Do you ever wish that your horse’s coat looked as good as a show horse? You might be surprised to know that it’s not actually all that expensive to keep your horse impressively well groomed – but it can take a lot of effort and care.
Grooming your horse can have big benefits for keeping them clean and massaging their skin, and also helps to strengthen your bond. It also gives you an opportunity to recognise any physical problems that will require treatment by your vet. These Horse Grooming Tips may help:
Basic Horse Grooming Kit
Your grooming kit should include the following items:
- A dandy brush to remove old hair, dried sweat and dirt
- A body brush
- A rubber curry comb to remove mud-caked and matted hair
- A water brush for use on the mane, tail and hoofs
- A stable rubber for polishing the coat
- A hoof pick
- Sponges for cleaning your horse
- A metal curry comb for cleaning the body brush
Pre-Exercise Grooming
Known as quartering, pre-ride grooming starts with picking out your horse’s feet and using a damp sponge to clean their eyes, muzzle and dock areas. For the main aspect of quartering, a body brush is used on the head, neck, chest and forelegs, and on the mane and tail after any stable stains are removed with a water brush.
Post-Exercise Grooming
Known as strapping, post-exercise grooming should only happen after your horse has fully cooled down. Firstly, use a dandy brush to get rid of dirt and sweat. Next, switch to a body brush on the mane and use circular motions in the same direction of the hair on the forelocks before moving onto the head and tail areas. Clean the brush with a metal curry comb every few strokes and tap the comb frequently to release trapped dirt.
Wipe around your horse’s eyes, lips, muzzle and nostrils with a damp sponge before using a water brush on the mane and the outsides of the feet. As the final touches, use a slightly wet stable rubber all over the coat for added gloss and apply hoof oil to the feet.
In the beginning, strapping may take some time but with practice, you should be able to get it done within forty-five minutes. This may seem like a long time but think of it as valuable bonding time with your horse, with the added bonus of helping them to look good!
Keeping Your Horse’s Coat Looking Good
Dark coats can fade with exposure to the sun, especially when sweat also enters the equation. If your hose gets sweaty, clean them up before you allow them to spend time in the sun. Giving your horse lots of access to shade can also help to prevent fading, as can covering them with a sheet.
If your horse has white areas on their coat, you’ll know how difficult it can be to keep them looking pristine and non-grubby. Using blue shampoo can be hugely effective for getting rid of stains and marks on light coloured coats and making them look brighter and whiter. If you don’t have any access to this, mixing baking soda with water can be another alternative for freshening up light areas.
If you have any other Horse Grooming Tips please let us know.
[Photo Credit: vtengr4047]