You need to groom your horse every day. You may think the reason to groom your horse is so that he/she looks nice, but the main reason to groom your horse is so that it will stay healthy and clean. If you keep your horse in a stable where he can not roll on the ground to groom himself, you should groom him daily. If he is out in the pasture he will not need as much grooming.

 

Here is a list of things that you need to groom your horse and how they are used.

 

The Dandy Brush This brush is used for brushing off mud that your horse might get on its coat. It has stiff bristles.

Stiff Brush The stiff brush is for brushing hooves only.

Body Brush This brush is softer than the dandy brush and is easier to hold. It is used to take off oil and dirt.

Rubber Curry This is also used for combing off mud and shedding hair.

Metal Curry The metal curry is used for cleaning the body of your horse only. (Never ever use this on your pony.)

Mane Comb This should be used for the mane and tail only.

Sponges There are three different uses for the sponge. You should keep a separate sponge for each.

• eyes
• lips and noses
• dock or their rear

Stable cloth The stable cloth is used for drying off your horse's coat and making it look shiny and pretty.

Hoof pick A hoof pick is used to clean dirt, pebbles and mud from the horse's hoof.

Hoof oil This is used to put a sealing, protecting and shiny seal to the hoof.

Last but not least ....

Sweat scraper This is just like a squeegee, except it is used on a horse not a window.

 

 

Here are some grooming tips:

 

• Make sure your horse is tied up in a warm and sheltered spot.

   

• Take off your horse's tack or blankets before you start grooming.

   

• Make sure that you're not around any mud puddles.

   

• Check the equipment that you'll need to make sure everything is handy, clean, and ready to use before you begin.

   

• Follow the natural curves of the horse's coat while you are brushing. If you don't, your horse will get mad!

   

• Don't use a body brush on a horse's head.

   

• Scrape the body brush with the curry comb to get the oil off.

   

• After riding your horse, its skin is warmer. Grooming a horse with warm skin is easier because the pores are still open.

   

• While you are grooming the tail make sure you are not standing directly behind your horse. Make sure your horse knows that you are there before you begin combing.

   

• After sponging your horse's eyes, change the water before sponging the nose and lips.

   

• Clean your brushes after each use.

   

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