Grooming Your Horse:
Proper grooming is for your horse's comfort and appearance. Grooming keeps a horse healthy by stimulating circulation and improving muscle tone. A horse should be groomed daily and always after exercise or work.
Never put up a horse for the night until he is thoroughly cleaned and cooled.
A horse breathes partially through his skin and a clean skin, free of dust, parasites and disease facilitates this process. Brushing distributes skin oils throughout his coat.
After a long ride, particularly in warm weather, never take the saddle off immediately after dismounting. Loosen the girth and allow a few minutes for the horse's natural circulation to be restored. In cold weather, never let a horse stand while sweating. Put a blanket or cooler on him and walk him slowly until he is cooled.
You can groom your horse in a stall but it is preferable to take him out into a wide aisle and cross-tie him. Cross-ties are often hung in the center aisle, which then doubles as a grooming area. It provides plenty of room to move freely on both sides of the horse.
Here's what's needed:
Dandy Brush (stiff)
Body Brush (medium
Soft Brush
Rubber Curry Comb
Bucket with warm water
Lanolin-based Shampoo
2 Sponges
Sweatscraper
Terry Cloth Towel
Hoof Pick
Hoof Dressing and Brush
Mane and Tail Comb
Scissors
Clippers (optional)
Fly Wipe or Fly RepellentBegin by putting the horse in a halter (never a bridle). Begin on the horse's left side or the "near" side as it is called.
Stand near the horse's side with the
grooming brush in your right hand and the
curry comb in your left. Starting at the top of the horse's neck just below the ears, use the
curry comb in a circular moton to loosen dirt, dust and manure. Continue down the neck and over the body.
Curry softly,
Curry please,
But never curry
Below the knees.
Brush his neck, body and hindquarters thoroughly. Be gentle and use the
curry comb only on the horse's body never on his head or legs. Use it lightly to loosen dried mud or hair matted from sweat. You can curry in all directions, but brush only in the direction in which the horse's hair grows. Be sure that his back is completely clean and dry, to avoid saddle sores. Clean
grooming brush and
curry comb frequently.
When the horse's body is thoroughly clean, brush all four legs vigorously with the
grooming brush, stoking downward. Be sure to clean the back of his pasterns. Remove grass or manure stains with a
sponge and warm water containing a
lanolin-based shampoo. This is also a good time to clean the underside of his tail, wipe very gently a mare's teats and/or a gelding's sheath. Don't forget to rinse.
Wipe the horse's face with a
grooming cloth or very
soft brush. From time to time you'll want to trim the horses' whiskers and fetlocks with
scissors or
clippers.
With a clean
sponge, carefully wipe his eyes, ears and nostrils.
Untangle or pick the mane, tail and forelock with your fingers, brush and then use the
comb.
Clean out the horse's hooves. You will be removing bedding, dirt, small stones and manure that can become packed in causing slowing of circulation. You will also be removing disease causing bacteria. Use a
hoof pick to clean his feet and then apply a
lanolin hoof dressing right up to the coronet band.
In the fly season, finish the grooming by rubbing or spraying a
fly repellent on him. Remember, you are using a chemical, so be sure to follow the directions exactly.
Continue to check at HorseLoversHeadquarters.com for these future "Feature Articles":
Saddles and Saddling;
Bridles and Bridling;
The Equine Digestive System;
Feeding Your Horse;
First Aid;
Keeping Your Horse Healthy-Horse Health Problems-Equine Vaccinations;
Skeletal Structure of Equines;
Foot Trimming;
Equine Dentistry;
