Grooming: The Why and the How!
Grooming your horse in an incredibly important part of horseback riding. During our grooming sessions, we can look at our horse more thoroughly and find any scrapes or bruises that we may not see from far away. You also can use this time to get to know your horse better and work on a personal relationship with them.
You should be grooming your horse before and after every ride or turnout. The best time to do your most thorough groom is after your ride, this is when your horses pores have opened up and the oils from their skin can be spread throughout your horse’s coat, making them shine!
An equestrian’s grooming kit should be the pride and joy of their equipment, a good grooming kit sets a rider up for success. Some things that should be included in your kit are:
Rubber Curry Comb: This brush is used to loosen dirt, dust and loose hair
Hard Brush: This brush is used to swipe away the dirt, dust and loose hair
Soft Brush: This brush creates a finishing shine
Face Brush: A soft brush used to brush the horse’s face
Mane and Tail Brush: Used to brush the mane and tail
Hoof Pick: To clean out our horse’s feet
Some extras you could consider adding to your kit include:
Mane Pull: A tool used to shorten a mane
Rags: Can be used to wipe our horse’s nose and eyes or to apply product
Sponges
Shedding Blade: Used to remove hair during shedding seasons
Bot Egg Knife: Can be used to remove bot eggs from legs. Bots are not very common here in southern California, but its always good to have around.
Metal or Plastic Curry Comb: This brush is never to be used on a horse- this is used to help clean your brushes
Some of our favorite grooming products at Cold Spring Farm include:
Show Sheen: used to detangle manes and tails before brushing, this can also be used on the body to help your horse shine! Do not put this where your saddle sits as it can make your horse slippery! (Fun Fact: Some people use to spray their socks with show sheen to pull on their boots before zippered boots hit the market!)
Purple Spray: A concoction made in house by our resident barn mom Amanda! This wondrous spray helps remove stains from our white horses!
Sound Hoof Conditioner: A conditioner that helps with dry hooves
Steps to a good grooming routine:
Spray your horses mane and tail with show sheen to allow it time to dry before brushing.
Use your hoof pick to pick out your horse’s feet. Now is the time to check for loose shoes, nails, thrush and rocks. To pick up your horse’s foot you will hold the pick in your off hand and using your hand closest to the horse, pat their shoulder or flank. Next you will run your hand down their leg until your hand has reached their fetlock. Once at the fetlock, you will gently add pressure and lean your body up against your horse. Once the foot is lifted, move your hand from their fetlock to the front of their hoof. Use your hoof pick and scrape out any dirt or rocks. This step should always be done standing!
Using your curry comb, start at the top of the neck and curry the whole body in circular motions to remove any dirt or loose hair that may be hiding in your horse’s coat. When currying a horse’s leg, a rubber mitt or soft curry should be used very gently. Check your horse’s legs for any cuts. Use care to not forget the pastern! Be very gentle when currying over the top of the horse’s back and withers.
Taking your hard brush, you will now brush all that dirt and hair you curried out. The best way to use your hard brush is in a flicking motion downward while following the direction of hair growth. If your horse is especially dirty, you can hold your plastic or metal curry comb and every few strokes use it to clean your brush.
If your horse has those hard to remove stains, take Mrs. Amanda’s Wonderful Purple Spray and spray the solution directly onto the stains, you will then take a rag and rub them out.
Pull out your soft brush and, still following the direction of hair growth, gently brush your horse. If you do not have a face brush you can use your soft brush very gently on their face, being very cautious around their eyes. Some horses like having their faces curried before a good brushing, but remember that all horses are different and to always ask if you are unsure!
For an extra shine, spray a little Show Sheen on your horses neck and rump and rub it in with a clean rag.
By this point the Show Sheen should be dry and we can move on to brushing the mane and tail. Our horse’s tails are an incredibly important part of our turn out for lessons and shows. We want a thick clean tail free of bedding and hay. To preserve our horse’s tails, you have to take extra care to be gentle and to not pull through any snags, instead, use your fingers to pick the tangles out. We will always start at the bottom of tail and gently make our way up with our brush. For horse’s with extra thick tails, you can go in sections. Some horse’s like to get their tails snagged on things in their stall and pull their tails out. For our horse’s who may find themselves in this situation or who’s tails we are simply trying to grow, we will braid their tails before putting them away. Brushing the mane should also be done with care as we are close to our horse’s head. Gently brush your horse’s mane from the withers upwards towards their ears. Don’t forget that forelock!
Some places on your horse that are often forgot in the grooming process:
Elbows
Legs
Dock
Between the Hind Legs
Sometimes you may find yourself needing to hose down your horse after work if they are especially sweaty. Hosing down should be used minimally, if you bathe your horse too often, the oils in their coats that give them that shiny look can be stripped down. A horse who has had the sweat groomed out of them tend to have a brighter and healthier coat! Your best bet is to allow your horse to dry and then use a little bit of elbow grease and curry that sweat out! After your ride you will follow the same system as your pre-ride groom, but this time add in the use of hoof conditioner and braid your horse’s tail if necessary!
Want more information?
Check out USHJA’s Horsemanship Quiz Study Guide on their website! Grooming can be found on pages 39-41
Interested in the USHJA horsemanship quiz challenge? See Ellen or Lauren for more information!
