Grooming question

[BSharpRanch]

I use to save bacon grease to use on pine pitch when we lived up north. It worked very well to get rid of that sticky stuff.

Rub it in and let it sit, then wash it out.

 

[MaryFlora]

Thinking like BSharp and wondering about using oil such as vegetable oil? Have had some success in removing pine sap from our hands using oil or vaseline.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Okay, another question on Billy. I'm learning a lot with him (as with all my horses!). The pocket in front of the ***** has a name, I'm sure, but I don't know what it is called technically. I always try to keep it fairly clean on my geldings. Usually the usual gunky black stuff. Billy is different. For one thing, I've never seen him drop all the way. The pocket has mucous-y snotty-looking stuff. Sometimes worse than others. Today I used that tool that looks like a caulk gun with water to flush the pocket. I got most of it clean. (He actually stands perfectly still and appears to enjoy it, so not a difficult chore). I asked the vet about not dropping all the way when I got his teeth done, but I didn't know, then, about the icky pocket. He said next time he got his teeth done he would check, as he would be sedated.
Is some urine getting into the pocket? If so, how has he gone his whole life without some kind of problem?

 

[Marsha Cassada]

When I took Dapper Dan for his teeth, the vet gave Billy a mild sedative so he would drop. He said Billy was too fat and that is why the sheath seems swollen. It is just fat deposits. Billy weighed 280; he is 34" tall. Do all geldings that are a little overweight have that fatty sheath problem? Of course, the vet wants him to lose 80 pounds. Probably not going to happen on my watch...
Yesterday I was able to clean both of them up a little with the air compressor. Billy had muddy clods hanging off the sheath area. I had to get a bucket of warm water to clean him up. I've had other geldings that got a little over weight and none of them ever did this before.
Anyway, I wore my eye protection and grooming shirt to air compressor them. A comb on their hairy fetlocks. Dapper Dan looks like a baby buffalo instead of a horse. No way to get Billy's white areas clean in the winter.

 

[LostandFound]

Needing to lose 80 lbs is not just a little overweight. Though I taped my new guy at 300lbs and he is 34" and doesn't look overweight to me. I have seen the fatty sheath, but usually in horses that are very overweight. It rained all day today so my guys got a spa day too. I vacuum instead of blow the dirt off because I don't like breathing in all that dust and dirt.

 

[HersheyMint]

#80 seems extreme to me. Seems like he would be to thin then??

 

[Marsha Cassada]

#80 seems extreme to me. Seems like he would be to thin then??

I know. Not sure why he is so extreme, unless it is because he sees so many unkempt ponies that are obese and have serious founder. Dapper Dan weighed 260, and the vet felt his ribs and spine so said his weight was okay. Going into winter, I'm not too concerned about extra weight. But I know Billy should weigh less.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Needing to lose 80 lbs is not just a little overweight. Though I taped my new guy at 300lbs and he is 34" and doesn't look overweight to me. I have seen the fatty sheath, but usually in horses that are very overweight. It rained all day today so my guys got a spa day too. I vacuum instead of blow the dirt off because I don't like breathing in all that dust and dirt.

Oh, yes, I know about all that dirt! I had not thought of covering my mouth and nose. I was just thinking of eye protection from the flying debris!

 

[Dragon Hill]

Marsha, please tell me 160 is a typo.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Marsha, please tell me 160 is a typo.

Yikes. 260. Thanks for spotting that. I will try to edit the post.

 

[LostandFound]

Oh, yes, I know about all that dirt! I had not thought of covering my mouth and nose. I was just thinking of eye protection from the flying debris!

I wear glasses so I have a little bit of eye protection always. Though it seems like anything that wants to will fly right around the glasses and into my eye.

 

[betwys1]

Okay, another question on Billy. I'm learning a lot with him (as with all my horses!). The pocket in front of the ***** has a name, I'm sure, but I don't know what it is called technically. I always try to keep it fairly clean on my geldings. Usually the usual gunky black stuff. Billy is different. For one thing, I've never seen him drop all the way. The pocket has mucous-y snotty-looking stuff. Sometimes worse than others. Today I used that tool that looks like a caulk gun with water to flush the pocket. I got most of it clean. (He actually stands perfectly still and appears to enjoy it, so not a difficult chore). I asked the vet about not dropping all the way when I got his teeth done, but I didn't know, then, about the icky pocket. He said next time he got his teeth done he would check, as he would be sedated.
Is some urine getting into the pocket? If so, how has he gone his whole life without some kind of problem?

Human urine is nearly sterile and I expect horse urine is sterile too - so that should not be a cause for concern.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

What to do about a fuzzy topknot? I've used my good people hair conditioners on Billy's forelock, ethnic grooming aids, and tried thinning it with the clipper blade. It just springs back into a bushy haystack. If I were showing, I'd slick it down with gel, probably. But just for every day I'd like it to look a little more civilized. His mane and tail are just ordinary hair. His forelock is from another planet.

 

[MaryFlora]

Have you cut forelock hair out from the bottom of the forelock? I did have some success with that in keeping the forelock flat for showing. My sentence isn’t very clear but not sure how to improve it.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Have you cut forelock hair out from the bottom of the forelock? I did have some success with that in keeping the forelock flat for showing. My sentence isn’t very clear but not sure how to improve it.

I thought of that, but I'm scared to try it.

 

[LostandFound]

My mare's mane and forelock are all some kind of weird fuzz instead of hair. I can't even really comb it. I didn't find clipping it underneath to help. I tried braiding it, which looked a little better, but either it broke off or she rubbed it and broke it after a little bit. That actually helped. It was still a fluffy pompom but a much smaller fluffy pompom. Now I just ignore it. She may have bad hair but she doesn't have a mirror so it doesn't bother her at all.

 

[Cayuse]

If it's just for a day or so, like a photo shoot, I've had good luck with baby oil.