Best way to clean up foal for inspection without a full bath? Update, pix

[Dr_Doolittle]

My 2 1/2 month old filly will be going to her inspection on Saturday, and I have yet to bathe her. She has been at her present barn since she was about 2 weeks old, and unfortunately this barn has no wash stall or wash area; the “wash stall” is a 3 1/2 sided wooden enclosure with a cement floor, and is located at least 100 feet from the barn–to get there, one has to go around the side of a building, lead past spooky stuff, over some railroad ties, and down a hill. The filly leads well–I have been working with her regularly and gradually increasing the–but I have the feeling that this “excursion” coupled with her first introduction to water (other than having her butt scrubbed when she had foal diarrhea) might be a little too much to ask of her “all at once”. I have worked with “sacking her out” by rubbing a towel over her body, though she is not a huge fan of this (will tolerate it, but there is something about the fact that it’s a TOWEL that seems to concern her.) Ironically, she LOVES being groomed (as well as scritched), and I have used rubber groomies on her–with progressively harder nubblies–as well as a dandy brush. She is in heaven when being groomed, and I can groom her everywhere. Since she had an itchy foal coat (as they all do ;)), the BM recommended I rub some Calm Coat all over her, which helped–but now she has the greasy residue from this built up in her coat.

I am thinking that I should try soaking a towel in warm water and rubbing her briskly to get the worst of the grunge off, but the problem is keeping the water warm (the only warm water source is 100 feet from the barn.) Maybe bring a thermos, and then run back and forth to refill it? I have Miracle Groom, so can try saturating a towel and rubbing her with that, but will this get that deep-down grunge out of her wooly foal coat?

Right now she looks like a black Chia Pet.

Any suggestions would be welcomed, TIA!

[RyTimMick]

Using just a hose, spend time bathing the mare with the foal at her side. Have help to keep foal near Momma. While the foal is at her side, just get her wet, then go back to Momma. Pretend as though nothing has happened. keep doing this while rubbing on the foal. Make sure the water is warm, as cold water gets a different response. I do this in a wash stall by myself without any help and the foal is loose. Foals usually don’t think much of it.

Tim

[Dr_Doolittle]

Tim, this would be the “ideal scenario”, but the wash stall is not very accessible, and I would need at least another set of hands to get them both over to it and into it. The road leading out from the property is really close to the hill where the wash stall is located (it’s a separate enclosure, behind a small house), I wouldn’t feel comfortable having her loose in that area! Also, I don’t think the BM would like this either, she is pretty conservative with her foal handling. This filly is rather sensitive and might get worked up in this strange environment; the wash stall floor is a bit slick, so this worries me. (Not a problem for my mare, but I could bathe her in the T/O field and she wouldn’t care!)

There is no hot water in the main barn. This is primarily a mare and foal facility, and the barn is older (90 years or so), so doesn’t have the usual amenities. The BM has mostly TB foals who are eventually going to the racetrack; no real need to “spiff them up” until after they are weaned, and then only if they are going to be sold at auction.

[KentuckyTBs]

Edit: Just read your above reply - can you hook up a hose right by the barn where the foal is used to being? You can bathe on the grass if needed. I personally would not feel that my horse is “looking their best” for an inspection without a bath, but if you are okay with hot toweling and feel most comfortable doing that, then do that

Honestly, she should be fine with being bathed. If the mare is good about baths, take them both to the wash rack and tie the mare where she is blocking the open side (if you need the mare with the foal, if you think both will be okay for 20 minutes alone, then just put the mare in a stall and take the foal) Have someone to hold the foal and just go about giving a bath without making a huge deal of it. Back her into a corner if she dances around so she has a wall on one side, a wall behind her, then the holder and you on the open side. No better time to start learning than when they are young and little. We don’t usually bathe the TBs until they are yearlings if they aren’t going to be sold until Sept of their yearling year - but if we have weanlings to sell, they will get bathed at a younger age. Really just depends on when they need to look really sharp.

Or you can hot towel her but since she still has her long foal coat, that won’t do as much good as a full bath will.

[Dr_Doolittle]

Kentucky TBs, I might try that, maybe today when I have a helper to lead the mare. Problem is that the washrack is WAY far away from the barn, no way that I would want to separate the baby from mom for that length of time and have them completely out of sight of each other!

