What’s in your grooming box?

Grooming lets you bond with your horse and allows you to check your mare, stallion or gelding for cuts, scrapes or other injuries. Grooming also increases blood circulation and conditions his coat.

Your horse ought be groomed every day, and always before you ride him.  Horses should be brushed from head to tail; especially over the saddle and girth area to prevent sores and make sure the mane and tail are free of straw and debris. Make sure to check their hooves for stones and small pebbles.

Grooming tools:

  • Hoof pick — for picking 0ut hooves
  • Curry comb —  to loosen caked mud and dirt. It should be flexible, made of rubber or plastic; nothing too hard or sharp.
  • Shedding blade — stiff metal blade gets rid of old coat hair and loose mane and tail hairs. Also gets rid of excess water after baths.

  • Stiff Brush — hard bristles for removing heavy dirt and dried mud. Good for long  coats and pastured horses.
  • Soft Brush —  has short bristles set close together to remove dust and dried sweat and dandruff from coat and skin.
  •  Mane comb or hairbrush — for untangling the mane and tail, after picking out tangles with your fingers.
  • Sponges — for removing girth marks. Can be used for cleaning nose, eyes and face.
  • Small rag — also for cleaning eyes, nose  and face as well as running over horses’ coat after grooming.

 

Additional items in a grooming kit often include shampoo, mane and tail detangler, fly repellent, hoof dressing, and treats.  Some horse owners also groom their horses after they ride  while they’re cooling off, but that’s up to each owner and how much time they have that day.

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