- Breeding
- Feeding and Management of Horses During the Transition from Warm to Cool Weather
- Horse Breeding, Part 1: The Estrous Cycle
- Horse Breeding: Covering a Mare
- Buying a Horse
- Rocky Mountain Horses
- Top 3 Ways Using Horse Classifieds Can Save You Money
- What to Look For When Buying a Horse
- General Horse Articles
- Overcome Your Riding Fears: Recovering from a Riding Accident
- Ingredients in Feed that Affect Behavior
- The Riding Tree: Influencing The Horse
- Horse Feeding
- The Truth Behind Bran Mash - Its Uses & Disadvantages
- You’ve Got the Right Feed, Now What?: Proper Feeding Practices
- Equine Experts Send Us Your Best Tip - Win $750 Worth of KAM’s Healthy Horse Products and More
- Horse Grooming
- Equine Experts Send Us Your Best Tip - Win $750 Worth of KAM’s Healthy Horse Products and More
- OmegaTri & the Equine - Reducing Inflammation, Restoring Balance
- When Dealing With Horses Get It in Writing - Sign Up for May 16 FREE Webinar
- Horse Health Issues
- How to Care for Your Horse in the Winter
- Equine Health 101: How to Keep Your Horse Healthy
- Cookies With a Clue For Your Horse
- Horse Training
- Training Mythunderstandings: Little Things Do Mean a Lot
- What do do when the Panic is On to keep our Horses Safe!
- Do you need insurance for horses?
- Horses & History
- When Dealing With Horses Get It in Writing - Sign Up for May 16 FREE Webinar
- Equine Experts Send Us Your Best Tip - Win $750 Worth of KAM’s Healthy Horse Products and More
- Horsing around the Sierra Madre - 1974 Style.
- Horses & Sports
- ELITE DINING AND HOSPITALITY CLUB TO DEBUT AT 53rd WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL HORSE SHOW
- Nearly $7 Million Generated Annually for the District of Columbia
- What do do when the Panic is On to keep our Horses Safe!
An Overview of Horse Grooming
05/26/2008
A horse is an animal. It lives mainly outdoors. Wild horses don’t groom, so why should you? There are many benefits that a horse can enjoy from proper, regular grooming.
Why do it?
A horse is an animal. It lives mainly outdoors. Wild horses don’t groom, so why should you? There are many benefits that a horse can enjoy from proper, regular grooming.
• Forms a relationship between owner and horse
• Cleans the horse and avoids discomfort and chafing
• Improves the health and skin of the horse’s coat
• Decreases risk of various health problems
• Also allows owner to check for signs of other health problems
By grooming, you can ensure a happy, healthy horse!
So how do I do it then?
Start with the feet. Get a good hoof pick and clean out the soles of their feet. Manure, rocks, and mud can cause discomfort and even injury to your horse. With a clean foot, you can then inspect for other injuries. This is recommended to be done daily, although many do it twice a day.
Brushing is another great aspect about daily horse grooming. By giving the coat a good brushing, you loosen dirt and loose hair that may be sticking to the coat. You also stimulate the skin to produce the natural oils that keep a horse’s coat healthy. A soft body brush is soothing to a horse, and can be used on the head – although care must be taken to avoid the eyes.
If you can, train your horse to accept a good bathing. While it is true that wild horses can go their whole lives without a bath, a domesticated horse can benefit from one. Use it as a way to cool off your horse after a workout. This will get the horse back to a proper state, where he can hydrate himself as he wishes. Generally, you can bathe with a hose. Shampoo can be used, but not more often than once a week, as the natural oils of a horse’s coat can be washed out.
Just like humans, horses can benefit and remain healthier with a good grooming. This practice also breeds loyalty and respect from horse to owner, and can strengthen the bond between the two of you that will carry over to riding.