I’ve been doing a lot of handling of this foal since birth (not “overhandling”, but consistent grooming, leading, picking up of feet, etc.), but I don’t want to overstress her by introducing this, and then taking her to the inspection (we plan to take them on Friday evening and leave them overnight), since that is a lot of stimulation. I supposed I could try to take it one step at a time and see how she responds!

[Dr_Doolittle]

[QUOTE=KentuckyTBs;6556529]
Edit: Just read your above reply - can you hook up a hose right by the barn where the foal is used to being? You can bathe on the grass if needed. I personally would not feel that my horse is “looking their best” for an inspection without a bath, but if you are okay with hot toweling and feel most comfortable doing that, then do that

Honestly, she should be fine with being bathed. If the mare is good about baths, take them both to the wash rack and tie the mare where she is blocking the open side (if you need the mare with the foal, if you think both will be okay for 20 minutes alone, then just put the mare in a stall and take the foal) Have someone to hold the foal and just go about giving a bath without making a huge deal of it. Back her into a corner if she dances around so she has a wall on one side, a wall behind her, then the holder and you on the open side. No better time to start learning than when they are young and little. We don’t usually bathe the TBs until they are yearlings if they aren’t going to be sold until Sept of their yearling year - but if we have weanlings to sell, they will get bathed at a younger age. Really just depends on when they need to look really sharp.

Or you can hot towel her but since she still has her long foal coat, that won’t do as much good as a full bath will.[/QUOTE]

I think she would be better with being bathed near the familiar barn, BUT there is only cold water from the hose there. Drat.

[lauriep]

A little stress is very good for them at this age. They are not too young to start learning they just have to accept and deal with some things - that aren’t really hurting them anyhow. I would take advantage of the extra set of hands and go to the wash stall. Wait for warmest part of day. Slick floor actually helps you with the foal, as long as she is just being held, as she will fight less hard if uncertain about her footing. She is also still small enough to be manhandled a bit. It will be much easier for her to learn this now than when she is bigger and stronger. Go for it.

[alliekat]

[QUOTE=lauriep;6556601]
A little stress is very good for them at this age. They are not too young to start learning they just have to accept and deal with some things - that aren’t really hurting them anyhow. I would take advantage of the extra set of hands and go to the wash stall. Wait for warmest part of day. Slick floor actually helps you with the foal, as long as she is just being held, as she will fight less hard if uncertain about her footing. She is also still small enough to be manhandled a bit. It will be much easier for her to learn this now than when she is bigger and stronger. Go for it.[/QUOTE]

Agreed 110% Do it now while you have a chance. Once winter sets in you wont have a chance to get her used it it till next spring when she is a big stron yearling. Good luck

[foxyqh]

Is there a plug that you could plug in a kettle and heat the water and dump into a pail? ( you don’t have to let it boil) Then just take a towel and wring it out real well and steam her :lol:

[oldernewbie]

Just a hint on the hot water: have you seen those orange 5-gallon water containers the construction guys or campers use? They also work for hot water. Fill one up at home with the hottest water you can get out of your faucet, put the lid on, and take it to the barn. You can then mix it in with cold water in a bucket and bathe away. 5 gallons will easily take care of a wash and rinse.

Good luck at the inspection!

[silanac]

when we took our 9 week old colt to Upperville he had not yet been introduced to a hose. So we sponge bathed him. he stood relatively well, a little wide-eyed, but since he loves been groomed i think he started to actually enjoy it!

I would start with just a sponge bath with a dabble of soap, then wash it off with a watery sponge. she’s clean, and the sensation is relatively similar to being brushed… worry about the hose after the inspection

[Erin_Pittman]

I agree that introducing them now to something new is good for them! I would see if you could do the hose thing near her barn. I got mine used to being bathed at about 2 months of age and then he was inspected at 3 months - here’s a video of me bathing him using a bucket of warm soapy water (he was later rinsed with a cold hose). He was perfect…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHUVEuh31Tw&feature=share&list=UUAB_sPUNU_oe5FUVkWzwSkg

[runwayz]

Ok, how friggin cute is Monte! So grown up looking and quite proud of himself!

[Erin_Pittman]

[QUOTE=runwayz;6557511]
Ok, how friggin cute is Monte! So grown up looking and quite proud of himself![/QUOTE]

Aw, shucks! He was pretty darn cute. I’m still kicking myself that I didn’t breed my mare back to Sempatico. Here he is now (age 7): https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151071628511585&l=2f41a8633c

[Zu_Zu]

GODD LUCK ~ ENJOY !!! PICTURES PLEASE ???!!!

