Horse lovers across the globe are well aware of the joys of getting to own their own horse. Without a doubt, horses are lovely creatures. They are faithful, they are agile, and they are beautiful. If you happen to be a landowner or live somewhere in the country, you’ll be aware of the pleasures of riding your equine friend during lazy summer evenings.
But, as with any pet, there is a lot consider before making the commitment to buying a horse, and you need to make sure you can provide the space, money and, above all else, time the horses in your care deserve.
Once you have bought a horse, you need to take good care of it. Most owners opt to stable their horses. But even if you believe in letting them roam free, you still need to provide a shelter that they can use when needed.
The most important part of owning a horse is grooming. And quite frankly, if you you don’t think of grooming as a fun activity, maybe you should reconsider ownership. They are riding clubs etc, that offer the pleasure of riding horses, without the daily chore of grooming. Grooming a horse regularly is necessary as it lets you keep track of the injuries that your equine friend may have suffered during intense riding sessions.
I wrote recently that there are number of accessories needed to groom your horse well. I recommend you read that post, but in summary here are the essentials that you need to buy:
- A curry comb and combs for the mane and tail
- A soft body brush, a dandy brush with stiff bristles, and a water brush
- A hoof pick
- A cotton cloth or sweat scraper to wipe off moisture and sweat
- Several sponges
- A finishing brush
Furthermore, it is important to keep all your tools well organized. Choose a durable bag or box with suitable compartments to keep each item separate and easy to find. If possible, designate a spot in the stable or shed to keep all your grooming stuff.
Don’t go for the cheapest stuff on the market. Buying cheap and sub-standard accessories can lead to irritation and rashes. But at the same time, don’t overpay for fancy gadgets that claim to do this or that, keep things simple.
Once you’ve bought your grooming kit, make an extra effort to be observant for a few weeks, as not all accessories go well with all the horses. Different horses have different requirements. You may need to try out a few models and designs or to employ different grooming techniques in order to keep the horse happy and healthy at first, which is another reason not to go all out on the most expensive kit straight away.
Here are a few handy grooming techniques that will help you ensure that the horse stays comfortable and cheerful.
Keep the grooming brush clean
Always invest in heavy-duty grooming brushes. Buying a low-cost brush can be a false-economy. Also, it is equally important to keep the brush clean and tidy. Using a dirty brush can lead to skin irritation and infections. Furthermore, it goes pretty much without saying that a well maintained brush will last much longer than a dirty brush with scattered bristles.
Don’t use the same brush for grooming all of your horses
Also, it’s best if you don’t use the same brush to groom all your horses. If one of your horses is suffering from an infection, using the same brush might transmit any infectious agents to your other healthy horses.
Curry the horse regularly
Currying allows the oils present in the horse’s skin to come up on the surface. Curries also help remove hair whenever your horse sheds. In case you’re a first-time horse owner, you’ll be surprised to know that different seasons call for different curries. Metal blades are used during winter whereas rubber brushes are used frequently during summer. Currying is something you should do at the start of every grooming session. Use plenty of elbow grease, it’s the best and has no substitute.
I advise to brush the hair in the direction of hair growth, and special attention should be paid while brushing the mane and tail to make sure that the hair isn’t tangled. Using products like Equi-Spa’s Fairy Tales line, make this task easy by preventing the buildup of debris and tangles in the hair. This means you don’t have to brush as often, which is good, since over-brushing can cause the hair to become weak and easy to break.
How frequently should the horses be groomed?
Groom your horses daily. Grooming will help them relax especially after a long and tedious workout. Make sure all the muck and dirt is removed, these can cause skin irritation, rashes, cracked heels, etc.
Grooming removes sweat, which can cause a lot of problems in the long run, including skin irritation, saddle sores and other skin issues after it turns into salt.
The different types of combs that can be used
As stated earlier, different seasons call for different kinds of curry combs to be used. Here are a few curry combs you can choose to buy:
Metal Combs
This one’s a beast. It lacks flexibility and can cause discomfort if your horse’s skin is sensitive. Using a metal comb vigorously can cause rashes. It is advisable to not use the metal combs over areas that are bony such as below the elbows and shoulders. These combs are mostly used to remove dirt and fallen hair. The traditional metal combs are mostly used to remove shedding hair, so you should use these mostly in late winter/early spring (or as appropriate for your local climate) once the weather starts to get warmer.
