We all have a routine we use when we groom our horse, but many of us are left wondering why our horse’s coat, mane, and tail don’t ever look as wonderful and healthy as we would like them to. We spend lots of time putting work in, but are never fully satisfied with the results. Many times, we find ourselves asking: what’s missing?
We all have that image of what we’d love our horse to look like after a good grooming session. That show-ready shine is easily achievable for those who are willing to try out a few new products and follow the advice of grooming professionals. You may be surprised how just a few small changes in your grooming routine can make all the difference in the outcome. Continue reading for some professional tips and tricks to help you get that beautiful, healthy shine.
What you’ll need to achieve professional grooming results
An ideal grooming kit will always contain a few basic grooming supplies:
- 2 sponges
- Curry comb (metal or rubber) or rubber grooming glove
- Body Brush
- Soft bristle brush
- Hoof pick with attached brush
- Mane comb
Healthy hooves, healthy foundation
Starting with picking out the hooves is always a good idea; it will allow you to check for lodged stones or any sign of thrush or founder. After all, grooming your horse is not only about making sure your horse looks great; it is also about making sure they are healthy. Start with picking out the dirt, muck, and stones. A pick with a brush on the back works well as you can quickly go from picking out to sweeping off the excess dirt. After you have cleaned out the hooves, it’s best to apply an antibacterial foot wash to help prevent thrush and the potential softening of the sole. Equi-Spa Kiss-A-Frog Foot Wash offers a fantastic naturally-based foot wash that will leave your horse’s hooves happy and healthy:
Achieving a Show-Ready Shine
If you don’t keep your horse clipped, you may want to consider starting. A clipped coat not only looks nice and neat; it is also much easier to groom and keep clean.
Grab a curry comb or rubber grooming glove and run it over the coat in circular motions against the hair growth to remove any dried dirt or muck from the hair. This is a crucial part of grooming, as it also breaks up and removes dead skin, invigorating and stimulating the skin underneath. Once you have run through the entirety of the coat, use a good flick brush to remove what you have pulled up.
Next, grab your favorite body brush and run it all over your horse’s coat, making sure to feel for lumps, nicks, or cuts as you go along. The time you spend grooming your horse is also a valuable piece of time each day that you can use to make sure they are physically healthy, and free of pests or injuries they may have gotten while romping around in turnout. Continue to brush off the coat until all excess hair is removed. You’ll start to see a shine in the coat with this step. Make sure to brush down the entirety of the legs, avoiding the sensitive skin towards the top of the legs on the inside.
Sometimes, a fully curry and brush session isn’t possible. When you’re short on time but still want to make sure your horse looks and feels great, give your horse a good spray with Grapefruit Coat Refresh and rub down with a damp cloth. This is a great way to naturally invigorate the skin, coat, and senses while delivering a clean that doesn’t strip natural oils from the hair.
Professional mane & tail
After the coat has been fully brushed, you’ll want to start detangling the mane and tail. While it may not seem as though at first, this is an important part of grooming that you truly need to make sure you are doing correctly. While you may have the best intentions, brushing out the mane and tail every day can actually cause more harm than good. An occasional tail brushing before a big show is okay, but for day-to-day detangling, it’s best to use your fingers and a detangling spray or oil. Over-brushing can cause the hair to become very brittle and weak, eventually leading to breakage. Over time, the tail will become thin. To prevent this, it is best to invest in some hair care products to use while detangling by hand. FAIRY TAILS! is a great investment for managing your horse’s mane and tail. FAIRY TAILS! helps protect the hair from drying out, while making it easier to brush out the next time.
Finishing Touches
Once you have put some time and effort into achieving that show-ready glow, you’ll want to finish up with a few things to prolong your horse’s gleaming coat and flowing mane and tail. Giving your horse a thorough spray with ShowCoat Leave in Conditioner will keep your horse looking just as fantastic as you left him/her.
In the summer, when the flies are just enough to drive both you and your horse crazy, you will want to apply a fly protection spray. Peppermint Summer Protection is a deet-free, natural fly spray that will keep your horse protected and comfortable. Of course, to really keep them neat and clean after a good grooming session, the best option is to put on a sheet or blanket to prevent the inevitable mess they love to make of themselves. When doing this, just make sure you are putting on a clean blanket; make it a habit to regularly clean and wash your blankets to make sure you aren’t just dirtying the coat with a soiled blanket.
Going forward with this information, you should be well-prepared to make sure your horse looks and feels their very best.
Do you have any grooming tips and tricks? Please share them in the comments below.
Great tips thank you!
I love horses and your.tips
awesome tips
😉
These are some great tips and this is a beautiful horse!
I do find combing our mare to be very relaxing
I can’t wait until I’m healed & can be outdoors again! I absolutely love animals, nature, the outdoors in Spring & Summer & Fall are amazing!
Love horses thanks for the tips
great tips
I’d love to treat my cousin’s horses with this!
I love this so much
My tip is to have a good brush to make things easier.
Great tips and a beautiful horse
Beautiful Horse
Thank you
Thanks for this article! These tips will definitely help someone. 🙂
Great article
Thanks
Simple, but time consuming…but therapeutic for the horse and perhaps the groomer. A bonding experience for both. Beautiful horse!
I have never owned a horse but the whole process of grooming one sounds like such a sweet bonding experience!
These are all great tips ty for sharing
Thanks for the great tips.
Horse!!!!!
Thanks for all the wonderful tips.
Great tips!
I feel more relaxed already!
Thanks for the tips
Great tips, thanks!
I will remember to favorite this post with these great tips.
thanks for the great tips
Thank you for the great tips.
Wow that horse is so gorgeous and obviously well loved. I love the tips and I’m learning a lot about caring for a horse.
