complete grooming · to polish the hair to a nice shine. hoof pick regardless of whether or not...

By HI Staff

COMPLETEGROOMING

GUIDE

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B rushing, picking hoovesand bathing are morethan never-endingattempts at keeping

your horse presentable—they aresignificant in maintaining hishealth and happiness. Brushingyour horse’s coat and pickinghis hooves are the two mostsignificant grooming tasks andshould be done daily.

Currying and brushing yourhorse improves his circulationand distributes the natural oilsthat bring out a healthy shine inhis coat. Allowing dirt anddebris to build up can causeskin irritation and promote thedevelopment of saddle sores orother skin ailments. Brushingyour horse also gives you anopportunity to assess his overallbody condition and check forany cuts, bumps, heat orswelling you may not notice justby looking at him.

It is important to pick outyour horse’s hooves every dayas well to remove dirt andsearch for anything that couldbe causing him pain, such asstones, bruises or abscesses.One of the most common hoofissues is thrush, caused by abuildup of moisture and bacteriain the clefts (V-shaped grooves)of the frog that produce a foulodor and black debris. Diligenthoof cleaning and use of thrushtreatment products whennecessary can help prevent andmanage the problem.

The time you spend groomingyour horse also gives you achance to assess his mood—which is especially helpful ifyou’re preparing to ride—andimproves your overall bond withhim. The better you understandyour horse, the easier it will beto detect when something isbothering him.

2 Horse Illustrated ❙ HorseChannel.com

GUIDE

COMPLETEGROOMING

Grooming is an essential aspect of your horse’s care.

“BRUSHING YOUR HORSE’S COAT AND PICKING HIS HOOVESARE THE TWO MOST SIGNIFICANT GROOMING TASKS.”

Horse Illustrated ❙ HorseChannel.com 3

Grooming ToolsThere is a wide array of grooming tools,from simple to specialty styles, but themost essential are the curry comb, hardand soft brushes, and the hoof pick.

Curry CombThe curry comb is a useful groomingtool that comes in a variety of shapes. Itis typically made of plastic or rubberwith short teeth arranged in a circularpattern. Select a rubber or soft, flexibleplastic curry comb that will contour toyour horse’s body. Hard plastic curriescan be uncomfortable for some horses.Metal curry combs should not be used

as regulargrooming tools,although they

can be helpfulwith spring

shedding and forkeeping your

brushes clean.

Hard BrushAlso called a stiffbrush or dandybrush, the hard brush isused to remove large dirt particles anddander picked up by the curry comb.

Soft BrushThe purpose of the softbrush is to pick upfine dust and danderon the surface ofyour horse’s coat, andto polish the hair to a nice shine.

Hoof PickRegardless of whether or not your horse wears shoes, it is important to pickout his feet daily and before every ride.

Put all of your grooming toolsin a small bucket or portabletote and you’reready to get to work.

It’s important toperiodically clean yourbrushes while groomingyour horse so dirt and dustdon’t get redistributed overhis body—scraping themagainst a metal curry combwill do the trick. You alsoneed to occasionallydisinfect your brushes in adiluted solution of bleachor mild dish detergent tokill bacteria that growsover time.

A CLEAN SWEEP

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From Head to HoofBefore you begin grooming your horse, puton his halter and secure him on cross-ties,or to a well-anchored hitching rail or wallhook with a quick-release knot.

Feet First Start with the all-important task of pickingyour horse’s feet first. Facing your horse’stail, run the hand closest to him down hisleg to the hoof; this is a good time tocheck for bumps, heat or swelling. Gentlysqueeze the chestnut or the area justabove the fetlock to encourage your horseto pick up his hoof. If he doesn’t pick up

Safely secure your horseto cross-ties while youare grooming him.

Pick your horse’s hoovesfrom the heel toward the toe.

