Shop vac Help

[pooper scooper]

I have read on here from various people tht you use a shop vac to clean the horses. That sounds like a

steller idea to me. I am looking but I need to know what HP to get. I don't want to scare the poor

darlings to death with sucking their hair off.

They range from 2.5 to 6. Is the more powerful one better?

My minis and I appreciate your help!

Donna :saludando:

 

[Pepipony]

For me, I just use a smaller one, cant recall the HP, its the old one from Hubbys shop and when he got a bigger one, I grabbed it LOL Maybe you can try it at the store and see how much draw it has on your hand? If you arent planning on using it with no brush attachment, I dont think the 6 would be too much.

 

[Georgine]

I vacuumed 8 little ones today

They love it and I wouldn't think you could get a shop vac that was too powerful.

There is only one of my 26 minis that is quite nervous about the vacuuming procedure.

She just about jumps out of her skin with any initial touch. After she gets over the first touch she seems to accept more touching but she never "mellows". She's always "on edge" when a human is close.

She is new to our family and it really is sad to see how nervous she is about everything. I wish I could find a way to get her to calm down. She is 6 years old so likely is the way she's going to be.

I would love to hear from forum readers of their experiences, or ideas with regard to calming down a mature horse.

 

[evedex]

I have used a shop vac on my horses for years. I just love it and so do they, once they get used to it. Horse vacs are loud too and cannot suck up any water while you can, in a pinch, vac a bathed horse with a shop vac. It will help dry them in a hurry or you can plug the hose into the outlet for a cool air blower<G>.

Take it slowly when introducing your horses to the vac. Turn it on and don't use it on them when grooming...at whatever distance they can cope with. When you can finally run it right up near to them, introduce the hose, both with the vac on and off. Some horses are initially scared of the hose, even without the noise.

The first spot to use the vac on is your horse's favorite skritch spot, just rub it around on that spot...don't push the issue by moving it around too much or by taking it off and onto the horse's body...not until they are comfortable with it. Slowly is the best way to start. Some horses take to it right away, some take longer so let your horse be the guide in this so that they will learn to accept and love it.

If I can make a few suggestions to make the process easier, once they accept the vac (and I use a big 10hp one, so slize doesn't really matter other than noise). You can go to a big box pet store (or online to a big tack supplier) and get an attachment for the horses (same as the one for dogs but with a different sticky lable on it <G>). If the attachement isn't the same size as the end on your hose, you can get the right size end from the central vac people....also, you can get a longer hose from them (they sell it by the foot) which might make your job easier as you can then reach around the horse without dragging the machine too much.

I have taken this one step further, in so far as I have placed the vac is upstairs above the grooming stall, the long hose passes down through a hole in the ceiling in the center of the stall and never drags on the floor. I then have the vac plugged into a switched plug but you can also pass the cord down through the ceiling and just plug it in when you need it. The sound is less, but that doesn't seem to matter...I just find it easier....but the portable kind is nice as you can use it anywhere, even in their stalls.

Good Luck.