Horseback Riding 101: Grooming Your Horse
Posted: Tuesday, November 10, 2009
by Dianne Lehmann
Artisan Jewelry from SyZyGy
I've been hanging out with, caring for, and riding horses for quite a few months now. That doesn't really qualify me in anyway to write about the care and grooming of horses, let alone how to ride them. But I can share with you some of the things I've learned along the way things I wish people had told me much earlier on. I am passionate about horses in general and just want to share a little bit of this.
Also, horses like to roll in the dirt and it not only sits on top of their hair (horses do not have fur), it works its way down onto the skin. Sand and small bits of rock can cause damage and pain if they are trapped under a saddle and ground into your horse's skin by the weight of the saddle (around 20 to 30 pounds for an English saddle) and the person sitting on his back. So a good grooming beforehand is a must. Summer hair is easier to groom, it is shorter and holds the dirt less well. In the winter, especially if the horse is not kept in an enclosed stable, your horse will grow a winter coat that is shaggy and soft (really, really soft) and thick and holds the dirt much better. So you might have to allow a little more grooming time and be sure to do a really good job where the saddle will sit.
Most places you might go for riding lessons will have grooming supplies on hand. Because where I go is so popular, the supplies are usually in use. For this reason, I put together my own kit. It doesn't require much or a great outlay of money. The tools you will need are pretty basic: a rubber curry, a medium stiff bristled flick brush, a shedding tool (for in the spring when he is shedding his winter coat) with a straight side to use as a sweat scraper (can also be used to scrape water off after hosing down), a hoof pick, and a mane and tail brush (any regular hair brush of the kind with metal or plastic round tipped bristles will do). You might also want to include a large sponge for cleaning the face and throat of dried sweat after a hard workout and a soft, short bristled brush for use on the face and lower legs. But you can get along quite well with just the five main items noted first.
Where to Groom Your Horse: Some horses will stand very calmly wearing a halter that is cross tied (a rope comes from supports on either side of the horse and hooks to rings on either side of the halter). Some horses will not. So where you groom your horse will depend on what you like and what the horse will tolerate. I prefer to do all my grooming in the horse's stall. That's mainly because the first time I tried my horse on a cross tie by myself, he panicked a bit and reared and then fell down. Neither of us liked it all that much. I didn't know at that time that he had broken his neck in just this kind of situation and was a bit sensitive about it. I'd been shown to groom and tack him on the cross tie, but have since given it up. He'll stand this way for the owner, but not for me. Horses will behave differently with different people. Always take this into account when someone tells you something about a horse. Also, a quarter or so of a flake of hay in his food bin makes him happy and gives him something to do while I am busily working the dirt out of his hair. Be sure to check with your horse's owner before feeding him any significant amounts of food. Treats like apples and carrots are usually acceptable. Under no circumstances should you give a horse tomatoes or potatoes (that is, anything in the deadly nightshade family).
Always, when working around a horse, be aware of where his feet are and where yours are. I wear a pair of steel toed work shoes while grooming horses because I've been stepped on a couple of times. No matter how attentive you try to be, your horse can still move faster than you can anticipate. One old mare (she's an incredible 37 years old) I groom can move so fast you wouldn't believe it. I've seen the owner working with her horses while she is wearing flip-flops and that is her prerogative, but you will never catch me doing that.
A couple things to look for are how your horse's weight is distributed and does he seem relaxed. A relaxed horse will have his head slightly down, his neck stretched out, his eyes will be a little bit closed and his tail will be loose. His ears will be mobile or slightly out to the sides. A horse that is not relaxed and is maybe getting ready to spook will clamp his tail tightly to his body, his ears will be pricked, his head will be high and his eyes will be wide open and maybe even showing a little white.
Sometimes a horse that is relaxed will take the weight off of one of his feet and touch the tip of that hoof to the ground. If he is going to kick for some reason or other, this is the foot that he is most likely going to use (he's already supporting his weight on the other three). Also, horses stomp a lot and quite hard to jar the biting flies loose from their legs. They don't always put that foot back down exactly where it was when they picked it up. So stay alert and constantly check where you are in relation to your horse. Oh, that old saw about never walking behind a horse just is not true. But you do want to let them know where you are when you do. Talk to him as you walk behind him or leave your hand on his croup (the top part of the back end just forward of the tail) and move it along with you as you walk from one side to the other.
