Grooming Your Horse Correctly

Grooming also allows you to recognise any injuries your horse may have picked up along the way. We need some grooming every now and again and it is the same for our horses. If you can pick up some grooming tools such as a body brush, tail comb, hoof pick and a sponge or cloth to bathe the horse.

When bathing the horse it is not that important where you start so long as the horse is washed and cleaned thoroughly. Many people like to use a hose on the horse (obviously at a slow pace!) but with hose bans during the summer months you may just be best using a bucket of water and a sponge or cloth. You are likely to give the horse a more thorough clean as well. Try and give the horse a good clean and get them used to bathing regularly.

Shampoo is a good product to use. You can buy shampoo specially made for horses but human shampoo is also ok to use if you want. Using shampoo should be done so on occasion only as using too much will end up stripping the natural oils off the horse and this will lead to the drying of his/her hair quicker then usual.

Taking good care of the horses hoofs is very important as it is an essential part of a horse’s body. The most common and easiest way of cleaning the hoofs is by picking out any mud, stones or anything else that have been embedded on the sole. As you can imagine, a lot of pressure is placed on the hoofs and cleaning them is not only done for to keep it clean but to also stop the horse from bruising which can happen if not cleared properly.

Grooming a horse takes on a whole new level of importance if you talk about a horse who competes. Among the various benefits that you can get from regular horse care is an improved skin and coat health, lesser health problems, and it also enables you to assess the horse's health or check if there are any acquired injuries. Look after your horse this winter and they will look after you whilst out riding. Enjoy the riding time you have thought as winter sets in.