- Breeding
- Should You Go Into Horse Breeding?
- Horse Breeding, Part 1: The Estrous Cycle
- Horse Breeding: Covering a Mare
- Buying a Horse
- The Top 4 Places to Find Horses for Sale
- What to Look For When Buying a Horse
- Rocky Mountain Horses
- General Horse Articles
- The Chincoteague Pony Swim
- How to Ride a Horse: A Beginner’s Guide
- How to Buy a Horse
- Horse Feeding
- You’ve Got the Right Feed, Now What?: Proper Feeding Practices
- 5 Horse Feeding "Don'ts"
- A Look at Horse Feed
- Horse Grooming
- eZall Shine & Detangler Transforms Ratty Manes and Tails Into Flowing Tresses
- Mane Saving Ideas
- Keeping Your Horse Beautiful with Horse Products
- Horse Health Issues
- A Look at Horse Feed
- An Overview of Horse Grooming
- How to Care for Your Horse in the Winter
- Horse Training
- Training Mythunderstandings: Little Things Do Mean a Lot
- Training Mythunderstandings: Teach Your Horse Anything in 3 Simple Steps
- Ask Chelsie Natural Horsemanship - What Does It Mean To Disengage My Horse?
- Horses & History
- A Brief History of Draft Horses
- The Feral Horse and Its Impact
- The Missing Equine Link: How the Modern Horse Came to Be
- Horses & Sports
- Nearly $7 Million Generated Annually for the District of Columbia
- Ask Chelsie Natural Horsemanship - What Does It Mean To Disengage My Horse?
- How to Prepare for Your First Equestrian Competition
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.
