From: tracy@scoraz.resp-sci.arizona.edu (Tracy Scheinkman)
Newsgroups: rec.equestrian
Subject: re: leasing new horse and need help
Date: 1 Sep 92 07:30:46 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ


In article <1992Aug29.003011.19412@mr.med.ge.com> euler@snail.med.ge.com (Vicki Euler mfg 4-6041) writes:
>When do I put hoof dressing on and how often?  How often do I give her a bath

>Also when I get done riding then what?? I know the obvious is to take the tack
>off. OK now What??  She is a fairly reasonable mare and is pretty tolerant of
>alot of things but one thing I found is she seems to be a little ticklish on
>her back feet.  She will let me pick the gunk out but when you go to pick her
>hoof up to clean it she squirms a little.  

>If anybody can send me some advice it would be greatly appreciated.  Dogs I 
>know and horses is new. HELP!!!!
>Thanks
>Vicki Euler

	Hoof dressing is somewhat controversial, many people think the horse
must have it or the hoof will dry out, lately a lot of info has been coming
out about how the horse's hoof does best without it.  Apparently the hoof is
much more prone to problems when moist, not dry, dry is naturally the best
state for the hoof as it is hard and less prone to bruising or fungal 
infections.  Which ever case you support if the hoof is in good shape I
would not do anything to it.  With my own horses they both have very good
feet so I don't bother using hoof dressing on either one of them, despite
them living in dry sunny Arizona.  If a horse has poor feet then I would
look to the diet first, usually poor feet are an indication of either
a need for supplemental biotin, zinc, and methionine, or too much selenium,
or poor circulation (many horses with navicular disease show poor quality
hoof).  In some cases poor hoof can indicate bad shoeing which compromises
circulation.  
	As for shampoo, I use a mild human hair shampoo by Nature's Gate,
I prefer it as many horse shampoos are harsh and irritating.  I only use
iodine or medicated shampoos if there is a problem as they can be very 
drying to the skin and my filly has very sensitive skin so I have to be
careful with her.  I generally don't shampoo more than once every two weeks,
so that I don't strip the hair of its natural oils, however I do rinse the
sweat off my horse after riding if the outside temperature is sufficient
that she won't chill.  My method of rinsing is to start with the legs,
VERY IMPORTANT with a hot horse as you can cramp them if you cool the back
before the legs and underside are cool.  Also it is the quickest way to
help your horse cool off if they are over-heated.  First the legs, all the
way around then the underside of the neck, the chest, and between the hind
legs.  Next spray the underbelly and under the tail.  Finally work your
way up to the neck, the back, the rump and go back and rinse the head off.
Be careful not to squirt water in the horse's ears or they will become upset
and shake the head vigorously (and never forgive you).  To clean the horse's
ears use a soft washcloth that is damp not soggy.  Finally I spray the
horse with a mixture of 2 Tbls. Avon's Skin So Soft, 2 Tbls. cider vinegar,
and a pint and a half of water.  This keeps the flies away without poisoning
me or the horse.  And I walk the horse out to munch grass and keep her
moving so she doesn't roll before she is dry (though if she does it won't
hurt her, she'll just be dirty). 
	I don't rinse the horse unless it is warm outside, so obviously when
it is too cool I have to do something else.  What I do is to take off the
tack and walk the horse until she is cool and beginning to dry, then I take
a sweat scraper and remove all the excess sweat.  I dip my brush in a bucket
of water and wash the remainder off then use the sweat scraper again to
get the excess water off then finally walk the horse again until she is
dry or near to it.  If it is very cold I don't bother to rinse the sweat
off I simply walk her till she is dry then brush the dried sweat out with
a dry brush.
	A lot of horse's are ticklish around the backs of their fetlocks
I usually rub my thumb along the outside of the tendon along with saying
"pick it up" as a signal to my girls to pick up their feet for me.  With
my filly though she has a case of persistent scratches on one hind foot
that makes the skin very sensitive so I found that she would let me hold
the foot only if I held the hoof not the pastern or fetlock.  That might
help with this mare.

				Tracy and Bruce (beautiful man) and 
				Cachet (7 year old Arabian mare) and
				Mithril (2 year old Arabian filly) and
				The Cats 
Newsgroups: rec.equestrian