Horse refusing to be hosed

[Mcl1]

I have had my mustang for almost a year now. He is generally pretty laidback and caught on to most things quickly but he can be incredibly stubborn about things he dislikes - one of which is being hosed off. I can stand next to him with the hose, fill up a bucket, and then dump the bucket onto him without an issue - but the second any water goes directly from the hose onto him he loses it (flying backwards, rearing, etc., so a fairly big reaction and not just stepping away). I only attempt to hose him when it’s really hot out so that it should be a “reward”.

Has anyone dealt with a horse like this and have any tips or tricks? Unlike my TB who dislikes getting wet, he seems unfazed by that part of it, and although he was initially wary of the hose around his feet he seems to be ok with that now too - it’s just the water coming out of the hose I guess? The bucket method works ok but I would love to be able to really clean and rinse him, one because he’s very itchy and I think he would enjoy it and two because it is wet and muddy here right now and he smells like a wet bear…

[CanteringCarrot]

Have you experimented with different hose nozzles, water pressure and other settings?

[skydy]

I’ve always had luck hosing from the fetlock down to begin with, then moving upward , highest point cannon down, then highest point knee down, in increments as tolerated. None of mine or others had issues with that and were never afraid of the hose.

I wouldn’t start a baby with a hose or a bucket from the top down. Just my experience.

[2DogsFarm]

What @skydy said.

Bear with me while I give you my version of that advice.
Many years ago, I rode a 4yo WB belonging to the trainer I was with at the time.
Ginormous 17h of Baby, it was Summer, he was sweaty when we were done.
I untacked him, walked him into the wash stall, clipped on the crossties & started hosing him…
Barnworker came up to me, all bugeyed:
“He doesn’t crosstie!”
Uh, yes, seemed he did & likely because I’d wrongly assumed he did & there was no hesitation on my part.

Babysteps with your guy, once he’s okay with feet getting hosed - just the stream from the hose, no nozzle pressure - move up the leg in stages.
When legs are acceptable, try underbelly.
Maybe stick to the bucket over his back & gradually add the stream from the hose.

Hoping you get where you’d like & he’s comfortable.

[Mcl1]

@CanteringCarrot I have but I think I need to try some different ones to try to find something he tolerates - maybe more of a rain shower type might work.

@skydy That was my thought as well, I always try to just start basically at the ground next to him and very slowly start with his hooves and work up, but as soon as it hits his skin he is OUT. The only other time I have seen him act in such an extreme way is getting shots. I also started with the sponge/bucket that way but he is unbothered.

@2DogsFarm Thanks for the encouragement! I think I just need to commit to working on it everyday. His brother gets hosed off every night after getting ridden so I will just keep him around and start with him existing near the hose stream .

[Aussie_2020]

There was a huge WB at out barn that the owner washed and rinsed via bucket. One time I was in the next wash rack, I’d turned the hose off but still held it, as I stepped over to her side he saw the hose and freaked. It was funny later.

[Demerara_Stables]

Start with him accepting the hose with no water coming out. Lots of treats - maybe stick a carrot in the end if he likes those or coat it with molasses that he can lick off. Make him really love it. Rub the hose all over his body, and keep on with the praises and treats when he stands.

Then turn the water on to a tiny trickle (no nozzle, just an open end of hose). He should be standing now for you to rub the hose all over him, so keep doing that but now with a trickle coming out. Keep with the treats and praises when he stands.

Gradually (and this may need to be over 3-4 sessions) increase the volume of water coming out until you’re actually getting him wet. You should eventually be able to pull the hose away from him and lightly put your thumb over the end to spray him a bit.

Over all, lots of positive reinforcement and do this in a space where he can’t get away. Even if you have to start with a small piece of hose that’s not attached to the spigot and do it in his stall. When he stands and accepts it on him, he gets a pat or a cookie.

I’ve done this method with many horses and it works like a charm!

[chestnutmarebeware]

@skydy

I’ve always had luck hosing from the fetlock down to begin with, then moving upward , highest point cannon down, then highest point knee down, in increments as tolerated. None of mine or others had issues with that and were never afraid of the hose.

