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oliviaw
Bronze Member
202 Posts |
 Posted - 02 Sep 2011 : 5:23:46 PM
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Anyone got any tips for getting over this?
Rosie isnt scared of water ie walks through puddles, has been in the sea. But is terrified of unnatural water, have tried damp sponge to start of with, warm water just on her hooves, neither where acceptable ha! she will walk through puddle when hose is on but just cant stand any water touching her.
Any tips? x
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Quarabian
Platinum Member
Wales
4340 Posts |
Posted - 02 Sep 2011 : 6:51:02 PM
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Well, it isn't a phobia if she can walk through water. Be sure that you approach this in a positive way, it sounds a bit as if you have made your mind up that she is phobic, so give her the benefit of the doubt. So..... I would take a dry sponge and touch her all over with that, then when she is happy, wring the sponge out in warm water so that there are no drips. Just start with her neck and see what she will cope with. If she wont let you touch her with the sponge keep it close to her her neck and don't take it away until she stands still. Gradually get so that the sponge is touching her and getting wetter. This might take several days. Remember that once she accepts this on one side of her neck she will need desensetizing on the other side from scratch. Good luck.
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kim gasper
Bronze Member
England
136 Posts |
Posted - 02 Sep 2011 : 9:39:28 PM
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Hi Oliviaw,
I have an 8 year old boy, Psy, who came to me 10 months ago. In his previous life he was an In-Hand show horse & being a dapple grey, is a pretty "high maintainance" colour to keep clean. So, you can imagine my surprise when I learned from his previous Mummy that she had NEVER used a hose on him, but always used buckets of warm water to keep his coat in immaculately clean condition. He came to me to learn to be a ridden horse & naturally, with the process of being lunged/worked & physical exertion he sweated quite a lot in the initial stages of his new education. I knew he would NOT like the hose, & furthermore, would also "hide behind" the "Oh no, It's soo terrifying, I can't bear to let you do this" scenario....& after a GOOD few mins of him feighning sheer TERROR, he then tried a huge temper tantrum, which, I have no doubt may well have worked in his past life, BUT, I knew that if I quitely persisted on the first occassion, it would be MUCH easier the next time. His temper tantrum rally was pretty spectacular! He threw ALL of his toys out of the pram, as they say & did a very convincing display of a Liberty horse (several times!)....but guess what....the next time, all he did was a half hearted attempt to shuffle away from the water & then he just stood quitely & the penny dropped that it can actually feel NICE on a hot day when work has made him feel itchy & sweaty! I would now say he actually ENJOY'S having a good hose down. This approach definately worked for me & it took less than a week to get him to accept things happily!
Kim x |
Many years experience owning & riding my own horses. Fell in love with Arabians at 11 years old when given a ride on "Trevallion", a 3/4 bred who was a livery where I worked as a stablehand. I have never forgotten that ride, Thank You Yvonne- should you ever read this!I now have 2 beautiful purebreds.
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Judith S
Platinum Member
Wales
15686 Posts |
Posted - 02 Sep 2011 : 9:42:36 PM
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The overhead hose booms make life a lot easier with a prancing horse as they cannot stand on or get tangled in the hose.
Agree that you just have to get on and do it - it is one of life's learning processes. |
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Edited by - Judith S on 02 Sep 2011 9:44:47 PM |
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Mrs Vlacq
Platinum Member
Wales
3776 Posts |
Posted - 02 Sep 2011 : 10:58:51 PM
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Just build up to it in a very matter of fact way  do the damp sponge or wet brush bit as Quarabian suggests. Also lay mane and tail daily with wet brush.
Try a bucket and sponge rather than a hosepipe, or squeezy bottle to apply water to the shoulder area. If it is the trickling feeling she doesn't like then moisten the coat everywhere below the area so the flow won't dance about. Also do it in a confined and safe place and on a not too noisy surface. We often bed bath the youngsters in a spare stable, some will ignore the noise of water landing on rubber mats, others find that the most worrying part of get bathed.
Go for just a tail wash, or just mane and shoulder, or just feet etc. Warm water, scapered straight off if she's super ticklish.
