Dawn M. Richard and Karyn Malinowski, Ph.D.
Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Grooming
is important in maintaining the health and happiness of your
horse. In the wild, horses groom each other as well as rolling
at will and rubbing against trees to maintain healthy skin.
Domesticated horses must rely on humans to provide the opportunity
for skin care. Grooming, no matter who does it (horses or
humans) increases the circulation to the skin which then releases
the oils that provide luster to the horses coat.
Horses
that are frequently worked, for whatever purpose, should be
kept properly groomed at all times. A shiny, healthy coat
does not develop overnight. It takes daily grooming over a
long period of time to achieve the supple coat of a winner.
Daily grooming also eases the burden of the shedding season
by removing the hair gradually.
As well
as providing a shiny coat, regular grooming also enables one
to notice any abnormalities on the horse. Abnormalities such
as cuts, irritations, or fever can be detected and treated,
during a thorough grooming session. Horse safety when grooming
relies on common horse sense; not only knowing the Dos and
Don'ts, but actually practicing them around the horse. Before
you do something you might regret, imagine the worst possible
scenario and decide if it is worth taking the risk. Following
are a few common horse sense practices:
- Do
not jump around, move suddenly, or behave nervously around
horses. All of these actions result in a nervous horse that
is unsafe to work around.
- Hard-toed
shoes or boots should be worn when working around horses.
One of the most common horse-related injuries is having
ones feet stepped on.
- Always
let the horse know what you intend to do. Quick, sudden
movements startle horses and should be avoided.
- Keep
all equipment away from the work area, unless it is being
used at the moment. This prevents the horse from stepping
on it, playing with it, or chewing on it, as well as preventing
you from accidentally tripping on it.
Figure
1 lists the names and purposes of some common grooming
tools. All grooming equipment is safe. It is dangerous only
when used improperly or in rough hands. Once you have a grasp
of the purpose of each tool and how to use it, grooming is
easy.
Start
grooming on the near or left side of the neck and work towards
the rear of the horse. Areas that have few muscles and bones
near the surface, such as the face, legs and hips, should
be groomed carefully and gently. Stand near the horse as you
groom it. Make fluid, not quick jerky movements that are likely
to startle the horse.
Do not
hurry the grooming procedure with a young horse. Let it become
accustomed to the tools and their uses.
When
changing sides, either walk far enough away to avoid getting
kicked or stay close to the horses rear quarter with a hand
on the rump, to break the momentum of the kick. Never step
over the lead rope or crossties (which should not be low enough
to step over anyway). This puts you in a very dangerous position
should the horse panic and pull back on the rope. Never crawl
under the horses belly. Even the most docile horse can spook
and step on you.
The
grooming process begins with currying. The purpose of currying
is to loosen caked-on dirt and to bring dust and dandruff
to the surface for easy removal. Either a Sarvis curry or
a rubber curry may be used. Start currying at the neck and
firmly brush the hair in circular movements while working
towards the rear. Pay particular attention to areas you cannot
see such as the belly and underline, between the legs and
behind the ears, because they are often forgotten. Vigorous
circular movements when currying increases circulation to
the skin. This, in turn, leads to healthy skin. By releasing
the skins natural oils, the coat also takes on a healthy shine.
Be careful not to curry too vigorously on bony areas, and
do not use any curry comb on the face. A rubber curry mit
should be used on the bony areas and the face. With the mit,
pressure can be applied to remove dirt and hair without injuring
the sensitive areas.
Brushing
with a stiff body brush should follow currying. Brushing returns
the hair to its normal position and removes the dirt brought
to the surface by currying. Brush with short, firm strokes
not long fluid strokes. Long stokes only move the dirt from
one area to another while short swift strokes flick the debris
off the horse. Brush with the grain of the coat. While brushing
with one hand, hold the curry in the other to clean out the
brush every few strokes. Do not use the stiff brush on the
face. Remember to brush the belly and underline. Be aware
that some horses are ticklish there and may become fidgety.
During fly season, particularly, a horse often thrusts its
hind leg forward to chase flies from the abdomen; therefore,
it is wise to keep your head and body out of striking range
when working in that area.
Follow
the stiff brushing with a brushing with a soft brush. This
second brushing removes the dust left by the coarser, stiff
brush and brings oils to the surface, giving a lustrous shine
to the horses coat. The face can also be brushed with the
finer, soft brush. Before grooming the head, untie the horse
and hold it by the halter. With a soft brush start at the
forehead and move down the face, brushing with the grain of
the hair. Avoid the eyes. Be gentle around the nose and mouth.
Some horses are sensitive or ticklish in these areas and may
try to move their heads to avoid the brush.
When
grooming the legs, bend at the hips or remain in a squat position.
Do not sit on the ground or rest one or both knees on the
ground. These are committed positions, which means once in
them, it takes longer than a split second to get out of them.
In committed positions, if the horse should become frightened,
the time it would take you to move away from scrambling feet
and the chance of becoming seriously injured is increased.