GOOD LUCK ~ ENJOY !!!

Pictures please ???!!! not FB pleeaassee ~

[Dr_Doolittle]

[QUOTE=Zu Zu;6558785]

GOOD LUCK ~ ENJOY !!!

Pictures please ???!!! not FB pleeaassee ~[/QUOTE]

Thanks ZuZu!

Don’t worry, I will post pix (have a Photobucket account now, so can link people to it.)

She “survived” the bath, I took the advice of the poster who said to sponge her instead of spraying with the hose, which we did. The wash-stall experience was rather traumatizing for both mare and foal (as I mentioned, the place I have them at is NOT set up for easy bathing–of either foals or adult horses!), and it took me a minute or two to get my big, brave event mare into the small, enclosed dark box with walls 10 feet high :rolleyes: Baby was curious as to what what in there, so was easier to coax in. (My mare has always been claustrophobic and worried about “changes in the color or texture of footing”.) Once in, we manipulated them around so that we could wash Ella while my mare leaned into the stall chain I put up across the opening. She’s pretty chunky right now, so I was hoping it would hold firm and she wouldn’t “fall out of the washstall and onto her face.” Bathing was pretty successful (Ella tolerated it), but since she was rather fried at that point (and had used up her foal patience), we decided to clean up the mare today instead and not press our luck. Good thing, since Ella had a HISSY on the way back, was quite fractious, and forgot all of her good leading manners. Oy! She did settle, but once back in the stall, she bucked and cavorted, jumped on and punched mom with a front hoof, then threw herself down in the shavings to roll. We wisely vacated the stall at that point ;)…After she calmed down, she was back to her sweet self and was licking the back of my neck while I picked her mom’s feet.

Wish us luck tomorrow, at least they are now both CLEAN (I have rubbed some Miracle Groom on the parts we didn’t get to with a piece of towel), but need to be braided in the morning. It will be a long day!

[Zu_Zu]

SOOOO how was the loooong day ?!??!!??

SOOOOO how was the looong day with ELLA ?!?

Can hardly wait to read your update with pictures !

[Dr_Doolittle]

[QUOTE=Zu Zu;6560432]
SOOOOO how was the looong day with ELLA ?!?

Can hardly wait to read your update with pictures ![/QUOTE]

Hey ZuZu (my own personal fan club, you are the bomb! :))

Inspection went very well, despite the fact that she showed “barely any trot” in the ring :sigh:, she wanted to leave mom’s side and canter all around the inspection ring, investigate the people standing at the rail, and jump over the cavaletti pole. Definitely her father’s daughter! She got praise for her canter from Christian, who must have seen enough trot (maybe 12 steps, total?) and gave her an 8.0 on gaits, an 8.1 on conformation, and an 8.3 on total impression. She got a first premium He repeatedly referred to her as a “very typey foal” with a beautiful head and neck, great legs and body, long lines, and good push from behind–suitable for a jumper bred foal.

Despite some “antics” in the ring, she was mostly very good, very brave (and inquisitive, kept wanting to leave mom and strut out with an arched neck and ears pricked, calling to the other horses), but showed a lot of boldness and sensibility. She was even good for the branding!

I am incredibly proud of her and SO RELIEVED that this is OVER! Phew, and WAHOO! So far I only have pix on FB, but I’m sure the pro got some good shots (and better ones than my daughter did, since she was outside the roundpen they were using for the inspection.) I will post a link when they are available.

I can’t wait until her foal coat sheds out so that she can shine; her mom looked like a copper penny in comparison, but Ella is still a little wooly looking. (Mom also got good scores, he particularly praised her head, neck, and topline. She would have “easily made it into the Main Mare Book” according to Christian, but she has a blank in her pedigree–is missing the dam’s dam–so was put in the Pre Mare Book. She was registered and branded ISR as a foal, and also went first premium.)

[SleepyHollow]

Great NEWS!!! looking forward to those pics…

SH:)

[Nlevie]

Sounds great ! After the fact I know, but I learned the hard way that if you don’t start them young learning to like baths it doesn’t get any easier. . . And with one exception, all my horses love being hosed off in the heat of summer, so I would bring babies in the wash stall with mom and not force the issue but let them get wet while I’m hosing Mom and they started pushing mom out of the way so they could get hosed ! I also am luck y to have warm water so when it’s not so hot they like it too. But I would have also suggested the sponge and towel method in your circumstances. Glad it worked out.