Grooming

[Goldie'sGirl]

Hi
Can anyone help me, because I need to know how to groom. Can anyone tell me the do's and don'ts and could someone help me with the brushes, I have a vague idea which is which, but not much :o Thanks
Goldie'sGirl :p

[Goldie'sGirl]

Anyone?

[SupaTania]

Its alot easier to explain if your actually there in person and watching. But i'll try my best. For a quick groom as in before riding or schooling, usually what is needed is a curry comb, and a dandy brush as well as a hoofpick.

With the curry comb, you brush in small circles to untrap the dirt that maybe embedded in their hair. Then take the dandy Brush, and brush over that same spot in quick short strokes to remove the dirt completely. Do this particularly around the saddle and girth area. Also, grab a hoofpick, face the horses rear end, and squeeze towards the bottom of the cannon bone near their fetlock, the horse should left up his foot then you can remove all the dirt and stones that may have accumulated in his hoofs.

If you want to do an extra special grooming, there are mane tamers, metal combs for the mane and tail, glosses to make him shiny, etc. But the above statement is pretty much the roundabout grooming most people do for a lesson or a hack.

[Method_Acting]

mind the frog!

[Tharg]

Best just to get your instructor to show you.

[Purple Hugs]

I spoke to my instructor and she has ok'd me to book a 2 hour session with her to show me lots - including grooming, mucking out etc, etc :D
I'm booking it when I go along for my next lesson. :) Then I am free to help out when I can. :)

[Alexandra17]

Always curry first. Get all stiif dirt off. Then use a medium bristle brush. Then do mane and tail. Now take a soft bruch and go over everything. Next take a damp cloth and rub my horse's whole body and tail. Pay special attentiopn to the face with the damp cloth. I have a mare so I always clean EVERYWHERE. I hope this helps a little.

[Bay Mare]

First of all pick out the feet. Always pick from the back of the foot to the front.

What you brush the body with depends on whether they're turned out or stabled. You should never use a body brush on a horse that is turned out as it removes the natural oils and grease from the coat which help to keep the horse warm and also protects against bacteria getting into the skin and causing things like mud fever. You should always use a dandy brush on a horse that is turned out.

To remove dirt and loose hair you can use a rubber curry comb, some people use the plastic ones but I don't like them as they can be quite scratchy.

NEVER use a metal curry comb on the horse, it is for getting hairs off the body brush and shouldn't be used to groom with. For every few strokes of the body brush you should then wipe it across the metal (or plastic) curry comb. You can then knock the curry comb on the wall or ground to get the hairs and dust off when they build up.

Unless you're plaiting you shouldn't use a mane or tail comb as they tend to split the hairs. Ideally you would use a body brush or just use your fingers to comb through the tail. Again, although people do, you shouldn't use a plastic curry comb on the mane and tail as it splits and breaks the hairs (just look how many hairs you have in the comb when you've finished brushing with it).

You should also wipe the face and around the eyes with a damp cloth and some people find that going over the body with a 'stable rubber' dampened in warm water helps too.

There are other things around which you can use to 'wisp', remove hairs with etc. The best thing to do is to have a lesson (I can never remember if you *should* do the mane before the body etc but then it doesn't really matter unless you're doing exams) and also look at the BHS stages or stable management books which give an in depth description of the grooming process.

[Goldie'sGirl]

Thanks for all the replies I will probably ask but I just wanted a rough outline before. I was just wondering if say there was one person picking out feet, could the other prson carry on brushing?
Goldie'sGirl :p

[ploddycob]

you can get some good books on grooming, such as the thresher guides. i find them really usefull.

