Happy Horse……
Notice anything unusual about the horse in this photo? Yup,-that’s right, he’s smiling. In fact, this horse seemed pretty happy to pose for a photo. After a few tsks,tsks, and click, click sounds from the photographer, this horse seemed to want to show off a little more.
This is what good grooming and proper equine care can do for horses. Just like humans, horses love to be pampered and stable horses especially need daily grooming both before and after exercise to stay happy and healthy.
Regular grooming is essential to the well being of a horse. Good horse management requires thorough brushing to help remove dust, dead skin and hair, which helps keep the pores open and clean. Horses excrete waste matter in the form of sweat.
Therefore, it is critical to the horse’s health that the skin and coat are kept clean to keep this system flowing. Good grooming practice also improves a horse’s muscle tone and provides a soothing massage for your equine friend. Another benefit of daily grooming is that the horse’s tack and rugs are always clean, which helps to prevent sores from developing on the skin.
An obvious part of good grooming involve the areas under the saddle and bridle. These areas must always be kept clean, but only the worst of mud should be washed off of a horse for appearance sake. Here are a few more horse grooming tips that are essential to keep horses happy and healthy:
- Walk the horse and let it dry. Do not try a groom a sweaty horse.
- Let wet mud dry off or hose it off before brushing. Do not try and brush off wet mud.
- To help dry off a wet horse in a stable, cover the animal with a breathable material, such as a mesh sheet or string rug. Always use a “breathable” type of material to help dry. Thatching a horse is also popular. This involves putting a layer of straw along the back and quarters with a rug placed over the top.
- A dandy brush or rubber curry comb is best to use to remove dried mud. If mud is in a sensitive area of the horses skin, for example the hindquarters, remove with your hand.
- Do not remove rugs altogether when grooming a clipped horse. This will keep heat from the horse. Just turn his rugs back and forward.
- Shake all rugs and blankets out every week. Clean rugs and blankets are essential to keeping the horse clean.
- Never stand directly behind a horse. He may get spooked and you may end up very hurt.
- Never sit or kneel on the floor to reach a horses lower parts. Always stay in position such as a bend or squat so you can move quickly if the horse reacts.
- During daily grooming, keep an eye out for any sores, lumps or bumps, or skin injuries. If anything suspicious is found, seek professional medical advice to avoid impending soundness problems.
