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Grooming a Horse
The skin of any animal is the largest organ of the body, and it also is the number one barrier for infection, or any outside substance not belonging to the body. A horse's coat needs constant attention, and grooming can greatly improve its function. Specific tools are required for optimum care: curry comb, hard brush, body brush, finishing brush, mane comb, tail comb or brush, and face brush.
Most people groom a horse before riding; a common reason is to prevent saddle sores from forming. The average person will spend less than twenty minutes caring for his or her horse, but should be spending over twenty minutes working only it's body. Why does this take so long? Horses have an intricate layer of fur, which captures dirt, dandruff, and other contaminating substances, including fungus and bacteria. The first step in grooming is taking a currycomb and hard brush, using the curry first in large circles. The curry lifts great amounts of the grim from the coat, but no where near all of it.
The hard brush is used to move the grim over the surface of the coat. When you curry, only work over the large muscles, neck, shoulder, barrel, hind end, and please not over the bony parts of the horse. When using the hard brush, you can brush all areas used by the curry and the legs. Repeat the curry/hard brushing about four times over each side of the body.
The body brush is the next tool needed. It can be used in all places of the body, but the face; its purpose is to continue moving the grime off of the body, but picking up the smaller particles. Body brushes have softer and more bristles than hard brushes, so it is much easier for them to pick up more. Repeat the body brushing four to five times on each side, using the curry to scrape away grime from the brush.
The finishing brush will be used at the end of your grooming. You will continue to make a mess with your next step, combing the mane. A mane comb is the perfect tool for this, and should be used just as a hairbrush. You will find dirt and dandruff will fall on to the neck, which then can be swept away by a finishing brush. The finishing brush should also be used on the legs, after you have used both the hard and body brush.
The legs are more susceptible to fungus, infection, and wounds. They are one of the most fragile parts of a horse. Try to groom your horse's larger muscles with the hard brush, but avoid the tendon and bony areas. The body brush should be used to remove hair and dandruff from the tendons. Repeat brushing forty times on each side of the leg. You will find each day there is less and less grime. Your finishing brush will pick the last parts of the grime from the legs.
The tail needs attention and stimulation as well, mainly for growth and health. A tail brush can simply be a human hairbrush with soft, padded bristles (the common round faced brushes with covered bristles). Brush the tangles out, just as you would your hair.
The face is a very sensitive place, so using a large brush intimidates a horse, and makes it unpleasant. Use a specified face brush. I like to take my hands and use them as a currycomb. The horse should love this! Make sure to get behind, the backs and the front of the ears! I then finish my face brushing with the little face brush. The soft bristles soothe the horse, and pick up all the grime from my hand curry. I would spend some time doing this, perhaps five to ten minutes. It is a very important bonding time with your horse, he/she is letting you work in a very protected area; you are building his trust!
Grooming enhances circulation in the horse's body, so it stimulates "cold" muscles, acting as a slight warm-up. This will prevent a lot of soreness issues following work. If you spend the time grooming, and warm your horse up properly, your horse should be warmed up well, increasing suppleness for demanding work.
Stimulation from grooming also helps the coat's health. If it is groomed everyday, there is less chance of a fungus or bacterial breakout on the body. The immune system can build itself rather than continually try and fight substances from the outside.
So, take the time! Bond with your beautiful horse! You are giving him one of the greatest gifts, and preventing so many possible problems!
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