Could I Give Max a Bath?

[rodriguezpoultry]

He's just grody. I think he'd feel better with a bath and much less dusty, but don't want him to catch a cold.

It's 70* right now with a low estimated to be 53* overnight. I was going to give him a bath in about an hour. There ARE wind gusts, supposedly up to 35mph which is the only thing keeping me from going ahead and giving him a bath.

Any thoughts? The bathing would be out in the open, I could put him in the barn to dry off since he'll be eating after the bath.

 

[babymakes6]

I don't know for sure, but I don't think it would hurt. Somebody more experienced should be able to help more, though.
How is Max? It seems like forever since you had all the trouble! I miss hearing "Max stories!"

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Well, here's a good one:

Yesterday I was cleaning Max's hooves out. His rear ones (you know, the ones where he's trained to fart when I'm picking them out?). Well, I lifted one and I don't know what happened but I sliced my thumb open, started bleeding like crazy. He must have heard my cussing and looked towards me. I felt him shift and he nudged my rear and forward I went. (I'm top-heavy. If I'm leaned over, I'm gonna fall). He must have thought it was hilarious to see me go face down in the dirt....Big turd...

 

[babymakes6]

 

[shadowpaints]

do u have a shop vac?? we use one on the minis to keep em less dirty when its too cold to bath

if i were you i would wait..

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Yeah, I think I'm going to wait. I'll just buy the nozzle. I don't want to run the risk of him getting chilled. Better dirty and healthy than clean and coughing!

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

It's good you're going to wait - besides, you know he would just go out and roll to get dirty again.

The dirt keeps the bugs off the skin.

I had two pintos that was a HUGE chore keeping clean and looking pretty but darn if they didn't go roll after I spent hours brushing them.

 

[welsummerchicks]

I had to kind of stop and think, 'NOW WELS, don't cry, it will be seventy where you are SOME DAY AGAIN'.

I also had to 'transpose' - your seventy is my 40, your 50 is my 20. So, no.

But I might squeak it in somehow. I'd do it in the morning so he'd have a good six or seven hours to dry before the temperatures started to drop, and I'd keep him in with a cooler on him in his stall, til he was dry. It takes them a long time to dry all the way to the skin. If there is no stall out of the drafts, I'd not do it.

If he just was dandruffy and dusty, how they get in the winter, I'd vacuum. And if there were stains, often they can be brushed out with a dandy or a hot damp towel can be used for spot cleaning.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

No, I "thought" I saw some lice on him. Back when I got him back from the jerk, he had FLEAS of all things. After brushing him today, I didn't see any bugs so either they were killed or my imagination.

I don't have a cooler, so that's not an option. During the summer, it takes about 30 minutes for him to be dry. I'll just have to make-do with that Premier Rose stuff to help keep him from getting so grody/muddy/dusty/dirty. Speaking of which...I gotta get some more of that...

 

[michickenwrangler]

I've been to horse shows in May or Sept. where the morning temps have been between 30-40 and people bathe their horses then. Brrr!