How to Bathe Miniature Horses

Miniature horses used in horse shows or kept as pets may require baths throughout the year in order to maintain their health and cleanliness. Because they grow thick winter coats and often live outside, they can be difficult to keep clean. The techniques used to bathe a miniature horse are similar to those used to bathe a full-sized horse. Bathing a horse should only be done using warm water and when temperatures will prevent the animal from becoming chilled while drying. Frequent bathing may dry out the horse's skin.

Things You'll Need

  • Bucket
  • Warm water
  • Horse shampoo
  • Large sponge
  • Sweat scraper
  • Halter
  • Lead rope
  • Stool
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Instructions

    • 1

      Halter the miniature horse and tie it to a hitching post or another suitable solid object. Alternatively, have a handler hold the animal still while you bathe it.

    • 2

      Soak the animal's coat with warm water from a hose until it is thoroughly wet. Because miniature horses characteristically have thick manes and tails, massage the water into these areas with one hand while running water over the hair to ensure that the thick hair is saturated. Use a wet sponge to dampen the horse's face rather than the hose, which could distress or scare the animal.

    • 3

      Fill a bucket with warm water and add in horse shampoo. Stir the mixture until bubbles form. Dip a sponge into the mixture until it is nice and soapy. Take the soapy sponge and massage it along the horse's neck. Continue this process all over the horse's body and legs. Due to the miniature horse's small size, it may be useful to sit on a stool during this step to help prevent back fatigue.

    • 4

      Dip the sponge into the soapy water and ring out excess liquid. Gently massage the miniature horse's face to remove dirt, being careful to avoid the eyes and nostrils. Take the bucket of soapy water and dip the horse's tail directly into it. Massage the tail in the soapy water, ensuring that the soapy water has penetrated the hair right down to horse's tailbone. Pour the remaining water over the miniature horse's mane and massage thoroughly.

    • 5

      Rinse all of the soap out of the sponge. Rub the soap-free dampened sponge over the horse's face to rinse it. Turn on the hose with warm water and run over the animal's entire body, including the mane and tail, until the water coming off of the horse runs clear with no bubbles or soap residue.

    • 6

      Scrape the horse's body with a sweat scraper to remove excess water so that the coat will dry quickly. Scrape in the direction of hair growth. Do not use the sweat scraper on the horse's head or legs. Wring out the tail and mane by hand. Grip the top of each leg between your hands and squeeze the leg from top to bottom to remove excess water.