Let's Ride! - GroomingTips

Most of us like our horses to look good. We love to saddle them up, ride among our horse peers, and have others look with interest at the gorgeous steed we're riding. Grooming is an art form, but it does not require an artistic license. You can easily develop this art, especially when you know some of the tricks of the trade.

One of the most important facets of daily or regular grooming is that it gives us quality time to spend with our horses and helps us develop a deeper bond. From you horse's viewpoint, grooming is an integral part of the herd social structure. Daily grooming also allows us to evaluate our horse for bumps or cuts and to get an overall picture of how he is feeling.

There are many commercial grooming supplies available for purchase and many of them work well; however, you can save some money and still have an impeccably clean and handsome horse by adding other products to your arsenal of grooming products.

Curry-Combing:

A curry-comb, whether metal or rubber, is the first tool you should use. Working your way from neck, back, barrel and croup, move the comb in a circular direction to loosen dirt from the skin level and bring it to the hair level. The teeth of the curry-comb will "bite," therefore, never use it over bony or thin-skinned areas.

Brushing:

It is best to multi-task when brushing. Use a medium-body brush in one hand and a finishing brush in the other. Working your way from neck, back, barrel, croup and legs, use the body brush in vigorous and short strokes, which will loosen the dirt. Then, move behind it with the finishing brush, brushing along the grain of hair growth to remove the dirt and redistribute natural coat oils. Two-handed brushing will save time.

Bathing:

Frequent bathing will dull your horse's coat by washing away natural oils, so limit bathing to once a week. A mild shampoo should be used or Ivory dish detergent, diluted in water. Baby shampoos are also ideal. Have a variety of sponge sizes available to wash different body parts. Work your way from top to bottom, rinse thoroughly and use a horse squeegee to remove excess water. To provide extra shine after bathing, you can apply a sheen product that also repels dust. Microfiber cloths (like you use for your household chores) also shine up your horse's coat. To prevent your horse from rolling after a bath, keep him tied until he is completely dry.

Manes and tails:

Everyone dreads a matted, dirty tail. You can prevent this from occurring by mixing Calgon with water (one part Calgon to three parts water) in a spray bottle. Liberally spray the mixture on the mane and tail and work through with your fingers or comb as you gently pull the snarls apart. After the tail has dried, place the tail against your thigh and brush it through. This will prevent hair breakage. Anti-static spray applied to a brush will prevent fly-away hairs as well.

Hooves and legs:

If you have a horse with lots of chrome, you know what a chore it is to get those white areas clean. Water, Pearl Drops toothpaste and a toothbrush will clean those white socks and faces in no time. After wetting the white areas, simply add the toothpaste to the toothbrush and gently scrub until the dirt is gone. Rinse clean with water, and enjoy the shine of your horse's chrome. A word of caution if using on the face: be careful not to get the toothpaste into your horse's eyes.

Baby oil applied to hooves will leave them clean and shiny. Simply put baby oil onto a cloth and rub it onto the hoof.

A thorough grooming job always includes picking out the hooves. This is a very important part of the grooming process as it gives you an opportunity to inspect the foot for any injuries or problems. Only use a hoof-pick for this job. Do not use a pocket knife, screwdriver, box cutter or any other implement since serious injury may result to your horse or yourself. Use the pick in the "V" grooves around the frog, and pick deeply into the groove to make sure all dirt and debris is removed. Also run the pick along the edge of the hoof, from heel to toe, to clean any debris that may have accumulated between the shoe and hoof or along the rim of an unshod hoof.

Clean your Grooming Tools:

You should routinely clean and disinfect your grooming tools to reduce the chance of your horse getting a fungal skin infection. Never share your grooming supplies with others, and if you have multiple horses, you may want to invest in personalized grooming implements for each horse.

After your grooming job is done, stand back and admire your beautiful horse!