The Basics of Horse Grooming
Grooming your horse is not only important for keeping it looking great and feeling healthy, but grooming can also be a great way to spend time and bond with your horse, too. Here are a few basics to keep in mind when grooming your horse.
Cleaning Hooves
When cleaning your horse’s hooves, you should slide your hand down its foreleg and squeeze the back of the leg while saying “up” or “hoof” in order to get it to learn to raise its hoof for you to clean. You can then pick out any dirt, manure or other grit that may be lodged into the sole of the horse’s foot.
Loosen Dirt
You should next use a curry comb or grooming mitt to loosen the dirt in your horse’s coat. The curry comb should be moved in a circular motion along the horse’s body.
Detangle the Main and Tail
Next, you can use a mane come or brush to remove the tangles in your horse’s mane and tail. When combing the tail, be sure to stand to one side and to pull gently in order to reduce your chances of being kicked by the horse.
Brush Away Dirt
After the curry comb has loosened the dirt, you can use a body brush to brush away the dirt that has been left behind. Be sure to brush in the direction of the hair growth.
Apply the Finishing Strokes
With a finishing brush, which will have shorter and softer bristles than the one that you previously used, you can brush sensitive areas such as the horse’s face while also whisking awy the smaller dust particles that have been left behind.