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his hoof for you, lean into him so he shiftshis weight off of that leg. Holding yourhorse’s foot in the hand closest to hisbody, grab the hoof pick with your freehand and pick the dirt out starting at theheel and working toward the toe. A hoofpick with a small brush on the back willallow you to sweep away the loose dirt.The order in which you pick out thehooves is not important; however, if youstick to the same routine, your horse willget used to it and may be more inclined topick up each successive hoof for you.

Curry PowerUse the curry comb to remove any caked-on mud and bring up dust, dander anddried skin from the base of the coat. Movethe comb in a circular motion with asmuch pressure as your horse will tolerate,starting at his neck and working towardhis tail. Focus primarily on the large,muscled areas of your horse’s neck,shoulders and hindquarters. Many horsesenjoy the massage from the curry and willstretch their necks and lean into the

pressure. However, some horses are more sensitive and will becomeconditioned to resent grooming if youcurry too vigorously or with too muchpressure. Each horse is different, so gauge your horse’s response and react accordingly.

The Brush OffAfter currying, use the hard brush. Beginat the top of your horse’s neck and workyour way back to the tail, using short,quick strokes. End each stroke by flickingthe brush away from your horse to removethe dirt and debris brought to the surfacewith the curry comb. Use a moderateamount of pressure to be sure you aregetting more than just the surface hairs.Again, most horses enjoy or at leastwillingly tolerate this, but more sensitivehorses may get antsy. As with the curry,the hard brush is not for bony, sensitiveareas. It is also not designed to be usedon your horse’s face, as the stiff bristlescan be uncomfortable or even dangerousaround his eyes.

Move the currycomb in a circularmotion to removecaked-on mud, dirtand dandruff fromyour horse’s coat.

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Periodically use a metal curry comb toremove dirt buildup from the hard brush,but do not use it on your horse because itcan scratch and irritate his skin. Never usea hard curry comb or brush on yourhorse’s sensitive face; extra soft facebrushes or grooming mitts are made forthis purpose. Rubber grooming glovescan also be used togently curry off mudfrom the face andlower legs.

FinishingTouchesFinish your horse’s coat with the softbrush to remove fine dust and debris fromthe surface. There are several degrees ofstiffness available in the softer brushes.Plastic bristles will give you a firmerbrush, while natural bristles will be softer.For everyday grooming, a brush ofmedium stiffness is usually best. For ashow-ring shine, use a soft horsehairbrush, also called a finishing brush. Thebristles are very soft and will notpenetrate beyond the outer surface of the

coat, so use it only when you havethoroughly groomed your horse with thecurry and hard brush. The soft brush canbe used on your horse’s face and legs aswell. You may also consider using a facebrush on your horse’s head. This is asmall soft-bristled brush that is morenimble than the body brush, making iteasier to reach the delicate spots aroundyour horse’s eyes and nostrils. Manyhorses like having their faces brushed andwill even close their eyes and lower theirheads. Move slowly around your horse’shead so he doesn’t get startled by suddenmovements, and keep the brush awayfrom his eyes. When you’re finishedbrushing your horse, you can also rub himdown with a dry, clean towel to collectdust and bring out a healthy shine.

Manes & TailsWhether your horse’s mane and tail aresparse or luxuriously full, they needspecial attention. Proper care andmaintenance will help thin hair growthicker and longer, and keep equinetresses more manageable.

■ Wide-tooth comb or hairbrush: to brush out snarlsfrom the mane and tail whileminimizing hair breakage.

■ Soft cloths or small towels: forcleaning the face, ears andmuzzle or removing fine dustand debris from the coat.

■ Metal pulling comb: to keepyour horse’s mane short, tidy and manageable.

■ Coat polish spray: to maintainthe healthy shine of your horse’scoat. Don’t apply the spray wherethe saddle sits to prevent thetack from sliding.

■ Mane and tail detangler: toprevent hair breakage whilebrushing out snarls.

■ Sponge: to bathe your horse orclean away sweat after a toughworkout.

■ Sweat scraper: to remove theexcess water from your horse’scoat after bathing him.

