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Breed Profiles | Bathing
Materials:
Get out all materials, and mix the shampoo and water according to the labels instructions. You should only bathe your horse once a month. However, it is important to get your horse clean for shows too. So, if you bathe your horse frequently (which I don't recommend, I just state for any reason, if need be.) try and find a VERY mild shampoo, so it will get your horse clean, but won't remove all the natural oils. Once everything is set up you must secure your horse. If you have a wash stall, consider yourself lucky. For the rest of use your stable should have a spot to hose off your horse. My stable I just use a slip knot and an eye hook with a ring attach to it. If you tie your horse make sure he is able to be tied, and if he freaks you must detach him immediately. Lucky, my horse isn't too bad, unless he realizes he can't go anywhere, that's where the slip knot came in handy. I screwed it up one time had to really quickly un attach the lead line hook. So if your horse freaks its okay as long as you make the correct slip knot. My horse ground ties too, so sometimes I don't even bother retying it if it comes undone while I'm bathing him. Then you may begin bathing. Start by taking the sponge and dunking it into the soapy water. Then with the sponge thoroughly wet your horse down. Don't get the water on his head, we don't want to get soap in his eye. Pay close attention to the mane, tail, white markings (on the body and legs), and those hard to reach spots. to get the mane clean just apply the soap with the sponge. To get the tail clean use the sponge, and if your comfortable enough standing behind your horse just lift up the bucket and dunk the tail in up to the bottom of the dock, or as high as you can get it (below the dock). If you need to add more water you can just add more water, no need for more soap. After you feel your horse is completely you can pour the bucket over his back from the withers to the quarters. This will help you get him even soapier. (is that even a word? lol). Then take out your scrub brush, or stiff brush, and start scrubbing your horse, but only the body and legs. Your horse might not sud up, I never had one do that, but trust me your horse will come clean. Then for the mane and tail use your fingers to spread the soap through out the tail. Remember to be gentle, especially with the mane and tail you don't want to break any hair. Use a hose to rinse off your horse. Remember to get him used to the water spray his legs of about a minute or two, then start at the neck and work your way back and down. When you get to the back of your horse star at the very top, and work the brown water down, then lower the hose and clean of the lower areas of the body, same with quarters. You can rinse the mane out just like the rest of the body, make sure all the soap is removed. When rinsing the tail start at the top, and make sure the water gets deep down to the dock. Then just as the mane rinse all the soap out, go through it with your fingers to make sure. Then you can wipe your horses face off with a wet rag. After all the soap is washed off, use the sweat scraper and gently swiping with the hair remove the water from your horse's body. Do not use the sweet scrapper on the legs, for the legs use a towel, and as much water off as you can. Remember do not turn a horse out wet, it can burn his skin. Instead you can put him in his stall, put a cooler on him, hand graze him and a nicely shaded area, or let him stand in the cross ties and spoil him rotten with treats and attention. This is the most important part take a good look because you know he's going to go outside and roll! |
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