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Discussion on Using a Hair Dryer to Dry Sweaty Horse
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Member:
Canter
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Posted on Sunday, Oct 22, 2006 - 6:52 pm:
I'm a bit hesitant to post this as it's so obvious I can't believe I never thought of it before, but just in case...
My horse is one of those horses that simply sweats a lot when worked. No problem in the summer as I can hose her off after she's cooled out, without worrying that she'll get chilled. Big hassle in the cooler weather. I ride mostly at night and I'm frequently still walking her out at 10pm with a towel in one hand and a brush in the other, trying to get her to dry off after work before putting her away.
Then, the lightbulb finally went on and I purchased a cheap hair dryer. After making sure she's cool and respiration's back to normal rate, I walk her around a bit extra to make sure and then blast her wet spots with the dryer. 1 1/2 hours of cooling out turned to less than 40 minutes.
She had no trouble adjusting to it. The first time I turned it on low near her without directing the air at her, gave a couple of treats, she relaxed right away, more treats, and I went to work. Bingo! A dry horse in half the time.
Hope this helps someone else save a bit of time.
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Member:
Ajudson1
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Posted on Monday, Oct 23, 2006 - 7:34 am:
Fran,
What a fantastic idea!! I am always hesitate to ride in the winter because I worry the horse will get chilled. Cool but wet always worries me, and I only own some canvas type blankets; never sure what kind of sheets I should buy for cooling down. I usually just try to ride easy, then throw the canvas blanket on for a few minutes to soak up some sweat, then rub the horse down with some hay. Leave him in the stall for a few hours..but our stalls have half doors so it's not wind proof.
I think adjusting to the hair dryer will be good for my horses. If my dogs can learn to be "blow dried", I am sure my horses can learn to tolerate it also.
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Member:
Canter
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Posted on Monday, Oct 23, 2006 - 8:17 am:
Angie, my guess is that if your horses are used to clippers, there should be no trouble with the blow dryer. I was careful the first time as a precaution, but it was such a non-event for my mare that there was no need to worry that she would spook with the dryer. In fact, I think she rather enjoyed the feel of the warm air on her as we've had a particularly long and nasty streak of cold and wet weather.
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Member:
Ajudson1
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Posted on Monday, Oct 23, 2006 - 8:40 am:
I've never used a clippers on 3 of my horses...it will be interesting!!! (don't believe in taking any hair off of them for any reason) But I should get them all used to that and more. Good winter weather training.
But they do hear various shop tools running in the barn. Saws, grinders, power tools, shop vac, what ever my son and husband are using. There is a hair dryer in the barn already the guys use on motors and what not, so not a problem having one.
Do they make rechargeable dryers? No cord to get in the way?? If not, we should get one patented just for horses!!!
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Member:
Kathleen
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Posted on Monday, Oct 23, 2006 - 10:05 am:
We did this many years ago at a horse show when the young lady who was showing needed to bathe her horse at the showgrounds and it was cold and the horse had a fairly heavy coat. It seemed to take forever, but it worked and she showed.
Kathleen
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Member:
Maggienm
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Posted on Monday, Oct 23, 2006 - 10:37 am:
Angie , if I may make a suggestion about blanketing.
My first blanket was one I purchased from a first aid shop, very inexpensive; no wait, the first blanket I used one my horse was one that showed some wear straight off my son's bed!
Then I graduated to a 'real' horse blanket with tie straps. Since then I have used several different ones.
I have found a blanket with a high percentage of wool works best. It may be a bit more expensive but worth it.
This type of blanket will keep the horse warm, wick the moisture away and last for years. I have had mine for a few years now and come to think of it have never washed it.
If you can tie your horse in the stall I would tie and blanket him for a couple of hours to cool.
One of the things I worried about at first was if I blanketed wouldn't he get to warm to turn out without a blanket?
I just use my judgement, after he has cooled and dried a bit if the air temp where he is cooling out is windy and cool I leave the blanket on, if it calm and mild I will lift the blanket and fold it so it covers less of him.
I hope that makes sense.
