No hot water, need ideas for poopy butt

[QHEventer]

Just moved my senior retiree to a new barn that doesn’t have hot water (and it’s currently in the teens here). He’s a very sensitive flower and any change causes loose manure, and his butt and back legs are absolutely coated.

Without hot water, I’m at a loss how to clean him up. Grooming tools don’t stand a chance. I’m considering bringing out wet, hot towels from home placed in a cooler to keep them warm but don’t know if that will work. Is there a magical topical ointment/product I can put on that will make it easy to remove?

Help me clean up my stinky, poopy old man!

[scislandsprite]

I wonder if Coat Defense powder or baby powder would help dry everything so then you could just brush it off when it’s dry?

Otherwise I would bring an electric kettle to the barn to warm up water! I can’t recommend them enough as someone who has boarded at many barns without hot water. Then you can just bring towels without having to pre warm them at home in water.

[Brown_Derby]

I use Bag Balm on foals. Just rub it on and let things slide.

[Walk_N_Gal88]

If your barn has power, take a coffee pot and a small cooler. You can heat the water in the pot, pour in the cooler and close then repeat until you have enough water. Though if you can physically lift the cooler, it’s a lot faster to boil the water on the stove at home and then take it to the barn in the cooler.

[peedin]

If there are electric outlets you can get an electric kettle and heat water on site. Or bring hot water from home in Thermoses (Thermi?). Hold the hot towels against the soiled parts. Get him clean, dry him as best you can, then apply Boudroux’s Butt Paste (available at Target, Walgreen’s). It helps with diaper rash and provides a barrier.

[NaturallyHappy]

I’ve used Show Sheen and Cowboy Magic gel successfully.

[OverandOnward]

In addition to the cleaning suggestions —

Once he is clean, and pat dry, grease him up all over under his tail (go wide) and any area that gets poopy. Be generous as it tends to slide off over hours.

There are several products made for horses that are good for this. But at a minimum, Vaseline. I swear by Boudreaux’s Butt Paste and it doesn’t smell too terrible. But different things are likely to work for different individuals.

He will be far far more comfortable. And easier to clean. There will be a lot less damage to his skin.

He will not be embarrassed compared with the discomfort of not having any protection at all.

[luvmyhackney]

If you are blanketing, I might consider clipping the gross areas to make them easier to clean.

After clipping coat in Show Sheen or baby oil.

Otherwise invest in a tea kettle. They are amazing for fast hot water. Then blow dry the wet areas

[LCDR]

Nothing beats hosing it off with warm water. Take a container of hot water from home with you, and add something like this.

If you are handy, or have a handy friend, here is a self-contained battery powered water hose pump I built to take to shows and trail rides. It sucks water from a container via a short garden hose, then I spray it out via a 10 foot lightweight 1/2 inch diameter garden horse hose and nozzle. I use a 7.5 gallon container of warm water, but any size source container will work. The RV pumps recommend a 1/2 diameter garden hose rather than the more typical 5/8 inch diameter ones for better pressure and spray.

Parts include a 12 volt powered water pump, sized and made for use in RV bathroom plumbing. I used a name brand Shurflo from Amazon for $75.
https://www.amazon.com/SHURflo-Revolution-Water-Pump-4008-101-A65/dp/B010TKMK4O/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2R0QPV13OCCB6&keywords=shurflo%2Bwater%2Bpump%2B12v&qid=1675474000&sprefix=shurflo%2Bwater%2Bpump%2B12v%2Caps%2C87&sr=8-3&th=1

A 12 volt lightweight lithium iron phosphate battery, Batter Tender brand, also from Amazon. It is no longer available on Amazon, but similar battery options are around $50.

An on-off switch and a plastic container, bought from Tractor Supply, plus a couple of PVC connectors and fittings to connect garden hose ends to the pump inlet and outlet. I also wired in a Battery Tender lithium battery charger, so everything stayed in one place.

A 7.5 gallon container is enough to give a horse a nice warm rinse down after a workout, with good but not fire hose pressure, and the battery charge seems to last forever. I just weighed the pump on my feed scale, and the whole thing, battery and charger and container and wiring all included, is 9 pounds.

[OverandOnward]

@LCDR first you’re a genius … second if you can develop this thing to heat water, maybe even on a tankless-type model, you know you could sell this to horse people.

[ZuzusPetals]

Here. This is exactly what you need to clean. $26 on Amazon.

ODAUSI Immersion Heater for Boiling Bath Water, Submersible Home Instant Water Heater with Metal Guard Cover to Heat 5 Gallons of Water in Minutes - U.S. Version(FULLY IMMERSED WHILE USING)(Yellow)

[BigMama1]

In addition to the kettle idea and once you get the butt clean, I find sensitive skin baby wipes are an easy way to keep it clean without having to bathe.

[Scribbler]

Dawn dish soap in hot water will cut through wet poop in tails.

[Cowgirl]

Get a bucket heater. If there is no outlet, then get some large, insulated beverage containers and fill with hot water. If not that, then steep some towels in hot water and squeeze them out and then put them in an insulated grocery bag. Buy a bag of disposable rags from Walmart (auto section to use). Use Excalibur to get the crud off or add a squirt of baby oil to the water if you are not going to have enough water to rinse soap off.

[3PonyFarm]

I have used Aloe Vesta Cleansing Foam before. It is available on Amazon.

[seabreeze]

Miracle Groom will wash it off now. It’s waterless shampoo. I have used it for this very chore when it’s just too cold to fool with water.

Good luck!

[Bogey2]

Curry it when it’s dry said the old Yankee from New England where it’s -11

[QHEventer]

Thank a for all the suggestions! We have a 60 degree day today so I’m going to take advantage of the warm weather and get him cleaned up! Will be good to have these ideas on hand in the event of a poopy butt in the future