THE WHY AND HOW TO OF GROOMING
Why We Groom
To clean your horse to improve appearance, keep them healthy and prevent disease.
To give the horse a thorough check for cuts, bumps and infections.
To build on the relationship between you and your horse.
How To Use The Brushes
How To Groom
When grooming always make sure you tie your horse in a safe area, on to string, or an equivalent tie, that would break easily if needed.
THE HOOF PICK
A When picking your horse’s hooves out, start with the front left foot then move to the hind. Walk back around the front of the horse so you do not get kicked, then clean the front right foot followed by the last hind.
To pick up a front foot, stand as close as you can to the horse, facing towards the hindquarters. Gently run your hand from the knee down the leg saying “up”. As soon as he picks up his foot, gently cradle the hoof. If the horse is reluctant you can push your weight on his shoulder with your hip and gently pull on his feathers.
With the hind leg, again stand as close as you can to the horse facing the back, run your hand down the leg saying “up”, you can gently squeeze the feathers if he is reluctant. When he picks up his foot cradle it from the side. Do not put your hand around the back of the leg, as shown in the last picture, because this puts you in a vulnerable position.
Move the hoof pick from the heel to the toe. Ideally you should put a skip below the foot so all the dirt does not get mixed in the bed.
When cleaning the hooves, hold the hoof with the hand nearest the horse
When finished gently lower the foot and give your horse a rewarding tickle.
THE DANDY BRUSH
A- This brush has quite hard bristles although you can get a variety that has longer, softer bristle.
B- It is used in an up and down motion but is generally not used on horses with fine coats, or on manes or tails (unless you have a lovely cob type in which case this is great for getting through that lovely thick mane and tail).
THE RUBBER CURRY COMB
A- This is used to remove the coat when your horse is losing it (generally in the spring and autumn), and for stimulating the blood flow, massaging the muscles and bringing the scurf and grease to the surface of the coat.
B- It is used in a firm circular motion over the muscular parts of the body- never over any bony bits, again take your lead from your horse.
THE FLICK BRUSH
A- This brush has a variety of different names but generally it is a soft version of the dandy brush with longer bristles.
B- It can be used all over the horse’s body if used gently.
C- It is used in an up, down and flick motion.
THE BODY BRUSH
A- This brush can be used with the metal curry comb (which is never used on the horse) or the rubber curry comb to keep the body brush clean. To do this, after a few flicks when the brush is dirty, just swipe it down the curry comb until the brush is clean. Gently bang out the comb to clean it, but do not scare your horse.
B- This brush is used in circular motions then flicked.
C- This brush removes the grease in a horse’s coat so therefore should not be used on a grass kept horse that has no rug. This is because they need the grease for water protection. For this type of horse use a soft flick brush instead.
D- The body brush can be used all over the body and on the mane and tail. It can be dampened and used lightly over the top of the mane and tail to make it lie down more neatly.
THE METAL CURRY COMB
THIS COMB IS NEVER USED ON THE HORSE.
A– This is used to clean the brushes. I use the rubber curry comb instead of this comb, as it does the same thing.
B- Once you have used the brush on the horse, swipe it down on the metal curry comb several times to clean the bristles.
C- To clean the comb just bang it out on the floor, making sure you do not scare your horse.
THE PLASTIC CURRY COMB
A- This is a very hard brush and is used only in the winter, with caution, on very hairy horses to remove mud and loose hair. It should never be used on manes or tails as it will break the hairs.
B- It is used in an up and down action.
THE MANE AND TAIL COMB
A- This is used gently on the mane and tail, taking a few strands of hair at a time and combing from the top to the bottom. With the tail you should comb out several inches from the bottom and then work your way up a few inches at a time.
B- It is to remove tangles and separate the hair, it is also used to trim the mane which I will go through in more detail later in this level.
THE STABLE RUBBER
A- This can be just an old tea towel or duster.
B- It is used in a sweeping motion, laying the coat flat and removing all the hairs and dust.
THE GROOMING MITT
A- There are several types of these made from rubber to cactus cloth.
B- They can be used all over the body in circular or sweeping motion.
C- They are used to remove dust, dirt, hair and grease.
SPONGES/ COTTON WOOL
A- These are used on the eyes, nose and dock.
B- Each area should have a different sponge ideally different in colour, so they do not get mixed up and must be thoroughly cleaned after each use.
C- I do not like sponges as they harbour bacteria, instead I use cotton wool.
FACE BRUSH
A- These are small soft brushes that are used very gently on the face.
B- If you need to remove the headcollar, you can do it up around the neck so the horse is not loose but you must untie them first. This is so they do not pull back and get it caught around the throat or pulled over the face and scaring themselves.
THE WATER BRUSH
A- This is a soft brush
B- It can be used to lay (slightly dampen) the mane, tail or coat and wash feet or the body.
THE SWEAT SCRAPER
A- This is used when the horse has sweated or is wet, to scrape off the excess moisture.
B- It is used in sweeping movements over the body.
C- It is never used on bony parts.
POINTS
It is a good idea to remove the water bucket before grooming to stop all the hair and dirt getting in it.
If the horse is wet or sweaty you will have to wait until they are completely dry to groom.
Never stand behind the horse even when grooming the tail.
When grooming the left side of the horse you should hold the brushes in the left hand keeping your right hand on the horse to feel his reaction, swapping when you get to his hindquarters. On the right hand side you should put your brushes in your right hand, swapping again on the hindquarters.
While grooming you should constantly be running your hand over the skin to feel for any lumps, bumps, heat and swelling.
Clean your brushes every time you use them and wash regularly using sensitive skin baby shampoo and rinsing well.
Strapping
This is a full groom that should take about 40 minutes and can include using the wisp –
(you can also use a folded tea towel as a wisp).
Wisping is rarely done now, other than in big competition yards. I do not believe it is a good thing to do as grooming should be a nice relaxing time where you and your horse bond. It improves muscle tone but is only used on large muscles. You bang the wisp down on the muscle firmly, letting the horse see, so he tenses up then slide your hand down in a stroking motion. This action is repeated for about 20 strokes so the muscle tenses and relaxes in rhythm. The wisp should never be used if it is scaring the horse and never used on any bony areas.
Set Fair
This is a quick groom just picking out the feet and flicking over the coat, laying the mane and tail.
Quartering
This again is a quick brush over the horse but when the horse is rugged, you undo the breast, belly and leg straps, grooming the horse in quarters by lifting the section of rug that you are doing so the horse stays warm.
Final Thoughts
Grooming is an essential part of connecting with your horse.
There are so many important reasons this should be done every time you see your horse. Knowing that they are physically well is only part of the reason this is so important.
You are also teaching the horse to stand quietly, that you can easily move them around, and you are someone that they can rely on to protect and be calm around them.