whats your grooming routine???

sprollie

New Member
Jul 29, 2007
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chester le street, durham
Hi all,

Just wondering if everyone goes through the same routines when grooming or if things vary, I have never been taught a "Proper way" to groom your horse.

what order do you do things in and with which tools?

Thanks!
x
 
Depends on how filthy they are ;)

A typical grooming at the moment starts with a shedding blade to help get rid of some of the loose coat, and to remove mud. On bony or sensitive areas, I swap it for a rubber curry comb. I normally start on the left at the neck and do all of one side before swapping to the right.
When I'm finished with the shedding blade, I use the stiffer edge of a boomerang brush as a dandy, and use it alongside a plastic curry comb to clear some of the hair clogging it up (my metal curry comb died about two years ago, and I've never bothered replacing it!).
After the boomerang brush, I use a body brush (sparingly, as my horses are grass kept and a body brush takes the most grease out of the coat). Then, I use a soft face brush on the face, jaw and behind the ears.
The next job is picking out the feet.

For the mane and tail, I use a spray conditioner and brush out the worst of the tangles with my fingers, then use a human hair brush (the kinds with bobbles on the ends of the teeth) to comb through. I never ever use a plastic curry comb on the mane or tail, as they tend to break and damage the hair. If I'm being really thorough, I use a stable rubber to give the coat a last once-over, then use a water brush to lightly damp down the mane and tail and to give the hooves a quick scrub and apply some hoof moisturiser to give them a bit of a shine.

Needless to say, I'm rarely thorough and generally I'm happy if I'm not getting covered in mud and moulting hair every time I touch them!
 
At the moment I'll start with feet, then use a plastic curry comb for his tail, mane and getting the worst of the mud off. Then I swap to one of my six(!) rubber curry combs and spend a looooong time trying to get rid of his winter coat. Then I go all over him with the plastic curry comb again to take the loose hair I've just removed off him, then use a dandy brush to flick the dust off the surface so that he looks shinier. At the moment, this takes about 45 minutes.

In the winter I spend the majority of my time with a plastic curry comb getting the dried mud off his legs, and the rest of him gets a quick brush over with a dandy brush.
 
erm ...
something like this
1)shredding blade
2)goat hair brush thing, to get rid of dust
3)curry comb on any muddy bits
4)hoofs
5) main & tail with a hairbrush
 
ooh, thanks, so pleased its not just me with a filthy hairy monster to deal with at the mo!
shedding blade is the best thing in the world, although still can't seem to avoid all the hair getting stuck to me:rolleyes:
 
Lol I've always wondered if there is a 'proper' routine for grooming! I curry comb for mud first (mud monster :rolleyes:) do left then right side. Then I do main and tail, followed by soft brush for head and body. I leave legs and feet til last. Always do it this way, I don't know why but doing feet first would seem weird, creature of habit that I am!
 
Winter - remove mud until horse shape appears:cool:

Summer - remove less mud:D

Brilliant!

For me...

Winter - rug up to the eyeballs and groom as little as possible. Normally face (for bridle purposes) and girth area under the belly.

Spring - Take a rubber curry comb to the beast and remove any excess coat, smoothing over at the end with a dandy.

Summer - Horses completely naked if weather permits with minimal brushing.

Feet are picked routinely.

Mane and tail are left alone for the majority of the time unless for a special occasion.
 
I start with the feet. When I first got her Joy was prone to losing shoes. I like to start there as that's where I'm likely to find any problems and then I don't forget to do them :eek:

Next, mane and tail if I can be bothered.

Then out with the shedding blade followed by a stiff dandy brush if needed.

I don't generally touch the legs or face unless I'm being unusually fastidious or it inteferes with tack etc. :)
 
start with the coarsest brush (curry comb, shedding blade etc) working to the finest.

normally just down to a dandy/body brush (stiff bristles) but for shows we work down to a soft polishing brush (natural bristle) then buff up with a clean tea towel aswell for more shine :D

normally do feet last, mane and tail first usually :D
 
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start with the coarsest brush (curry comb, shedding blade etc) working to the finest.

normally just down to a dandy/body brush (stiff bristles) but for shows we work down to a soft polishing brush (natural bristle) then buff up with a clean tea towel aswell for more shine :D

normally do feet last, mane and tail first usually :D

Me, I always do feet first - if I'm not doing anything else I'll always do feet.

Then mud and loose hair with a hard rubber groomer - I don't know what they're called but they're indispensable. Dandy brush for head, ears and mane, and any other bits that the groomer missed, and that's it. I don't brush the tail except for special occasions and when it's mucky - I think it pulls the hairs out and makes the tail thin.
 
Pick out feet.
Start at neck on offside with Dandy brush and work towards tail doing the legs as I come to them. Use a plastic curry comb on any clumps of mud first.
Same again on other side.Remembering to clean the brush on a metal curry comb every now and then.
Use face brush on face
Brush mane and tail and forelock with one of those bobble ended brushes and use spray if needed.

May then go over again with body brush if he has his summer coat.
 
Mine is like...
- rubber curry comb (at this time of year to get rid of all that fluff!)
- dandy brush all over both sides
- body brush all over to remove any dust the dandy brush revealed
- grooming mit to make her shinyyy :)
- mane and tail with plastic curry comb then comb
- hoof pick

:)
 
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