Common Sense Grooming Tips

Begin your grooming session with a rubber curry comb … Comb over the horse’s entire body in circular motions.

Curry combing allows you to bring dust and dandruff to the surface for easy removal. It also allows for circulation to the skin. Natural oils are released promoting a healthy shine.

Use a rubber mitt for the face and legs.

Follow with a stiff brush. This removes the dirt brought to the surface by currying and returns the hair to its natural position. Short brush strokes are best for this.

Finish with a soft brush that removes any further dust left by the stiff brush and leaves the coat shiny.

The face can also be brushed with the soft brush.

Start at the forehead and follow the grain of the hair.

The eyes, muzzle and nostrils can be wiped clean with a sponge and warm water, an antibacterial agent can be used diluted if required.

You can also clean, the anus, vulva or sheath and between the teats this way. Applying udder cream is a good idea if your mares teats are irritable or sticky.

Always stand to the side when brushing the tail.

The tail dock section is the only part of the tail that can be brushed regularly. For a full and lustrous tail see, ‘How to improve your horses tail’.

The mane can be combed but watch the thickness of the comb or brush that you use on the mane and tail. Too much heavy brushing / combing can pull out or break the hair and leave your horse with a thin sparse mane & tail.

If your horses mane lays on the wrong side, see ‘How to lay your horses mane’ for ways to improve it.

Every time you groom your horse you should pick out its feet. Foot and hoof care is one of the most important parts of grooming a horse and of general overall horse care.

Start with the left fore foot and work your way around the horse.

Each hoof should be cleaned out facing the rear of the horse and always pick up the foot by squeezing the tendon above the ankle.

You can also check the fetlock at the same time for any fungal or bacterial problems, such as greasy heel or mud fever.

While the foot is in your hand, pick out the crevices around the frog as well as the frog itself with a good hoof pick.

When finished, gently release the foot back to the ground.

Have your horses feet checked regularly by a qualified farrier.

Your horses manure is a good sign of its general health.

You probably know what your horses normal manure looks like. The balls should be well formed but easy to break in half.

If the balls seem extremely dry or hard, check that your horse is drinking enough water.

Loose manure can mean a couple things:

• Either your horse is eating a diet that is too rich
• or some sort of bug is casuing diarrhoea.

Regularly check your horse or pony’s droppings for worms. Worms in your horses manure mean they can be infected with dangerous, sometimes deadly parasites. It could be time for a worm count check and a deworming.