Everyone knows that throughout winter you’re dreading the look of your horse. If you’re lucky enough to own a shower rack or a washroom with hot water then your battle for winter cleanliness was an easy one.
However, if you’re one of the thousands of people that struggle with bathing your horses until their 6 months to a year old when warm weather comes along, then you’ve probably experienced some frustration in the ‘water’ area of your training.
Say your horse is constantly moving when you have the water on them. The answer is simple. Your best chance is to go somewhere where it’s closed off but still roomy for him not to feel trapped. Get a long hose 30 ft should be okay but nothing shorter the longer the better.
Make sure you have a on/off valve on your hose, or a garden sprayer which has different nozzle’s on it, this will allow you to make a hard stream or a soft stream depending on where you’re washing. On the legs a softer stream is best for starting out.
When starting out on a horse who has never been washed or had water sprayed on them make sure he is not in cross ties, start at the legs and work on one spot until he stands still. If he moves follow him, keeping the stream on his leg as best you can. When you run out of hose or he strays too far, stop spraying and just walk him back up. You may need to repeat this step several times, or you may only need to do it a couple of times. It does help if the weather is hot and the water is cool, it feels good. Warm water is also helpful for younger horses, because it’s not as much a shock. If you want to use warm water, you can hook your hose up to your utility sink if you have one.
In Silver Lake the summers are nice and warm so bathing is not difficult. If you have access to a corral and water hook up that is a decent place to train. Once he is comfortable repeat the process until he is comfortable with his entire body. Since horses are prey animals they have a hard time with strange objects, especially ones that projectile water.
Once he’s comfortable being sprayed, put some shampoo on your brush and start scrubbing the legs. Having the shampoo on the brush allows you to control where the shampoo is, instead of fighting and not being able to remove all the soap. Once his legs are clean and he’s still pretty comfortable move to his body. If you’re in bright sun remember to scrub quick and rinse quick before the soap dries. This will cause irritation and that’s not good.
After you’ve completed scrubbing his body move to his mane and tail. These should be fairly easy unless you have a horse who isn’t used to having you handling his tail. Remember to ALWAYS stand to the side of the horse when washing the tail. Even though you trust your horse, he could get spooked and run or kick you.
Washing the mane and tail is pretty much like washing your own, except you can do it with a brush. Be sure to use a conditioner and a spray detangler afterwards. Mane and Tail detangler works great.
Place your horse in a nice green pasture and let them enjoy the roll. They will roll so we recommend not putting your horse in a stall or in a dirt paddock.
Now, which brushes are best to wash with? Normally if you’re in a pinch we recommend using brushes that aren’t really suitable for grooming. This make good washing brushes. Amongst your arsenal you should have these:
Stiff Grooming Brush (Jarden Consumer and Epona are both good brands)
Soft Finishing Brush
Mane and tail brush (Mane and Tail makes a good one)
Amongst these brands, if you have any similar brushes to these listed that are not quality grooming supplies then use them to bathe. A rough brush will do well for the body, Stiff grooming brush, and a soft finishing brush will work well on the face.
If your horse has a pretty good coat on them, if you’re bathing in spring, then using a ‘Furminator deshedding tool for equine’ will help you with the massive winter coat horses often get.
You can find all these products here: http://www.valleyvet.com
Under equine, grooming supplies.
Shampoos you will need depend on what color coat your horse has. If you have paints, cowboy magic makes ‘Shine in Yellow Out’ which will get rid of those annoying yellow stains on your white horse, Cowboy Magic also makes ‘Green Spot remover’ this is handy for getting rid of grass stains. Use as directed.
Valley Vet has many different kinds of shampoo’s to try, including ones that brighten your horses color, or if you have a dark colored horse, return their color to pristine shine. Absorbine makes a good stain remover as well, ‘Showsheen stain remover and whitener’ this can also be found at valley vet.
If you’re not one for water washing valley vet also makes waterless shampoo’s. Cowboy Magic amongst them. Absorbine Miracle groom is always a good option. Vetrolin green spot out is also a good choice.
The best part is that all these products are so well priced, the absorbine is only ten dollars! Some others are sixteen dollars, but the amount you save is wonderful. Valley Vet has hay bags and blankets, as well as other products for your other farm animals.
For the weather in Silver Lake, you can get your products from Valley Vet and be ready for the show season.
Comments