It is no secret that horses require a lot of maintenance. This blog series will cover the essential elements to horse ownership that focus on horse care and horse health. Here is a list of the articles written for this series. This month the focus will be on Grooming. Next month, hoof care.

Part 1: Grooming

Part 2: Hoof Care

Part 3: Facilities Maintenance/Stall Care

Part 4: Diet

Part 5: Health and Well-being (medical, dental, excise, happiness)

Part 1: Grooming

Grooming is the act of cleaning the horse. It can be done by brushing away dirt, picking hooves, shedding winter hair, and bathing. Grooming is a fabulous way to bond with your horse, establish trust, and is essential for good horse health. It creates a clean, healthy coat, lowers the risk of saddle sores and can help identify injuries or health issues.

There are many different types of grooming tools. This lists the tools and their proper use.

• Curry comb – uses “teeth” to pull dirt up from under the coat. Also acts as a body massager and can redistribute the horse’s natural oils. Can be metal or rubber. My personal preference is the rubber curry.
  • The curry should be the first grooming tool used.
  • Use the curry in circular motions from neck to haunches.
  • The amount of pressure you use will depend on your horse’s sensitivity. I have a horse that is very ticklish and another that enjoys it when I press harder.
• Dandy brush – used to whisk away dirt brought to the surface by the curry comb. Comes in differing bristle hardness. Harder bristles are good for caked on mud. Softer bristles are good for legs and belly.
  • Use flicking motions
  • Use enough pressure to remove dirt completely.
  • Brush along the natural direction of your horse’s hair starting at the neck and working your way to the haunches.
• Soft brush – used on face.
  • Be very gentle when bushing the face. Horses are very sensitive on their faces.
• Body brush and finishing brush – both are used as “finishing” brushes to sweep away fine dirt and massage oils into your horse’s coat.  The body brush has shorter bristles which come in differing levels of hardness. The finishing brush has long soft bristles.
• Hoof pick – used to remove dirt from the bottom of the hoof, including frog and collateral grooves. Contrary to popular belief, the frog can be picked out gently. Some picks have hard bristles on one end to brush away dirt after it has been picked out of feet. More on hoof care in next month’s blog.
• Shedding blade – has either a “blade” or “teeth” that pull loose hair off your horse. Especially useful in springtime as horses shed their winter coat. My personal favorite is the SleekEZ grooming tool. 
• Mane and tail comb – used to brush tangles and debris (leaves, shavings, etc) out of the mail and tail. Avoid pulling so hard that you rip out your horse’s hair. Work in small sections and use your fingers to detangle knots. When brushing the tail, it is helpful to start at the bottom and work your way up.
• Pulling comb – Use to shorten or even out the mane. Can also be used as a mane and tail comb. To shorten your horse’s mane, grasp a small section of mane and back-comb it up (tease it) until only the longest strands of hair remain in your fingers. Then, tug the longer hairs out. You can also wrap the hairs around the comb and pull it out. Repeat until you have the desired length.
• Fly Spray – used to keep flies off of your horse. You can purchase fly spray pre-mixed or in concentrate. Some people make their own using vinegar and dish soap. There are many recipes on the internet; however, be sure you balance ingredients carefully to avoid skin irritations. When choosing or making fly spray, be sure to consider all the ingredients. Read labels. Natural ingredients are best as many chemicals can not only be unhealthy for your horse, but can put toxins in the environment.
• Shampoo – used to keep your horse clean. Careful about over washing to avoid stripping the coat of natural oils and over drying. Again look for natural ingredients and be sure to rinse soap off the coat completely. 
• Sweat scraper – used to remove excess water from your horse’s coat. Slide it across the body in the same direction as your horse’s hair in a flicking motion. 

Remember to clean your grooming equipment from time to time in warm soapy water. Hose or rinse clean and dry completely. 

If I have left anything off this list, or you wish to share your favorite products, please send me your thoughts and I will add to this post!

Happy Horsing Around!

-Liz

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