MORE GROOMING TOOLS


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Detangling If your horse comes in from the field withhis mane and tail in a mess, begin with athorough detangling. Maintain the hairduring a couple of short sessions perweek, rather than waiting for it to becomea major project. If the hair is knotted,matted in dreadlocks, or just too long andthick, begin by spraying it thoroughlywith a silicone-based detangler so it will

be easier to brush out. You will usuallyexperience less hair breakage by using aplastic vented or paddle-style hairbrush ora wide-tooth comb. Begin at the ends ofthe hair and gradually brush out a little bitat a time. As you move from ends to roots,spray additional detangler as needed.

Picking by HandIf you want to spare the mane and tail as

Apply a silicone-based detanglerto your horse’s tail so it’s easierto brush through the hair.

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much breakage as possible, youcan carefully pick through them byhand. Starting with a smallsection, carefully pull the hairaway from the tangle. Continueslowly, separating several hairs ata time, until you’ve worked yourway through the entire mane andtail. This method takes patienceand dedication, but it will pay offby allowing the hair to growthicker over time. Brushes tend toyank out and break off more hairthan this approach.

Banging a Tail When it comes to choosing a“hairstyle” for your horse, refer toyour horse show or breedassociation’s rule book. Somehorses must be shown with long,natural tails, while others such aseventers and dressage horsesusually have their tails “banged,” ortrimmed, straight across the bottom.

To bang a tail, have a friendhold an arm under your horse’stailbone to simulate how he willcarry his tail when he is beingridden. Run your hands down thetail almost to the bottom (usuallybetween the hocks and fetlocks),and use either scissors or a pair ofclippers to make a straight cut.

If your horse’s tail needs time togrow, or you want to keep it cleanand snarl-free for a show, considerusing a tailbag. The skirt of yourhorse’s tail easily fits into the bag,which attaches below the tailbone.Never wrap it around the tailbone as

it could compromise bloodcirculation. You can braid the hair toprevent it from getting tangledinside. Be sure to check and redothe tailbag weekly.

You’ll need to make sure yourhorse is protected from pesky flies.Many tailbags have tassels at theend so a horse still has a defenseagainst biting insects.

THAT’S A WRAP

Pull snarls out of yourhorse’s tail by using yourfingers, working with smallsections at a time. This willminimize hair breakage.

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Pulling the Mane The most natural and traditional method ofshortening a mane is to pull it. The processisn’t painful, but some horses object tohaving their manes pulled, so there aresome grooming tools designed to cutmanes with a natural edge (as opposed tothe blunt cut of scissors). If you need tobraid your horse’s mane for shows,however, you will most likely need to thinit down while shortening it, which meansit will need to be pulled.

Work with a small section of hair thatmeasures about 1 inch across. Runyour fingers down to the longestfew hairs at the bottom and teasethe rest of the hair back toward theroots with a small metal manecomb. You can wear rubber glovesfor a better grip on the hair. Whenall but a few hairs are teased back,wrap them around the comb andquickly yank them out. It may takea few sessions to get your horseaccustomed to mane pulling, sonever do more than he can toleratein order to keep things as pleasantas possible for him. If he isresistant, just do a few sectionseach day, pulling as few hairs aspossible. You will need to keep upwith mane pulling every fewweeks, however, or it will becomeunruly and make for a very longtask the next time.

Training BraidsTo train your horse’s mane to lieover to one side (traditionally theright), you can braid it. First, wetand comb the hair. You may addspray gel or a mane-braidingproduct for additional grip. Separatethe hair into 1- or 11⁄2-inch sections,and firmly braid each sectiondownward, finishing with a smallelastic designed for manes. Leavethe braids in for a few days, and

when you comb them out, the hair shouldstay trained to that side for a number ofdays or weeks.

Bridle PathWhen you’ve finished pulling the mane,this is usually a good time to trim yourhorse’s bridle path. The hair grows veryquickly and will need to be maintainedfrequently. Beginning just behind theears, use either scissors or clippers tocrop a 1-inch section of mane as shortas you can. It is better to begin

Hold a 1-inch widesection of hair in onehand and tease itupward with themane comb in theother hand ...

