How to Use A Soft Curry

Grooming your horse provides quite a few benefits to the horse, their coat, and to you. It offers a chance for you to examine them on a daily basis, and make sure their skin is healthy. It also allows for a bond to form. Grooming time is often a favorite past time between horses and their owners, thanks to the health benefits for the horse and relaxation for both horse and handler.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Dirty horse
• Halter and Lead
• Soft Rubber Curry Comb

1. 
    
   Good place to start using the curry

   Once you have your horse haltered, and attached to you on their lead line, you need to take your soft rubber curry and begin grooming. I like to start on the neck, behind the ears. The proper way to use your curry is with moderate pressure, making a circular motion, going AGAINST the grain of the hair.

2. 
    
   Curry over topline and withers

   Cover the entire body of the horse, rubbing methodically in a circular motion. This includes the midline under the barrel (abdomen), down the legs to the knees in front and hocks behind.

3. 
    
   Loose dirt and hair

   The reason for using the curry is to loosen dirt and loose hair, stimulate the skin's oil glands, and provide a soothing massage to the horse. It offers you the chance to check for wounds, and skin fungus.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure you stand in safe positions while grooming, and keep one hand on your horse at all times. This allows you to feel what your horse is doing, before they do it. It also allows your horse to know where you are at all times.
• Enjoy yourself! Grooming is a great time to get to know your horse- where they itch, where they like to be rubbed, and often times they will blow out a big breath and doze.
• Never stand directly behind your horse, or directly in front of your horse. If they should doze off and be startled awake, you may be on the receiving end of a kick or bump.