How to Brush the Mane of a Horse

Brushing the mane and forelock of your horse should be part of a daily grooming routine. It removes sweat, dust and dirt from the mane and gets rid of loose hair. You can purchase specialized brushes for grooming your horse's mane, or use a quality hair brush made for humans.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Move slowly and deliberately toward the horse with your brush in hand. Some horses are "head shy," meaning they're uncomfortable when people touch their head. Let a horse get very comfortable with you and the brush before you brush the forelock.

2. Stroke the forelock down with the brush, taking care to keep the horse's hair and the brush away from the eyes. When you're done, pet the horse's face. This helps head shy horses feel more comfortable with grooming.

3. Train your horse's mane to lay to the right side of her neck. Wet the hair brush before you start if the mane doesn't lie to the right.

4. Use long, gentle strokes to brush the horse's hair. While you're brushing your horse's mane, rub his neck gently to soothe and comfort him. This makes grooming a pleasant experience for the animal.

5. Brush a horse's mane after every ride or every day, whichever comes first.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't spray water on the horse if you need to wet the mane: always spray water onto the brush. Horses get startled if you spray their head directly.