It is advisable to learn the way your horse expresses his various moods. Pay attention to how he responds to sounds and sudden movement, tarps flapping in the wind and paper or plastic bags rustling. This will also help you when you get up on him for a ride.
The Rubber Curry and The Flick Brush: When I first started grooming horses, I was told simply to use the rubber curry (usually a round shaped "brush" that will either have a handle or not and has large rubber nubs on the one side; some have another side with smaller nubs) in a circular motion, with a fair amount of pressure, over the entire body of my horse. The flick brush was to be used to "flick" the loosened dirt, mud and other debris from my horse's hair with short flicks of my wrist. And this is good instruction in so far as it goes.
In reality, I've found that it is best to use the flick brush in conjunction with the curry. Removing the dirt as you go lets you see how well you are doing and what areas might need more attention. Another good reason to flick as you curry, is that horses don't really like having their hair pushed and pulled in directions other than the way it grows. By flicking an area right after currying it, you can straighten out all the hair that you have mussed.
After doing a small section, rub the curry and the flick brush over each other. This removes the dirt from each and keeps you from redepositing it on your horse. I'd be ashamed to tell you how long it took me to figure this one out. It wasn't until I saw another rider do it that the light bulb went on. It will lessen the amount of work you have to do.
In general, you will want to use a light pressure with the curry on the neck and especially the throat. Actually, I mostly only use the flick brush on the throat. You can use it in a circular motion as with the curry to loosen up the dirt and then gently flick it away. Also use light pressure with the curry over any part that is not well fleshed like the withers (where the neck joins the back), the lower legs (some people say to never use the curry on the lower legs, but if you work slowly and gently it is not a problem), and the point of the hips, for example. You can work more vigorously on the area where the saddle sits (I usually go over this area a couple of times) and the croup and thighs. The chest and belly can also take a lot of pressure.
Horses have several spots that they especially like to have scratched or rubbed. One of them is on their belly just back of their front legs. This is a spot that they can not reach on their own and in the summer the flies bite them there a lot. The fly bites itch quite a bit, so if you want your horse to love you, scratch that spot. Beware, though, if your horse is about five years old or younger (have not yet learned all the little polite ways of dealing with humans), they may try to groom you back and their version of grooming can be fairly painful to a human. They sort of scrape your skin with their teeth and will sometimes pinch a bit of skin leaving red marks and a bruise. It can happen very suddenly. I've groomed a few very young horses and found this out the hard way.
The Shedding Tool or Blade: There are a couple kinds of shedders, all are made of metal, some have teeth on both sides (smaller and larger), and some have a smooth side for scraping sweat and water. Mostly these are teardrop shaped and have a plastic or wooden handle at the point. These are mainly used in the spring when your horse is shedding his winter coat. After using the curry, go over the area with the shedder. The winter hair is so long and there is usually so much of it, that when it starts coming out it is too overwhelming for the flick brush. There is also a metal curry (some people say that you should never use a metal curry on a horse, but I suspect they mean you shouldn't use it as you would a curry; as a shedding tool it works great) that can be used in place of the regular shedding tool. It is the latter type that I use simply because it fits in the bag I made for my kit better than a shedding blade does. Exercise great care whenever you use a metal tool on a horse.
Mane and Tail Brush: Some horses have thin mains and some have absolutely luxuriant mains. All benefit equally from regular brushing. As I said earlier, a regular hairbrush works just fine. If the mane is very tangled and matted, do not expect to get all the tangles out in the first brushing. You might have to work at it over several visits. It isn't the most pleasant thing for the horse and if you are short as I am, your arms can get quite tired. Work with a small section at a time and start with the tips of the hair. As you loosen the tangles work your way up to where the hair comes from the ridge of the neck. Work slowly and patiently and try not to pull too much. Hold the hair either against the horse's neck or your hand or arm. Use the same principal when working on his tail. There are products that will help with removing tangles but check first with the owner about using them. I was told I could use one such product on one of the other horses whose mane is mostly white and it yellowed it a bit. So be careful.
