Bathing

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Krstn&Locket

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I have a show to go to tomorrow, so today I went to the farm im with to get my mini ready for the show. I never look forward to bathing her because she is just awful. She wouldnt stop rearing and moving from side to side. After the tenth time of her rearing up... makeing bathing really dificult I went and got my crop and every time she reared I gave her a wack not to hard but to let her know that she was being bad. So after that didnt work I just tied her so tight to the pole that she could move her head or rear so I was finaly able to bath her. I was in tears by the time I was done and felt bad about doing this but I dont know what else to do. It's not that she scared of it because shes had tons of baths and occasionlly she is good and stands still but today she was just awful. Maybe its the cold water and I understand that but none of the others act out as bad as her. Maybe I need to get a water heater. I guess it doent help the fact that she was also in heat today but....
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Any suggestions?? Any would be helpful and its not like

I just spray her... I do like I was taught start at there feet and work your way up so that there not started but I am definately out of ideas. PLEASE HELP!!!
 
Some just can't take the cold water but if you must use it then perhaps try one of the big sea sponges and a bucket with only enough shampoo in the bucket to break the water tension. It's really hard to get the soap out when you have to use cold water to rinse. Then rinse the same way as the soaping up. It may take a bit longer but maybe working in smaller areas will be more tolerable.

And I have to add if you get frustrated with her, it's best to walk away and take a break. The only thing punishing her in any way for this behavior will do is firmly instill hatred for bathing.
 
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I don't know if you have the ability to do this but...... we have been able to hook up an outside hose to our laundry faucet for hot and cold water. So the horse doesn't have to deal with a COLD bath.

We also adjust the pressure of the water so it's coming out of the hose slowly and doesn't scare them. Then I will lay the hose against them and gentley soak one side at a time. I don't aim any direct water at either the legs or the face.

Another itty bitty tippy (as Marty says) is to always just use Baby Shampoo on a horse's head and face.

No matter what I do, though, is to have the water flowing very gradually and at a luke warm temperature. And all of my movements are slow and gradual as well.

You might want to cross tie your horse....and wear shorts!
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MA
 
i had this problem with both my mini.. untill TODAY!!!! i have to tie to a tree.. with cold water too
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double halter & double leadshank, tie head up OR down & talk to her & keep your cool! do it slow. My midnight is trained to rear on command.. but if hes mad.. he trys to over power me... lightly squirt him, Not in face, low neck, and say "___(minis name) NO!"

hope it helps!

Be paticent
 
Bathing is something that you need to take time with your horse. Lots of horses start out not liking it, but gradually come to tolerate it, and eventually like it!!! Believe it or not, you will be able to do this with your mare.

Okay, here's my suggestions:

Pick a really hot day, like over 90. (In Idaho, that's easy!) Pick a day when the both of you can play in the water. Wear water proof sandals, or tennis shoes that can get wet, because they will! If you work her before hand, that's even better. Don't pick a time right before a show. Don't have a time limit...YOU need to be relaxed, and have the idea that this is a training session. You want her to have a chance to get used to this. Bathing shouldn't be JUST because of a show.

Tie her securely to something she can't pull up. I had a mare (a big one) who hated water. I put her in a vet's exam chute (I forget what you call them) and cross tied her in it. It's hard to find these things for minis. So secure yours to a tree, or a fence POST that she can't pull up. Cross tie her if possible.

Then I turned the hose on. Yes, it was cold water. I didn't turn the water on all the way, just a decent stream coming out of the hose. I don't use a spray nozzle, I just let the water run out of the hose. I start at the feet. If she moves around, don't repremand her, just keep the water on her. When she stops moving, praise her, and keep it up.

Gradually work the water up her leg, and onto her back. If she is like my horses, after a good work out, they appreciate having their legs and backs hosed. Don't hose her face, and in this first bath, don't hose too far up her neck. The idea here is to teach her that the hose won't eat her, and she won't melt in water! Hose her tummy, but if she gets too upset, back off a bit. Keep the water soft, and comfy...this should be a PLEASURE...she'll figure it out soon enough.

Use baby shampoo to wash her with...it won't hurt her eyes, and it's very gentle.

Then let her loose so that she can have a good roll. It will teach her that bathing doesn't necessarily mean a show. Half the pleasure of taking a bath (for a horse) is to get all muddy and dirty again!!!

The big mare I worked with was 15 at the time. I bathed her daily during the summer because I used her for a lesson horse, and she worked hard. She got to the point where she actually LIKED bathing. I would take the hose, and put it between her teats, and she would actually raise her leg so that I could get the dead skin from between them! I could hose her face, and she would drink from the hose.

I'm teaching my minis the same way. Bilbo didn't like baths very well, until I discovered that he hated being sprayed...but likes just a stream of water. He also likes to play with the hose and spraying me!
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The idea is to PLAY...softly and gently. Have patience. Keep your horse and yourself safe. Go slow, and praise a lot. Before too long, you and she will discover that it's a good time to have together. This is often an issue of trust, not just whether or not they like cold water. Teach her that she can trust you enough to let you hose her down.

