Basic horse grooming

Proper horse grooming is not only a way of keeping your horse clean and healthy, it is also an activity that should be enjoyable for both of you that you can bond over. It allows you to check their entire body for injuries or irritations and should be done on a daily basis to maintain their clean coat.

When grooming your horse, it is a must to do so before riding as grit beneath the saddle and other areas may cause rubbing and be quite uncomfortable for the horse. Remember to tie your horse to a post before you start as they often like to roam around and start from left to right or vice versa.

What you Need

Before you start, you should have your grooming tools in a safe and easy to reach area – to save you walking away every minute to grab something else.

The grooming tools you will need are:

• A hoof pick
• A curry comb or grooming mitt
• A body brush (stiff bristles)
• A mane and tail comb
• A fine soft bristled finishing brush
• A clean sponge or soft cloth

Simple Grooming Guide

Grooming your horse should only take around 30 minutes a day if you do it regularly. Here is a step by step guide on grooming your horse:

• Collect your grooming kit and place in an easy to reach location – yet out of the way of the horse or where you might trip over it.
• Secure the horse with a cross tie or tether them in the grooming area with a quick release knot.
• Using a hoof pick, remove all the debris from the horses hooves whilst checking for loose shoes or anything out of the ordinary.
• Using a stiff bristled body brush, begin behind the ears and brush the entire horses coat to remove the dirt – after every few brushes, use the curry comb to remove any loose hair or dirt from the brush.
• Once the coat has been brushed, change to a soft brush and repeat the process to remove any remaining dirt and dust.
• Take this time to use your hands to feel for any bumps, lumps or cuts on your horse.
• Depending on how tangled your horses main and tail are, you can use a brush/comb/or fingers to untangle and clean them out.
• Use a sponge or soft cloth to give your horse a final polish of their coat.

This is the perfect time to be checking your horse and making sure they are happy and healthy. If you notice anything out of the ordinary during this grooming process, a vet should be contacted immediately.