You'll get there - she sounds a bold soul already with her paddling! |
    
- V Khazad - V Calacirya & V Sulime - Quarida(L) - V Boogie Knights - V Hamra Tofiq |
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Callisto
Platinum Member
6905 Posts |
Posted - 02 Sep 2011 : 11:49:40 PM
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| We have two who are not keen on water, for them we apply warm water with sponges and scrape them off pronto, so they have nothing to protest about - the main objection with them appears to be the ticklish effect of water dribbling down their legs. |
  Zahkira (GR Amaretto x Taffetta)
Linda
East Sussex |
Edited by - Callisto on 02 Sep 2011 11:50:24 PM |
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Kes
Platinum Member
England
1819 Posts |
Posted - 03 Sep 2011 : 08:42:48 AM
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Reading your post made me laugh, because I have a the very same. I got Kes 5 months ago to be a ridden horse and he has been a show horse all his life up until now. You can see from my sig pics he's a dappled but these days he's really quite white, only really got dappling left on his hindquarters now. So I would have expected, the same as you, that he would be chilled with the hosepipe. Yes, as long as the temperature is above 25 degrees, otherwise he has a hissy fit that he's cold and wet. He goes really silly (gooey) when I do his mane, he gets this stupid look and goes all dreamy.
He does always have a quick hop about when the hose water hits him but I keep one hand on his headcollar and he gives in soon enough. I always start with the hose on his legs, I think it's a bit unfair on them to just start blasting them on the neck or belly with cold water. I always make sure he has a big haynet too.
Good luck, keeping a grey horse white seems to my life purpose now |
    
Carole & Kes, West Sussex. |
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arabian
Silver Member
England
270 Posts |
Posted - 03 Sep 2011 : 10:25:25 AM
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i got my boy in february so was a while before i thought about bathing took him to the hose area stated with feet kaboom major explosion in hind sight i should of started sponging first to see how he felt about the whole water issue but hey ho you live and learn  initially i thought it was the snake hose pipe he was scared of so turned the water off and gently started touching him with the pipe all over and he wasnt bothered by it all to the point where you could wave it frantically infront of him but he never battered an eyelid lol took him in his stable and got a bucket of warm water and sponge have now figured out its not the water as such he is worried about but the splashing noise and it running down him and hitting the floor,so did like the others suggested and squeezed most of the water out till he was happy all over we have progressed to being outside the stable with bucket of water and dont nave to wring the sponge out any more he has a little dance when he hears it coming but once its on him hes fine to the point where he eats the grass so hes not that bothered lol.... the little dance is brilliant compared the the barge through you and explosions so im really pleased with him...yesterday we went for the whole proper bath good soak shampoo and rinse all done with plenty of splashing noises from the sponge and he was great ..... i believe its all achievable you just have to believe that it is....... so think positive take it in steps and im sure your lovely rosie will come through a star xxx...next stage for me hosepipe running water wish me luck lol |
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Quarabian
Platinum Member
Wales
4340 Posts |
Posted - 03 Sep 2011 : 11:07:25 AM
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| Good point about the trickling effect Mrs Vlacq. I never thought to wet below the washed area. Will do in future as I am sure that is what most don't like. |
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Kharidian
Platinum Member
England
4297 Posts |
Posted - 03 Sep 2011 : 5:35:30 PM
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Good 'ol YO always said to wet the legs first as horses don't like the trickling - seems she was right (as usual)! Have to say though, I'm obviously a very bad mummy as I don't but both my boys either enjoy (on a hot day) or just quietly accept a bath. I tend to use bucket and sponge though; although Roger will be hosed as long as the hose is in front of him so he can see the monster!
Caryn
Edited to add that I haven't tried Chips with a hose yet but he's happy to have a very wet bucket bath (and have buckets poured over him). |
Kharidian (Prince Sadik x Khiri)........ Alkara Cassino (H Tobago x Rose Aboud)
aka "Roger".................................... aka "Chips"
     
The first image is from an original painting by Pat Shorto.
South-East Essex |
Edited by - Kharidian on 03 Sep 2011 8:39:54 PM |
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Pasch
Platinum Member
2277 Posts |
Posted - 03 Sep 2011 : 7:58:00 PM
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Pasch does the little dance but he otherwise accepts being hosed,he actually plays with the water with his lips and nose.(that's why I end up having a shower,too)and sometimes drinks straight from the hose.I can even hose him straight in the face(gently and not in the ears of course!)