Rubber combs
These are used the most frequently because they are cheap, readily available, and come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. These combs have different degrees of flexibility as well. You can choose to buy a stiffer one if your horse feels comfortable. Rubber combs cause less discomfort and so are suitable to use on horses that don’t like metal combs. Rubber combs are used to remove the majority of mud and loose hair from the horse at the start of grooming, and can be used all year round.
Curry mitts
These have been made keeping sensitive horses in mind. You can use these combs on on the underside, face, and lower-legs and other sensitive areas. They can be folded and can reach every nook of a horse’s body. Furthermore, these combs are optimally-sized and can be cleaned easily as well.
Jelly mitts
These are known to be quite versatile. They can be folded with ease. meaning you can take them along on a long ride. Jelly mitts rarely cause discomfort and can be used frequently even on particularly sensitive horses.
Now, that’s pretty much about it. Just make it a point to groom your horse regularly. It will not only keep them healthy, but will also help strengthen the bond between you both.
I have fond memory of grooming our pony back in the day, when I grew up on a farm. Thanks for posting!
sounds great
I’ve always enjoyed grooming my horses, it’s soothing for us both!
great pic. thank you
I didn’t realize grooming horses were so specific! Good to pass on to my niece who is a new horse owner!
Love the jelly mitts
Thanks for the tips!
just like grooming for cats and dogs, all you need is love.
SHOULDN’T USE THE SAME BRUSH ON ALL THE ANIMALS.
Great information! That horse in the photo is so cute! 😀
It sure is !!!
Yes grooming is very important
When I had a horse, I brushed it everyday. It’s very soothing… horses are amazing!
Good tips.
Interesting reading
Such interesting info
thank you for all the tips!
What a wonderful guide full of tips!
Horses are the best
Horses are the best animals
Great tips! Very helpful!
Interesting article!
Love horses.
Interesting
I love horses
Thanks for sharing! Having the right tools is essential for any job! Grooming included!
omg my horse would love these
Cool guide, would’ve been great to have seen this when I was younger lol
Thanks for sharing
Thanks for sharing.
My preference is the jelly mitts!!
awesome information
great
Great article. Thanks
Great!
Wonderful article! 🐴🐴🐎🐎🐴🐴🐎🐎🐴🐴🐎🐎
Very interesting!! When growing up, I remember so very well my cousin had horses and she was an outrider at one of the big race traces near by. I would go with her to the stables when she would go to clean out the barns and groom the horse she rode. I would watch and help and also I’d go for a ride on the horse while she cleaned out the stable…but not far from her. I also rode her other horses she had at another location not far from her home…. I loved horses and stilll do but I have not rode for years… It was so much fun. My husband now has always said he’d love to own a horse farm and raise or even have a race horse…. I am not sure he knows how much work can be to tend and care for one.. Besides that, we are too old for taking on a horse farm or tending to horse care. Horses are so beautiful. I have always been around them when growing up.
These are awesome tips
Nice Tips on Horse Grooming. Thanks as it is useful for Horse lovers.
Seperate brush for each animal and keep in schedule
I like having a horse he is better friend than any human
Awesome
What a great way to explain a deep grooming! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Awesome really helps
make sure to clean all gromming tools when done!
What a great article! Thanks for the info!
great tips
Thanks for the tips!
good info and tips
good info!
Great tips
Nice tips on horse grooming.
thks. sth new
Beautiful manes
Thanks for the info!
I love this page, the tips are very well and the photos are very beautiful
Very interesting!
Thanks for the tips!
Great article, very insightful! We’re lucky to have just bought a large property and are considering horse agistment for folks in our area.
Grooming is very important to all mammals/animals with hair and fur its important to maintain it
My dad used to own mini shetland ponies, I’d help him with them all the time
great tips
Great tips especially to teach children how important grooming is.
Great tips here – we love the curry mitts
I miss grooming my horses.. This is excellent info!!
great tips! thanks!
Some new tips I have not been doing!
Love grooming my horse out!
My kids would enjoy a job of grooming horses. Jelly mitts sound like they would make grooming easy to do.
love this
Nice breakdown of grooming tips for owners. Lots of work, but very rewarding.
great information
Hello, great article!
Will keep these advices in mind, thanks!!
Will keep these advices in mind, thanks!!
Great tips that I hope everyone considering getting a horse will read. I watched my neighbor get their horses taken away due to neglect. It’s so sad for these animals when someone gets them that doesn’t understand how to take care of them.