It always helps to have your free hand resting on the horses
body while working on the legs. This way you can feel the
muscles tense up and be warned that the horse is about to
panic.
Do not
try to scrub wet mud off a horses legs. Scrubbing wet or muddy
legs may lead to grease heel or other forms of dermatitis.
Muddy legs should either be allowed to dry and then cleaned
with a curry or stiff brush, or hosed off and then allowed
to dry.
Always
pick a horses feet out each time you groom it. The task is
made much easier if you square the horse before you attempt
to clean its feet. Start with the left front foot and work
around the horse, ending with the right front foot. For each
foot, face the rear of the horse. Do not reach for and grab
the foot hurriedly. Slide your left hand down the forearm.
Many horses will lift their foot once you reach the ankle.
If not, then gently squeeze the tendons above the ankle. If
necessary, lean into the horse while squeezing the tendons.
This will place it off balance causing it to lift its foot.
As the horse raises its foot, slide your hand around to the
front of the ankle and raise it to knee height.
Do not try to hold the foot if the horse struggles. Release
the foot and start again. Do not let the horse have the last
word or it will become increasingly more difficult to maintain
a hold on the foot.
Once
you have the foot in hand, pick out the crevices around the
frog as well as the frog itself (See Figure). Always pick
from heel to toe. Using the pick from toe to heel could result
in an injury to the frog if the foot is jerked from your hand
with the hoof pick caught in the crevice.
Do not
stick your face too close to the foot when you clean it. A
quick jerk could result in a painful blow to the head.
Watch
the position of your feet. Make sure they are off to the side
of the horse to avoid being stepped on when the foot is jerked
out or released from your hand. Gently release the foot. Do
not drop it.
The
hind feet are picked up the same way as the front feet. When
you move to the right side of the horse to clean the right
feet, hold the feet with your right hand and pick with your
left.
Grooming
the mane and tail differs according to the breed and use of
the horse. For most hunters and stock horses, the mane and
tail are brushed with either a Sarvis curry or a mane and
tail comb. A horse with fine, thin hair that falls out easily
should have its mane and tail groomed frequently with nothing
more severe than a soft brush and the knots separated with
ones fingers to limit hair loss. Burrs and knots should not
be combed out. Rather pull hairs away from the burr or knot
until it is free. This method prevents excessive hair loss.
When brushing the tail, always stand to the side of the horse.
Do not stand directly behind the horse.
A pulling
comb is used to shorten and thin a mane and forelock. Never
use scissors to shorten the mane or forelock. To shorten a
mane, first comb out the mane. Grab a small section of long
hairs and push the remaining hairs back with the comb. Wind
the small section of long hairs around your fingers or the
comb and pull them out quickly and straight down. If you feel
a lot of resistance when you pull, you probably have too much
hair in the section. Make sure the hair is pulled out from
the roots and is not just breaking at the ends. If this happens,
the mane will be short, but thick and hard to manage. To most
horses this is not painful, but some horses are sensitive
in this area and may present a problem.
Remember
to clean the eyes, ears and nostrils with a clean cloth or
sponge. Also check and clean, if necessary, the anus, vulva
or sheath, and between the teats.
Fly
season can be a very annoying time for your horse. You can
lessen the irritation by spraying your horse with fly spray.
Spray from the same positions you used to groom him. Do not
spray directly on the face. Put some liquid in your hand or
on a cloth and rub it on. Many commercial fly wipes/sprays
are available. Select one that fits your needs.
Always
clean all tools before putting them away. For safer stable
hygiene, it is better to have a set of tools for each individual
horse if possible. This lessens the possibility of transmitting
communicable organisms from one horse to another. If it is
not possible for each horse to have its own equipment, then
infected horses should have their own set and the remaining
tools shared among the other horses. Once the infected horse
overcomes the ailment, whether it be mange, lice, ringworm,
or rain rot, the tools should be disinfected before being
used again.
If at
any time, while you are working around the horse, the horse
refuses to stand still and begins to shove you, reprimand
it immediately by voice commands and a firm push to let the
horse know that this behavior is undesirable. Eventually the
horse will learn to move on voice commands only. Never punish
a horse in anger because the punishment may be too severe.
Never strike a horse in the head or kick its legs.
When
horse sense is used, grooming is safe and easy. Take the time
to groom the horse properly and you will be amazed at the
results. With a clean, well-groomed horse at hand you can
now saddle up and enjoy the day.
Disclaimer
and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not
represent NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears
by permission of the author and/or copyright holder. More
NASD Review: 04/2002
This
document is FS347, a series of the Rutgers Cooperative Extension,
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. Publication date:
November 1988.
Distributed in cooperation with U.S. Department of Agriculture
in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June
30, 1914. Cooperative Extension work in agriculture, home
economics, and 4-H, Zane R. Helsel, director of Extension.
Rutgers Cooperative Extension provides information and educational
services to all people without regard to sex, race, color,
national origin, disability or handicap, or age. Rutgers
Cooperative Extension is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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