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Grooming a horse is an essential part of horse care. Whether your horse is ridden, driven or just out to pasture he will need to be groomed regularly to avoid many diseases and irritation from dirt next to his skin. Horses should be brushed before and after each ride and at least twice a week when they are out to pasture. Not only will these grooming sessions allow you to take care of the health needs of your horse it will give you some time to get to know him better. Many horse enthusiasts will tell you grooming is their favorite part of working with horses. So if you are ready to enjoy a good grooming session, get started by following this proven method.
When grooming a horse you’ll need a few basic tools. Here is a list that will be helpful; currycomb, hard bristled brush, medium bristled brush, hoof pick, towel, and a shining product, which is optional, but can make a big difference on the overall appearance.
First do a search over the horse’s entire body for any scratches, bug bites or ticks that may have burrowed down into the horses skin. Use your eyes and then run your hands over his body looking for unusual bumps. If any are found take care of them immediately.
Now it’s time for the currycomb. Scrub moderately hard moving in small circular motions to loosen all the dirt. Every so often you’ll want to knock the dirt out of the currycomb by knocking it on the bottom of your boot. Continue currying until the currycomb isn’t covered with dust after running it moderately hard through your horse’s hair. Use this over the entire barrel, but not the legs or face.
Next brush the body of the horse with the hard bristled brush. You can use this brush down to the knees and up to the head. Brush the direction of the hair doing just a little at a time. Use the medium bristled brush on the face, lower legs and inside of the ears. Brush until you can’t find any more dirt.
If you are going to ride you will want to forgo the shining product on the horses body as this will make the saddle slip. Just wipe the horse with the towel to give the horse an added shine. If you aren’t riding you can spray a light mist of shining product on the towel and then wipe the horse down. This gives the added protection of repelling dust.
Now for the mane and tail. Spray both with the shining spray, which is also a detangler. Do not use any sort of brush or comb on the mane or tail unless you want to shorten and thin them. The best tool for them is your fingers. Start from the bottom of either and separate the hairs. Work your way up until all of the hairs lie flat. Don’t forget the forelock. Initially this will take a lot of time, but if it is done regularly it will go much faster.
Your horse is looking good, but you still have to do the feet. Face your horse’s hindquarters and run your hand down your horse’s leg to reach the fetlock. Say “lift” and give a little squeeze to let the horse know you want to lift his foot. Hold it in your left hand if you are right handed and vice versa. Use the pick to get out all of the dirt and especially any rocks that may be caught. Move the pick away from you along the ‘v’ shaped frog. If there is any thrush, a foul smelling fungus, you’ll want to spray it with a half water and half bleach solution. Finish with the other three hooves and your done.
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