:)

[hanbrad]

I spoke to my instructor and she has ok'd me to book a 2 hour session with her to show me lots - including grooming, mucking out etc, etc :D
I'm booking it when I go along for my next lesson. :) Then I am free to help out when I can. :)

can i ask how much did this cost you

[hanbrad]

also can i ask how much would all this equipment cost for the horse

[Styric]

also can i ask how much would all this equipment cost for the horse

It depends on what level of grooming you're buying for. Remember these are very average prices that can vary pretty wildly. These are also only for average quality. For example, a body brush can go up to $30.00 for a goathair one :)

The very basics:

Rubber curry comb - Used to dislodge dirt and dust and clean off other brushes: $1.00-3.00
Dandy brush - Stiff brush used to get the rest of the dirt and dust off: $5.00-8.00
Body brush - Softer brush used for getting fine dust and dandruff off: $5.00-8.00
Hoofpick - kind of obvious :) for cleaning hooves: $1.00

What's in my tackbox right now (I'm an established horse owner)

Rubber curry comb - $1.00-3.00
Reversible spring curry comb - metal curry comb that's awesome for mud: $3.00-10.00
Very stiff dandy brush: $5.00-8.00
Softer dandy brush: $5.00-8.00
Body brush: $5.00-8.00
Face brush - for cleaning off his sensitive face: $5.00-8.00

Rubber grooming mitt: $2.50-3.00
Sweat scraper: $3.00-5.00
Shedding blade: $5.00

Oster hoof pick - Best hoofpick I've ever used: $10.00-15.00
Stone pick - 20 year old stainless steel hoofpick I picked up at a garage sale that is spectacular for prying out ice packs and rocks: 1.00 (but it's priceless)
Cheap hoof pick with a wire brush: 1.00

Mane brush: $4.00-7.00
Metal pulling comb - for tough tangles: $2.00
Flat pulling blade - almost a knife, pulls mane easily and painlessly: $5.00-7.00
Braiding elastics: $2.00
Black braiding tape: $2.00
White braiding tape: $2.00

Oster clippers: $100.00-200.00
Scissors: $2.00-3.00

Baby oil - anti-sweet itch: $4.00
Cowboy Magic Detangler and Shine - best detangler I've ever used: $30.00-38.00 for an 18 oz bottle
Cowboy Magic Rosewater Herbal shampoo: $10.00-15.00 for an 18 oz bottle
Show sheen - last minute shine for showing: $10.00
Spray bottle of water - for braiding mane and tail: $1.00-2.00
Vaseline - cuts and scrapes: $4.00
Vitamin E cream - encourage scrapes and cuts to heal and grow hair back quick - $5.00-10.00
Absorbine Liniment - for a rough workout and my own sore muscles: $8.00
Concentrated Fly spray - great oilbased stuff, doesn't come off easy and gets alot out of one bottle : $30.00

Box of sugar cubes - he's spoiled rotten: $2.00
Good sturdy 6" foldable pocket knife - go for the good stuff here, my horse has stepped on mine and it didn't scratch or break: $85.00
Weight tape: $3.00

Sponges: $2.00 each
Towels: 4.00 each about

My horsey grooming kit for myself at home, it's all the good stuff because I like spoiling myself on occasion:

Epsom salts - for when I had a rough day and still have two more classes to go: $10.00 for a large bag
Bubble bath: $20.00
Heavy cream moisturizer - great for saddle sores: $20.00
Massage oil - for getting those cramps out of your thighs: $20.00
Dried lavender, chamomile, peppermint and rosemary in jars for the bath (homeopathy for bath/teas) - I grow my own herbs so hard to estimate, but they're great for sore muscles

[*HoRsEtArD*]

i think bay mare and styric said it all!

i also find that a human hair brush can work effectively on the tail but always be gentle with all sensitive areas and know what brushes are best for where on a horse...

[Purple Hugs]

can i ask how much did this cost you
I am booked in for a thursday next week, so am looking forward to this a lot!
Our stables is much cheaper than most in the area - as it's a small concern and v.local.
It's only £20 for the 2 hours, to give you a clue on lesson charges, 30 min 1 to 1 tuition is £13.50. My daughter and I ride together at £18.50 for the half hour.

So I think the 2 hours is a bargain! :D

can't wait to get my hands dirty! ;) Am also looking forward to building more of a bond with the horse i ride each week. :)

[Gnasher]

I'll give you the very basics, since I think that if you remember them, you cannot go to far wrong, and it's easier than being swamped in details. This is the way I explain to inexperienced persons so they cannot harm the horse while learning to be more effective with time.