... Wrap the remaining fewstrands of hair around thecomb and quickly pullthem out.


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conservatively, since bridle paths have atendency to extend after each trim. Ifyou have an Arabian or ride saddleseat,bridle paths are often cut much longerto accentuate the neck.

BathingHorses don’t need regular baths, but it’s

good to give them a thorough washingonce in a while. Brushing alone can’tremove all the dirt and dander thatbuilds up on the coat and in the maneand tail. Before you begin bathing yourhorse, safely secure him on the cross-ties in the wash rack, if one is available.Another option is to have a friend holdyour horse, but she needs to be willingto get a little wet!

Stocking the Wash RackThere are a few important tools you’ll need to wash your horse. Make sure youhave a sponge, water bucket and accessto a hose. A rubber mitt is an optionaltool for scrubbing your horse’s coat.

Place your shampoo, conditioner andany other tools you may need withinreach. A sweat scraper is helpfulafterward to remove the excess waterfrom your horse’s coat. Remember to

Use scissors or clippers to trim a1-inch section of your horse’s bridle

path just behind his ears.

Make sure youhave all the

tools you willneed to bathe

your horsewithin reach.

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use the sweat scraper only on well-muscled areas, including the neck,shoulders and hindquarters.

Lather, Scrub, RinseBefore you lather up your horse’s body,start with the mane and tail so you canwash away the soap that runs down hisneck and legs when you scrub his coat.

If you’re using a hose, put a nozzle onthe end that will allow you to keep thewater at a low pressure. Start sprayingyour horse’s legs first to let him get usedto the water, and slowly work up theneck to the mane. You can also squeeze awet sponge over the mane to get it wet.Use either method for wetting the tail ordunk it in a bucket of water.

Use your fingers to work the shampoointo the mane and tail and scrub dirtaway from his crest and dock. Rinse outall of the shampoo and apply a small

Get your horse accustomed to the waterby spraying his legs before moving up

his body.

Once you’ve wet your horse’s body, startscrubbing with the soap and sponge.

Bathing your horse is animportant part of thegrooming process, but don’tget overzealous. Bathing toooften can cause your horse’sskin and hair to dry out, andfrequent exposure to soap andwater can strip his coat of itsnatural oils. Dry skin willbecome irritated, and hoovescan weaken over time fromrepeated wet and dry cycles.

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amount of conditioner if you choose to.Thoroughly rinse the hair again.

You’re now ready to wash your horse’sbody. Wet his entire body with a hose orsponge. Next, apply soap directly to thesponge or add a couple of dollops to abucket of clean, warm water and dip thesponge into the lather. You may need toreload your sponge with shampoo several

times. After you’ve worked your horse’scoat into a soapy lather, rinse thoroughly.

Most horses don’t like to have watersprayed directly on their faces, so use adamp towel to clean around your horse’sface and ears.

No Cold ShowersWeather is an important element toconsider when bathing your horse. If thetemperature is above 50 degreesFahrenheit and the wind isn’t too strong,your horse should be fine.

The winter months usually aren’tconducive to bathing, but if it’snecessary, make sure you do it in anenclosed space, preferably with anoverhead heater and warm water. Dryyour horse completely with towels andhave coolers ready for him when you’redone bathing. An alternative to a fullbath is to soak a towel in hot water(wring out the excess water) and wipeyour horse down to pick up the surfacelayer of dust from his coat.

Grooming your horse daily and givinghim a bath when necessary will helpkeep him healthy and happy. Use thistime to strengthen your bond with himand get to know what is normal for him,mentally and physically, so you’ll bebetter able to detect any health issuesthat might arise. HI

Thoroughly rinse your horseto remove soap residue that

could cause skin irritationif left to dry.

Use the sweat scraper to removeexcess water from your horse’s coat

after bathing him.


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complete grooming · to polish the hair to a nice shine. hoof pick regardless of whether or not...

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