil can burn, so be careful to keep the temperature moderate and safe.  

Follow This Step-by-Step Process 

  1. Clean your horse; bathing is best if possible. If you have access to a warm-water bath for your horse, that’s ideal. If you cannot bathe, make sure you give your horse a good curry and brush, removing any loose dirt or hair from their coat.  
  2. Curry your horse well. This helps increase circulation and open their pores before you oil. They don’t have to be dry; the goal with this step is circulation, not shedding.  
  3. Fill your bucket with warm water, being careful not to make it too hot for your horse. Add a small amount of oil, a tablespoon per gallon of water is a good amount but you can use more or less depending on your preference. There is a point at which more oil is not better and will have a greasy effect. Soak your rags in the warm water and oil mix. After ringing them out sightly, begin wiping your horse down with the mixture, working quickly to make sure your towels don’t cool off. Dip your rags back in the bucket whenever possible to warm them back up.  
  4. Optionally, you can cover your horse’s topline with towels and add a fleece cooler or light blanket. Let this sit for 15-20 minutes, as long as it’s staying warm and your horse is comfortable. Be careful not to cause your horse to overheat if you take this extra step.  
  5. Once you’ve finished hot oiling, let your horse dry off. As they begin to dry, brush with a medium stiff brush. You can also curry and brush again to remove any hair that may have loosened during the hot oil treatment.  
  6. As a final step, polish your horse’s coat with a clean towel or a polishing mitt.  
Tail Tamer Shearling Grooming Mitt for Hot Oiling Horses Available at FarmVet

Our favorite is the Merino Wool Mitt, which lightly removes excess dust and oil while buffing your horse’s coat into a beautiful shine. You can use these as the finishing step to all of your grooming sessions going forward, and they’re amazing for working in a finishing spray or knocking of dust ringside.   

Pro Tips 

If you happen to use too much oil, your horse may feel greasy to the touch. If this happens, you can follow with a warm water rinse or, if that’s not an option, a coat cleaning spray or green spot remover will help pull some of the excess oil out.  

You can hot oil your horse’s mane and tail while you’re doing their coat, but this will leave a greasier effect because there is less skin surface. If you do, we recommend following with a light shampoo and rinse so that their mane and tail are not left with too much oil.  

If you’re planning to have your horse braided or plaited in the near future, skip hot oiling their mane and tail, and be very wary not to be heavy-handed in on their neck or rump. Your braids will slip if the hair is too slick from an oily treatment.  

Results from hot oiling can last up to a few weeks and make grooming sessions easier. When done correctly, hot oil treatments allow keen grooms to display their exceptional skills. 

Finishing Touches

And for the cherry on top? We love the way quarter marks look on a glossy, well-treated coat. Have you tried this grooming technique? Leave your best tips in the comments below! 

Shop Now

You can shop more grooming essentials, as well as all our equine and pet products available at FarmVet  24/7. You can also call one of our friendly Sales Associates at 1-888-837-3626 or email your order to [email protected].