Horse grooming 101

By Carol Merrow Chapman

We all seem to get crunched for time. It seems as if there aren’t enough hours in the day to do all that we need to do. Between cleaning up, feeding, exercise, and that quick once over with the brush, the day just slips away from us. But thorough grooming is essential to good health for your horse, just like it is for you. And as an added bonus, every time you groom your horse, it gives you a chance to give him that old "once over" to check his health.

So let’s get started by grabbing the items listed below. Remember, this is a just your basic "groom my horse" list. If you are going to be showing, you could add in various size brushes for graduated removal of dirt or perhaps a vacuum and blow drier.

The items I keep on hand include:

• Small, soft brush or cloth for the face.
• Dandy brush.
• Body brush.
• Rubber curry comb (for raising the dander, dust and loose hair that seem to hide deep in the horse's coat).
• Metal curry comb (never used on the horse, only for cleaning brushes).
• Mane and tail comb (I admit to using only my fingers for this).
• Hoof pick (I use the kind with a brush on one end and a hoof pick on the other).
• Kitchen towel (for giving the horse a final rub and removing any dust remaining on the coat and face).
• Show Sheen or other silicon spray for those hard to keep clean areas.
• Fly repellent (I use an organic one, but any kind your vet recommends should be kept on hand).

I keep my grooming supplies in a tote box in my tack room, so I can carry it easily from place to place. There should be a separate set of tools for each horse. And keep them sparkling clean.

I follow a grooming pattern on each horse, starting at the feet and then working from the front back, top down. Whatever way works for you is just fine. The important thing is not to forget something, and my rote pattern helps me remember everything.

I pick up each foot in turn, cleaning the hooves and checking for foul smells, cracks or any other abnormalities.

Once that is done, I like to massage the horse, front to back, top down. This gives us a chance to relax together and me a chance to check for cuts, abrasions, bumps, etc. Once we are both relaxed, I start to groom.

I always clean the face with just a soft cloth, although there are real soft brushes made for the face (I don’t have a horse that will tolerate them). Then starting at the neck and working across and down one side at a time, I massage using a rubber curry comb in a circular motion. Once the sludge is loosened, I go with a dandy brush to remove the worst of it, following the direction of the hair and doing one section at a time. Remember, a horse is three-dimensional (get under that belly, great exercise for you). I will follow up with the body brush and end by polishing with a cloth after.

Most horses are sensitive about their legs, so I usually use a soft brush on them. As for the mane and tail, the less brushed, the less hair falls out. I will use a soft brush if they are caked, otherwise just my fingers to untangle the hair. Sometimes I spray it first with a silicon spray to let the tangles fall out and then just smooth with my fingers.

Fly spray seems to be the "perfume" of choice here in New England as the final touch. If you don’t have to worry about that, more power to you. Now kiss that clean horse and let him go for the night.