Horse Grooming
Grooming not only keeps your horse clean, it helps build a bond of trust and confidence between you and your horse. It also keeps their skin healthy and coat shiny. It gets rid of dead skin cells, mud and old hair as well as increases circulation, relaxes his muscles and brings necessary natural oils to the surface.
Tips on How to Groom
- First pick out all four hooves. Take this time to check the health of his hooves, make sure he has all of his shoes solidly on, as well as check the legs for swelling, heat or injuries.
- Take a rubber curry comb and go over your horse's neck and body, moving in a circular motion
- Take the dandy brush and firmly but briskly stroke the brush across the horse's body in the direction that the hair grows, flicking the dirt and old hair off the horse as you go.
- Use the softer body brush over the whole body including face and lower legs. Again, be sure to brush in the direction that the hair grows
- Using a towel or damp sponge, wipe any dirt off around your horse's eyes and nostrils.
- Carefully brush out mane and tail.
It's important that every rider and horse owner have the essentials of a grooming kit on hand at all times. (Grooming tools also make great gifts for the horse person in your life, FYI!).
Basic Grooming Kit
Whether you store it in a simple bucket, a canvas bag or full blown grooming tote, here are the basics that you'll need.
- Dandy brush – Traditionally a white brush but this long, stiff bristled brush now comes in a variety of colors. It is used to brush mud and big clumps of dirt or loose hair off the horse's body. Use the Dandy only over heavily muscled parts of the body like the neck, barrel and legs above the hock.
- Body brush – Made from shorter, finer hairs the brush is usually dark but comes in a full rainbow of colors these days. The body brush gets off finer dirt and can be used on the entire body, including head, lower legs and the rest of the body.
- Hoof pick – The end of the pick should be blunt to prevent damage to the hoof. The other end can be plain or have a brush on it to help brush mud and manure off the hoof. Have two on hand, you never know when you'll lose one.
- Curry comb – Rubber curry combs come in a variety of shapes and sizes but all of them do a great job of getting the old hair and mud off the horse's neck and body. Metal curry combs are used to clean out old hair and dirt off the brushes, not the horse.
- Mane & Tail brush – Any hair brush will do to brush out your horse's mane and tail. The wider and stiffer the brush, however, the better job it does of detangling the hair with the minimum amount of breakage.
- Sweat scraper – Made of plastic or rubber, a sweat scraper is used to remove excess water from your horse after hosing or shampooing.
Brushes should be stored bristle side up to make them last longer. You should also clean your brushes periodically in either plain soap, a special cleanser meant for brushes or bleach and water. Be careful not to use too hot of water or else you'll melt the glue that holds the brushes together.
A horse of a different color...
Light colored horses, especially greys, seem to attract dirt and manure stains like magnets. They require a little extra care in grooming, especially on show day. There are some products that you'll want to keep in hand to keep your light colored horse sparkling...
- Alcohol and/or a product like Cowboy Magic Greenspot remover to get rid of manure and urine stains
- Betadine scrub (works on keeping the tails and manes white as well)
- Blueing shampoo like Quic Silver - also for their mane and tail but mostly for their tail, especially if you own a mare. If you do, you know what I'm talking about. (Clue: some mares don't get their tails out of the way when they pee.)
Blueing shampoo like Quic Silver – also for their mane and tail but mostly for their tail, especially if you own a mare. If you do, you know what I’m talking about. (Clue: some mares don’t get their tails out of the way when they pee.)
Intermediate Grooming Kit
As your riding career progresses and you get more serious about potentially showing, you'll need to add a few more items to your basic grooming kit. At this point, you'll want to consider getting a large size plastic or canvas tote to keep your grooming tools clean and organized.
- Mane comb – Mane combs are short, metal combs about the size of the palm of your hand. They are used to "pull" a mane - thin and shorten a mane by pulling out a few wisps at a time. (Note: pulling a mane can be pretty tough on your hands so you may want to keep an inexpensive pair of gloves around just in case.
- Rubber grooming mitt – A rubber grooming mitt does the same job that a rubber curry comb does but can be used on bony areas like lower legs and face.
- Face brush – A body brush is usually just fine but there are even softer, denser brushes designed strictly for getting the face clean.
- Thinning shears – Sometimes a horse's mane is too thick to simply be pulled and thinning shears can thin it out without giving your horse a Prince Valiant, "bowl" haircut.
- Sponges or towels – It's handy to have clean towels or sponges available to wipe your horse's eyes, nose, and under the dock of his tail when necessary. Just be sure not to use a towel for the dock one day and the eyes the next.
- Fly spray – Although part of your barn equipment, fly spray should be part of your grooming tote as well. Depending on the fly situation in your area, you may need both a spray bottle of repellent as well as the roll on kind for your horse's face and ears.
- Sunscreen – If you own a horse with a snip or a blaze, you should carry sunscreen with you at all times and apply it generously to his nose and face areas.
- Thrush medication – Keep some kind of thrush medication on hand in your grooming tote. That way it's on hand when you clean out his hooves and notice a problem.
Advanced Grooming Kit
If you are going away to a show or clinic, you'll want to take a few more tools along in your grooming tote to be sure that you're ready for anything.
- Hoof oil – There are a number of different hoof oils that add a finishing polish to your horse's hooves. Some people prefer actual hoof polish but be aware that it's like fingernail polish and shouldn't be left on for weeks at a time.
- Baby oil or Vaseline – For shows or clinics, a little baby oil or Vaseline wiped lightly around the nose and eyes can make black points really pop out. But even this comes with a warning; remember that baby oil and Vaseline both intensify sunlight and can encourage sunburn in light colored horses. Be sure to keep an eye on sensitive areas and wipe it off if it looks like your horse is frying - a pretty turnout isn't worth blistering your horse's nose. Wipe it off immediately after the show or clinic is over.
- Braiding Kit – Be sure you have all the tools you need to braid your horse, including the appropriate color yarn or braiding bands for your horse's mane. If you know you're going to a show or clinic with friends who are forgetful, you might want to be the hero and include yarn or bands for their horse's manes as well. You'll also need a pair of scissors, yarn pull, a seam ripper and lots of patience, especially if you've never braided before.
- Baby powder or show chalk – For important occasions, you may need baby powder or a chalk to make your horse's white socks or markings truly white.
- Quarter mark stencil – If the occasion calls for it (certain shows or parades) a quarter mark can be a fun way to dress up your horse. You can draw them freehand but the easiest way is to place a plastic stencil on your horse's hindquarters after you've thoroughly groomed him and brushing the hair in the opposite direction.
Vacuum cleaners
For special, additional cleaning, many people like to use a horse vacuum specially designed for getting dirt and hair off of a horse. While no substitute for daily grooming, vacuums are useful at giving your horse a good, deep cleaning especially in situations where a shampoo bath just isn't practical. BE VERY CAUTIOUS, especially if you've never vacuumed your horse before. While some horses find the noise and sensation soothing, some cannot tolerate it. Always be sure your horse and the area you are standing in are dry before you start vacuuming.
