How do you get pon poms in and keep them in?

[nlk]

I have a horse that HATES the sound of rain on our arena roof ONLY undersaddle.

Now for the life of me I can not get the stupid things to stay in and now it has been increasingly hard to get them in period. I can clip his ears, rub his ears etc. just don't try to shove a fluff ball in them!!!

[Small Change]

I am very, very lucky in that my little horse loves to have his ears rubbed, cleaned, and played with. He likes nothing more than for you to put your fingers in and rub the insides of his ears until he falls asleep. Needless to say, it makes it very easy to put his ear bunnies in if he needs them! I just push them in as far as I can, and (touch wood) have yet to have them come out. Do you maybe just need to shove them in further? If they come out his nose or the other ear, you've gone too far, but other than that, as long as you can get a hold of them to pull them back out, you should be fine.

You could also try using the foam kitty toys to see if they perhaps compress and shape to the ear better, therefore making them harder to shake out.

[Hunter_Rider]

They may be just too big for his ears, try trimmng them down some. I have done that before to fit smaller ears and it works great.

[mypaintwattie]

Try the rubber foam cat ball toys- they work great, conform to the ear and are difficult for the horse to shake out.

[make x it x so]

Also for riding at home you could try one of the jumper ear bonnets to hold them in.

[nlk]

Thanks for the ideas!

The weird thing is he loves to have his ears scratched including the insides!!!

That makes me think maybe they might indeed be to big, I have never had to use them before but the rain unglues him! (again it's only under saddle! He'll stand all day in the aisle and arena with the rain pounding as long as he is not being ridden!!!) So thanks Hunter_Rider for that idea!

If that doesn't work I am going to try the foam ones, do I just buy them at the pet store or so they actually make them for horses??? If all else fails I will try a bonnet even if I can't get the fluff balls in at least it will muffle some sound.

Ooh and I do get them in pretty far when I can actually get them in so that's not the issue.

[LuckyJumper]

We have a few horses that always need their ears stuffed, may I suggest the soft, foam-type ear stuffers, sold in a little plastictube, calledmaybe Pom-Poms or something really simple like that. They almost NEVER fall out, and dont have the tickle-factor of the other ones, I have often seen them at tack shops at the shows I have been at recently, to me they look like little golfballs(with the divets in them) but they are soft, and come in a few colors. Unfortunatly, I doubt they will change that your horses doesnt want them in... :) maybe some bribery? treats for every ear stuffer put in?
Only word of advice, dont fight too hard to get them in, bad experiences only make it harder for next time.....
goodluck

[Blue Star]

You can also try to tear off pieces of surgical cotton. You can buy it by the roll and dye it a dark color then air dry it. Then tear off whatever size seems appropriate for the horse. Works for us....

[PNWjumper]

We have a few horses that always need their ears stuffed, may I suggest the soft, foam-type ear stuffers, sold in a little plastictube, calledmaybe Pom-Poms or something really simple like that. They almost NEVER fall out, and dont have the tickle-factor of the other ones, I have often seen them at tack shops at the shows I have been at recently, to me they look like little golfballs(with the divets in them) but they are soft, and come in a few colors. Unfortunatly, I doubt they will change that your horses doesnt want them in... :) maybe some bribery? treats for every ear stuffer put in?
Only word of advice, dont fight too hard to get them in, bad experiences only make it harder for next time.....
goodluck

LuckyJumper--just a [money saving] FYI...you can buy kitty toys at the dollar store that are exactly the same thing for a LOT less (I'm assuming that's what the previous poster was referring to). They look like golf balls but are made out of foam.

OP--I have a TB gelding who would no doubt be helped by a little ear stuffage. Unfortunately he won't let me NEAR his ears after the one time we got them in (really with no drama). I'm hoping for and looking forward to some good tips :)

[mbhorse]

We have a few horses that always need their ears stuffed, may I suggest the soft, foam-type ear stuffers, sold in a little plastictube, calledmaybe Pom-Poms or something really simple like that. They almost NEVER fall out, and dont have the tickle-factor of the other ones, I have often seen them at tack shops at the shows I have been at recently, to me they look like little golfballs(with the divets in them) but they are soft, and come in a few colors.

