Grooming is a subject of importance, and the adage that a good grooming is as good as a feed is true.
The dandy brush is used for removing rough mud, and must be used gently on horses with tender skins when they have been clipped.
The body brush does the main work. The groom should stand well back from the horse and lean the weight of his body on to the brush, which should penetrate to the skin. It is worked in the direction that the coat lays. By its action the grease is removed from the skin and the pores rendered more open to exude sweat when work is being done. The brush is kept clean with the curry comb, and this should be the only function of the curry comb in grooming.
The water brush has longer hairs than the body brush. It is used for the mane and tail, and is also admirably adapted for the dry brushing of the head and legs.
A hoof pick is another essential tool which cannot be used too frequently when a horse is in the stable.
A sweat-scraper is useful when a horse is brought in hot or when he comes in very wet.
Straw wisps and hard hay wisps are also used for drying and stimulating the skin and acting as a massage to the muscles.
The stable rubber, which is a great favorite among grooms, is nothing but a duster. It may be used to give a final polish to the coat, but it does not take the place of a body brush, and its excessive use is to be deprecated.
The principal grooming of the day should take place after work, and a thorough grooming will take one man an hour. A brisk grooming gives the skin a healthy-glow in the same way as the brisk rub of a Turkish towel does to a man.
Grooming of this kind diminishes the chance of a horse breaking out into a cold sweat.
The eyes, nostrils and dock should be cleaned with a moist sponge each time the horse is groomed.
Every week the sheath should be cleaned with a sponge and water.
When a horse returns from work the girths should be loosened, the saddle raised and replaced, and the girths again done up slackly. The groom should water the horse, do the other parts and then remove the saddle. By this time the back will have cooled down slowly, regained circulation and be ready for grooming.
Quartering is an abbreviated form of grooming in which the roller is not removed. The eyes, nose and dock are sponged and the rugs turned back so that the quarters and then the forehand can be groomed.
The feet should be picked out at least twice a day, and three times if the horse is bedded on peat or sawdust.
A common vice of grooms is the washing of a horse’s legs. This should never be allowed as it is most likely to cause mud fever and cracked heels. When a horse comes in with wet, muddy legs the rough mud should be removed with a straw wisp and the legs loosely bandaged with flannel bandages. When they are thoroughly dry the mud should be brushed out with a dry brush.
As a preventive of mud fever it is advisable to smear the legs and heels with Vaseline before hunting in wet weather.
The shoes should be inspected daily to see that they are tight and should be removed every four weeks at least and replaced or renewed.
Jimmy Cox
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/proper-grooming-of-horses-134099.html
proper horse grooming???
what kind of brushes do i need and in what order do i use them? what are the descriptions of these brushes? any tips and tricks to help a shedding horse? what are some good websites and products? thanks for any useful help!
These are the steps I use to teach my students about BASIC grooming:
Pick out the feet first
Curry the entire body (curry comb is a soft rubber oval shaped piece with soft "teeth" for loosening dirt and dead hair - use it with medium pressure on the whole body in lots of small circles)
Brush with a STIFF brush (short strokes, in the direction of the hair. This removes everything the curry just loosened)
Brush with a SOFT brush (long strokes, in the direction of the hair… you can use this on the face - not the stiff brush. This flattens the hair and circulates natural oils giving your horse a shiny coat)
Brush mane and tail with flexible human hair brush (pulls out least amount of hairs)
Use rag to wipe off face
Use sponge to wipe under tail (be sure to not use this sponge for ANYTHING else… no spreading germs!)
Fly spray (don't spray directly on face - spray on hand and wipe on face).
I would recommend going to your local tack store so you can feel all the brushes to pick the ones you think are best. Most brands will work just fine… Oster is popular but expensive and (in my opinion) not any better than anything else. If you really need to order your supplies I would recommend SmartPak.com as their shipping is VERY reasonabale and they have a good selection.
As far as shedding goes the best thing is elbow grease… lots and lots of grooming. I really don't recommend metal shedding blades as the small teeth leave very tiny tears in the top layer of skin and actually damage hair follicles leaving your horse with a less than stellar coat.
Good Luck
References :
instructor/barn manager in florida
You need all these things for grooming and this is the order in which i use them-
Hoof pick - to pick the dirt and rocks from your horses hooves.
Currycomb - to loosen all the dirt and hair… scrub in circles.
Hard brush- (make sure it's not too hard) to brush all the dirt and hair off.
Soft brush- the finishing brush… makes them shiny. (usually) ;]
Mane and tail comb- to brush the horses tail.
For shedding horses- use a shedding blade. =]
Oster is a good product that I use! ;]
Here's a link:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ritchey.co.uk/images/NetBuild/Hoofpick.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ritchey.co.uk/index.php%3Fpage%3D89&h=294&w=448&sz=10&hl=en&start=3&tbnid=N0v_VX6mcdPGaM:&tbnh=83&tbnw=127&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dhoofpick%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den
Hope this Helps! :]
You can also use moisturizer to make their coat shiny!!!! =]
References :
I always do this in this order:
I get a stiff brush, and I brush any loose like shavings, mud, dust, things of that nature, this doesn't need to be perfect, just helps get some of the crap off.
