Grooming is beneficial for horses and not only because grooming can clean the coat. Grooming adds beauty to the horse's appearance and also creates a good emotional and trusting relationship between the horse and its owner. Grooming can help your horse to release the natural oils in its coat which can protect your horse from natural elements such as wind and rain. Grooming can also result in healthy blood circulation in horses. Grooming should be done regularly to keep the horse's coat and skin healthy. In addition, grooming provides an opportunity for you to look at your horse's body and check if it is healthy and there are no injuries or the like. Fortunately, unlike dogs and cats, most horses like it when you groom them, making this an easy and fun task because your horse will just stand there. However, be careful; always put your hand on its back to let your horse know you are nearby. He may also think that if he wants to kick, he will kick your leg, not your head. Do not groom from the front of your horse because if you stand between your horse and the leash, you can get caught if your horse moves.
Step
Step 1. Secure your horse
While some horses are trained enough to stay on their feet when you groom, there are still some horses who naturally turn away from you when you do it. Tie your horse with an easy-to-remove tie on a pole, or ask a friend or colleague (if you work with horses) to hold your horse.
If you tie your horse to a pole, always use a tie that is easy to remove. If something scares your horse and it tries to run or fall and you use a regular harness, your horse's neck will break and that is very dangerous for your horse. But also make sure your ties aren't too loose so your horse doesn't run away from you
Step 2. Remove the tread from your horse
To lift the leg, place your hand on the sole of your horse's paw and gently squeeze the tendon. If he doesn't lift his leg, lean on his shoulder and lift his leg. Use a hoof pick, starting from the heel and the match towards the toe, carefully removing all rocks, dirt, and other debris. Make sure you clean the grooves on both sides of the frog. The frog (the slippery V-shaped part of the horse's tread) is the more sensitive area, so don't use a hoof pick in this area. Using a hoof pick on the frog can cause the frog to limp because this object is very sensitive.
- By scraping the paws first, you will notice any discrepancies before you finish grooming the horse. Scraping your feet beforehand is highly recommended because you will not only see gaps, but you can also avoid them by removing rocks and dirt that could damage the frog or scratch it. It is very important to scrape the tread before you ride your horse, especially if your horse will be wearing the tread, as this will make the horse feel more comfortable. Scraping your horse's paws can also be useful to get rid of and avoid the sticky black fungus that develops around the frogs.
- There is no specific time for grooming because you can lift your horse's paw at any time. The most important thing is that you do it before and after you ride the horse.
Step 3. Use a curry comb to remove loose hair from your horse
Rubber curly combs are designed to loosen dirt, mud and dirt on your horse's hair and you generally use it in the direction of your horse's hair. For best results and to keep your horse well groomed, use a curry comb before you brush your horse. Use the curry comb in small, firm circular motions over the horse's muscles. Avoid bony areas such as the face, spine, and legs.
- On the one hand, apply the curry comb sequentially from the neck, body and buttocks. Then, repeat on the other side of the horse.
- Curry combs should be used in a circular motion in the opposite direction of hair growth. This will attract loose hair and debris to be brushed off.
Step 4. Use a dandy brush (also called a hard brush)
Dandy brush is a brush with hard bristles to remove soil and hair loosened with a curry comb. Use this brush in short, straight motions to allow the bristles to go all over the horse's hair and remove dirt. Starting at the neck and ending at the tail. It is not recommended to use a dandy brush on the horse's legs because the horse's feet are more sensitive than the body. The horse's leg is a bony and small part so it is not comfortable for the horse if the stiff part is brushed too hard with a dandy brush.
- Do not use a dandy brush on the face, ears, hair of the horse, tail, legs, or any bony area, as this can cause the horse to immediately feel restless. This can make the horse feel stressed, scared, or startled.
- If necessary, use a soft cloth on the areas that horses hate if you're using a dandy brush.
Step 5. Clean using a soft brush (also known as a body brush)
The fine brush, as the name suggests, can be used all over the horse area as a result of its texture (be careful when using it around the face). The soft brush cleans the remnants of dust and bristles. Finish grooming your horse by brushing his entire body, including sensitive areas like the face and feet.
