6 Shades of Stain From Around the Barn

Hope you like that color purple, ’cause it’s not going anywhere.

It doesn’t matter how careful you are. It doesn’t matter how quietly your horse stands while you apply the stuff. It doesn’t matter that you’re wearing your favorite pair of jeans or breeches, the aisle mats just got replaced or you were expressly told not to spill anything on the barn floor. If you’re using any of these substances around the barn, they’re going to stain. So you might as well embrace the shade. We’ve gone through the color spectrum and identified what’s most likely to stain you within each family.

Red: Scarlet oil

Scarlet oil is that classic antiseptic solution that’s been around seemingly since horses were invented. It comes in a spray or with a dipper, but regardless of how you use it, it’s pretty inevitable that it’s going to get all over your fingertips and make you look like perhaps you were out berry picking.

Yellow: Leather oil

Isn’t that just fitting? You finally decide to take care of that old bridle that’s been gathering dust in the corner of the tack room, and how does that old dried-out hunk of leather repay you for a little tender loving care? It drips a giant blob of leather oil right into the knee of your brand-new Pipers. Consider those broken-in now.

Green: That time you fell off out in the meadow

Jeans, breeches, shirts, even your elbows, for a little while … let this permanent grass stain remind you of what happens when you say “no, I don’t think he needs a lunge today.” No Tide Pen is going to ease this pain.

Blue: Blue lotion

Much like its cousin scarlet oil, blue lotion is a great multi-purpose antiseptic solution that looks particularly good when it’s running down your own as you try to apply it to your resistant equine. Truthfully, this stuff might actually dry a bit more on the purple side, but don’t worry: you’re really not going to be in a position to argue the finer points of hue and shade when you realize your nice new Wranglers are sporting some extra details.

Purple: Thrush Buster

That convenient-looking little applicator tip that promises to release this most permanent of all substances in a neat little drop right onto your horse’s waiting hoof is a big fat liar. That is all.

Black: Hoof polish

Isn’t it funny how this stuff comes right off your horse’s feet on your way down to the show ring, and yet it blackens your hands for weeks and weeks? Seriously, how is that even possible?

What would you add to the list, Horse Nation? Better yet, how do you remove these stains from your skin and clothing? Let us know in the comments section!