Up next is the rubber curry comb, when a horse is shedding, this and a shedding blade will be your best friend! Put some muscle into it and go in a circular motion all over the body to remove dried mud, dirt, hay, that gets stuck in the coat, do this all over the body, i personally avoid the legs, and face, but you can use it on the legs, just not the face. I
Next I pick out the feet, if there is mud caked on the feet, i use the side of hte hoof pick to get it off, so my hand's don't get all muddy, or I use a cloth to hold the hoof. either works. Make sure you clean out all of the hoof, be careful by the frog, because that part is sensitive. I like ones with a brush on the end, so i can brush out any shavings or anything left over in the hoof.
Next I use a curry mitt, it's basically an oven mitt shape with like curry things on them, I go down the legs with this, getting off any mud on the legs. If the mud is wet, don't even try to get it off, ou can do one of two things a) wash your horses legs off if it's warm enough b) let it be until after your ride. It should be dry by then, and then go over with a curry mitt/comb. I also use the mitt to get off any dirt off of the face, gently though.
After I have curried and picked out my feet, I take a stiff brush and wipe of the body again, removing any acess hair and other things that may have wound up on him while grooming. Go over him everywhere, legs, neck, body, ect. If you are going to do his face, do it gently, or use a soft brush for his face.
Then I proceed to the mane and tail, for the mane, I use my " Tail tamer" paddle brush thing, they are great, I just run it through the mane, until all the knots and snarls are out, and it's how you like it. This shouldn't take long.
THen the tail, I try not to use my tail tamer ont his, but insteads I use a comb, or a soft bristle brush. I go through the tail and brush out any shavings, hay, burrs, ect. I do this in chunks of the tail, not all at once. Once that is done, I get some tail detangeler if it's tangled and I work it through the tail. I was always, always told to work at the bottom of the tail and work your way up, with your comb, or whatever you are doing, stand by your horses rump/flank, not behind him, but next to him, grab a chunk of his tail and start from the bottom and get out all knots and snarls, and things.
Then I get tacked up after he is done.
After your ride, you should always pick your horses feet out., make sure he is cooled down properly, and give him a quick grooming around his saddle and girth area.
Hope this helps!
References :
You will need a curry comb (I like the soft black rubber ones because you can use them all the way down the legs) a coarse bristled brush, a fine or soft bristled brush, a long plastic mane and tail comb, and because it is shedding season, a shedding blade. A shedding blade has small blunt saw-like teeth on one side. The other side is straight and can be used as a sweat scraper. It can be held with a hand at each end or the handles placed together so it can be used one handed. If your hands are small buy the smaller sized brushes. If you can hold it better you will do a better job. At this time of year start with the shedding blade. Use it all along the neck and body. As a general rule of thumb, never use anything metal except the hoof pick, below the knees/hocks. Brushes often seem useless right now. Start with the shedding blade following the growth pattern of the hair. Next, do the same thing using the coarse brush this time also brushing the face and ears and throat. Gently comb out the mane and tail. Pick up and pick out each hoof. If you let the fetlocks grow long, use the mane and tail comb. When grooming at other times of the year, start by curry combing the horse from nose to tail and down the legs. Be assertive when grooming, but always be careful and gentle around the eyes, lower legs, and other sensitive areas. Next, repeat what you just did with the coarse brush followed by the soft brush. Again, comb out the mane and tail. Brushes just don't do a good job on the tail. Remember to pick out those hooves! If you hose off or shampoo your horse in the good weather, now is when you can use the straight side of the shedding blade! You might also want to buy a rice root brush for wet grooming. They won't rot or fall apart in water! If you want to bring out the horse's natural coat shine try to find some old linen napkins. They have to be all linen! Try thrift stores and yard/garage sales. Simply rub the dry coat in the direction of growth. Always take your time and enjoy the time you spend with your horse. It can lead to a closer bond between you. If you have a problem with burdocks in the mane or tail, never try to pull them out of the hair. You have to pull the hair away from the burr. Hold the burr with one hand and pull a few hairs at a time away from the burr with the edge tooth of the mane and tail comb. This takes time and can be boring but it is really the only way to do it. Good luck and happy riding!
References :
Years of having had horses!
A curry comb brush, rubber one. do notuse the metal one on the lower legs, to remover the heavy dirt. Body brushs. to brush out the coat, mane, and tail. You can use one in each hand to really get a shime. it take work. Mane and tail comb, maybe a main and tail knike. On a shedding horse use the carry comb and brush like hell. clean the curry offtin. You can use a hack saw blade, but be carefull. they use to make a hack saw blade kile tool to use on the horse. a hoof pick, and a small electric clipper.
References :
Me.