I will use these tips on my future horse! Thanks
Fantastic tips. Thanks!
I never ride a horse before, always thought it’ll be fun though
Such a beautiful horse!
thanks!
I love this! I don’t have horses, but I love them! 😍
An interesting and informative article, thanks xx
Love Horses 🙂
Thank you for the tips.
Beautiful Horse !
Thank you for the tips
Wow!
I love that you talk about using essential oils, on the next page great information, Thanks
Excellent article, merci
Great tips thank you
Great tips, that aught to keep them shining!
I noticed that you didn’t mention anything about eyes, ears and teeth. Are these not part of regular grooming? They are important for good health.
I have seen very thin brittle horse tails and often wondered what made them this way and perhaps the owners were over brushing. I wasn’t aware of this. I didn’t do this though I may have over brushed the mane at times just in trying to keep the tangled out. I am so glad to learn about your products that will help keep them healthy. Thanks so much.
Thanks for the tips! I’m going to pass them along to a friend of mine who has a horse.
I Love all the information on how to care for horses, their care reminds me of taking care of children in a way.
Love horses. Want some, but don’t know the first thing about them except they are so beautiful
Thank you so much for the great tips. I truly appreciate this post.
Thank you for great tips
Makes the care and consideration of caring for horses seem doable!! Thank you
I love horses grew up riding and taking care of them this information is great ty
I’ve always wanted to own horses. I love horses!! Thank you for the amazing tips.
Excellent
Very informative and know so much more now
My tip is brushing. It helps with a shiny coat and your horse loves the attention and conversation
Great tips y’all!!
always like to get new ideas great tips thanks!
Great tips for maintaining a healthy, beautiful horse!
Having Tennessee Walkers, this is nice to know
Thanks for the great tips!
I helped the vet once cut my horses nail when I was 10 years old it was awesome
Very good grooming tips to know if you had a horse.. its a good bonding experience with the horse and the groomer.. thank you
Thanks for the tips!
Very informative. Great tips. Thanks.
thanks for the information.
seems great advice
nice stuff
Great Tips!! Our Tenessee Walker doesnt like brushed or groomed at all
theses are great tips Thank you
Beautiful horse and great tips
I always wanted to properly take care of my horse. Thank you so much, very informative.
Awesome advice
I think horses are beautiful! I love the way that their coat shine when properly taken cared of.
I think horses are beautiful! I love the way that their coat shine when properly taken cared of. They are beautiful animals.
Spring is here… mud but warm
Thanks for sharing!
These are some greats tips for horse grooming!
I loved riding horses as a teenager! Its fun to brush their hair and keep them groomed.
thanks for the info!
Thanks for the tips
this is really important
Loved
Wish I had a horse or could ride one but I have severe allergies.
This does love great, these products are nice
The products look great I’m sure they work great
Wonderful Article
thank you i love grooming its fun for both of us
Some people can’t be bothered to do all this to care for tgeir horses it’s sad. Beautiful horse
Great tips
Horses are “majestic creatures”-and should be treated as such. You whiten your teeth, wax your ride (most do, anyway)-so make ’em shine too-correctly! Also have a good “farrier at hand” (or hoof, as it were). Teeth and hooves ALSO MUST be looked after on a schedule – and when you “CAN’T AFFORD TO TAKE PROPER CARE OF THEM”, it’s time to give ’em to someone that will!! Sincerely Randy.
Enjoyed reading the tips!!!
Thanks for the giveaway!
Great tip. Thank you.
Great
I love the suggestions for the products, especially the deet free spray. Excellent tips that you wouldn’t realize some of them!
Another with lot of information we need if you have a horse. Lot of easy tips and if I ever get a horse will be sure to look this up
great tips for horse riders and keepers
I need a horse
Great tips!!
I like that you list them and then give a detailed paragraph on there usage.
My 4 big boys would loves this! Good luck everyone.
Great products, always looking to try new things for my 4 Belgium Drafts. Thank you 🙏
These are some great tips! Thank you! The horse is so beautiful!
beautful
Love horses
Thank you for so much info. Horses are majestic I now know why.
Great tips !!!
I was looking for a great brush for her tail.I hope I found one. thnks
Thanks for the tips!
If you want your horse’s tail nice and healthy, don’t overbrush . Got it.
There are some very helpful tips here. Thank you.
I love horses, but don’t personally own one. But, I hope this article reaches someone that needs it.
Really great tips, thanks for sharing.
Great tips thanks for sharing!
Great tips to have a beautiful horse!
Great tips for everyday as well as the showing season.
A well groomed horse is usually a healthier horse
Definitely great tips
Healthy hooves are the foundation for a healthy horse.
These are great tips!
I love horses….one day I will win Lotto or Powerball and move out of suburbia onto my own ranch….with horses….and my faithful dogs
wonderful tips thank you
I think horses are so beautiful
Great tips
So glad i read this one because i sure didn’t know about the Peppermint spray for the flies! THANK YOU!
It fascinates me how lovely groomers get the horses looking so beautiful! Great tips!
I don’t have a horse and do not plan on getting on, but I must say, that is a beautiful horse in your photo!
I love the idea of using the spray-on conditioner for the final shine.
I do love horses but had no idea they needed so much grooming.
thanks for the information.
fantastic tips, will tell my niece
Takes a lot of work to keep a horse looking their best.
Very helpful information
Thank You
How do you groom their tail without them freaking out and kicking you? I’ve always thought that horses don’t like stuff happening behind where they can see
Some great tips and lovely picture…. beautiful horse
Thanks for this advice for taking care of a horse. I’m glad that you mentioned it’s important to spend time grooming your horse because it can help you make sure they are physically healthy. It sounds important to not to rush it as well so that you can really make sure you’re taking care of your horse properly.