If you want to use a different brush for your face, use a face brush. This face brush is designed to brush the horse's face. This brush looks like a miniature of a fine brush and is easier to fit on the horse's face
Step 6. Clean the horse's face
Take a damp sponge or damp cloth and rub it over your horse's eyes and nose. Use a different sponge/rag for the buttocks area (under the tail), as this area is usually damp, dirty and moldy and needs to be cleaned. Remember to do this gently; these areas are sensitive.
Use a different sponge/rag for each horse (if you are grooming multiple horses) to avoid spreading the infection
Step 7. Clean the pony hair and tail
Use a comb or horse hair brush with wide bristles to remove tangles in the hair and ponytail. Before you begin, use your fingers to separate the tangled hair. Hold the entire large section of the pony's hair in one hand (to avoid pulling) and brush with your other hand. When brushing your tail, stand by your horse to avoid startling him or kicking him. With this, if the horse kicks, you are in a safe position and less likely to be hurt. Continue brushing from the sides of the horse until you've brushed the entire tail.
- Make sure you talk to your horse and keep your hand on the horse so he doesn't get scared.
- If you want to use hair products, use a natural hairspray/ponytail that is completely natural, not silicone. Spray and brush. Apart from making your hair/ponytail less frizzy, this spray will give your hair and ponytail a shine.
Step 8. In summer or when the temperature is hot, you need to spray your horse with fly spray as flies can be very annoying
These flies can grow around the face and spread the infection. Large flies called horse flies can bite and cause pain to your horse. These flies can also annoy you. Spray your horse but avoid its face.
Tips
- If your horse is too dusty or has dry mud on it, use the curry comb on it very thoroughly until the dirt reaches the surface of the coat. Then take a wet cloth and wipe the fur. This rag will clean a lot of dirt.
- You have to try your hardest when using a curry comb! Using a curry comb will make your horse look beautiful and shiny.
- If you see scabs or fly bites on your horse when you are grooming, wipe them off with Vaseline. This will heal the wound and protect it from insects that can irritate your horse.
- If your horse is a neutered horse or stallion, you should clean his genitals every six months.
- Call a good farrier. The legs of your horse need to be trimmed. This is an important part.
- If you are wearing gloves, remove them before you groom so you can feel anything abnormal, such as heat, lumps, and swelling.
- Be careful when you groom sensitive areas such as the ribs and the area to put the saddle on. This is because it can make the horse feel uncomfortable and may become restless or misbehave.
- You don't need to groom every day. You only need to groom your horse at least once a week to keep the coat and skin healthy. However, it is advisable to do grooming before and after you ride your horse.
- Use a stabilizer cloth on your horse at the end of the grooming process so that your horse is completely shiny. Stabilizer cloth can be very helpful when you are presenting your horse at a show.
- If you're brushing your ponytail, don't stand behind it, as your horse may kick you.
- Don't brush your hair and ponytail too often. If you do, your horse will have curly hair that looks unhealthy. Brush your hair and tail if you are exhibiting. This way, your hair and ponytail will always look healthy and shiny. Some combs and brushes can also damage hair and tails, making them look untidy.
Before riding your horse, always brush thoroughly under the saddle area using a soft brush to remove any mud. Mud under the saddle can hurt your horse and cause him to feel restless. Get rid of the mud on the facial straps too, as this can cause anxiety as well
Never groom below the knees and elbows as grooming in these areas will hurt your horse more
Warning
- Don't apply too much pressure when you brush your horse's paws. The skin in this area is very close to the bone and you will hurt your horse if you apply too much pressure.
- If you use baby oil on your horse to make it look shinier, don't use it on a hot day, as the sun makes baby oil very hot and can overheat your horse.
- When you're scraping your horseshoe or grooming your horse, it's best to stay close to your horse's body. If you are too far away from the horse, it will be able to kick you more easily and harder when angry. Always be close to your horse and more to its front paws. If you have to be on the back or hind legs, hold your horse in your hands to let him know you are there.
- Do not do grooming in the cage because it will make the bed dusty. If your horse has breathing problems, it's best if you groom it outdoors.
- Use an easily detachable harness every time you bathe or groom your horse if you suddenly need to untie your horse quickly.
- Don't put too much pressure on your horse's face when cleaning, as this will embarrass him. When a horse is embarrassed when you try to hold its face, it will lift its head so high that it is difficult to rub it, untie its face, or restrain it.
