Tips on bathing a trampy unwilling horse...

[Cherrydan]

Well, my skewbald came to me today, after having a good old roll, he is filth horseonified. Now as much as I would like to take the hose out, he hates water...he doesnt get aggressive, just swerves..Any tips or tricks would be great.x

 

[Ebenezer_Scrooge]

Warm water & shampoo in a bucket & use a sponge or washmitt or shower scrunchie. I only do final rinse with hose as mine hates it too & dances around...but he.loves the.spray.on his muzzle & drinks from the hose!!!!

 

[Pinkvboots]

Warm water & shampoo in a bucket & use a sponge or washmitt or shower scrunchie. I only do final rinse with hose as mine hates it too & dances around...but he.loves the.spray.on his muzzle & drinks from the hose!!!!

Agree with this one of mine hates the hose so I use a bucket and sponge, if you really want to use the hose I find having it on very low its not blasting them helps, also start on the hoofs and slowly work your way up putting your hand at the end where the water comes out and stroking them with the water as such can also help, just take your time and try and make it a nice experience and in time they do get better.

 

[catkin]

Agree with this one of mine hates the hose so I use a bucket and sponge, if you really want to use the hose I find having it on very low its not blasting them helps, also start on the hoofs and slowly work your way up putting your hand at the end where the water comes out and stroking them with the water as such can also help, just take your time and try and make it a nice experience and in time they do get better.

this is good advice though it will take time.
Have you tried hot clothing him rather than a full on bath? It will lift the dirt and they usually enjoy it enormously. You've then got a way of cleaning him up whilst you work on the full-on bathing. Oh and start the bath training when the weather is set to be fine and warm for a few days.

 

[MagicMelon]

Agree with this one of mine hates the hose so I use a bucket and sponge, if you really want to use the hose I find having it on very low its not blasting them helps, also start on the hoofs and slowly work your way up putting your hand at the end where the water comes out and stroking them with the water as such can also help, just take your time and try and make it a nice experience and in time they do get better.

This. Although I never find you can do a proper wash with a bucket, especially a horse that has white bits. One of mine didn't like water to begin with (just because she wasn't used to it), I just held the hose on her leg on a gentle trickle until she stopped moving about and trying to kick the water away She's had 3 proper full body baths now (she is WHITE) and withstands it pretty well now but I never blast her, some horses will always hate that I think.

 

[diamonddogs]

Have you tried Barrier Lavender Wash? You just slosh it on and let it dry - very soothing.

I really feel for horses at this time of year - they get hot and bothered, even just grazing and chilling out, then we blast their hot bodies with freezing cold water! Mind you, I know a lot of humans that like nothing better than to jump in a cold shower on a hot day, but it's not for me!

 

[Orangehorse]

I read somewhere that it is a sackable offence in Germany to wash a horse in cold water .............

Mine really doesn't like being washed, but will tolerate it if I use warm water, although I have to avoid his heels when he feels the drips going down his legs.

I bought a great rug from Your Horse Live a couple of years ago, which is like a huge towel that goes from ears to tail and dries him off beautfully.

 

[catkin]

I really feel for horses at this time of year - they get hot and bothered, even just grazing and chilling out, then we blast their hot bodies with freezing cold water! Mind you, I know a lot of humans that like nothing better than to jump in a cold shower on a hot day, but it's not for me!

I so agree - we very rarely bath this time of year, weather's too cold and changeable to be messing with their coats (admittedly they all have been/are dark coated - we have a strict 'no white above the ankles' rule!!!, and we don't go showing until July so we get away with hot clothing which doesn't strip the oil from the coat or get them cold in the same way as a bath)

 

[dogatemysalad]

Choose a baking hot day. Cross tie and have a handler at standing at the horse's head. If the horse gets stressed, just untie and let the handler hold him.
Brush off the worst of the dirt. Bring a container of warm water from home, if none at the yard. Wash and massage the horse from the bucket. Scrape off excess soap and then use the hose to rinse beginning with the shoulder until the horse accepts the water. If he's not happy, aim the water directly onto or near your other hand, massaging his coat as you go.
If the horse gets too bouncy, the handler can distract with a few fingers of carrot or similar.

 

[windand rain]

Ought to be a sackable offense to bath them in warm water
The best method takes about half an hour with most horses dont tie them up hold the lead rein in the appropriate hand and turn on the hose put the water on the shoulder to run over the horse not spray but quite strong too trickly and it scares them as theyy move around you keep the water on the shoulder when they stop moving remove the water so standing still is rewarded by the water going away may take a few goes but eventually they will be happy to stand to wash at least most of the body with the hose. You will need to repeat the process on the other side as horses can't seem to relate one side with the other. It rare fails
The reason for always using cold water is that warm or hot water opens the pores and makes the horse feel it more and also removes the natural oils after all rain is cold water. It can also scare the horse as it thinks the warm water is its own body fluid.

