Caring for horses involves more than just feeding and exercise; it also includes maintaining their coat and skin health. That's where horse slickers and sleazys come in. These are essential for protecting your horse and keeping it show-ready. In this guide, we'll explore these items, their benefits, and how to choose and care for them properly.
Understanding Horse Slickers and Sleazys
We may have many names for them, like slicker, sleazy, or slinky, but they all describe the same piece of equipment. A slicker is an ultra stretchy mesh or lycra material hood for your horse. They’re excellent for keeping dust, hay, or grime off your clean horse before a show. Banding or braiding a mane the night before a show can result in your horse destroying your beautiful bands, leaving you with a mess of hair before you head to the show ring. With a slicker, you can sleep soundly, knowing your horse's bands will be intact when it's show time in the morning. Slickers save time and money while protecting and keeping your horse's mane in place, whether at a show protecting those braids, you spent time securing perfectly or at home to help your horse's mane grow. That is not all slickers can be used for, though. Slickers come in a vast range of options to suit different needs.
The Different Types of Slickers Available for Your Horse
Slickers and sleazys come in various designs including full-body, hoods, shoulder guards, and therapeutic options. Each type serves different purposes:
Full-Body Slickers
A full-body slicker covers your horse from head to tail. It can keep a horse clean on show days, keeping dust and grime off its coat so it stays polished and shiny. It can also be a comfortable, stretchy layer under a winter blanket to help prevent rubs.
Slicker Hoods
Hoods primarily cover the horse's head and neck and sometimes extend down to the shoulders. They are crucial for mane maintenance, helping to keep the mane flat and tidy, which is especially important for show horses.
Shoulder Guard Slickers
Shoulder guards are specifically designed to protect the horse's shoulder area. They help prevent rubbing and chafing caused by blankets and are made from smooth, stretchy materials like Lycra.
Sheet Slickers
The sheet leaves the head and neck uncovered, keeping the body of the horse covered. They protect the horse’s coat from dust and dirt and are perfect for layering underneath their winter blanket.
Therapeutic Slickers
Therapeutic slickers are designed with the horse's physical health in mind. They are often made from fabrics infused with minerals that reflect the horse's body heat as infrared rays, which can help increase circulation and promote muscle relaxation. This type is particularly beneficial for horses with chronic pain or stiffness or warming up muscles before exercise, thus aiding in injury prevention and recovery.
Finding the best slicker for your horse is easy with so many options. There’s stretchy, breathable mesh for Summer when your horse needs to keep coats clean without additional weight. Or, to keep horses extra warm during the winter, you can find a slicker fully lined with soft polar fleece.
How to Put a Slicker on Your Horse
A slicker can be pulled over its head if your horse allows it. If your horse is new to the process, a slicker with a 3/4 or full zipper might be your best bet. Remove your horse's halter in a safe area like its stall to put a slicker on. Then, scrunch up the slicker, starting from the bottom and working towards the ear and eye holes. The motion is similar to gathering up your sock before putting it on. Then, they can see as you pull the slicker over your horse's head. Find the eye and ear holes and secure them before pulling the rest of the slicker over the horse's neck and shoulders.
A slicker shouldn't be too loose on a horse's face. It will not keep a mane in place properly, can get caught on things, and potentially cause an injury. It shouldn't be too tight, causing discomfort to the horse. To fit your horse correctly for a slicker, check the nose band. If the slicker is too long, it will be closer to the horse's muzzle and won't be snug on the horse's face. You should be able to fit four fingers under the nose band. The wider the elastic around the horse's face, the more comfortable it will be. The eye holes of the slicker should be large enough that they won't rub the horse's eyes.
The ear holes should also be large enough not to pull on the horse's ears. If the slicker is too big or too long for its face, the ear holes will pull against the backs of the horse's ears. Next, take a look at the throat latch. The slicker should fit snugly against the horse’s throat. The slicker is too large if you see loose fabric or wrinkles below the throat latch and down the horse’s neck. A well-fitted slicker will not have wrinkles over the crest of your horse's neck and will lie smoothly down both sides of your neck. Last is to check where the slicker secures around the girth and over the horse's shoulders. A well-fitted slicker will fit mid-way around the horse's shoulders and snug in the girth area but not too tight to leave marks on your horse's coat the next day.
How to Wash Your Horse's Slicker
When it is time to wash your slicker, check its material before washing it. If it is a lycra fabric, it can be machine washed on a delicate cycle in cold water with Schneiders® Odor Killing and Freshening Wash to remove any germs or smells from sweat that could cling to the fabric. In the case of an extra smelly slicker, adding a simple household baking soda will eliminate the smell and leave your slicker smelling new. Close all zippers and velcro fastenings before washing to ensure nothing snags onto the lycra.
