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GROOMING:
the process by which
the dirt on the horse is transferred to the groom
TOOLS:
Rubber Curry: Usually shaped like an oval or circle, has soft rubber "teeth".
Dandy Brush: Stiff bristled brush.
Body Brush: Soft bristled brush, usually
made of horse hair.
Hoof Pick/Brush: The hoofpick/brush combo
can be found a most tack stores.
Mane Comb: I
recommend plastic, you will be less likely to break the hairs.
Towel: Polishing towel/rag, helps remove
sweat marks and gives the coat a nice shine after brushing.
GROOMING:
When grooming a horse, start at the top of his neck and work your way to his
rear, then switch sides and repeat. Make sure your horse or pony is safely
tied wearing a leather halter or by using 'quick-release' snaps on cross-ties.
1. Start with the Rubber Curry. The
rubber curry should be used in a circular motion to loosen dirt that has settled
under the horse's hair. NOTE: be very careful and gentle around bony areas of
your horse's body (such as his back or shoulders). Don't use a Rubber Curry on
your horse's legs unless you can be extremely gentle with it. Never use a Curry
or any stiff brush on your horse's face. It's too easy for your horse to injure
his eye on the rubber curry or stiff bristled brush, and eye injuries are
usually serious, needing immediate veterinarian attention.
2. Next, use the Dandy Brush. The
motion for this brush is like the same motion you would use when sweeping a
floor. You 'flick' the brush away and up from the coat so that the dirt comes
off of his coat. Unless your horse is already extremely clean, you should see a
slight cloud of dust with each stroke. If you don't, you need more "flicking"
action with this brush. If you don't use this "flicking" motion, the dirt will
just get pushed back under the hair, potentially causing irritation to the
horse.
3. Then, you use the Body Brush. The
body brush is meant to smooth down the hair and to get rid of any traces of
left-over dirt after you have thoroughly used the Dandy Brush. With the Body
Brush, you do not use a 'flicking' motion, instead, you smooth it flat over the
horse's coat to flatten the hair. This brush often gives the horse a shiny,
clean appearance (but only when the brushes are used in this order!)
4. Next,
use the Mane Comb to gently comb the horse's mane. Use the Dandy Brush to brush
the horse's tail. Many people use the comb to brush their horse's tails, but I
don't use a comb since it breaks the hairs more easily. If you want the horse to
grow a long, flowing tail, you should use the Dandy brush instead (or don't
brush the tail at all...in this case, you could use warm water to rinse the
tail, then apply a tail conditioner or Show Sheen to keep the tail from tangling
or getting knots).
5. Now, on to the feet! You should
first have your instructor show you how to pick up a horse's feet. Usually, this
can be done by running your hand down your horse's leg, then gently squeezing
his fetlock (ankle). Be sure not to pick up the horse's foot too high, or he
might loose balance. When you use the hoof pick, always scrape away from you,
just as you would if you were using a carrot peeler. You don't want to
accidently injure yourself or your horse if he suddenly moves or pulls his foot
away. It is important to thoroughly clean out the hollow areas on both sides of
the frog, and around the sole of the foot.
6. The last step is using the Towel.
A plain towel or rag will do, just wipe it over the horse's coat to bring out
the shine.
TA DA! You're all done!
When you are finished riding, it is good to give the horse another grooming to
remove any sweat marks or dirt that accumulated from the arena or trail. It is
also a wonderful 'after riding' reward for horses who like to be groomed.
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