Horse Hygiene, Maintaining Clean Equine
Much the same as every other member of your family or your beloved furry friends, a horse needs cleaning, too. They are prone to sweat and they can develop and odor if they are not properly cared for. If you have a male horse, you also have to worry about infections and dirt accumulation that may form and potentially clog up his urinal tract if you do not keep him clean enough. Below are a few tips on how to perfect your technique when it comes to horse hygiene and maintaining clean equine.
What Is Required?
The amount of stuff that you will need for your horse depends on how clean you want for him to be. However, most people start off with a water source, a few brushes, a couple sponges or cloths, and their favorite shampoo. The water source can be a simple spray hose or if you have a shower stall that you can put your horse in, that will also work. Provided your horse does not mind having a bath. You may want to use an adjustable high pressure shower head if you plan to give your horse a shower in this way because not all horses will enjoy having a lot of water pressure on them until they are used to the routine of it.
If you are using a regular spray garden hose or your horse is new to the bathing experience, you will want to first use a sponge that does not have any soap on it on the horse’s face. It is never recommended that you put soap on a horse’s face or put too much water into his eyes. This is also good to know if you are bathing him using a shower head speaker set up. The music and the tone of your voice may work together to keep him calm and relaxed as you move on to the other areas of his body.
When using a hose, start from his hooves and work your way up, soaking him thoroughly. Then apply the soap and rinse him off. If you have a male horse, it is important that you clean his sheath using a clean sponge that is reserved only for washing that area of his body. There are various techniques for doing this. You will also want to use a fresh sponge for the anus area, whether the horse is male or female. Clean sponges or cloths on these areas will prevent the possibility of spreading bacteria around. From there, you will want to rinse him and dry him thoroughly. The
How Often Should Your Horse Be Bathed?
Although bathing a horse is a great bonding experience for the horse and the rider, it is best that you don’t do it daily. During the summer months, it is nice to rinse them off after a lot of exercising, but save the shampoo for days when they really need it. Many people recommend doing it weekly, while others say that it depends on the type of soap you use, how much you water it down, and how oily the horse’s skin becomes in a week. The oils on a horse’s body is natural and not necessarily something that you should keep washing away. Bathing too often with soap that is not diluted, may cause the horse’s skin to become dry. This is not good for the horse.
Your horse needs good hygiene, but it is not something you have to do every day. However, it is important to realize that your horse cannot clean himself the way that you do and he does need a little help with it.
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