It is best to find out first what the horse's owner does with her horses' tails. Some people think that they should never be brushed. Some who show their horses brush their tails regularly. While most horses will let you brush their manes, not all will let you brush their tales at least not until they get to know and trust you. So, if your horse clamps his tail tight to his back end as you start to work on it, you might want to leave that for a time when the two of you are better acquainted.
Hoof Pick: If you are planning on riding the horse you have just groomed, do not neglect to clean his feet. And actually, a horse's feet should be cleaned at least once each day. Debris lodged in the hoof can cause damage to the foot. Hoof picks come in all sorts of configurations and sizes. Some are just a metal hook with a loop of metal for a handle. I prefer a pick with a good sized plastic handle (so I can get a good grip on it) and a hooked metal pick on one side opposite a stiff brush.
Most horses will have been trained to pick up their feet for cleaning. Not all will cooperate generously with your desire. Some will be sweet about it, gently lifting a foot when asked, holding it still and keeping all their weight on the other three. Some will try to let you hold all their weight. This will never work and don't let them get away with it. Gently put the foot back down and then pick it up again putting a little pressure on their shoulder or flank with your shoulder to prevent them from leaning into you and letting you take the weight. If your horse waves his foot around, you most likely are holding it in a manner that is uncomfortable for him; maybe pulling it too far out to the side or trying to hold it too far forward or back. Move it around until you find the spot that is still.
I always start with the left front foot. Hold your hoof pick in your right hand (use your entire hand) with the pick forward and closest to your little finger. Face the back of your horse. To pick up his foot, I run my left hand down his leg to just above the hoof. I apply a little grasping pressure to his leg while saying "foot." Do not say it as if it were a question. Say it as if it is a foregone conclusion that he will lift his foot. Give it about two or three seconds for the request to reach his brain and a decision to be made. Horses are not like a machine that responds immediately. They like to take a moment to think about it, so there is always a delay. Once he picks up his foot, cradle it in the hand not holding the pick.
Some people say it is best to work from the front of the hoof to the back. I've found it easier to work from the back to the front. There is a fleshy structure called the "frog" on the underside of the foot. I think of it as sort of a shock absorber. Do not push the hoof pick into it. This will cause the horse pain and he might decide that he never wants you to clean his feet again. It is widest (almost the entire width of the underside of the foot inside of the hoof wall) at the back and tapers (like a triangle) to a point at the front. Work the pick with a kind of rocking, picking motion along the inside of the hoof wall until you have loosened all the debris and removed any rocks that have become lodged. Finish by using the brush. Move on to the left rear foot and then go on to the right front and right rear feet. On the right side, I hold the hoof pick in my left hand so that my "inner" hand (right hand) is free to cradle the hoof.
Never just let go of the horse's foot when you have finished. Just think, what if you were trusting someone to hold your head off of the floor while you were lying down and then they suddenly let go. Bang, you head smashes into the floor. Not nice. It's sort of like that for the horse.
So, now you've just spent a pleasant 45 minutes to an hour with your horse. He is all cleaned up and ready to go. You've had a chance to get to know each other a little better and now it's time to "tack him up." This next article will be along soon.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)If you wear steel toed boots and the horse steps on your foot, the steel will be crushed down and you will not be able to immediately free your smashed and now trapped toes. Not a pleasant scenario.Additionally, lesson takers and leasers shouldn't be allowed to wear anything BUT closed toed boots around horses. Competent & conscientious owners have finely tuned ground control over their animal and, therefore, are much less likely to be stepped on.I wear nothing but flip flops with my horses when just schooling at home and not once stepped on.Hi Anon.Good advice all around. And I've heard a lot of it on this issue since I wrote this article.I'm much savvier about horses and what they might do than I was in the beginning, but I still wear my steel-toed work shoes (my riding boots, however, do not have steel toes). I'm quick and as soon as I feel pressure on my foot, I retract it. Even so, the steel has kept me from some damage to my feet. I don't anticipate (and yes I know anything can happen and quickly) ever being stepped on so hard as to crush the steel toe and trap my foot. Just the other day, the Percheron shied at a sound while I was grooming him and put his foot on my foot with no harm to either of us. But I take your warning in the helpful way it was intended.I'm curious though, since you are obviously well versed in the care and training of horses, what brought you to my article?Thank you for reading and commenting,Dianne
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