I LOVE the POMMS, but they do have one drawback. If your horse does manage to shake them out, those things bounce across the ring like crazy!!!

[WhatzUp]

Hi,

Try turning them slowly when placing them in also ...
it has worked for me in the past when nothing else
would ! :cool:

Yours in sport,

Lynn

[samtoney]

try rotating the ear plug in petroleum jelly....makes them sticky and moisturizes the ears at the same time!

[copper1]

I give the horse a treat each time I put them in and take them out. Even my fussy eared guys accept it.

[horsepoor]

I use the foam cat toys as well -- they rarely can shake those out (the only time mine do manage to get them out is if I forget and turn them out in a grass pasture, and they lose them somewhere out there -- to be found months later when casually walking through same pasture!).

I've had good luck with making it part of the tacking up routine. So they get the ear plugs put in just before I put the bridle on. The one horse that really objected, I used cookies as a bribe -- holding the cookie in one hand, using it to lure his head down and then insert the ear plug, then he gets the cookie. Day after day, we followed that routine and he got to be easy about it. I couldn't fight with him or make a big deal of it, or he would be done with the whole thing, so at first it took a lot of cookies and time, but he's great now. It also helps to stand up on something so you aren't too short (as I am) to reach if he does put his head up. I also used treats when taking out, but now I don't need to - he's just fine about it as long as I am careful not to pull the ear hair (ouch!) when pulling out the earplug.

Sometimes it helps at first to have someone else to hold the horse while you do this -- I don't like having them tied at first in case they feel the need to pull back.

Good luck!

[Jolie_]

I agree with some of the above posters that they are likely to big. I had some that I used all winter and they fit my horses ears perfectly (sometimes too perfectly as I would forget to take them out after my ride), and then I just bough a new pack last week and they keep falling out. Last night one fell out landed on her head, then flew a few feet forward..by that time we were a stride before it...and my mare jumped it like it was going to eat here:lol:

So I will have to figure out what type I had before and go by those ones again, although not in as big of a hurry as now riding only outdoors on good weather so no more indoor sound intensifying experiences :winkgrin:

[EquineLVR]

Also for riding at home you could try one of the jumper ear bonnets to hold them in.

Ditto.. that is what we do.

[RugBug]

Quote:
Originally Posted by make x it x so http://chronicleforums.com/Forum/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://chronicleforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?p=4165564#post4165564)
Also for riding at home you could try one of the jumper ear bonnets to hold them in.

Ditto.. that is what we do.

But how does this work? By the time the ear bonnet comes into play 'holding' the ear bunnies 'in', they are already 'out' enough to a)not work anymore and b)be VERY bothersome.

FWIW, I've never really had the fuzzy type come out...unless I didn't get them in all the way. I had to work with my horse so he would allow it (treats, reaching up with the opposite hand from the side I'm standing on, etc) but once he was used to it, it was no problem. If the ear bunnies are in all the way, it would take significant shaking to get them out. I literally tell him I'm going to shove them into his brains as I'm pushing them down. :lol:

[Best View]

I rub mine with saddle tight and that helps to keep them snug... it is not as sticky as vaseline...

[nlk]

I agree with some of the above posters that they are likely to big. I had some that I used all winter and they fit my horses ears perfectly (sometimes too perfectly as I would forget to take them out after my ride), and then I just bough a new pack last week and they keep falling out. Last night one fell out landed on her head, then flew a few feet forward..by that time we were a stride before it...and my mare jumped it like it was going to eat here:lol:

So I will have to figure out what type I had before and go by those ones again, although not in as big of a hurry as now riding only outdoors on good weather so no more indoor sound intensifying experiences :winkgrin:

Glad I am not the only one with scary indoor nose issues:lol: