Monday, November 2, 2009

Daily Grooming Process ~ How and Why

Another short post today, things are just still so busy because of the lovely weather and upcoming horse shows!! I have some awesome topics we will be exploring in the coming weeks and months, as well as some fabulous questions my readers have been sending in. You guys are wonderful!! Thanks for helping make this blog such a success!!

Okay, let's get on with it.

There are some things that are truly essential, no matter if you are a professional trainer with a barn full of show horses or a one horse owner who enjoys weekly trail rides. Good, thorough [preferably daily] grooming is one of them.

Here, every horse is examined and groomed using the following procedures each and every day they are worked to ensure the horse is clean and well groomed. Also, this process is used to keep track of injuries or other physical abnormalities which may arise.

At the beginning when each horse is brought out for grooming and getting ready for daily work, I perform the following routine: wipe face & ears with damp rag (after being worked, a soft finishing brush may be used for final grooming instead of the rag), fly spray, pick out hooves, curry body, brush forelock, mane & tail, brush body, brush legs and finally, wipe body on bay, chestnut & black horses to remove dust or wash green spots on grey horses. I always use my hands and rub each horse while body brushing, which helps bring out that lustrous shine.

After the horse is worked, cooled out, hosed off if necessary and walked, I’ll repeat the same basic grooming process, including the following steps, and put him/her away: Show Sheen spray on mane (to prevent tangles), EQyss Premier spray on body (to rehydrate coat), Vaseline on leg chestnuts (to keep them soft), Hooflex hoof dressing on coronet band, heel and sole of hoof (to condition hooves), Mane ‘N’ Tail on forelocks, crest of mane and top of tail (to aide in growth and condition), Listerine for top of tail (to prevent rubbing), Fly spray, Corona ointment on any scrapes (to grow new hair), then finally any additional medication or treatment necessary.

I use this daily grooming process to notice scrapes, cuts, swelling or any abnormalities and immediately make a note on my veterinary board and in each horse’s chart.

Especially important during the Winter, because of lengthening coats, getting your hands on your horse(s) will help ensure their good health, along with a great feeding program, regular veterinary care and routine farrier visits.

Take great care of your horse and you'll have a partner who can and will take you anywhere you want to go. :) Until next time...

~SFTS

4 comments:

  1. Great post...grooming is key to finding issues early on and preventing many too! :)

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  2. I consider myself pretty thorough but there are some good tips here that I will start incorporating into my routine. Thanks!

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  3. Questions:

    Do you put the Listerine on before or after the Mane N Tail?

    Have you ever used MTG and what do you think of it?

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  4. Thanks Kristen!! That's what I find, too. :)

    You are so very welcome MQH, glad to see you here!

    On the Listerine, it is applied after treating (for lack of a better word) the rest of the tail in MnT. I only spray the top of the tailbone, where horses are most likely to rub. It can also be used on a horse who likes to rub the mane, a wonderful product for such uses because of it's antiseptic qualities.

    I have not personally used M-T-G, though I know folks who do and have. They've had good results with it (and a number of beauticians use it as well, from what I am told), but I don't like the fact that it's an oil. Not a big deal for horses living in matted box stalls on shavings in a barn, but if they've got access to dirt, it can be a mess. So can MnT, but it's easier to wash out in my experience.

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