Shocking questions!!

[MBlanchrd@aol.com]

Hi, campers,

 I have a problem that I don't think I've ever seen addressed anywhere, so 
I'm throwing it out to you.

Lately, and apparently, when I groom Jordan, he gets a shock of static 
electricity from me. Obviously this is very rapidly making him shy of being 
touched..tonight, while grooming him he suddenly took off and wouldn't let me 
near him. When I finally did get him to stand, he reached forward to me, 
touched my outstretched fingers and must have got zapped again, because he 
backpedaled and looked at me with a hurt look on his face.  
Needless to say, this makes me feel like an ogre. The look on his face is one 
of betrayal and bewilderment, because he knows he's being zapped by me for 
what???

Some background information....he's rapidly growing his winter coat. Since he 
has Cushings, he's never truly shed out, though I clipped him twice this 
summer. The last bath he got was back in oh, May. It's been dry here, and 
when he rolls, he gets the fine silt we call dirt here into his hair. Much of 
it comes out when I groom him, but some still stays in.

When I groom him, I wear boots with urethane soles. I can be standing on the 
rubber mats in his stall, or I can be standing outside his shed on the 
dirt..both ways, he gets a shock. I've tried "discharging" the buildup by 
touching the steel supports in his shed, but apparently it does no good.
I use natural bristle brushes. I'm thinking the static charge only builds up 
when I'm brushing him, not when I am using the rubber curry combs. Nor does 
it happen when I'm brushing his mane and tail.
He has no shoes on, and there's no concrete I can walk him onto to brush him.

Now what can I do? It's too late in the year to bathe him, as he's in pasture 
full time with his shed to run in and out of. (this is a nice way of saying I 
don't have a nice barn to keep him in). I have been stepped on too many times 
to ever not wear boots around horses. He NEEDS brushing, I try and groom him 
daily. He's already got a nice buildup of lanolin in his hair, and he's going 
to need it with our wet wet winter almost here. This has just started 
happening, so I'm certain his hair growth has something to do with it.
By the way, this is a horse who I can groom without so much as a halter on 
him. No restraints, nothing but a "stand!" when he takes a step or two out of 
my reach, which is seldom.

Is there a way I can put a grounding strap on him? Has anyone ever had this 
sort of problem before?? My husband even suggested turning off the hot fence, 
to see if that helps, but I think he's grasping at straws, too. 

This hurts me, my wonderful horse is suddenly afraid of me because I'm 
"punishing' him for nothing. The wierd thing is, I don't ever feel the 
shocks. Never. So honestly, I think I'm guessing that this is what it 
is...static electricity.
I need HELP!!!!!!!!!!

Michelle and Jordan (what, mom, what? what did I do wrong???)
MBlanchrd@aol.com


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