Step-by-Step how to bathe a horse?

Question

I am working at a horse camp and will be having my own group of campers. I was wondering if you could give me some tips on how to bathe a horse because I have never done it all by myself before.

QUESTIONS:

How wet should I get the horse?

If it is warm out do I need to use warm(ish) water?

How much shampoo to use?

How to rub in the shampoo(with hands??)?

Do you always need to do the mane and tail?

What about the face??

10 POINTS TO WHOEVER CAN ANSWER ALL THESE QUESTIONS AND POSSIBLY EVEN A STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS (BE DETAILED PLEEZ)

Answer 1

1. soak horse's body so that it is obvious that it is wet. his coat will look darker when wet. i suggest not to do the upper neck. face as some horses don't like water sprayed there.

2. start on on side, usually the left side. what i do is i put i line of shampoo from the shoulder to the rump and i rub it in all over the body, lower neck, and legs so that it gets lathered up, just like you do to yourself when washing your hair. do it just like you have a curry comb in your hand. do it all over.

3. rinse out thoroughly. sometimes the water runs clear even when soap is not washed out completely. go back over, using your hand to wipe it out.

4. soap tends to collect easily underneath the horse's belly on on their backs, so rinse there thoroughly too.

5. repeat on the other side.

6. for the mane and tail, put some shampoo in your hand an on the mane/ tail ad scrub in like you are washing your own hair. rinse thoroughly.

7. if you want to wash the face, then put a little bit of shampoo on your hand or a sponge and rub it in gently, and take the hose and gently rinse it out, careful of the eyes.

8. once you are done, rinse the whole body again just in case. then use either a sweat scraper or your hand to squeeze all the excess water out of the horse's fur. you can towel dry the horse, hand walk it until dry, or you can turn it right back out if it's warm out. (like around 65 + degrees fahrenheit)

if it is warmer out (at least 75 degrees) then you can use hose water. if cold out, then use heated water. you do not always need to wash the mane and tail.

Answer 2

Alrighty. There isn't really an amount of "wetness" that you need to bath your horse, just take a hose and spray the length of your horses body. not rocket science.

i suppose i'll just do a step-by-step.

1. Take the hose and make sure you have cold water by running it along your hand until it's cool

2. Spray the hose at your horses feet, and slowly work your way up. feet to stomach, then thighs, back, and up the neck.

3. Then, once your horses is completely wet, put about nickel sized drop of shampoo on a plain sponge (like the kind you use on dishes that are the same on both sides; it's much easier then using your hands)

4. then just take the sponge and move it in circles the get all the dirt from your horses body. continue this along the entire body, legs included.

5. Don't shampoo the horses face, and you can put conditioner in their mane and tail if you desire

6. Spray the horse down againto get all the soap off and then spray the horse under their tail, and in between their legs to get any dirt off

7. mane and tail aren't required, but you can do it if you choose.

8. then you need to gently spray the horses face the the hose (and don't believe others when they say you aren't supposed to; it really doesn't hurt the horse. but your horse WILL fuss and just remember that you aren't hurting him in any way)

9. Then you take a sweat scraper and run it along the horses entire body to make sure they're as dry as possible, and make sure you get the stomach several time; that's where the water collects

10. finally, take a large towel and wipe down your horses body and face to remove excess water.

i really hope this helps.

good luck ♥

oh yeah! p.s.

not to be a tattle tale or anything, but loves the ponies only copied and pasted that response from a different website. she didn't do it herself.

:P

Answer 3

1) Wet the horse with a hose. The water does not need to be warm, but make sure you get the horse used to it by starting on the legs and working your way up.

2) Depending on the shampoo (check specific instructions) you can either apply it directly or dilute it in a bucket of water. Use a sponge to apply and a bathing/curry mitt to rub it in. If you don't have one, your hands will work fine.

3) Be sure to get the horses legs and face, and under the belly well - those places are most apt to not being cleaned properly. I like to use my bare hands for the face, so I can be careful not to get it in their eyes.

4) The main and tail can be washed the same way. A good tip for the tail is to dip it in the bucket of soapy water and swish it around. Do this after you have done the rest of the horse. The tail is usually really dirty, so your soapy water probably won't be useable after washing the tail.

5) If the shampoo directions say to, let it sit for a few minutes to really do some work, then rinse the horse thoroughly. Make sure to get all of the soap off!!!! If they are not rinsed well it can cause skin irritation.

6) If you like, apply a conditioner to the tail. I don't recommend doing the mane unless it is one of those long, thick ones. (I'm a hunter, we do short and thin) Rinse.

7) Use a sweat scraper to remove the excess water from the horse's body. Use your hands to "squeegie" the legs, then a towel to dry the legs and face. Drying them before turning them loose will help prevent skin conditions.

8) Do not bathe your horse more than once a week, as it removes the natural oils from their coat and can dry it out and make it dull, which is probably opposite of the effect you are going for. I bathe my horse once a month, or if she is having skin problems, maybe once every week or two.

Answer 4

1) tie your horse up to a post or something strong.

2) Get supplies ( brushes & a hose/water )

3) Get your horse used to all supplies

4) Use a Cury Comb and brush off all the hard dried on mud/dirt

5) Take a Dandy Brush and Brush your horse to finish off the first brushing

6) Take a hose ( its a good idea to put some type of nozle on it so it isnt so hard on your horse ) gently spray the horse all over.

7) apply horse shampoo ( scrub on with your hands )

8) rinse off your horse

( and its mane and tail--- then brush the mane and tail )

9) Dry off your horse ( towel )

10) take a damp towel/rag/sponge ( i recommend a sponge ) and use ONE to wipe the horse's crotch/butt and A DIFFERENT ONE to wipe the horses eyes.

11) take a rag to wipe off horses ears/ face

______________________________________...

just spray the horse...  a little more then just damp.. make the horse wet wet.

warm water is usually recommended but not needed.. cool water will do as well

you'll need plenty of shampoo squirt some in your hand and scrub as much as you can until you need more shampoo

rub shampoo in with your hands go easy but throughly.. so the horse will get clean

you don't always need to do the mane.. i only do it if its really dirty of i cant get a comb through it

i gave directions above on how to do the face /\

Answer 5

hey!

-you should get the horse wet all over.

-yes, warish water all the time

-you should use just enough shampoo to clean, not too much.

-just rub it in like you do with a humans shampoo.

-you dont always need to do mane and tail.

-for the face, you should get a wash-cloth and wet it, add a little shampoo, rub it in the washcloth, and wash the face.

hope i helped!

amber

Answer 6

This is how I usually do it:

1. Fill a bucket with water (cold, or warm, whatever is available) and a small amount of soap.

2. Wet the horse (that means the WHOLE horse. Under the tail, stomach chest area etc.)

3. Lather up the mane/tail, and let sit.

4. Put soap on the horse using a brush, rag, sponge, or currycomb. Get ALL the areas.

5. Rinse body, mane/tail.

6. Rinse the horses face (some horses do not like this AT ALL! If you don't know this horse well, ask the barn manager or owner if the horse will be safe to do this with. If not, use a wet rag with a small amount of soap and wipe the face. Then rinse with a clean rag.)

7. If you have time, you can condition the horse, the same way, you shampooed him.

8. Dry the horse with a towel, or find a cooler to let him dry in.

Hope I helped!

Make sure to start the water by the horses feet and work your way up, so you don't accidentally scare the horse.

Answer 7

All the above answer your questions well...

Just two things that werent stated:

1. Make sure it is a warm day.

2. And wash him in the morning as early as possible so he has time to dry off during the day.

:-)

Answer 8

Step 1 Put your horse in a halter.

Step 2 Tie the lead rope to a railing near a water hose.

Step 3 Use a gentle spray of water. It's easiest to use a hose with an adjustable nozzle. If the water is cold, move slowly from foot and leg to foot and leg before spraying his body and soak him thoroughly

Step 4 Start at your horse's hooves and work your way up his legs. Thoroughly soak the fur all over his body.

Step 5 Wash his body from the belly up. Use a specially formulated horse shampoo.  You can mix it in a bucket (1/2 c per 5 gallon bucket approx.) and apply it with a soft sponge, a soft bristled brush or one of those mittens designed for washing animals.

Step 6 Hold the lead rope and with a light mist gently wash off your horse's face. Most horses don't like this and may fuss. You may need a soft cloth to wipe away debris.  Do not use shampoo on his face.

Step 7 Hose your horse's neck, including under the mane, and continue down the neck to the tail. Wash his mane much as you would your own hair.

Step 8 Pull the horse's tail away and wash underneath. To wash the tail, prepare a bucket of soapy water, hold the bucket up and immerse the tail in the bucket until it is thoroughly wet and soapy.  Use your hands to scrub the tail hairs together to clean them.

Step 9 Use a big, soft sponge and gentle shampoo if you want a more thorough wash. Do not put shampoo on the horse's face.

Step 10 Rinse entire horse with a gentle spray.  Make sure no soap residue remains.

Step 11 Use a sweat scraper or the side of your hand to wipe away excess water.

Step 12 Let the horse dry thoroughly before putting him back in his stall.

Step 13 Apply fly repellant once the horse is dry.

I hope this helps!

Answer 9

first you start at the feet for the horse wont be scare then work your way up when you wash you cant use to much or too little do like a massage when you shampoo them do the face by hand to wash the mane but the shampoo on and rub it in for the tail you get a bucket and but sampoo in it and lift the bucket up and put the tail in when you rince the horse make sure you get all of the shampoo for the horse wont get dired skin and then bruch them hope this helps :)

Answer 10

http://www.expertvillage.com/video-serie...

Great link and step by step instructions....

I use tepid (lukewarm) water when bathing my horses.  Cold water isn't fun for them and they feel like you do when confronted with a cold shower...yikes..