Great advice
Thanks for the tips!
Very important way of maintaining your horse’s health
Grooming your horse daily is also very important in maintaining a strong bond with your beloved horse.🐎🐎🐎🐴
Thank you, these were helpful!
So many different techniques and tools of grooming a horse, never thought of some of them .
Wow
Great tips
cool techniques thank you for the article
Theres nothing quite like grooming a horse to relax you after a stressful day- really brings the blood pressure down! For those living in colder climates, a shedding blade for the spring blowout can be a lifesaver too! 🙂
Great grooming tips! I didn’t know a few of these and others are a great reminder
Great info and jelly mitts are wonderful
Interesting !
More to horse grooming than I realized
Great.helpful info.ty
Grooming isn’t important just for the animal it’s important and soothing for the person doing it! Thank you for the information!
This information will be passed on to my sister and niece. It has given me some great ideas for gifts for my niece who’s birthday is coming up next month. She loves caring for her horse. Thank you
Thank you great tips
Yes grooming is very important
The jelly mitt is the absolute best!
It’s rainy here in florida and it’s hard to keep the horses clean and cool.
I remember learning how important grooming was for a horse. It’s a work of love.
Nice CooL
Thanks for the great tips!
great information
Thanks for the advice
Nice grooming tips!
Good stuff
great info ty
Our family pony used to love a rub down with a mitt. Thanks for posting!
Thanks for the info and tips
i remember so very vividly growing up i loved the horses petting grooming bathing calming while they had shots,treatments ect one thing i hated was smell i could even shovel stalls just hated the smell
yes
Great tips!
Daily grooming allows for great bonding opportunities between the owner and the horse. Cheap grooming tools often cause irritations, and the importance of separate tools for each horse cannot be stressed enough.
Thumbs Up!
Interesting and important inforfmation. Thank you.
Horses are my best friends
Great information. I love jelly mitts!
I k ow that whenever I’ve personally groomed a horse, they love to be brushed and scratched…just think, they can’t reach anywhere on their bodies!!
Effectivement le toillettage est très important.
nice information
Sound advice.
Great informations! Beautiful 😀
Our horses love nothing more than a good brushing!
This brings back memories from when I rode a horse at Nevele Catskills when I went to Day Camp there.
Beautiful horse. Quality information!
How lovely animal is it
That horse’s hair looks prettier than mine!
Thanks for the information! This will help a lot of people.
Nice read
I will pass this information to my cousin who rides horses.
Great information and tips 🙂 Thank you so much!
Thanks for the tips.
Boosting Your Horse’s Health
thanks
GREAT READ.. MAKE GROOMING A HABIT, PART OF THE LOVE BIT
Thank you for the information.
Another great read!
That looks hard. But horses are horses.
Great info!
best tips, keep up the good work!!!
great info!
Everyone loves a good brush
Sound advice…
Great advice for horse owners.
Great advice for horse owners.
Thanks over again for the awesome tips!!
A wealth of info – invaluable resource for a novice
I only use one brush for my horse.
Would need to try this on my horse.
I always think of it as an excellent opportunity to go full hypochondriac when seeing any lumps…
We did this with our pony, Dandy, when I was a kid.
i’ll try it on my lil horse he will be happy for sure
great
i will try it, it sounds like a good technique
grooming your horse is a good bonding activity
This is awesome info! Thanks for sharing!
Found this really helpful
So many items needed to properly care for horses.
Good tips Thankyou 🙂
Great tips
Thank you for the information, it is a great help!
Good tip to have separate brushes for each horse.
A lot of interesting information!
Some good information and helpful tips for everyone thanks
Great article, my daughter who’s 21 next month loves her horse
Great Info !!
I find grooming to be very relaxing for myself. It’s a true bonding experience.
Grooming is so important for horses. I love brushing them.
Thank you for the information on Curry.
I think anyone who owns a horse should have to come to your website and take quizzes before they are left alone with them. Thank you for all this great info.
It is important to groom a horse thanks for sharing this
More info is always great 😀
I love horses. Beautiful animals
Great tips !! I’ve always enjoyed grooming my horses, it’s soothing for us both
Thanks for all the great info!
It is so important to spend money on what you really want the first time around. I agree buying high quality products that will hold up and last a long time is important. Nice to read the info on the different ones to use too.
I wish I could afford a horse.
Thanks for sharing the steps on good grooming. This will be very handy.
Horses are so beautiful!