Grooming is something you should try to do with your horse every day it is an an act that reinforces the bond between you and your horse. Lets face it we don't need any encouragement to be around our horses, it ensures that if our four hoofed friend has any nicks or rubs we can do something to treat them and get them back up to top condition. Be structured in your approach when grooming so that no parts of horsie are missed. If you work from the nose down to the tail and back up the otherside you wont be far wrong (try not to start in different places as a piece of grit missed under say, the saddle wont be very comfortable for your horse if your sat on top of it).
When grooming ensure that you have a way out if horsie gets a little bit frisky, ive seen my horse put her foot through one of the stable doors when I used a curry come a little to quickly to far underneath! Make sure you place the brushes and hoof pick you are going to use, in a bucket so you know where everything is (curry comb in a muck pile springs to mind)
You will need:
· A rubber curry comb (I get all of my gear from hill brush co. ltd check out there website)
· A reasonable stiff bristled body brush (depends on the horses coat and skin sensitivity)
· A tail and mane comb.
Moving slowly and calmly towards your horses neck work along the horses body and legs in a circular motion with the rubber curry comb when you get to areas that are quite sensitive go gently, aim for a sigh of contentment rather than a snort of disgust. Work the dirt up to the surface of the coat using circular sweeps all over the horse's body. If the ears go back and the horse jumps about your more than likely brushing a little to briskly, so go easy until you know what you can get away with, with that specific horse.
Now that you have all of the dirt loose and out from the base of the hairs come in with the body brush and bring out the shin of the coat. Use long strokes that follow the direction of the horses hair to pull out the last of the dirt and have your horse looking fantastic (I find this really therapeutic after the quicker curry combing) With the body brush, whisk out the dirt brought to the surface by the curry comb. Once again start at the neck and work your way to the bottom of the horse back up to the neck on the other side (when your moving around the horses rump ensure you maintain contact and talk to the horse in a calm reassuring voice) I normally wash down any dirt on the legs and finish them off with the body brush (my favourite are the leather body brushes they have a better feel and mold more to the hand with time)
When doing the mane and tail it is worth, using a simple plastic comb to get the best results. I find that if you use the curry comb it can make the hair matt up so I would stick to the comb. You can use products to make the hair shinier.
But I wouldn't really recommend this as it can make things a bit slick which might feel nice when your grooming but when your riding it can make things a bit to slippy.
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.
Throughout all of this keep a fair weather eye out for scratches, and areas that might be a bit chaffed and look at how these might have been caused and remedy them. Ensure the hooves are cleaned out with a hoof pick and put a bit of hoof oil round if their looking a bit dry.
Most importantly the more you look after your four hoofed friend the more inclined they will be to look after you. Enjoy!!!
You can find lots of horse brushes information at hill brush UK or Grooming brushes for those in the USA.
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