Things You'll Need:
- All the grooming supplies mentioned in this article
-
Step 1
Find a grooming box. The first thing you will need for your horse's grooming kit is a sturdy box. You will find these at your local tack shop. You can also use those plastic carry boxes with compartments that are used for carrying household cleaning products. You can even make your own grooming kit out of wood. A grooming kit is best if it has a handle and different sections for your grooming products.
-
Step 2
Choose your brushes. Every horse's grooming kit needs a variety of brushes. You will find brushes in all kinds of colors and in smaller sizes to suit children's hands. In every grooming kit you will need at least one hard bristled Dandy brush, a medium bristled brush and a super soft brush.
-
Step 3
Choose a curry comb. When shopping for your grooming tools you will be confronted with a number of curry combs. They come in metal, plastic and rubber. You should never use a metal curry comb on your horse. However, they are good to have in your grooming kit, as you can use it to scrape hair of your brushes while you groom your horse. Plastic curry combs are ok, but the teeth can break and they just aren't as good. The best curry combs are the round rubber ones, so get one of these.
-
Step 4
Combs. Your grooming box will need a variety of combs that have different purposes. You should have a thick wide toothed comb to use on your horse's long mane and tail hair. You may also want a comb with teeth closer together. These combs are usually plastic. You will also want a pulling comb in your grooming kit. These are small metal combs used to pull a horse's mane. They can also used for combing a short mane and when braiding a horse's mane.
-
Step 5
Hoof care tools. Your horse's feet are very important, so you must ensure you take good care of them. You will need to clean their feet out regularly and for this you need hoof picks. I suggest having two. One is a simple metal hoof pick and these work best for cleaning dirt and stones from your horse's feet. I also suggest you have a hoof pick with a stiff brush on it. The brush is good for removing mud from the outside of your horse's feet and from the inside. However, the pick itself tends to be a bit wider than on a plain metal pick so it isn't as good.
-
Step 6
Bathing supplies. You will need good bathing supplies for your horse, especially if you are going to horse shows and riding in hot weather. You will need a clean sponge, shampoo for horses, a sweat scraper (not metal, a plastic one with a rubber piece on it), liniment such as, Vetrolin and a wash bucket. If you have a show horse that is in training then after you hose them down in the summer, after riding, give them a sponge bath of water and Vetrolin. This will help them cool down and look after their muscles.
-
Step 7
First aid products. Every responsible horse owner will have a good supply of horse first aid products in their grooming kit. These supplies are: first aid creams and spray. If you horse spends time outside then use a spray on first aid 'cream'. You will also want clean bandages, gauze pads, wound cleaner, and masking tape. You can always ask your vet what else you should include and for tips on how to use these products if you are new to it.
-
Step 8
Have a good supply of clean towels. Clean towels are an essentail part to your grooming kit. They have many uses including first aid, final touches to grooming your horse and wiping a rider's boots. Make sure they are clean and changed regularly or else their purpose is defeated.
Comments
carby said
on 3/11/2009 Very nice article, with lots of good ideas. 5*
dlcass said
on 3/4/2009 A first class grooming box article. I don't know why I ever bother to bathe my horse, she only rolls in the dirt afterward...Ha, ha!