How to go out in public after leaving the barn!

 

Here’s my cheat sheet for going from the barn to anywhere in public. Usually, I can spend a few quick moments to clean up and cover up before I run errands after the barn.

 

Horse people, sometimes, develop barn smell immunity. What this means is that we are no longer able to detect horse smells on ourselves, which is typically fine, unless we end up in public. So I’ve put together a handy dandy checklist of things to adjust before you run errands after the barn. If you want.

 

baby wipes in a pop up containter

 

Gather your tools – some things to have on hand at the barn for a quick clean up:

 

  • Baby wipes – these guys can freshen you top to bottom. Baby wipes come in scented and unscented varieties, it all depends how much you want/need to disguise any barn smells.

 

  • Inexpensive fragrance spritzer – this one lives in the door of my car, great for making your body smell better, and also good to spritz into the car every now and again just for kicks.

 

perfume in a car door

I’d rather smell like lavender covering up barn smell than just barn smell by itself.

 

  • Baseball cap or other helmet hair covering hat. If that’s not going to happen, a sleek ponytail or a bandana headband can also help disguise your helmet hair. At the bare minimum, a sweep of a brush is a good idea.

 

bridle fly mask and hat all hanging in a tack room

Always have a hat handy.

 

  • Some sort of hand cleaner (perhaps the soap that you use to stop your horse from eating the barn down?) You might also borrow the toothbrush that cleans your horse’s bling broadband and give those fingernails a cleaning.

 

  • Change of clothes – good for split pants and grocery store runs. Because you never know. I also am in the habit of keeping a light jacket at the barn, for rain, chill, or just downright covering up a green slimed shirt in public.

 

stiff brush to remove dirt from your clothing

Cut the dust and shavings before you step into public!

 

  • A super stiff brush – for barn evidence removal. There will be times that jumping in the car in your paddock boots and breeches is going to happen, give your lower legs a thorough wiping with a stiff brush to get rid of shavings and dust.

 

  • No barn shoes – keep the barn shoes at the barn to keep your car smelling fresh. And, you won’t be leaving a trail of “barn items” like shavings and poop and dirt in the floor mats of your car or the supermarket aisle.

 

riding boots in the corner of a tack room

Keep the barn shoes at the barn and your car won’t be as smelly!

 

How do you transition from the barn to clean people land?

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