7 Horse Grooming tips you will love
You would certainly want your horse to look great if you have the one at home as a pet. It might not be easy to groom and take care of the horse the way professional groomers do but there are several ways through which you can achieve this. You would always need the right technique rather than the skill.
It is important to observe the professional groomer on how they work or how they execute the specific task. You would need to follow certain instructions when it comes to grooming your horse. With little extra effort, you can make this possible. Here is a list of a few grooming tips that will help you to take care of your horse.
Safety is first
Horses are known to follow their safety concerns all the time. They can suddenly react to quick-moving limbs, jumping to the side, or kicking in case they notice any kind of unpleasant situation. Hence make sure to keep the horse calm during the grooming process. You can do this by standing to the side especially while working on his legs.
Also, be careful while being around sensitive areas of the body. Make sure not to use any kind of hard metal curry comb on the boney part or follow the rough brushing on the belly. You can get these accessories easily at PetStock. Apart from this make sure to tie a quick-release knot on the horse’s head while tying him up. Using non-threatening body language also helps.
Get a repeatable grooming schedule
Doing a thing in a sequence and laying out a proper method will help you to groom your horse perfectly. Horses tend to love the predictability and routine. If you follow the grooming process with a proper routine then they will also respond to you by showing the will and being relaxed during the grooming process.
Hence make sure to create a routine and stick to it. Several horse owners generally start with taking the vital signs of the horse. This is considered an excellent habit. Once done with vitals then they start focusing on Flick, Curry, Mane, Tail, Dandy, and Finish.
Keep the rugs handy
Make sure to keep the rugs handy during the grooming session of your horse. You can get these rugs easily at Costco. You can use the damp rug to wipe his body after every few strokes to get rid of dust. You can do this before every showtime. Also make sure to clean the eyes, ears, and nose with the help of a clean and damp cloth after the grooming routine.
Make sure to use the separate cloth for dock area cleaning. You can quickly wipe down the brushed tail with a damp cloth to remove the dirt and let the hair lay down to get the polished look. You can also flatten the mane with a damp cloth after combining it.
Clean shaving
Clean shaving also helps to keep things tidy during the grooming session of the horse. You can sprinkle the clean shavings on the ground after picking up the loose stools to keep their feet clean. You can then easily sweep it away once done.
If you have the mud-encrusted horse then make sure to remove and loosen it as much as possible with the help of curry. You can then dip the sandy brush into the damp clean shavings to brush your horse. Make sure to follow up the brushing with a flick brush. Here the shavings should look grayish when you drop at the floor.
Get a straw
You can help your sweaty horse to dry off after exercising by rubbing it down with a bunch of clean straw. You can make a wisp with straw or hay. You can use it to give extra shine to the horse. If not available then you can also use a towel followed by the cactus cloth to give a stimulating massage.
Low tech hoof conditioning
Dry Hooves are known as the result of standing in the bedding. These hooves absorb moisture in warmer climates. You can hose the hooves with water before you start grooming. Post this you can apply a hoof conditioner when the hoof is still moist. You can use any Vaseline-based products to seal the moisture.
