Grooming a Horse

Grooming a Horse

Grooming a Horse is the same as brushing ones hair. Just like your hair would make a good impression when neatly combed, the sight of a well-groomed horse gives immense pleasure to true horse lovers. This process of grooming also brings the owner and the horse closer together and the horse gets the feeling of being taken care of. There is nothing that beats a "freshly" groomed horse!

Although horses naturally groom themselves by their tongue, by scratching and rubbing against trees, etc. we as owners have to take care of them, and additional grooming is required from our part as well. Not only from the beauty point of view, grooming also helps in detecting any physical injuries, or diseases related to the skin. Moreover, a dirty horse would be more prone to diseases and infections than a clean one. Grooming is not an easy task. It is also time consuming. Grooming involves a series of things to be done including cleaning, taking care of the feet, brushing and so on and so forth.

You will need some necessities before you start grooming a horse, which include brushes, hoovepick, a sponge and water.

Steps on grooming a horse:

Start grooming a horse by the feet. Whether it is a working horse, or a racehorse, healthy legs and feet are very important. Before cleaning the feet, you should be familiar with what a horse’s feet should look like. Cleaning the hooves is important. A hoof pick is the answer to this. A hoof pick is used to remove dirt from the hooves. Clean each and every hoof very carefully starting from the heel, and gently bringing it to the front, at the toe. Clean around the triangular frog. After the cleaning process is over, apply hoof oil to the hooves. Taking care of the feet also involves checking the condition of the shoe. Do that on a regular basis.

The coat of the horse is the main ‘to-be-groomed’ part in the process. To some people, their horse’s shining coat means a symbol of status and pride. A number of brushes are available which serve different purposes.

Polishing is very important if you want to make the horse look good. After cleaning and brushing the horse, polishing is the job to be done. Use a stable rubber to remove additional dust. Use horse grooming mitts to remove the leftover unwanted, loose hair from the body, and then to polish it. Use a wisp to tone muscles of the horse. Use it on thighs, neck, and any other muscular area of the horse.

After this is done, use a damp sponge or cotton to clean the eyes and nose of the horse. Use a separate sponge to clean the rest of the face. Use water to remove any stains that were not possible to remove by normal brushing. Water brushes are available, which do this job very easily. Any stained parts on the body can be cleaned very easily using these brushes.

You will find special combs for the mane and tail, which you can use for finishing touches to your horse. Grooming a horse should take around thirty to forty minutes. Please note that proper care should be taken prior to starting to groom a horse, by making sure that the horse is tied up properly. Take special care when cleaning the horse's face, especially if you don't know the particular horse.

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