Grooming

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  Grooming is an activity that is enjoyable for both you and your horse. It is also a good opportunity to check for injuries and irritations. Try to make grooming a daily habit. It is an absolute must before riding. Grit beneath the saddle will be uncomfortable for your horse and could cause sores. Start from the left or right of your horse. These instructions assume you will start on the left side, but as long as you cover the whole horse is does not matter.

Clean Your Horse's or Pony's Hooves

 

Cleaning out your horse’s hooves is very important. Slide your hand down the left foreleg. Squeeze the back of the leg along the tendons just above the pastern and say ‘up’ or ‘hoof’—whatever your horse is trained to respond to. Hold the hoof and with the hoof pick pry out any dirt, manure or anything else lodged in the frog or sole of the foot. Check for any injury and signs of thrush, grease heel, or other problems. Take note of any cracks in the wall of the hoof so you can consult with your farrier as to what should be done. Gently place the foot down on the ground and continue until all four feet are done.

Currying Your Horse or Pony

Starting on the left side use your curry comb or grooming mitt to loosen the dirt in your horse’s coat. Curry in circular sweeps all over the horse’s body. Be careful over boney areas of the shoulders, hips and legs. Use a light touch in these areas. Many horses are sensitive about having their bellies and between the back legs brushed. Be careful in these areas to use a light touch. Some horses are more sensitive skinned than others so adjust the pressure on the brush according to what they seem to enjoy. If your horse reacts by laying back his ears, or swishing his tail in agitation, he is telling you that the brushing is too vigorous. As well as currying you will also be looking for any skin lesions or wounds.

Comb Out the Tangles From the Mane and Tail

Either with a mane comb or brush, brush out the mane and tail. Start at the bottom of the strands and brush downwards in sections until you can smoothly comb from the top of the mane or tail, right to the bottom. When brushing the tail, stand to one side and pull the tail gently over to you. This way you are out of the way should the horse kick. A grooming spray that detangles hair is nice to have, and makes brushing out the long stands easier while cleaning, shining and protecting the hair.

Use the Body Brush to Whisk Away Dirt

With the body brush, whisk out the dirt brought to the surface by the curry comb. Start on one side and move around the horse brushing in sweeping strokes following the direction of the hair the way it grows. The body brush is more useful for cleaning the legs than the curry comb. This is a good time to check for lesions and skin irritations on the legs, knees, and pasterns.

Using the Finishing Brush

A finishing brush will have shorter softer bristles and may be used on your horse's or pony's face if you don’t have a special brush. Gently whisk away dust from the broader areas on your horse’s face, ears and throat. With sweeping strokes whisk away any dust missed by the body brush. The finer bristles help smooth out the body hair and leave your horse looking more finished. Grooming sprays can provide sun protection, and add shine to your horse’s coat but they aren't necessary. If you plan to ride however, be aware that some products may make the hair slippery and could cause your saddle to shift. Try to avoid application to the saddle area.

Clean the Ears, Eyes, Muzzle and Dock Area

With a damp sponge or soft cloth wipe around the horse’s eyes and muzzle, and clean away any dirt or chaff. Check your horse’s eyes. A bit of tearing at the corner of the eye is not uncommon, but take note of excess tearing, redness, or swelling. Wipe around the dock and tail head. Check ears for lodged seed heads or dirt.

Apply Finishing Touches

Apply hoof ointment to protect and moisturize your horse’s hooves if it is recommended by your farrier. Apply fly spray or sun screen if conditions require

Pulling

Many horse owners have diverse opinions on grooming their horse, but most specialists feel it is not advisable to comb or brush your horse's tail on a regular basis. The reason is not difficult to deduce – combs and brushes tend to damage the horse's hair by splitting, breaking or pulling it out. This can result in the tail having sparse hair growth and appearing thin or unhealthy.
The first problem to solve is the 'tangle' or knots that develop in areas with greater hair growth. These tangles should be removed every time you groom by 'combing' through the tail with your fingers.
A note of caution is important while de-tangling: never use scissors to cut your horse's mane. If you use scissors, be ready to have a horse with a mane that has an ungainly chopped look. The right way to shorten a long mane is by 'pulling' it. Be ready to spend some time because pulling-mane can be a painstakingly long process. How effective the method is will depend on the length of the hair and your skill.
What is “pulling?”
If you are a new convert to the religion of horse-love it would be useful to know the exact meaning of the term 'pulling”. This is a technique that involves shortening a horse's mane by drawing out only the long, unwanted hair. This is how you do it:
Work with a very small section at a time
Hold the longer hair firmly and comb the shorter ones back
Wrap the long hair that are still in your grasp around the comb and pull it out gently
Some horses more sensitive than others and may protest when their manes are pulled. So, If you are pulling mane for the first time, try to have an experienced hand by your side to supervise the grooming process
Once you're done with the grooming, you can step back and admire your handsome friend, his mane would shine with good health, appear even and lie flat on the strong nape.