Along the flanks and upper legs go with the direction of the hair. Eventually you should be able to “massage” the hindquarters to get the best cleaning effect. Cover the large muscles groups first, adding pressure where he will allow. Start with the lowest speed and ensure that the suction is not so strong that it frightens your horse. Once all this causes no reaction you can move onto actually vacuuming your horse. Remember to reinforce the noise aspect by running the equipment first and then turning it off when introducing the pressure of the nozzle. Repeat this process every day until it causes no negative reaction from your horse. The moment he relaxes, he might take a deep breath or chew, remove the nozzle pressure and reward him. Continue to do this until your horse is relaxed. Contact should be kept between your horse’s coat and the nozzle at all times. To start with, try to avoid sensitive areas such as the flank and lower legs. Starting at the shoulder, slowly move the nozzle over your horse’s body working towards the tail (again, leaving the vacuum off). I like to let them sniff the hose and relax before touching his body. Taking the hose, DO NOT turn on the vacuum, talk calmly and move slowly towards your horse. Once your horse is comfortable and relaxed with the sound of the vacuum, have a handler hold him for this next step. Should he show fear then go back to where it was originally placed and repeat the on/off process. Now you can move the equipment to the grooming stall and repeat the process. When relaxed, let the vacuum run for longer. To start, literally run it for 5 seconds so your horse gets use to the sound of it turning on and off. Just hold your horse in the grooming stall (not on cross ties) and have someone turn on the vacuum. You should place the vacuum away from the grooming area. You will want to repeat this step everyday until the equipment does not produce a reaction. When he appears to relax reward him with a treat or pat on the neck. If he becomes nervous, place the vacuum further away until he shows no reaction.įor extremely nervous horses, try just holding the horse in the grooming stall and do not put him on cross ties. Do this for a few days so he becomes accustomed to it. If he appears unreactive, then place equipment in the location that you will be eventually using it.
Carry on with your normal grooming routine and take note of your horse’s reaction. If you have a grooming stall then place the equipment close to the area for a couple of days, maybe across the aisle. First Timersįirst let your horse get use to the sight of the equipment prior to using it. If this is not the case then ensure the extension cord is long enough so that it does not get wound around the horses feet. It would be nice to have an electrical outlet on both walls so that extension cords do not have to be used. This minimizes the risk of the cord or hose getting hooked on items and then pulling them over and frightening the horse.
The grooming stall should be clutter free (no brooms, buckets or pitch forks should be located in the area). It is important to use these pieces of equipment in a safe environment. Some horses will not be bothered by the look of the equipment or the sound, however for others the fear instinct will automatically be switched on!!!
There are various makes and models of vacuums from the Electro-Groom Vacuum, the hand held Vac n’ Blo Pro as well as some people using the regular shop vac from home depot!!! Which ever you decide to use you need to be careful when first introducing this equipment to your horse.
For those living in sandy loam areas, vacuums are great for removing sand from the coat, which can sometimes play a big role in reducing skin conditions caused by fungus organisms in the sand. It helps to speed up grooming, as well as removing much dirt and dander and parasites that can cause some horses skin irritation problems. from Denver, COĪ vacuum can be a very useful piece of equipment in the barn. “How do you get a horse used to a vacuum?” – Janet P.