Kim R.
 
Bath time should be FUN!!! For both of you. I always wear shorts and deck shoes- the ones made to get wet and then dry off. Sometimes I wear even less but I am very isolated and the horses are used to it so do not get scared
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Please do not tie your baby so she cannot get her head up, it is instinct for a horse to go berserk if it is totally restrained- it was one of the things the old "horse breakers" relied on- once a horse had gone berserk and been unable to get free it was truly "broken" The other thing that can break is it's neck- believe me, they can and will do it. Cross ties are the answer as the horse can rear and mess around but not get caught up or hurt itself, so get yourself a set of cross ties- for a Mini you only need two good fence posts and a Father
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Lots of patience, do not despair, you are not alone in this problem. I bought a gas water heater thirty years ago and it is WONDERFUL!! It's my only means of heating water, but it odes the job. Good Luck, keep trying
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hi, Great ideas here, but would like to add one. I almost never wash heads when I give baths until the horse is ready for that. I have had a coupl that would be upset from start to finish until they realized I would not intentionally get their head wet. It is much easier to wash their head with a rag and bucket when I am finished with the hose. At least for me it is.
 
First of all, I'm glad you didn't do like I did and try to bath her the day of the show! You're already one step ahead...

This time I bathed him the day before. Mingus primarily objects to having his head and his but twashed (ear and rear fear, so to speak), so I used a wash cloth to bathe his head, doing that first to get it over with. I flop his forelock back so that it won't drip into his ears or eyes and wash it with his mane -- he fell for this one
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Next I washed his tail, which he doesn't mind, and gently wash his rear at the same time (he he, he's thinks he's so smart!)

Since the wash cloth worked so well, I did this (using a large towel that holds lots of water) for soaking his body and working the soap in and saved hosing him for the final rinse.

He's learning that he can't get out of baths, but that it needn't be a battle.

It worked out great!
 
Until I got a water heater, my horses objected to baths too. Our water is COLD, and it takes a lot of rinsing to get the shampoo and dirt out of their coats. Run the hose over your leg, and if it goes numb from the cold, you'd be better off finding a way to heat your water.
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For years a friend of mine got his horses ready for shows at the local quarter car was (Thats how long ago it was.) He led them off the trailer and snubbed them to the side and they just loved it. He ended up buying the car wash in the end. I watched and could not get over how the horses turned into the spray and lifted legs just to get wet.
 
Geese, I too have used the car wash. It all started with a gal who was keeping a horse at my place. When he came, he had some kind of fungus or bug (not sure to this day, but he was itching himself bald) Since it was winter and I only have well water with no heater I didn't want to make him sick so I suggested we wait for the first semi warm day, take LOTS of towels and blankets and keep the trailer windows closed and head for the car wash. I could not believe how well this horse stood. Since then I've used it almost evertime I go to clip in the spring. The warm water is more enjoyable to them so they actually stand to get deeper cleaning. One word of caution though, I never use the car wash soap, I always take my own and also never use the full pressure. I can't believe how horses even for their first bath or first trip to town do so well. Oh one other hint. I always park so that I can open my back doors as a barrier to keep them from going forward out of the car wash and I close the door on the wash so that the horse can't go backwards out of the wash either
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No need for anybody running wild through the town
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For what it's worth, I have a little mare who hates being bathed and we're getting over it by showing her that A) water can be fun, and B) she can't easily walk off. I don't tie my young horses where they can't move as I don't want them injuring themselves when or if the flight instinct overwhelms them.

What I like to do is get my older mare who's seen it all and written the book and bathe her next to the youngster. Sometimes seeing a buddy doing something scary and not making a fuss helps bolster their confidence. Next (And this is preferably on a sweltering hot day when you have plenty of time.) I turn the nozzle on a gentle setting that doesn't make too much noise and holding the horse's lead in your dominant hand lightly spray the ground near the horse. If they walk away easy or give a little pressure to tall them to stay. If they walk away anyway, just turn them in a small circle around you so they end up where they started. This seems to get the idea across that even walking off doesn't get you anywhere. Then gradually move up the horse and anytime they just stand there, even if it's to squirt one knee praise them. Talk to them in a happy voice and tell them how brave and wonderful they are. Just so long and they get the good reinforcement when they're getting bathed.

When they misbehave tell them in a stern voice "no" or "easy" or whatever your command is and back off a little to let it sink in, then retrace the steps you took to get to the point where it was "scary" while praising them for good behavior. I find that while it takes longer I get a little farther every time. Also, when you resume spraying on parts that are already wet it's less of a cold shock if you're water is unheated. Lastly let them go run around, roll and graze when you're done. I don't use any soap whatsoever when teaching them to bathe as I just want to desenstitse them to the feeling of the water. It's also nice since I don't have to worry about the shampoo buring the hair if left on too long.
 
Thank you for all your responses. I will be sure to try these things next time I bath her.
 

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