Grooming Guide

It really does make a difference if the brushes used when grooming do the job they are designed to do extremely well. This is no substitute for good stable management and attention to detail, but a really good grooming brush can help keep a high standard of turnout.

Why groom your horse?

To remove mud, dirt, scurf or sweat
To keep the skin in good condition and
stimulate the circulation
To tone or relax muscles
To improve appearance
To provide an opportunity for checking for cuts, soreness or swelling

How much grooming a horse needs depends on the environment it lives in and the amount of work it is doing. The fit, stabled horse fed on a high concentrate diet requires thorough grooming to help aid circulation and massage muscles. Horses that live out for at least part of the time, and in the winter wearing a New Zealand rug, can still benefit from a thorough grooming.

Horses and ponies living out all the time, particularly in the winter - without a rug should not be rigorously groomed as it will
remove the natural oils in their coats that help protect against the weather.

This guide aims to demonstrate how to produce a well groomed horse or pony and pass on our top tips for the best brushes to use.

When grooming, first tie your horse up and then pick out it's feet. Then begin grooming at the poll region on the left side and gradually work back over the whole body. Repeat on the right side. First, use a dandy brush or plastic or rubber curry comb (depending on your horse's coat type) to remove mud and scurf - use the dandy brush on legs and heels. Then use the body brush and curry comb. Always use a body brush on your horses mane and tail if it is fine or pulled. Finish off your groom by wiping him over with a stable rubber.

On the grass kept horse or pony the dandy brush should be used all over the body instead of the body brush, so as not to lose the natural "weather-proofing" oils from his coat. For stubborn mud patches on the coat you can use a to-and-fro movement, but do not brush too hard on sensitive areas.

Use the hoof pick by working downwards from the heel towards the toe, removing whatever may be lodged with the point of the pick. Then clear the cleft of the frog. Check for any shoe wear or risen clenches. Put a dung skip underneath the hoof you are picking out to catch the dirt and any stones. To save time teach your horse to pick up all his feet from one side. Also pick out the feet before leaving the stable so as not to leave a trail of bedding in the yard. Tie a loop of string round your hoof pick so it's always easy to find!