Horse grooming is a bonding experience that allows for injury checks and well-being assessment. Use natural bristle brushes and start with a shedding blade. Use a rubber curry, dandy brush, and vacuum. Clean the horse’s feet and legs, and use special brushes for manes and tails. Finish with a soft bristle brush and sheepskin grooming glove. Grooming promotes good health and is enjoyed by most horses.
Horse grooming is a pleasant moment shared with your horse. It’s a time to bond, check for injuries, and get a sense of her current state of well-being. There are a variety of supplies available to make horse grooming an easy task. Natural bristle brushes are preferred, which are made from horse or boar hair. Synthetic brushes have a tendency to cause hair loss and breakage, especially in manes and tails.
For basic horse grooming, start by placing your horse on sleepers or somewhere where he is comfortable and won’t be disturbed. This should be a special time to enjoy each other without interruption.
If your horse is shedding its winter coat or has dried mud on it, start with a shedding blade. These blades are made of metal and have fine teeth to catch mud and hair loss. Do not use shedding blades on the legs, face or other delicate areas of the body.
Begin removing surface dirt using a rubber curry or rubber grooming glove. This should be done in a circular motion. Once the surface dirt has been removed, you can use a stiff dandy brush to further loosen and remove the deep-seated dirt and bring it to the surface. This brush should be used in one quick motion.
If the season is cool and bathrooms aren’t an option, a vacuum can be a great asset. Most horses will agree to be vacuumed if presented to them properly. Start by letting your horse become familiar with the sound of the engine. Then place your hand on your horse’s shoulder and place the vacuum cleaner over your hand so he can feel the vibration without feeling the sucking experience. Once your horse is comfortable with the sensation of emptiness; you can introduce the vacuum directly, reassuring him that this is normal and safe.
The next step in caring for your horse is choosing your horse’s feet. Using a hoof, clean the “frog” starting at the heel and away from you, towards the toe of the V on the ball of the foot. Cleaning your horse’s legs is an important exercise that will give you the opportunity to detect any injuries or cracks. Areas of warmth could suggest an abscess, lesion, or early stage lameness. As you clean the foot, notice if there is any odor, as this will indicate that it is developing thrush (fungus).
Manes, tails and tufts have specially designed brushes and combs for them. Some people prefer not to brush their horse’s tail as it can cause breakage and split ends. They prefer hand harvesting and manual tail separation. There are several conditioners, such as Show Sheen, that detangle the tail and make the job easier. The manes are trimmed or left natural according to the preferences of the discipline. Facial hair is often shaved, but it’s important to recognize that horses rely on the stiff whiskers around their mouths as antennae.
Once these horse grooming steps are complete, use a soft bristle brush all over the horse’s body. He uses a very soft little bush for his face. This step is considered polishing or finishing. Finally, use a sheepskin grooming glove to bring out the sheen of your horse’s coat and remove any sweat or tack marks. You can also spray your glove with Show Sheen for a finished look or spray fly to ensure its comfort.
Most horses thrive on the pleasant experience of grooming and love to feel clean. Brushing also activates their digestion, so it promotes good health as well.
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