Horse tried to kill me over a damp sponge please help

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twobearsarthur

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Seeing as its such a sunny day and our first show is 3 weeks away I thought we would have a practice bath.
The filly had other ideas and wouldn't even tolerate a damp hardly wet sponge.
She had an absolute meltdown.
She's great tied up will let me groom her all over with every brush under the sun but a sponge gave her a heart attack.
Any tips hints or ideas on how to get her used to being bathed would be greatly appreciated.
As a mostly white coloured she will need to bathed.
 
You say filly, how old? Is she likely to have been sponged off before? If not, perfectly normal reaction and you just keep doing little bits with a well wrung out sponge so it doesnt drip until she learns it's ok
 
Synchronised tid-bitting? Sponge touches horse at the same moment slice of carrot goes into mouth.

If she won't accept that, tid-bit offered near sponge (closer each time) until she will brush past sponge to get carrot. Gradually wear down the resistance and increase/move position of the sponge! This method is slightly better because the horse sets the pace and is doing the sponge touching bit herself to get the carrot.

I can sympathise. My beautiful stallion hates being brushed with a wisp of hay. Wimp!:(
 
Desensitise her, and also do some negative reinforcement. Place the sponge on her shoulder, and as soon as she stops reacting, stop what you are doing to her - let her think she is getting you to stop by stopping the reaction. Build on that until she is happy with the damp sponge, and progress to actual water etc.
 
She's 10 months old. And a bit strange in the way that she will drink out of the hosepipe, not bat an eyelid at a truck thundering by but another filly snorting results in meltdown. Little things I've found have caused the biggest problems.
 
Ah I was planning on giving my rising 2 yr old a sponge off today. I got her used to the sponge last summer by rubbing her all over with a dry sponge first then damp and then pouring trickles of water from a bottle and working up to pouring it on her legs. I just worked my way up slowly doing this so I could do it when she was grazing out untied even. Thing to remember is only stop when filly is not reacting BUT make sure the action is short enough at first so your filly doesn't even have time to react thus learning if she does nothing it goes away. I always start at the neck and work my way back. My girl was the same at that age and hated water on her legs but it will come. Just nice and slowly and doesn't have to be all in one day.
 
As others have said perfectly normal reaction, Ideas of things that worked with our unhandled youngster included, Wetting a brush, if shes fine to brush, wet the brush?, Sponge on a stick, or longhandled bath brush, so you can keep going in small stages but are farther back and out of kicking reach, break it down into small steps, use warm water to make it more comfortable and keep going and get her to understand it isnt going to kill her :D:D
 
Sounds like you have the re incarnation of my old mare!! She didn't bat an eye at a car crash that happened right in front of us, but pedestrians? No way!! She also detested being washed and it was just a case of gentle perseverance. A wipe all over with a well wrung sponge till she's happy then gradually increase the amount of water in it. Don't be overly cautious doing it either, if you get on with it in a workman like way she'll understand there's nothing to fear.
 
Gave both our boys a bath this morning; the 3yo loves it, drinking from the hose etc etc. Though I'd have an issue with his head, but apparently he really enjoys the hose on his forehead and the water running all over his face.... quite a pleasure this morning in the subshine
 
Did my yearling yesterday and ran my hand all over her with hose inside then turned it on to mere trickle and did same. Let her walk round and round until she realised it came too and just did shoulders and neck to start. First bath so feel a third of her body was enough to take in.
 
Mine won't accept a sponge at all!!, but a big soggy wet dog towel flapping around,shes perfectly fine! Go figure?

Oh and loves a good soaking from the hose.
 
use warm water and also dont have the spong dripping. my mare HATES cold water but is quite happy with warm. she will go thorugh big puddles etc and water so water not an issue
 
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