Grooming a horse is an essential part of every horse owner’s daily and weekly tasks. Grooming is necessary to keep a horse healthy and happy, and forgetting to groom your horse can potentially cause illness or injury. There are many steps when it comes to grooming a horse, so read on to find out some tips on how to groom yours.
Mane and Tail
A horse’s mane and tail need to be kept free of debris and unknotted. Let’s say you are on a trail and your horse catches its tail on some thorny bushes. Knotted hair will get stuck, causing more stress for your horse and a potentially dangerous situation, as you or your horse may become injured. Brushing your horse’s tail will ensure it can get out of situations like this more easily. Additionally, should your horse end up with debris in its tail, you may want to take a break to get it out, preventing any further injury.
When brushing a horse, be sure to brush similarly to how you would brush your own hair. Remember to be gentle so as not to startle your horse. You should also consider investing in high-quality brushes that will be gentle enough and also not break.
Body
Currying your horse should be a regular task. Daily currying can help aid in the spreading of natural oils, which keeps your horse healthy. Currying also keeps dirt off of your horse, and it provides an opportunity to check for injuries or even ticks. Changing your curry brush according to the season will also help, as winter brushes and summer brushes are built to aid horses in those seasons specifically.
Hooves
Picking a horse’s hooves should also be on your daily horse care to-do list. Rocks and other matter can get stuck in a hoof, causing discomfort or even lasting damage to your horse. Be sure to pick once per day regardless of whether you are riding, and check out your horse’s hooves after riding as well. You may also want to invest in hoof conditioner to keep your horse’s hooves healthy.
Grooming is a part of horse care that should never be overlooked. Just like medical attention, a proper diet, and exercise, grooming is a necessity for a horse to live a healthy life. Use these tips to help guide your horse grooming plan, but plan to have a grooming regiment that is more in-depth than these few tips.