Grooming
You will need:
Curry Comb
Dandy Brush
Body Brush
Hoof Pick w/Brush
Towel
First, make sure your horse is safely cross tied or tied and is wearing a leather halter, breakaway halter or by using 'quick-release' snaps on cross-ties. I highly recommend purchasing a breakaway halter. These halters have leather crown pieces and will easily break when the horse panics.
Always start with the Rubber Curry. In circular motions, the rubber curry is used first to loosen dirt and loose hair. NOTE: be very careful and gentle around bony areas of your horse's body (such as his back or shoulders). Never use a Rubber Curry on your horse's legs unless you can be extremely gentle with it. Never use a Curry or any stiff brush on your horse's face.
Next, use the Dandy Brush. You 'flick' the brush away and up from the coat so that the dirt comes of. You should see a slight cloud of dust with each stroke.
Then, use the Body Brush. The body brush is used to smooth down the hair and to get rid of any traces of left-over dirt. With the Body Brush, you smooth it flat over the horse's coat. This brush often gives the horse a shiny, clean appearance.
These 3 steps will promote good skin health and will bring out the natural oils of the horses coat.
Use the Mane Comb to gently comb the horse's mane and tail. You can also use the Dandy Brush to brush the horse's tail. If you want the horse to grow a long, flowing tail, you should use the Dandy brush instead of the mane comb.
Use your Hoof Pick with brush to clean your horses feet. Make sure your instructor has gone over this fully with you before trying this on your own. To ask the horse to pick his foot up, run your hand down your horse's leg, then gently squeezing his fetlock (ankle). The horse should easily pick up his hoof and hold it in the air himself. Be sure not to pick up the horse's foot too high, or he might loose balance. When you use the hoof pick, always scrape away from you, you don't want to injure yourself or your horse if he suddenly moves or pulls his foot away. It is important to thoroughly clean out the hollow areas on both sides of the frog, and around the sole of the foot.
Lastly, use the towel to smooth over the horses coat for that last final touch and you are done.
Brushing your horse daily is very important for a shiny coat and good skin health and will also help to create that bond between you and your horse.
