On a pleasant June day at Grace Reins Ranch in Western Kentucky, the sun was warm with an occasional refreshing breeze. It was now warm enough to put my Tennessee Walker, “Smokey” in the wash rack my sons had built, and to give him a bath.
Bathing a thousand-pound horse is much more challenging than bathing a canine, but Smokey’s demeanor is so loving and patient, that he makes it easier on me than most horses. Since I was doing it by myself, I gathered everything I would need and placed it at the wash rack.
Shampoo, detangler for his mane, the hose and spray nozzle ready… oh yes, and the scrub brush. I also had to have the fly spray and fly mask ready after he dried. I had a way to dry him quickly before the hungry, green, biting flies could get to him.
I will never forget my friend Sherry (Smokey’s previous owner) telling me how she dried Smokey after a bath. She used a leaf blower! I laughed at the thought, but knowing Smokey was used to it, I thought I would try it and it worked! Smokey never rolls in the pasture or dirt after a bath because he is dry and feeling good.
Smokey was ready for a good bath after slowly shedding his winter coat at the first sign of spring.
When a horse sheds their furry bear-like winter coat, they need our help, with a de-shedding comb that pulls the thick, loose hair away.
It is amazing to see how God thought of everything in nature. How fast a horse sheds their winter coat depends on how soon spring will arrive that year. I don’t listen to the groundhog – Smokey tells me when to expect spring. I use the de-shedder comb and watch the fuzzy hair drop in piles to the ground – enough to make me a winter coat!
When I de-shed Smokey, not all his winter coat is ready to come out. He loses it a little at a time while we wait for false Spring, Dogwood Winter, another false Spring, Blackberry Winter, and my least favorite “Sprinter” – when we think winter is done but a cold front comes through. In between the combings, Smokey rolls in a rocky dirt area to remove the itchy loose hair.
It was mid-spring by the time it was warm enough to use a cold water hose on Smokey and he had rolled enough to have dirt sewn into his sleek, new undercoat. He was ready and willing for me to harness him and hook the cross ties that keep him from roaming while getting bathed.
I sprayed the hose at his feet first and worked up to his back. He loved it! I could tell it felt good. When I got the scrubber, I lathered him up and he didn’t move a muscle – he enjoyed the lathery massage. After I got one side soaped up, I sprayed the water from the top of his back in a side-to-side motion, the way I do when I wash my car. Watching the suds run down until that side was squeaky clean, I brought the shampoo and hose around to get the other side.
After rinsing the suds off again, Smokey knew his bath was done and did an all-over-shake of his coat! I wasn’t ready for that. I laughed, and kind of knew God was laughing too. Even though Smokey tried to help to get dry, I still took the rubber squeegee blade and pressed out the rest of the water.
Now he was ready for his ‘hair dryer.” The green flies didn’t waste much time trying to get at Smokey once I no longer had the hose to fight them off, but they were no match for the blower, either. All dried, I grabbed the fly spray and protected my sweet horse before starting the “detailing” after the wash.
I got the electric clippers and cleaned up Smokey’s winter beard that hung down two inches from his jaw, got his stray long hairs around his eyes, and trimmed his mane and tail.
He was ready for his fly mask, and I was ready to get a picture of my beautiful horse! No, he did not roll. He just thanked me, by posing for a few pictures and letting me hug him.
It was after that, that I realized I needed to grab a bottle of water and sit down for a minute. I forgot what a chore it was to wash and groom a horse in the heat of the day.
Smokey needed to get out of the sun too, and after munching a little grass in the pasture, he walked over to the run-in shed to stay shaded.
My twins, who live at our ranch, have an Old-English sheepdog who kept me company while I rested. Panda is the best dog in the world. He is old and loving, and his big ol’ brown eyes are so soulful, when he looks at you, you just melt.
After I hydrated and my heart rate slowed to normal, I felt as though I got a better workout than if I had gone to the gym.
God, I love this life You have given me!