In short:

- metal curry comb (has nasty spiky teeth) doesn't go anywhere on the horse

- dandy brush (spiky bristles, not very nice on bare skin) for 'tougher' parts of the horse's coat, basically the legs

-body brush (soft bristles, feels ok against your bare skin) the rest of the horse, can be used on legs as well, but isn't very effective on mud

-hoof picking is best left until you've been shown how and are confident, for yours and the horse's safety

-rubber curry comb (made of rubber with rounded teeth) used in a circular motion to loosen hair and dirt, anywhere on the main body (not face or legs)

-plastic curry comb (oval, plastic, with lots of spikes kinda like a hairbrush) arguably not for use anywhere on the horse, I would generally not bother, there are other things you can better use

Ok that's essentially it for a basic maintence groom of the average horse. Some have strange requirements like only liking body brushes or having such tough coats that you use a dandy brush all over. But, if you follow the above, you cannot really go too far wrong.

Karen xx

[Styric]

- metal curry comb (has nasty spiky teeth) doesn't go anywhere on the horse


I actually have one, it's a reversible spring one that I use to clean brushes and when he's coated in mud in the winter. It's not for beginnners, but I've found it much gentler and more efficient for scraping mud of their coats in the winter than most scrapers when it's far to cold to even sponge them. It also beats my currycomb hands down when currying a 4-6 inch shaggy winter coat.

What it's really good at, and I mean reaaally good at is working out a shedding coat.

NEVER to use on a very fine summer coat though.

It's the best so far I've found, and in the right (gentle) hands it's a very good tool.

http://www.salemsaddlery.com/photos/6654-2T.jpg

It looks evil, but the spikes are as small as you find on a shedding blade. They're rounded on one side of the curry comb for thin coats, and spiked on the other side for thick coats.

[Gnasher]

I actually have one, it's a reversible spring one that I use to clean brushes and when he's coated in mud in the winter. It's not for beginnners, but I've found it much gentler and more efficient for scraping mud of their coats in the winter than most scrapers when it's far to cold to even sponge them. It also beats my currycomb hands down when currying a 4-6 inch shaggy winter coat.

What it's really good at, and I mean reaaally good at is working out a shedding coat.

NEVER to use on a very fine summer coat though.

It's the best so far I've found, and in the right (gentle) hands it's a very good tool.

http://www.salemsaddlery.com/photos/6654-2T.jpg

It looks evil, but the spikes are as small as you find on a shedding blade. They're rounded on one side of the curry comb for thin coats, and spiked on the other side for thick coats.

I knew someone would say something along those lines ;) I have a regular metal curry comb, that has pretty nasty spikes, but I will use it on Toad's coat in a controlled fashion. I think it's easier to say 'not at all' to beginners than risk it being misused. I have seen a girl use a metal curry comb on a horse's face before :eek: thinking it was okay to get the mud off, the horse was in serious danger of getting an eye poked :(

A friend of mine who helps with RDA and is veyr inexperienced with horses doesn't know I groom with a metal curry comb sometimes, and I will leave it that way for now, because it means I can get on with teaching or mucking out etc and know she cannot accidently do Toad any harm with the brushes she knows to use :D

Karen xx

[dcp]

Hello heres what I do but it's probably not right.

For a proper groom I use the rubber thingy (see what I mean :o ) to remove any dried in mud then go over his coat with the dandy brush. I then go over his whole body with the body brush which is a bit softer. I use the metal curry come to clean the brushes every two strokes. I use a very soft face brush on his head and for his tail I usually put some mane and tail conditioner to help get the tangles out then I use a dandy brush as his tail is thin and the plastic comb breaks all the hairs. The same for the mane. Picking out feet I have a pick that has a stiff bristles on the end so I pick the mud out in a downwards way then use the brush to get rid of any other bits.

You may already know all this but remember to brush in the same direction as the hair grows and when picking out feet I was taught to run my hand down the leg then ask for lift and then once finished put the leg down nice and gently.

Hope this helps. :D