DIY Network

Road Trip: Churchill Downs Road Trip: Churchill Downs From "Talking Dirty With the Queen of Clean" episode DQOC-105

Not every pet can curl up in your lap: some make their home in the barn. But even pets the size of a horse need a regular bath.

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C

Long before the sun comes up you can see and hear real horsepower galloping into gear around the stables at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. During peak season more than 1,400 horses call the stable home, but as many as 800 are boarded even when the racing schedule is clear.

Bathing these animals is no easy task and takes quite a bit of effort for most people, but for jockey P. J. Cooksey (who has raced in both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness and is the all-time winning female jockey at Churchill Downs), bathing a horse is all in a day's work. Today is bath day for Little Bro, a retired ex-Thoroughbred (figure A).

1. Bathing begins with two buckets of water, one for soaping and one for rinsing.

2. Little Bro's head is washed first, using a sponge that isn't too wet. The face, chin, eyes and ears are clean of dust and dirt, then rinsed.

3. Next, work back over the body, washing thoroughly (figure B).

4. Rinse completely and use a scraping tool to remove excess water from the coat (figure C).

Bluegrass Secrets

• To keep a horse still while giving him a bath, have a handful of peppermints nearby (these are one of Little Bro's favorite treats).

• A secret to getting a jockey's clothes clean is to work a lather of laundry soap into dirt stains. Next, add some borax to the soiled area and work in, using your thumbs. Launder as usual, but don't put the clothes in the dryer until you've checked to see that the stain is removed.

Pet Tip: Put an absorbent mat or towel under food and water dishes to catch spillage.