Bathing a horse is not as difficult as it may seem.  Shower them down thoroughly, apply shampoo to a glove or mitt designed for shampooing horses, scrub them down with the shampoo and rinse them off thoroughly, apply conditioner, rinse again.   To shampoo a  mane and tail, is the same process; you may want to shampoo the tail twice.  Apply conditioner and rinse well.  If you plan to wash a horses face, wet down a sponge and wet the horses' face that way...use Johnson's Baby Shampoo in the event any shampoo gets in their eyes.  Use generous amounts of water on the sponge to rinse off a horse's face.  

At times bathing a horse is easier if there are two people involved, one to hold the horse and another to do the shampooing.

Answer 11

Make sure that you have sprayed down the entire body (don't worry about getting the face wet; most horses don't like it). Water will be dripping off. Make sure you get the belly and legs all the way wet.

At some barns they have heated water, which is nice, but  if the weather is warm, just use hose water (unheated).

Fill up an eight or ten quart bucket with water and mix in about two tablespoons of shampoo (about a palm's worth) unless the bottle says highly concentrated, in which case I use about a quarter-sized glob. I then mix the soap in with a sponge and squeeze the sponge a couple of times to make it foamy.

I then dip the sponge in the bucket and starting with the neck rub in big circles. I don't do any shampoo on the face because it might get in the eyes. Make sure to wash the legs and the belly well. If there is a stain on my  horse, I take a stiff brush and dip it into the bucket and scrub at the stain for about a minute. If the horse has white socks, I use Quic Silver full strength on the socks and let it soak for a couple minutes, then rinse. If the entire horse is white, I mix the Quic Silver into the bucket and use normally.

If you plan on braiding your horse's mane for any shows, I would not wash the mane, but since it is just for summer camp, I would dip the sponge in the bucket and run it over the mane, then shampoo it like I do my hair. I usually wash the tail, also. I make sure it is all wet, especially at the top around the tail bone. I hold the end of the tail and make a line of shampoo all the way down and scrub with my hands, focusing on the top around the "scalp" on the tail bone.

After all that I rinse the horse until no more soap is coming off and use a sweat scraper to remove the excess water.

For the face, I get a clean towel wet and squeeze it out just a bit and wipe the entire face, being careful not to get any water in the eyes or ears.

After you do it a few times you will get the hang of it and probably figure out some tricks to get the job done more efficently.

: ) Hope this helps!

Somebody came through and thumbs-downed everybody's answer except theirs....rude.

Answer 12

1)You just need to spray the horse all the way down with water

2)If its hot use cool water, if its cold us warm water

3) you should use about the size of your palm 4)rub it in with the use of a sponge or a bathing glove and your hand will work

4)NOt always if you notice it is dry i would but other than that i would wash it 1-2 times a month

5) Dont spray the face, wash the face with a sponge, and i would put a lil bit of shampoo on but not near the eyes

hope i helped :D

Answer 13

How wet should I get the horse?

Get a hose and just spray the horse so he is wet all over.

If it is warm out do I need to use warm(ish) water?

No, that is a myth. Just turn on the hose and get to work! It shouldn't matter the temperature of the water unless your horse doesn't like cold water.

How much shampoo to use?

Put a stripe down their back and down their neck, srub it and add shampoo where you need it. As long as you wash it all off and don't use TOO much, it is fine.

How to rub in the shampoo(with hands??)?

You can use your hands or a scrub brush or scrub glove.

Do you always need to do the mane and tail?

Not always. I do the mane, but not the tail. Mostly I just rinse my horse of sweat with out the soap, but yeah. If you want to do both or if both is needed, go ahead.

What about the face??

You can either use a sponge to wet the horse's face, then put soap on it and scrub its face, then rinse it with a sponge. But if the horse is like my horse and most horse's, they will not like water on their face so you just leave it alone.

Step by Step

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1. Turn on the hose

2. Put your finger on the end of the hose to make it spritz or turn the nosel to 'shower'

2. Start with the horse's legs, then once that is wet, go to the back, then neck and mane, then back end, then tail, on the side towards you.

3. Drag you and the hose under the horse's neck on the ground so he doesn't step backwards and trip. If the hose is in front of the horse, he can't trip if you pull it tight.

4. Repeat step 2 on the other side

5. Set the hose down.

6. Put soap on a srub brush/put soap on horse's back line

7. Scrub the horse's back and neck, then mane, then legs, then butt and tail and add soap as needed.

8. Repeat step 7 on otherside

9. Pick up the hose and repeat steps 2 and 3, rinsing off the soap in all areas.

10. Take a sweat scraper and scrape off all excess water. Then you are done!

Answer 14

get your horse totally wet, so that hes like dripping with water. dont get his head wet cause usually horses dont like their head wet. usually when its warm, defiantly in the summer, the water needs to be cold, but feel the water when you turn it on and let it run for a bit so it gets cool and the rinse. get as much as shampoo as you need to get a rich lather, and put it on a sponge or brush and start washing! with hands, thats a little hard, i have done it with hands but it doesnt give a rich lather and i had to keep on pouring shampoo on my hands! dont do the mane and tail every day, but every other day. sometimes i do spray their head, and they dont like it and pull back, so if they pull back, turn the hose away until they settle down and after they settle down, spray his head again. sometimes i take a hold of their halter and just let a little water go down their face. hope it works!