Horse hates baths HELP!!

My horse is just so scared of the hose when we give him a bath he was abused before and we believe someone beat him with the hose. He has been with me for two years and he trusts me with ANYTHING but the hose. Is there any way that I can help him get over his fear?

If you can find a shorter length (at least less than the 50-75' ones)of hose you need to slowly introduce the horse to it. Let him smell it gradually working up to rubbing him down with it. This technique works with everything scary that you can hold in your hand. They need to know its just an extension of your hand and it won't eat them. Rub him all over with it use it like a rope and toss it around his legs. If you have ever seen Clinton Anderson clinics do like he does with a rope only use the hose. When you get to bath time start with the front legs and work your way up from there. We had a wash rack built this summer it really helps in training the babys and giving the adults a bath.

Sorry! Double post

I have to wash my horse without a hose due to the fact that we live in a drought area and we arent allowed to use hoses.

I get a bucket of water and add shampoo to make it nice and soapy. I get a brush and dip it in the water then wash her by, brushing her...kind of lol you can get the same coverage as when you use the hose.

Then to rinse her off, I use buckets of water again. I use the water from her water trough that I empty and wash every few days. Because I clean it so regularly, the water is clean. But you prob don't live in a drought area so you could fill buckets normally. I use about 10 buckets of water to rinse her off. I use the hose briefly to make sure I get all the soap off her belly etc

Maybe try this but use the hose to fill up the buckets near him. If he doesnt mind the bucket and brush method, give him lots of treats and make bath time fun. All the while, you are still using the hose to fill the bucket and hopefully, if he is associating it with bad things, he will learn to see it as a sign of a good time. The hose obviously would slowly get closer until you would hopefully be able to start using the hose. When you do use the hose on him, don't have it spraying hard. Just a light flow and maybe stay low, hosing his legs and feet and gently praising him.

This is what I would try anyway. Good luck with it :)

What a pain in the patooty! Sorry about the drought though. We occasionally have water restrictions here too during very dry years. I have 2 water wells on our place that we use strictly for animal watering. 1 is windmill driven so I don't use it to often. I like your method though. Ever used one of those waterless shampoos?

sure is a major pain the drought sucks. I live in the tropics and now there is no water there is no greenery and all the things that make brisbane cool *sighs* oh well

No I havent tried the waterless shampoos. Are they good?

Jazzrider, I have used Cowboy Magic greenspot remover it worked good on a pale gray horse I had who liked to lay in poop. Its more of a spot cleaner. There is some stuff called miracle coat waterless shampoo that is sprayed on and then toweled off. I am thinking of trying it for winter baths. I'm not sure what would be available in your area but its worth looking into. I ride a black horse now so my only worry is dust

Jazzrider, I have used Cowboy Magic greenspot remover it worked good on a pale gray horse I had who liked to lay in poop. Its more of a spot cleaner. There is some stuff called miracle coat waterless shampoo that is sprayed on and then toweled off. I am thinking of trying it for winter baths. I'm not sure what would be available in your area but its worth looking into. I ride a black horse now so my only worry is dust

might have to try and find something like that around here. Im sure horseland would have something :) thanks