That’s the way I started with the Evil Princess back when she was an Evil Weanling/Yearling.

I turned the hose on to just a trickle and started on her hoof. Trickle down hoof, remove hose. Repeat ad nauseam.

Make sure to stop (if possible) before the reaction starts. Sloooooooowly go higher up the leg from there over the next weeks, and then again with stronger and stronger water pressure.

I had to use the same technique with the fly spray.

She’s 25 this year and never came to enjoy hosing (or fly spray) but she submits with (mostly) good will.

[tabula_rashah]

I’m actually working through this with a friend’s 3YO Welsh x Morgan cross that came from the Amish and was very obviously manhandled.
She pretty much hates anything touching her and reacted violently
We started with just basic pressure and release stuff, then moved onto a lunge whip being able to touch her, then a pennant type flag on a stick, then fly spray and last weekend we finally were able to hose with the light shower setting.
My basic plan with her was - whatever object I wanted to touch her would be touching her until she chilled and relaxed, then it was removed and she got a treat. Then gradually increased the duration of the object or the spray or the water touching her. It’s very much a game of patience and timing. I want to see that split second of them thinking about the answer and reward it and then I want to start seeing the choosing the right answer and immediate reward start to turn in relaxation
Also I know that most people start hosing from the leg and then work their way up and I find that doesn’t generally work so well for me. A lot of times the first reaction to water hitting their leg is them jerking the leg up and I don’t want that reaction. I use a nozzle that has a gentle rain or shower setting and I spray it up in the air ( not at the horse) so that the arc of the water falls on the horse. Basically making it feel like rain, something they are already familiar with and then I work my way down

[luvmyhackney]

Stupid question, but is the water warm?

If it’s not, try different temperatures vs cold from the hose. My horse likes his water to be bath water temperature even in the summer, he’ll break cross ties if it’s cold. But he’s fine with sponging cold water on his body.

[LCDR]

Is he OK with being fly sprayed in cross ties?

[Bluey]

This was decades ago, our riding center owner would go to the slaughter plant and pick suitable prospects.
We received 15 feral horses right off the mountains every June and they were good school horses by September.
They came to our riding center packed like sardines seven or so on a truck with wooden sides, several grooms would reach over and put woven halters with a 4’ rope woven on them and a thick leather collar with a big D and big 4’ chain hanging from it.
Then the gate was opened and horses jumped off and were herded down the aisle each one to their own box stall.
The grooms trained to gentle them would work with them all day long, going in there with hay and grain and treats and teach them gently to give to pressure.
There was no water in the stalls, the riding center had troughs outside and horses were led several times a day to them for a drink.
Feral horses were first let out to follow an old horse, after they would lead they were led to water several times a day and worked outside the stalls a bit, etc.
Even the night watchman took them all out to drink a couple times a night.

Once they were far enough along, it took for most just a few days, the riding instructor would take over and lead one to a chain on the wall, work until he was sure they would tie safely, not pull back, grab a hose and start on their feet.
As I learned from him, he would get a gentle stream of water controlled by your finger how much spray or force on one foot as by accident and immediately move to another place, then another foot, the water would be hitting here and there too fast for the horse to keep track and if done right, horse would after a bit just stand there.
After a little of that water was directed a bit higher and higher and all over the horse, again keep it moving on the horse and off, always catch the horse before it moves, so it doesn’t think moving made the water go away.

After a bit of that, most horses you could be running water on them and slowly approach them and end up even stroking them, horses that before had not been handled until a few days ago, now were standing there and letting you almost pick a foot a little.
Most horses learned so fast, it was amazing.
If one was still hesitant, he would be brought up again that afternoon for a short review.

That water system was an intrinsic part of what the gentling protocol had been for years and it worked very well, in experienced hands.

Telling this story in case OP can apply any of this to her feral horse’s few quirks, especially the hose one.
It was amazing to watch them work with those scared horses.
I was 13 turning 14 and the test pilot once we started them under saddle.

[CanteringCarrot]

@Mcl1

@CanteringCarrot I have but I think I need to try some different ones to try to find something he tolerates - maybe more of a rain shower type might work.

Yeah, I’d play around with it. I generally use a “shower” setting and not always at full pressure.

