Comments on: How to Groom a Horse

on 11/30/2005 Grooming is not only physically healthy for your horse but it also strenghens the bond between you. Most people regularly give their horse's 15 minutes groomings before and after they ride, if that. Make sure that you set aside some time to give your horse a really, really, thorough grooming and spend some time with him/her. It's better if you don't do this around feeding time, because most horses anticipate that and get impatient and don't enjoy standing around when their dinner is waiting.

on 11/22/2005 To clean your horses hooves, use a hoof pick. To lift your horses hoof go all the way dow the horses leg and sqeeze with thumb and pointer finger. Then clean out all of the hoof except the frog.

on 11/22/2005 If you have spray-on fly repellent, be sure to spray it on a cloth or a sponge and wipe it on the horse instead of spraying it directly on the horse. If you do spray it on directly it is absorbed by their skin. If too too much gets into one spot it can cause skin problems.

on 11/22/2005 Give your horse a bath every week or so, and hose him down after you ride him to help cool him off. Also flies are attracted to dry sweat and bathing will help keep your horse fly-free. Never give your horse a bath in cold weather. If it is colder than 65 F it is too cold for him. Just wipe him off with a damp cloth. :)

on 11/22/2005 If the weather is warm enough, hose your horse down, then when you brush them the hair will fall straight to the ground and not in the air.

on 11/22/2005 For a special occasion, such as a horse show,a pony should look it's best. The mane and tail can be washed the day before, and if the weather is warm enough, you can give the pony a bath. Use shampoo with care, and avoid the eyes. Remove excess water with a sweat scraper, then walk the pony around until it is dry.

on 11/22/2005 When catching a horse in the pasture (this tip really helps with horses that people don't do much with), make sure that the horse knows that you are there. Horses are curious animals, they want to see who you are and what you are doing in their pasture. Sometimes it helps if you squat every few steps, so the horse feels like you are not some big monster.

on 11/22/2005 Don't use moisturizing spray on the the saddle areas, it can cause your saddle to slip.

on 11/22/2005 All horses are unpredictable, they can kick and bite at any time. If ever unsure on what to do, be sure to ask for assistance. Never walk behind a horse.

on 11/22/2005 Everyone always talks about metal curry combs being bad, but I have had much different experiences. I had a Welsh pony that was kept with no blankets and had to be shown. He was very hairy and I frequently used the round metal curry when he was shedding huge amounts of hair. They didn't hurt him in any way, and really helped to remove the hair. The only time it seemed to hurt him was if it was used on his legs, and even then he was not bothered a great deal. My friends have had very similar experiences with metal curry combs.

on 11/22/2005 For a shiny and clean coat, use a grooming mitt that has been wet down with Mane and Tail Spray (it works great on the body too) and then use the currycomb. Be sure to reapply and clean the mitt as you go along. Don't forget to put Thrush Bomb (or some thrush preventative) in your horses hooves once a week to keep them thrush free, and condition at least twice! If your horse has extra soft hooves, use some iodine to harden them up.

on 11/22/2005 Don't use moisturizing spray on the saddle area! Doing so can cause your saddle to slip.

on 11/22/2005 Rub Huggies baby wipes on the poo stains. I have a grey pony that loves to get covered in poo the day before a show, and I find that this is the only thing that actually works.

on 11/22/2005 Please don't tie your horse to anything that can break, such as a rail of a fence. If your horse pulls back,he can break off the board and bolt, pulling the board the board behind him. Both the horse and humans could get seriously hurt this way. And never tie with a chain end lead, shank or a bridle, your horse could be seriously injured if you do.

on 11/22/2005 use a groomers block(similar to a bot block for grills) on the white areas of your horse- it will remove manuer stains as well as loose hair