Anyone heard of a horse that hates being damp/wet?

Nasicus

Nasicus

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Just wondering if anyone else has experience with a horse that despises being damp or wet.

Horse in question is fine to wash, but when she starts to dry off a bit, but is still damp, she goes mad. If she's tied up outside, she'll just paw a bit in annoyance. If you turn her out damp she bucks, bronks, paws, squeals and generally runs around like a nut. If you stable her, she furiously digs her bed up, throws herself against the walls as she attempts to rub and scratch herself on them, squeaks and squeals, and is generally very ticked off.
She's not bothered if she's out in the rain and dries off when it stops, but if you were to bring her in wet from the rain, she'd start the itchy rage routine.
She's fine to be sprayed, but if you soak her a bit too much, she hates it.

It's just a bit weird really. I know she has somewhat sensitive skin, as well as sweetitch, and is sensitive to insect bites/midges/bird dander (intradermal skin testing results), and is managed accordingly, but what can you even do about not liking being damp? I very rarely wash her, but I do have to dampen her with deosect weekly on vets advice. If it was just the deosect then fair enough, I'd assume a sensitivity to that, but rain? Even in the seasons she doesn't get any kind of fly repellents applied? And not her legs, isn't bothered about them, just the body and neck?

It's just... weird? She's always been like it, and I've never known a horse like it! :rolleyes:
 
It’s perfectly normal as far as I can tell. My horses are the same and so is my dog. My dog runs round the house at 100mph rubbing on everything every time she has a bath. . I think it’s just the feeling of being clean that makes them excitable.
 
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meleeka said:
It’s perfectly normal as far as I can tell. My horses are the same and so is my dog. My dog runs round the house at 100mph rubbing on everything every time she has a bath. . I think it’s just the feeling of being clean that makes them excitable.
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Oh I know her happy, excited zoomies well. These aren't the zoomies. These are the rage-ies.
 
meleeka said:
It’s perfectly normal as far as I can tell. My horses are the same and so is my dog. My dog runs round the house at 100mph rubbing on everything every time she has a bath. . I think it’s just the feeling of being clean that makes them excitable.
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lol. My little terriers do that. But , they also pee on the floor at the same time
 
If she has sensitive skin maybe it’s the feeling of being damp itself that makes her itchy? I have this problem myself and the only way to help it is to get dry as soon as possible (obviously I can’t talk for horses but I’d say their skin works similarly)Being able to lock in that moisture somehow, like how we use cream might help but I don’t think there’s a practical way to do that. Best of luck!
 
naomibmck said:
If she has sensitive skin maybe it’s the feeling of being damp itself that makes her itchy? I have this problem myself and the only way to help it is to get dry as soon as possible (obviously I can’t talk for horses but I’d say their skin works similarly)Being able to lock in that moisture somehow, like how we use cream might help but I don’t think there’s a practical way to do that. Best of luck!
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That's what I was getting at (in a clearly quite poor way haha!), it's like the feeling of being damp drives her MAD. She just gets so frantic with it, demented is how the vet described it to me!
 
I used to have a TBxWelsh who hated being out in light rain, we used to laugh about 'tickly rain', she wasn't as upset by heavy rain. My ID would mutter almost under her breath if she had to be ridden in the rain and the Draft mare had to have a neck cover in the rain, despite having a thick mane, she was a warm horse so didn't need a thick rug but she hated her neck getting wet. She did love having a shower in hot weather though, especially on her neck.
 
I had a pony very similar in behaviour when damp, he also had sweet itch and various sensitivities, I always put it down to the fact that his skin must have felt like it was crawling constantly and wetness just added to that. He was visibly happier once dry
 
I thought all horses did that if bathed to be honest everyone I have ever bathed has zoomed about rolled and annoyed me as all that work is quickly ruined if not covered from ear to toe. They have always been much more likely to do it in sand or bedding
 
Every horse I've had if given a bath would at the first opportunity get down and roll. Rose, however, gets down and rolls if you plait her mane which is very annoying, never had one that did that!
 
One of mine hates being wet. If he comes in and he gets he always starts rubbing on his haynet or dragging himself along the wall.
 
My mare hates being wet too! She will throw herself around the stable if put in after a bath or its been raining. A friends mare is the same (both bay mares!) Mine also gets really angry when the flys start coming out in the spring so I think she is just sensitive. She is only 3 so not in work but does yours have the same reaction when hot/sweaty?
 
Mine is an absolute terror after the first couple of baths of summer. I always hand graze him in the sun to dry off and hell spin, rear and strike out for the first 5 mins it’s not excited, it’s very cross! A few shouty strong words and he settles again, but he’s a devil after a bath!
 
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