Problems hosing hairy legs

[Camel]

Does anyone else have problems? my loan Clyde mare HATES it! she is generally quite pi$$y about having her feel messed with (especially the backs) but I am trying to get in the habit of hosing her (below the knees)legs/feathers when I bring her in and she is terrible, kicking out at the water and generally dancing about like a fat hairy Wayne Sleep ... any suggestions?

xx

 

[Foxhunter49]

Tie her up and keep hosing! If she kicks out with the leg you are hosing immediately put the hose on the other one. Spray from one leg to the other continuously and let her get pi$$y she will soon realise the it gets her nowhere and accept it.

 

[9tails]

I can see her point, can't be pleasant having cold water sprayed on legs in cold weather. Mine is more carthorse than racehorse (and white stockings) but I leave them to dry then brush off. Is there a reason why you are hosing the legs every evening other than mud removal?

 

[Bikerchickone]

I wouldn't be hosing hairy legs anyway, leave the mud to dry and brush off later. If you hose you risk more mud fever from driving wet cold mud into her skin, which the feathers are protecting, and you can't get them dry easily so she's got cold legs all night. Plus if you use a towel to attempt to dry her legs you should use a different clean towel for each leg every night to help prevent anything she might have from spreading (vet advice to someone else on my yard, her advice also was not to hose if you can help it).

Why do you want to hose anyway? If it's just because of her behaviour I'd wait until the summer and try when it isn't so cold. Mine will both have their feet hosed and be bathed in summer but I wouldn't dream of hosing legs with cold water in winter.

 

[3Beasties]

Ditto foxhunter, let her dance around if she wants but keep the hose on her, reward her by removing it when she stands nicely. If you want to hose her then that's your choice and she needs to accept that!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Leave her legs alone!
The feather is there for a reason, the reason being to protect her legs from the mud and water. Hosing them daily just makes it harder for the feather to protect the skin.

I quite agree that she needs to learn to stand still to have her legs hosed but do you really think that a cold winter's evening is the best time to teach her?

If you wait until summer to try to teach her, she may well find it a pleasurable experience and be far more co-operative.
I do wonder if those saying let her dance around have any experience of trying to work with an unco-operative Clydie. My Clydie who hated having her back feet trimmed once took the farrier and sis who was holding her across the yard and over a (low) wall, on 3 legs under sedation. She did improve after that but it was a long slow process.

 

[Ashleigh_]

Four words for you.... Pig oil and sulphur!!!

Have a search of the forums and loads of posts about it will come up, with tips on how to apply etc.

Honestly, if you have a hairy beast like my Ron it will be a god send for the mud, as well as doing wonders for the feather itself.

x

 

[MerrySherryRider]

Echo the advice not to hose her feathers off as it will strip the protective natural oils away.
However, when you do hose her legs, having someone to stand holding the lead rope helps, then hold the hose in one hand while running your other hand down her leg. Keep the hose close to your hand while you massage the leg. Trot her up to shake off the water and mop up excess with a towel. Once dry, apply pig or baby oil, or Ketatex mud shield powder. This will help to stop the mud sticking and when her legs are dry, mud brushes easily off. Generally, my hairy one only gets his legs brushed when the farrier visits during the winter months, although check with fingers for signs of mud fever/knocks or cuts regularly as feathers can hide a multitude of sins.

 

[Enfys]

No, I don't have problems,
a) I have no hairy horses
b) If I did they'd be clipped out because we get so much ice feathers would be a ball of ice. I even trim all the feathers off my clean legged horses at this time of year.

Poor girl, I can see her point. Cold water? I wouldn't be amused in her place either, yes she needs to learn to accept it but set yourself up to win in the first place.

I'd leave the hosing for more clement weather myself, go for an alternative - pig oil and sulhur seems to work, or clip her legs off so you don't have to hose.

 

[traceyann]

Yes i cant use cold water on my cob if its warm stands like a dream Hes like this with willy wash as well has to be warm spoilt or what.

 

[domane]

Ditto the pig oil and sulphur. Leave the mud on and if she's in overnight, most of it will have fallen off by the morning anyway

 

[thatsmygirl]

Yep pig oil is great stuff, I really would not be washing hairy legs off I think your asking for problems that way. Let it dry and brush off a bit off mud isn't going to hurt them and I find I get less problems if I don't interfer

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

personally i wouldn't wash legs in winter the cons out way the pro.

i would start in the spring and have warm water slowly trickling out and gradually increase the pressure.
if you have to for medical reasons you better off removing the hair and using bucket warm water and sponge

 

[katherine1975]

I have two horses with feathers, in the winter I leave them as they live out 90% of the time. If they are in I let the mud dry overnight and brush off in the morning.If I wash them I do it with warm water (in the winter) as they both dislike the cold water and one has arthritis so it's not nice for her.

 

[daisalph]

Ditto to cold-hosing in winter. Don't do it much in summer either. It's not good for the hooves - makes them prone to thrush etc. Can cause mud fever in winter. I use Winter Wash Spray on sweaty areas and legs if they've had boots on and rub really well with a natural sponge or a wash leather to stimulate the blood flow. If it's just mud, I let it dry and brush it out next time I ride. xx

 

[Camel]

Oh eck ... feel a bit silly (and mean) now I figured if she was stood hock deep in cold mud then she wouldn't mind

To be fair I tried it last Summer and she was a swine, I only started last week as she had chipped a hoof and I was trying to clean her legs so I wouldn't get bortered in mud touching her, she was so awful I thought I better try and desensitise her.

Thanks for the replies I shall tell her tomorrow her 'reprieve' is due to HHO

I put the last of the PO&S (fab stuff - left over from when she had mites in summer) in her tail last week to repel the mud.

xx

 

[Camel]

Yes i cant use cold water on my cob if its warm stands like a dream Hes like this with willy wash as well has to be warm spoilt or what.

Ooh a cold willy wash!! lol

xx

 

[Camel]

Four words for you.... Pig oil and sulphur!!!

Have a search of the forums and loads of posts about it will come up, with tips on how to apply etc.

Honestly, if you have a hairy beast like my Ron it will be a god send for the mud, as well as doing wonders for the feather itself.

x

I shall order some more! Ron's feathers look mega in your signature xx