I always start from the legs,slowly go up to the shoulder,hind legs,especially the inside where they have all those veins so they get used to the water temperature,then neck,croup,the back for last.In very hot summer days he actually really enjoys a cool shower!
I think being used to shower should be part of the basic education of every young horse,but most will get used to it with a little patience! |
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pinkvboots
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3290 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2011 : 11:07:18 AM
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Took me ages to get Arabi to accept being washed, I know he hates the water running down his back legs mainly he will kick out as the water runs down his legs even now and his 7,
My method is I wash him with a bucket and sponge and get someone to hold him on the grass so he can eat, it really does work he stands so much better if his eating, I rinse him with the hose, he still wont tolerate the hose on really fast or with any kind of pressure, I sort of hold the hose at the end where the water comes out and stroke him with my hand with the water running through it he seems to be better this way, I have also tried it with very young horses and its worked, my Sisters horse on the other hand loves it you could put a jet wash on her she stands stock still you can put it all over her face and shes fine,she is not an Arab though she is Warmblood, it is funny how some horses just don't like it and some do. |
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Kes
Platinum Member
England
1819 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2011 : 11:47:57 AM
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| Pinkyboots - funny you should say about the jetwash, Kes's stable pals who are a Warmblood and a Friesian love the jetwasher on them. Obviously we don't use it too hard but using a power washer softly shifts stubborn stains and for horses that like being bathed when it's hot they love it! |
Carole & Kes, West Sussex. |
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pinkvboots
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
3290 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2011 : 12:08:21 PM
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Kes, Arabi would be so upset if I used the jet wash on him, I think Arabs are just so sensitive to some things compared to other breeds, my sisters horse (Grace)you can do anything with her she is so tough.
He made me laugh the other day, his summer field has a ditch running though it and it makes some of the field muddy, so his legs get thick with mud sometimes, so I thought I would spray them with mane and tail spray so the mud wouldn't stick so bad, well he didn't like his legs being sprayed one bit, his little legs were like grease lightning, not funny really his naughty kicking out like that but its so quick it made me laugh, his got a real issue with things touching his back legs. |
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Kes
Platinum Member
England
1819 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2011 : 12:35:24 PM
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| Yes I agree, I don't think I would use a jetwasher on Kes, he would have a fit for a start let alone tolerate the force of the water. He's actually really good to bath as long as you don't go storming in. I always spray his legs down first and I know he loves having his mane and neck massaged with shampoo so can always get him on side if he gets narked!! |
Carole & Kes, West Sussex. |
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kim gasper
Bronze Member
England
136 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2011 : 8:16:46 PM
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| forgot to explain that I alway's adjust hose nozzle to a nice fine spray & start at the bottom & work my way up the legs. The other obvious thing I do (but am surprised just how many people DON'T think to do it!) is that when I'm rinsing shampoo out after a proper bath, I use the sweat scraper IN CONJUNCTION WITH the hose...it's the quickest & easiest way of insuring you get ALL of the shampoo out of their coats! |
Many years experience owning & riding my own horses. Fell in love with Arabians at 11 years old when given a ride on "Trevallion", a 3/4 bred who was a livery where I worked as a stablehand. I have never forgotten that ride, Thank You Yvonne- should you ever read this!I now have 2 beautiful purebreds.
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Pasch
Platinum Member
2277 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2011 : 10:03:38 PM
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Yes all the tricks above work well(water on hand and not directly on coat,fine spray and so on).Still I don't think it is an arab thing to be fussy with water,endurance horses have hoses and full buckets poured straight onto their necks and they don't seem to mind that much!
Again I think it's all a matter of habit and getting used to it. |
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fidodido
Gold Member
England
797 Posts |
Posted - 05 Sep 2011 : 10:15:02 PM
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I have to say I've never really had a problem bathing either of mine just got on with it and pretty much ignored any tantrums, but as has been suggested I always started them off with a bucket and sponge. They will both be hosed off all over though and I found that they got use to the hose pipe pretty quickly as I have always hosed down their legs after excersize.
I was once told that horses didn't like the feel of water trickling down them (and even more so when warm), as it felt like blood and they thought they where injured. I don't know how true this is but can see the logic in it.
Angie |
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Bathing Phobia