I’m not saying that you’re doing this, but I’ve observed so many people hosing down their horses very…harshly. Whether it’s the pressure, nozzle setting, or both.

[Ajierene]

Ugh, yeah, my horse was always bad with the hose and I never knew why as trainer where I kept horse didn’t offer any suggestions other than “she’s bad”. I moved to a new place, went from a single trigger nozzle to one with different settings. Whaddayouknow…shower setting was much better for mare and she stopped dancing around. Still moves a bit as she doesn’t particular like cold cold water but we only have the water from the pump outside so not much I can do about that.

With the young horses, I will take them out and point the hose (no nozzle) at their feet, up to their coronet band. If they start moving, the hose (as much as I can) stays on them until they stop. Immediately pull hose away and praise (treat if possible), then do again. I like first few hosings being on really hot days.

My friend just puts it right on their back but I’ve never noticed a positive difference in that.

I tried the “rain” thing but it’s like my horses KNOW - you ain’t foolin’ us, that’s hose water, lady!

If you can, also take him out in view/next to your gelding when you hose him off, sometimes seeing other horses be calm about it helps the horse see that it isn’t a big deal. This depends on herd dynamics and everything but it can help.

[poltroon]

@Ajierene

she doesn’t particular like cold cold water but we only have the water from the pump outside so not much I can do about that.

Seems like you’ve got it handled but the two solutions I’ve used for that are a solar shower and also an insta-hot portable propane wash station. I ended up buying the wash station for my daughter’s sheep because she’d need to wash them for shows sometimes on quite cold mornings.

[Pico_Banana]

Seconding the warm water - even on blazing hot days and with the wash area in full sun, my mare insists on warm water. I use the shower setting (can’t imagine using a single option nozzle!) and start at the feet and work up, every single time. Top half of the neck towards the face, I reduce the volume. I offer mist for the face but she rarely takes me up on it.

I treat the other two the same out of habit.

[Ajierene]

Appreciated, and hopefully this helps someone else.

Not really sure where I would put it (not my property) and don’t have money in the budget for that so my poor mare will have to deal. She leads such a hard life…being hosed off in cold water and then tossed out in belly deep grass and having to eat that tailored organic meal…such a hard, hard life…poor thing…someone call PETA!

Theoretically, I would like something but if we need hot water, my friend brings it from the house. There is a water heater in the office right next to the barn - attached to the sink there - but something happened years ago and they just opted to not fix it. Thankfully, we’ve never really had anything that needed it. Mostly, she just gets hot water if the dentist comes in the winter.

[MsM]

I had good luck using the “mist” setting. Start on the feet and I move between different feet, slowly moving up the leg a bit. I find many are sensitive to the back and belly, so the next area I try is the chest, from an angle.

[Bluey]

@MsM

I had good luck using the “mist” setting. Start on the feet and I move between different feet, slowly moving up the leg a bit. I find many are sensitive to the back and belly, so the next area I try is the chest, from an angle.

Right, and always remember each horse is different, just don’t keep trying the same if it is not working, change things, keep trying new ways, there is a way it will work, for that difficult horse.

On heated water, we have one and always had in the barns.
A water heather, even a small one under the sink, is not expensive and worth it for the vet and any other necessity, like mixing some feeds, soaking hay etc.
Our wash room was plumbed for hot water in the new barn and that and the water heather were the smallest cost in all that goes into a barn, worth it.

[LCDR]

A comment about water heater for a barn. Adding a water heater or simply maintaining one already in place is not a trivial expense for a barn owner, What is or is not trivial depends on financial status and personal preferences of course.

But an electric tank water heater will be around $500 and up, depending upon size and features. Since the water will likely only be used during the daytime at peak electric rate (26 cents per kWh here), the annual added cost for electricity might be another $500, and in a large busy barn could easily be way more. I don’t know about you but my horses get way longer showers than I do for myself, and the wash stall hose doesn’t sometimes have a 2.5 gpm flow restrictor like your home shower head does .

I am in the “it’s worth it for my barn” camp. But I do shut off the power after I feed at the end of the day and back on again in the morning. The tank retains heat overnight so I do have warm water first thing in the morning.