Horse Care
Grooming

From: Equestrian and Horse | Care

See also: Clipping | Rugs

Grooming Equipment
A grooming box should contain the following items:

Body Brush a soft bristled brush for grooming the face and all of the body.
Dandy Brush this is a hard bristled brush which should be used carefully on horses with very thick coats only.
Plastic Curry Comb used in a circular motion to bring up scurf and dirt to the surface.
Rubber Curry Comb used in a circular motion to bring dirt and scurf up to the surface.
Metal Curry Comb to clean out the body brush which is pulled through the teeth of the curry comb.
Hoof Pick to pick out the horses feet.
Hoof brush to clean mud from the hoof wall.
Eye Sponge for cleaning the eyes.
Nose Sponge for cleaning the nostrils.
Dock Sponge for cleaning the dock.
Wash Sponge for washing the horse down after work.
Combs - Mane comb, Tail comb
Tail bandage - For laying a pulled tail flat.
Plaiting bands - Used for plaiting, clipping and to encourage a mane to lay on the correct side.
Tack box/tray - Used to keep all equipment tidy and in one place so that everything is to hand.
Hoof oil - For appearance and to encourage healthy hoof growth.
Hoof oil brush - For applying the hoof oil to the hoof wall itself.
Stable rubber - For wiping over the horse at the end of the grooming session, use it very slightly dampened and it will pick up any mud or scurf that has been left.
Quarter marker - Used for show preparation, the quarter marker will leave a pattern on the horses hindquarters.
Sweat scraper - After your horse has been washed use the sweat scraper to remove excess water from the horses coat.
Polishing mitt - Use this at the very end of your grooming session to finish the coat off and encourage a beautiful sheen to come through.
Cactus mitt - A cactus mitt has a type of sacking material on one side that is excellent for horses with sensitive skin as it will gently lift up any mud from the surface of the skin.
Bot knife - To be used in the summer when the Bot eggs need to be removed from the horses coat.
Cotton wool - For the cleaning of minor cuts and scrapes and can also be used to clean the eyes.
Mane and tail conditioner - An excellent addition to any grooming kit, especially if your horse has a very thick tail. Mane and tail conditioner helps prevent the mane and tails from getting too tangled and are therefore much easier to comb through.
Sheath cleaner - For the cleaning of geldings sheath area.

How To Groom A Horse

First of all, put on your horses head collar, and using a quick release knot, tie him up to a piece of string through a tie ring,
Have your grooming box, close at hand, with all the necessary equipment.
Using your hoof pick, pick out the horses feet, one at a time. You do this by gently running your hand down the back of the foreleg, and applying pressure as you go, until your hand curves around the fetlock joint. When the horse picks up their foot, move your hand down to hold around the hoof wall. Use your hoof pick in a downward direction, going either side of the frog, to remove dirt and stones.
With your hoof brush, brush the sole of the foot, and the cleft of frog. With the foot clear you can now check for bruising and puncture wounds as well as the shoe itself for wear and tear. Place the foot back onto the ground and move onto the next one. Use you hoof brush to brush the hoof wall and clear it of any mud.

Take up your plastic or rubber curry comb, and using it in a circular motion, work your way around the horses body, being extra gentle around any bony parts. The curry comb is used to bring up dirt and dead skin to the surface of the coat, ready for removal with the body brush.
Use your cactus mitt, for more sensitive areas, such as the tummy,and the legs, and on horses who require a more gentle touch in certain areas.
Body brush the mane through, to remove any mud, loose hair and tangles.
Now pick up your body brush, and use it to brush away any dirt and dead skin from the surface of the horse. Starting from the neck, work your way all over the horses body, brushing in the direction of the coat hair. Every few strokes clean out your body brush by pulling it through the metal curry comb.
If you are brushing your horse on the nearside then have the body brush in your left hand and the curry comb held in the right hand, this prevents the dirt from going straight back onto the horse, when the brush is cleaned.
When grooming ensure to clean the inner leg, under the elbow, chest and tummy, when brushing the legs check the heels for sores, such as mud fever, and check all over the horse for cuts, bruises and abnormalities.
Next, brush the face. Start off by unclipping the lead rope from the head collar, and place the head collar around the horses neck. Holding the body brush in one hand and using your other hand to gently hold the face, start to work your way around the face and under the jaw, paying particular attention to behind the ears, nose and brow band as any dirt left here will cause discomfort under the bridle. Once both sides of the face have been groomed, place the head collar back on, and clip on the lead rope.
Body brush the tail through, by standing to one side of the hindquarters and taking up the whole tail into one hand and brushing out a few hairs at a time. Using a dampened stable rubber wipe over your horses coat, this will remove any dirt left and give the coat a shine.
Using a sponge or water brush, dampen the mane to lye it flat, and dampen either side of the tail.
Then apply a tail bandage to the tail to encourage the tail to lye flat and give shape to a pulled tail. Only leave a tail bandage on for approximately 30 minutes.
Apply your hoof oil, using the hoof oil brush and working your way all around the hoof wall, going into any cracks. Hoof oil is used to maintain the moisture balance of the hoof wall as well as giving a tidy appearance.
Using clean warm water take your eye sponge or cotton wool and, carefully, clean the corner of the eye. Using a separate nose sponge and warm water clean out the nostrils by running the sponge gently around the edge of the nostrils.
Then take up the dock sponge, and holding the tail to one side gently wash the dock starting at the top and working your way down.
In the summer, a bot knife should be used on the horses legs, as this is where the bot fly lay there eggs ready to be eaten and ingested by the horse.
Spray on any mane and tail conditioner and use a mane or tail comb to comb it through. Mane and tail conditioner gives a glossy finish to the tail, as well as making it easier to brush through and manage.
By placing quarter markers, onto the hindquarters of the horse will give you an exceptional finish. It involves using either a template or by using a short comb. The hair is brushed against the lye of the coat, either over the template which can be a pattern of squares, triangles or diamonds, or your own pattern can be achieved by using a small comb.

Horse Care Grooming

Horse Care
Grooming