Arizona in the Saddle

cleaning and
drying horses
With a Dog Grooming
blower/dryer
For several years now we have used a high
velocity dog grooming blower/dryer for
cleaning dry horses and drying wet horses.
After studying alternatives we elected to go with
a blower only option rather than a combination
blower/vacuum since several people we talked to
who own blower/vacuum combinations said they
found the blower was much more efficient than the
vacuum for cleaning dry horses. They universally
also said the greater the air velocity the more
efficient the cleaning. Some blower only options
come with a second motor where the vacuum bag
would normally be located in the canister. This
second motor greatly increases the air velocity and
therefore the cleaning and drying properties of the
equipment. Our neighbors, who are professional
dog groomers, recommended selecting a double
motor model due to its increased drying and
cleaning efficiency. We selected a Double K
Industries, Challengair Extreme, with a variable
speed control which is sold through dog grooming
supply businesses. The unit we selected is pictured
with this article.
When we first purchased the blower we tested
the equipment’s effectiveness for both cleaning
dry horses and drying wet horses by cleaning 13
dirty horses in 3 ½ hours and then drying a wet
horse in about 20 minutes. Our Black Stallion
RDD Querecotillo is very hard to get clean. The
more you brush him the dirtier he looks. With the
blower we were able to get him clean to the skin
in 15 minutes, including the time it took to get
him used to the noise and the feel of the blower.
Additionally, the massaging action of the blower
stimulates the oil glands in the skin and leaves
the coat with a natural shine. We started with the
lowest setting and then progressed to the highest
setting in three steps. Each increase in power
removed more dirt and shavings. Even though the
intermediate step produces high velocity air with
this double motor unit, the final step removed even
more dirt. This convinced us the extra power was
worth the extra cost.
The blower came with a number of attachments.
We found that the “slotted” attachment worked
best for cleaning a dry horse because it parts a
larger area of hair down to the skin to remove dirt
and debris. We also discovered that the conical
shaped attachment worked best for drying wet
horses because it concentrates the air stream and
creates the greatest velocity. This is the attachment
that professional dog groomers use for drying wet
dogs. Do not point the blower at the horse’s face
because the high velocity air can seriously injure
the horse’s eyes.
After several years of use I have concluded that
using a high velocity dog grooming blower/dryer
for cleaning dry horses and drying wet horses
works very well and is a great time saver. I strongly
recommend purchasing one with two motors for
the increased air velocity it will provide. I also feel
that the small additional cost of the variable speed
control verses the two speed model is worthwhile.
There are several different manufactures and
models to choose from. I am happy with the
Double K Industries, Challengair Extreme, variable
speed model which we purchased. An additional
consideration when purchasing the blower is the
length of the hose. The model we purchased has
a 10 foot hose which is necessary to be able to
reach to the back of the horse with the blower
set in front of the horse the way we do it. The
box we store, transport and support the blower
with was purchased separately from Lowes and is
manufactured by Task Force.
11926 W. Southern Ave.
Tolleson, AZ 85353
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Mike Perez Jr.
Vice President of Sales & Distribution
P: (623) 936-4339
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F: (623) 936-7360
mike@wesellhay.com
www.wesellhay.com
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AZintheSaddle.com March 2015 23