How to bath your horse

(February 2, 2010)

As with any animal, the overall cleanliness and upkeep of a horse will go a long way into ensuring that the animal lives a healthy and happy life. However, again like mist animals, getting a bath may not be the most entertaining of times and may require a certain amount of attention to get them even remotely interested. Depending on a number of aspects including providing the animal with treats after the exercise, you may even get your horse to like the occasion. In most cases, any frantic hatred of a bath by your horse can be easily linked to a bad experience in the past where the horse may have slipped in the shower rack or even been sprayed straight in the face by an inexperienced washer. Whatever the reason, there are number of checks you must do first before coaxing your animal into a shower.

If deciding to wash the animal on a concrete wash rack, make sure it is non skid to avoid the horse from falling. If the concrete is non-texturized, laying down some texturized rubber matting will go a long way into preventing a fall. Always keep an eye on the hose and make sure it does not get under the horses feet. This could be quite dangerous as, if the animal steps on the nozzle, it may trigger a sudden gush of water that will startle the animal. In any event, the last thing you want to do when giving your horse a wash is to startle him. Once the horse has reached a state of being scared of a bath, you may need to coax him back with a significant amount of treats and slowly reintroduce him to the hose. Do this by spraying his legs lightly at first and then moving up and back as the animal starts to get a little more comfortable.  

You may also want to make sure that you decide to wash your horse on a rather warm day or with a warm water source as this will make for a more comfortable experience for your animal. Choosing to groom your animal before the bath will help make the bath time a less dirty job. Brushing the head, body and legs before picking out the hooves and combing out the mane and tail will help get rid of some dirt as well as shed any loose hair. Before the end of the bath make sure that you have an anti sweat sheet or cooler ready to keep your horse warm and free of drafts.