What can you do with a horse you cant bath?

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mememe

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As title really. Fortunatly buster is a bay but no matter what i do i absolutly cannot bath him. He is an impatient little sod and will put up with it for all of about 5 seconds before having a massive tantrum.

Is there anything i can do with him?
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What does a major tantrum consist of?

Mine gets cross tied and she can strop all she likes, she cant get away from me!!
 
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What does a major tantrum consist of?

Mine gets cross tied and she can strop all she likes, she cant get away from me!!

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snaps his tie up bolts round the yard and generally throughs his weight around, all 16.1 of him. Plus alot of stamping (not kicking he just stamps)!
 
Mine get tied up and blasted from a distance and blasted with the fire hose if they're being vile
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Coud you not just regularly hot rag him?
 
Oh, we used to have horses like that where I worked. I used to have to calm them first - usually by rubbing their ears until they were dopey, then I would be chief head holder - adn talk to them and if needed we would hold their noses a bit - no twitches as that might upset them too much - they were babies, and BIG ones (like 17hh).

I have found that having the radio on, and NOT being nervous, kinda making it fun - but being stern when needed helps my boy. but its taken about 3 years for me to go from someone being de-gloved when he saw a hose go on, to being able to hold the shower head over his head. Oh and warm water makes the world of difference!
 
Has he had a bad experience in the past?

Could you take him back basics and introduce hosing gradually?
 
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Has he had a bad experience in the past?

Could you take him back basics and introduce hosing gradually?

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Not that i know of, i have had him since he was 5 and nothing has ever happened to him with me. He is generally an impatient horse and is at his worse with anything like having a bath!
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Stick a bridle on him and have him held by someone.

Always wash him in nice lukewarm water and don't stand for any nonsense!
 
is there not a spare stable you can bath him in ?

My henry is an absloute Sh*t to bath, if hes tied up outside he just pulls back and back and back till hes free, such and ar*e, so i now just do him in the spare stable, door shut so he can pig about as much as he likes, and the job gets done.
 

Mine is awful too but I've never really needed to bath her & the odd few occasions that I have I've rinsed her down with warm water & a rinse instead of shampoo or just soapy water & rinsed with warm water & sponge.

Don't see the need to stress both of us out when there is no real need to.
 
thanks for all the replies! unfortunatly dont have a spare stable.

Think i will have a go with him in a bridle! thanks amymay!
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Mine used to be awful. Just tied him up to a strong bit of string and stood using a hose from a distance. Now he's angelic. He used to strop and strop and strop, but eventually realised it did him no good at all! He could spin from side to side, and I just started on whichever side was closest to me!
 
I find warm water gets a better reception than blasting them with cold. They then have no reason to get away from you.

My chap will stand stock still in warm water, cold water - its like lunging !
 
[ QUOTE ]
Mine get tied up and blasted from a distance and blasted with the fire hose if they're being vile
tongue.gif


Coud you not just regularly hot rag him?

[/ QUOTE ]

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Mine put up with it whether they like it or not I hose one side shampoo it, rinse it and then do the other side. I gave my yearling his 1st bath a couple of weeks ago so he had buckets of water with a jug, and a special brush with a sponge in it.
 
I started Chancer as a baby with warm water and sponge. He was cross tied and I was gentle but firm - standing still was expected and he was made to do this.

Later I went to using the hose - and if he stropped he was cross tied on very short rope with his dog chain under his chin - his choice, stay still or be uncomfortable - he chose to stay still. If he moved, the hose moved with him and again he soon learnt stay still and it didn't take long.

If the weather is cool, I always use warm water and sponges and do the final rinse with the hose unelss it is really chilly, but if warm he just gets the hose.

As others have said, start him gently with warm water and sponges and don't take any nonsense. Hopefully you should be able to get him used to the hose with time.

If you decide it is too much effort, you can get very good results by taking a bucket of nearly boiling water, put in 1 tablespoon of mild shampoo, ie baby shampoo and I like to add 1 teaspoon each of lavender, peppermint and teatree oils. If the coat is very greasy, a drop of white vinegar or dettol helps.

Take an old flannel or small hand towel, wear rubber gloves. Dip into the bucket and then wring out all the water you can. Place on the coat and leave about 10 seconds and then rub hard and wipe. Idea is to steam the coat. If you have a clipped or fine coated horse, let the towel cool slightly.

Water ends up black and you may need to change it several times.

Horses seem to very much enjoy hot towelling and it is a great way in winter to get a coat really clean if you need to.
 
Wait for the next thunderstorm, put on shampoo and leave him out in the rain for a few hours
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Just kidding - sort of. I thought the YO had washed my boys tail last week but she hadn't been home we had a torrental rainstorm and he ended up sparkling clean having been stood out in if for a few hours.

Is he ok to groom or does he do the same when just generally handling him? If so he needs to learn some manners. If not and he just has an adversion to water, I think coercian is your best bet. Personally I would just go with the warm water and a sponge as part of his normal groom. When he stands give him a treat and lots of praise. If he doesn't stand then don't stop but on the other hand don't push the water to a level where he feel he needs to flee - just keep going gently - eventually he will stand and immediately give him a treat and praise. They work out very quickly that standing is the most fulfilling option as it measn lots of treats, particulalry food orientated horses. It avoids a fight and any unpleasantness.
 
Strart off with a Dettol bath . Warm water and a sponge and a splash of dettol in bucket of comfortably warm water.
Squeeze out most of water and rub him over, change water frequently. The dettol cuts through the grease with no need to rinse and will make his coat gleam and smell lovely and clean.
We started off bathing our youngsters like this on the sweaty bits after exercise, and they soon got use to a bit of water.
Just do everything gradually. They usually enjoy the rubbing bit anyway.
 
I'm afraid I don't tolerate horses who don't stand to be hosed. They get hosed until they stop pratting about!

I'm lucky in that I have a stable set up as a washbox - but can do it just as easily outside. The key is to use a bridle with a lungeline passed through the nearside bit ring and clipped to the offside bit ring. Hold the horse in one hand and the hose in the other. Start at the legs and work up and around. Just keep hosing until they stop pratting about and stand - then stop! Choose a warm day - as it might take half an hour or more for them to start behaving.
 
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