Pony dislikes her legs hosing.... Ideas please

DappleDown

DappleDown

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Advice please.

Pony coming in from new field needs her legs hosing but dislikes it immensely (has to go through thick mud on way out and back, no choice as no other route).

She is dodging the hose, circling, anything to avoid the water. The same if we try to gently use a bucket.

She will drink the water from the hose though.

Ideas needed please how to get her to accept this better. We have tried offering a treat lick and hay as a distraction, but to no avail.

Thanks in advance for any tips.
 
TheMule said:
Just eb firm with her- it's basic manners. You're not causing her any pain so no need for distraction.
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I'd be inclined to agree. It doesn't sound like you have a problem with fear, she just doesn't see that staying still is more important than her own desire to move away.

My welshie was ridiculous about the hosepipe when I first got her, but I taught her (by setting myself up so I could do this) that wriggling and fussing didn't mean the hose went away.

I think quite often when they are like this, they fidget or move and we are forced to take the stream of water away to deal with them. You need to be able to keep the stream on her because otherwise she learns that by moving, the water stops. With time and practice mine learnt to just stand still, I fuss her a bit when she's good like this but the principle is not very different from standing still to have your feet picked up etc - partially learning/desensitisation about the hose and water, and partly just remembering or learning her good manners :)
 
A thought. Are you sure her legs aren't sore? My horses go in and out through mud daily but I don't wash their legs as it causes mud fever. I use wraps to dry the legs and baby oil to stop the mud sticking so badly.

I know some horses can be awkward about hoses so as others have said if you need to wash legs then slowly and firmly is probably the best way forward.
 
Agree with advice but does she really need legs hosed? I would start with just doing the very bottom of a couple of legs and build up from there. Are you actually managing to hose all 4 legs as much as you want now as if you are I'd just keep going - she will give in. The real answer is a hot water shower - much nicer for you and the horse!
 
Negative reinforcement - you need a hose long enough to follow her around at the end of the lead rope. Just begin with a dribble of water and as long as she moves, keep going. The INSTANT she stops moving, take the hose away - let her learn the way to stop it is to stand still. Gradually build the flow of water as she learns to cope with a small amount.
 
Have you tried using warm water when you used buckets? Mine dislikes cold water (but will tolerate it if asked) but is totally fine with nice, warm water. If the horse does happen to prefer warm water then the hot wash systems with gas bottles aren't bank breakingly expensive and most can be connected to just a normal tap. Just a thought to make things more pleasant for all involved.
 
JillA said:
Negative reinforcement - you need a hose long enough to follow her around at the end of the lead rope. Just begin with a dribble of water and as long as she moves, keep going. The INSTANT she stops moving, take the hose away - let her learn the way to stop it is to stand still. Gradually build the flow of water as she learns to cope with a small amount.
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This. Start with a dripple of water on a hoof. When she stands still take it away for a few seconds. Apply to hoof and splash on leg. When she stands still take it away for a few seconds. If you go slowly enough you can work through to hosing her legs completely without her moving very much at all. If you go too fast and she starts dancing keep the hose on her (doesn't have to be exact exact as to place and intensity of the hose I have found) and wait til she stops dancing even for a second and take the hose off. If you get a lot of dancing go back a couple of steps and work up slower. With enough good timing and patience they'll end up standing like rocks to be hosed because standing still works to get the nasty hose off eventually. I can give my old mare a full bath with a cold hose pipe without her tied up these days, more or less, and the young mare is getting there and she was really bad when she came.

You need to accept that her legs might not get a full clean for the time it takes to train her but if your timing is good it won't take very many session until you can get them mostly clean.
 
Agree with JillAs method however hosing every day is the quickest way to end up with skin issue - you're hosing off the natural grease that will be under the mud protecting the skin.....
 
Thanks all. Have begun the negative reinforcement method on the pony.

Re not hosing, I do understand about natural grease and we haven't hosed until now, but they are coming in with a VERY thick layer of mud on the legs. So thick it just stays on the leg (on the rugs it takes days to dry out). It is too thick to wipe off the legs.
When the mud does dry it is similar to a smooth coating of plaster (imagine a thick semi-wet face pack). Brushing it off when dry can, and has, taken hair with it.

So, bit of a quandry here as to what is best to do.

*NB: We are on clay, the ground will become sticky then turn rock hard in a few weeks time.
 
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I was once rang up by a loaner and asked "Does your horse mind the hose?" My reply was "his white"! Its just a case of perseverance really and getting on with it. It would nice to use warm water all the time but its not always practical. Try putting her in an area you can keep her still as possible and just get on with it. She will give it up in the end. I'm on clay I limit washing off to twice a week and don't use soap unless I have a show. :)
 
Sukistokes2 said:
I was once rang up by a loaner and asked "Does your horse mind the hose?" My reply was "his white"! Its just a case of perseverance really and getting on with it. It would nice to use warm water all the time but its not always practical. Try putting her in an area you can keep her still as possible and just get on with it. She will give it up in the end. I'm on clay I limit washing off to twice a week and don't use soap unless I have a show. :)
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"his white" what? or do you mean..."he's white" ;)
 
Install some manners and continue as planned?

It's a hose! The horse can just damn well stand still...

Nova learnt the hose follows him around regardless of where he stands and sure enough, good as gold these days!
 
I'm also inclined to be firm. My welsh used to be awful with his back legs, but in the end softly softly couldn't continue, waving back legs around is dangerous and can't be tolerated.

So I just stuck the hose on, and kept it on, and stood at a safe distance whilst he kicked out, waved them around, span etc etc. Didn't take him long to realise that bad behaviour wouldn't work, and when he behaved nicely, he got praise and fuss.

In emergencies I was known to hold up a front leg so he couldn't lift the back one (think nasty cut on hind leg he wouldn't let me near) but thankfully several years of trust building combined with no nonsense taking has made him pretty well behaved about these things.
 
i find it helpful to start hosing the hooves and gradually work up the leg, starting with a lighter flow if possible. I agree warm water much better though not always possible and agree also about the constant wetting but know what you mean about the caked on mud.
 
I always hose mine if they have thick wet mud on their legs - you can't tell if they've got any cuts or bumps if they are disguised by mud and picking out their hooves becomes a messy business too. But I do always vigorously rub their legs dry with clean towels after wards. I also put on quick dry wraps (bit like thermatex wraps but cheaper). These really help to dry out the legs. I also apply muddy buddy powder before putting them out.
 
Um, have just come into this, have seen what other people are saying re. "manners".

Mmm....... yes, whilst I might agree that horses must learn to stand-up and be polite for whatever needs doing on the ground; I just wonder whether this issue might need thinking about another way.

OP doesn't say how old the horse/pony in question is, or what type? If it is a cobby/native type then personally I would NOT hose down, its the very worst thing you can do as hosing will take off all the natural grease from their coats and you'll end up with mud fever. The other thing that might be going on with a cob or a native type is feather-mite, which might be explaining why this horse is so very sensitive about the whole thing. Hosing won't help feather-mites!

My own vet recommends strongly against hosing-off; he feels it is much better to wait till the mud is dry and then brush off.

Personally, if this horse/pony is good on the ground in all other respects, I would be inclined to soft-peddle a bit on the hosing issue; perhaps, if you are committed to doing it, think about reducing it to a few times a week only?

And perhaps use some warm water on the legs and sponge-wash them down? Perhaps this horse/pony just detests the cold water? And why not, wouldn't we all, if we are honest, just HATE having our legs/bum etc hosed down with freezing cold water in the cold wind??
 
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