Lori
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Member:
Maggienm
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Posted on Monday, Oct 23, 2006 - 10:41 am:
A cordless blow dryer,  there would be a market in my local arena for sure.
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Member:
Wgillmor
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Posted on Monday, Oct 23, 2006 - 12:38 pm:
Don't hold your breath waiting for a cordless hair drier. My wife's hair drier (I don't have any hair) draws 1500 watts or about 12 amps. My cordless clippers draw 1 amp. So, if the hair drier is going to run as long as the clippers without recharging, it will have to be twelve times as large or you will need to invent a battery with twelve times the storage. If you do the latter, you won't need a cordless hair drier -- you will be able to afford a hotwalker.
(Sorry to be so geeky, but it's just the way I am.)
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Member:
Canter
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Posted on Monday, Oct 23, 2006 - 12:53 pm:
Ah Wiley...the voice of reason!
Seriously, I had no trouble working around my horse with the cord (my clippers aren't cordless either). But, that's one reason I bought a CHEAP dryer, the other being I figured that with all the dust that's even in the cleanest barn, the shelf life of any dryer is probably not long.
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Member:
Ajudson1
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Posted on Monday, Oct 23, 2006 - 1:01 pm:
So the rechargeable drills don't use as need as high of amps as a cordless hair dryer would? Drats. Of course even the cordless drills are heavy..use them all the time in the barn with the screw driver bit in.
Well, who knows, maybe in the future?
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Member:
Sparky
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Posted on Monday, Oct 23, 2006 - 1:58 pm:
The cheapest way to get a really nice wool cooler is to go the the MCC or Value Village type store in your area and go to the bedding area and you will find a great choice of wool blankets for under 10.00!! Sometimes even for 2.00 - I figure my horse is mostly color blind anyway and does not know she is wearing lime yellow green anyway!!
Just throw it on and cut to fit - ad a bit of velcro here and there and you have a CHEAP blanket! Buy two! and after about 20 minutes put the second one on!
Hope this helps!
Janet
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Member:
Hally
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Posted on Monday, Oct 23, 2006 - 5:16 pm:
I am kind of chuckling because I live up in the frozen north in Canada. We have been using hair dryers ever since I can remember. And if you board your horse inside you pretty much have to at least do a trace clip or you would never go home after working your horse in a heated indoor arena. Our horses here look like polar bears in the winter because the temperature can easily dip below 40 degrees in the dead of winter.
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Member:
Warwick
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Posted on Monday, Oct 23, 2006 - 6:58 pm:
Hally, you are making us all look bad up here! 
When I lived on the frozen prairies, I would body clip during the winter otherwise there was no way to cool out after riding. You are so right about even just a trace clip making a difference.
But down in the PNW, I find none of my guys grow much hair and so haven't had to do that here.
Wanna move?
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Member:
Hally
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Posted on Monday, Oct 23, 2006 - 8:50 pm:
Sue,
Mmmmmm it wouldnt take much for me to move to a warmer climate! There is just that little nagging thing of earning a living to pay for my two hay burners. It might be cold here in the winter but Alberta is hot right now!
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Member:
Canter
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Posted on Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 - 8:07 am:
Hally, the thing is, my mare is clipped and although the indoor arena is not heated, she still is a sweaty beast after work. The bummer of it is, her breathing always returns to normal and she cools down within 5 to 10 minutes, no matter how hard we work. Thus the idea of the blow dryer...I'm just bummed out you guys up in the frozen north didn't share the idea years ago!! ...Would have saved me (and Angie) tons of time!
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Member:
Hally
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Posted on Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 - 10:48 am:
Sorry Fran,
Its just a way of life up here in the winter and we just assume everybody would know. But then how silly of me because I am sure people down south as in Arizona have a similar problem but with the intense heat in the summer. I think the perfect climate is on Canada's west coast. Sure it rains but a covered riding area solves that problem. Winters are short and usually mild. Sue is there room at your barn for two horses, 2 dogs and a husband???
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Member:
Warwick
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Posted on Tuesday, Oct 24, 2006 - 12:04 pm:
Too late, Hally - we just sold our farm! Planning a move to Victoria to take advantage of the slower pace of life on the Island. Can't wait!
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