 

[smja]

Windand rain, I didn't know that about warm water - thank you. I rarely bath (hot clothing is much easier!) but mine much prefers hot water to cold.

 

[Gwyntbryn]

I've always started with warm water and a sponge with shampoo and then progressed to hose. I have a great fitting for the end of the hose that adjusts the spray. One of the settings is a fine shower. I find use this with not to much water pressure with the head of the spray gun close to the horse, using my hand underneath to massage the water into the coat, following up with a sweat scraper.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Ought to be a sackable offense to bath them in warm water
The best method takes about half an hour with most horses dont tie them up hold the lead rein in the appropriate hand and turn on the hose put the water on the shoulder to run over the horse not spray but quite strong too trickly and it scares them as theyy move around you keep the water on the shoulder when they stop moving remove the water so standing still is rewarded by the water going away may take a few goes but eventually they will be happy to stand to wash at least most of the body with the hose. You will need to repeat the process on the other side as horses can't seem to relate one side with the other. It rare fails
The reason for always using cold water is that warm or hot water opens the pores and makes the horse feel it more and also removes the natural oils after all rain is cold water. It can also scare the horse as it thinks the warm water is its own body fluid.

Totally agree with this, I wash off 10 horses a day everyday and have yet too meet one that didn't get used to and accept it after a while. We have a spray gun on the end of our horse and do faces aswell. Lots of horses new to the yard dislike it at first but after a while are fine.

 

[Cortez]

Ought to be a sackable offense to bath them in warm water
The best method takes about half an hour with most horses dont tie them up hold the lead rein in the appropriate hand and turn on the hose put the water on the shoulder to run over the horse not spray but quite strong too trickly and it scares them as theyy move around you keep the water on the shoulder when they stop moving remove the water so standing still is rewarded by the water going away may take a few goes but eventually they will be happy to stand to wash at least most of the body with the hose. You will need to repeat the process on the other side as horses can't seem to relate one side with the other. It rare fails
The reason for always using cold water is that warm or hot water opens the pores and makes the horse feel it more and also removes the natural oils after all rain is cold water. It can also scare the horse as it thinks the warm water is its own body fluid.

Really? I've always washed horses off with warm water when I can, never had any problems with it whereas cold water makes them very uncomfortable indeed. Why would a horse think that warm water was it's own body fluid? What does it think cold water is then?

 

[littleshetland]

Interesting timing of this thread.....I've been washing/bathing mine in cold water water from the hose for the last 20 odd years...and just 3 weeks ago OH bought me a gas powered warm horse shower unit, and I've noticed that they're really enjoying being washed down now, rather than patiently enduring a cold hosing. I don't have it too warm (I'll save that for winter time) just tepid with the chill taken off....they almost hum with pleasure now!

 

[twiggy2]

Ha Ha Ha 'trampy' really made me smile

just thought I would share my laughter

my mare loves the cold hose on a hot day

 

[dogatemysalad]

I think mine prefer warm water as they are more cooperative.
On a hot day, I thought tepid, rather than very cold water was better as it's less of a shock to the system and prevents the muscles from tensing up.

 

[Cherrydan]

Wow, I didnt even know anyone had replied! Thanks everyone! I think I will go hot cloth route, sounds good. Could anyone tell me a technique please. Oh and he really is a tramp.x

 

[catkin]

Here's one method of Hot clothing:

use a bucket of hot water, as hot as you can stand putting your hand into.
add a dash of dettol or cider vinegar or rosemary tea (it's to clean the grease off the used cloths)
it's easier to use two cloths, one can then be soaking as you are using the other - any small clean cloth will do, I use face flannels or tea cloths

Get cloth saturated in hot water then wring out until just damp
rub the horse's coat gently until the cloth cools down and/or the cloth is dirty
to do the mane and tail, part the hair at the roots and cloth in small sections
swap to a clean cloth, and repeat.......
keep going until you've done the whole horse. if the water gets cool before you finish then refill with fresh hot water.

Most horses love it.

 

[Cherrydan]

Here's one method of Hot clothing:

use a bucket of hot water, as hot as you can stand putting your hand into.
add a dash of dettol or cider vinegar or rosemary tea (it's to clean the grease off the used cloths)
it's easier to use two cloths, one can then be soaking as you are using the other - any small clean cloth will do, I use face flannels or tea cloths

Get cloth saturated in hot water then wring out until just damp
rub the horse's coat gently until the cloth cools down and/or the cloth is dirty
to do the mane and tail, part the hair at the roots and cloth in small sections
swap to a clean cloth, and repeat.......
keep going until you've done the whole horse. if the water gets cool before you finish then refill with fresh hot water.

Most horses love it.

Thank you so much.x