Proper horse care is crucial not only during the coat change in the spring and fall, but you should also use the necessary care items for your horse on all other days of the year to preserve its health. This essay will teach us how to care for horses. You will learn why regular horse grooming is crucial and what you should remember. We will also give you an overview of which horse care products should not be missing from your grooming box. Take the opportunity now and check whether you have the most important utensils ready.
Why is daily brushing important for the horse? Fur and hoof care.
You’ve probably heard this sentence before: “In the wild, horses aren’t groomed.” Of course, they aren’t, but other factors play a role in today’s housekeeping that make horse care essential.
Horses don’t always have to be clean, and they love to roll around in the dirt. Unfortunately for horse owners, it’s usually in the muddiest part of the paddock or paddock, but you should treat your pet to that. Just see the intensive cleaning afterward as a good workout.
Brushing is particularly important so that no dirt remains between the horse’s skin and saddlery or other equipment, which could cause unpleasant friction. When cleaning, you have the chance to detect minor injuries, swelling, skin irritations, or ticks early on. Grooming your horse with a brush all over your pet’s body also serves as a massage, loosens the muscles, and gets the circulation going. Another big advantage: you can strengthen your bond and build a trusting relationship.
Daily cleaning of the hooves should also be part of the grooming ritual. When scraping, you should primarily remove manure, litter, and dirt to prevent thrush from occurring. If the bacteria begin to decompose the hoof horn of the sensitive frog in the middle of the hoof, this can result in severe pain and even life-threatening sepsis. It’s best to use a hoof pick with a brush, as this allows you to clean the frog and remove finer dirt.
At the same time, when you’re scraping out the hoof, you can check whether the iron is still in place. If it slips, it can result in painful pressure sores or even hoof ulcers.
Also, make sure that the horn remains elastic. It is best for the hooves to be exposed to clean moisture, such as dew in the pasture or in water for several minutes. You can also provide additional support with hoof oil or hoof fat. In our blog post, “Proper hoof care for horses” you can read why you shouldn’t neglect hoof care.
Remember this when taking care of your horse every day.
You should first consider the area of the stable that you would want to use for grooming your horse. The horses can be securely tethered in designated places for grooming. But you can also choose the stable alley, as long as this is possible in your stable and you don’t disturb anyone. The surface should be level and non-slip.
Avoid cleaning in the box, as fur and dirt can end up in the bedding or hay and ultimately in your four-legged friend’s stomach. If you have to groom your horse in the box for safety reasons, make sure to dispose of the remaining fur thoroughly afterward.
Ideally, each horse has its own grooming kit or grooming box. In this way, you can prevent any diseases or pests from being passed on between the animals and spreading throughout the stable. In any case, the care utensils should be washed regularly to increase their lifespan and not to provide a breeding ground for small pests.
Each horse likes to be groomed in its own special way. Many animals are ticklish in some places, especially on their stomachs and flanks. In this case, you should be a little more careful and reduce the intensity. However, sensitivity can also indicate pain, especially if it occurs suddenly. For example, some horses react strongly to touch in the back area and push it away when the brush strokes over it. This could be a sign of pain and should be checked by a vet.
Avoid brushing a wet horse, as doing so will only rub the dirt deeper into the coat, and chafing from saddle and bridles is inevitable. First, try to rub your animal dry using a towel. If your four-legged friend has rolled around in the wet dirt, you can help with clean water, depending on the season. In any case, make sure that the saddle and girth layers in particular are free of any dirt and dust.
Caring for the horse after training is at least as important. You should scratch out the hooves again, check the horse’s legs for minor injuries, and remove any sweat residue from the fur, which could otherwise start to itch. If the temperatures allow it, you can also shower your horse after riding. You can read about what you need to consider in our blog post on washing and hosing down horses.
Grooming horses: The different brushes
To ensure that your horse feels calm and happy, you need to brush and care for his coat rarely. However, not every horse brush is suitable for every region of the body. For
example, to remove dirt from the fur, you need different brushes than those
used for the mane and tail. We’ll give you an overview of what you can use the body brush, root brush, etc. for.
Body Brush
Brush brushes have fine bristles and ensure that the horse’s coat is thoroughly smoothed after grooming. The brushes are good for delicate body regions like the head and legs because they remove loose hair and dust from the fur. You can clean the brush with warm water and shampoo, but it should be allowed to dry properly afterward to avoid an unpleasant smell. However, be careful with a brush with a wooden back as it can crack or split if it gets soaked in water.
Root brush
The long and hard bristles of a root brush are particularly beneficial for dried mud, and sand residue and for cleaning hooves. If the incrustations in your horse’s fur are very stubborn, you can also use the brush in combination with water to soften the dirt.
Mane and tail brush
Grooming a horse’s tail and mane is not only important for its external appearance, but also to keep parasites and mites away. You can use a brush or comb to comb through, but you should avoid using a comb for the tail because it would pull out too much hair. It’s best to also use a tail spray to make brushing easier.
Harrow
The curry comb is used to loosen the dirt in the fur or to remove coarse dirt. You can do this, for example, with a curry comb made of rubber, plastic, or metal. But be careful not to use it on the head or legs. The harrows can be easily cleaned with warm water and detergent or dishwashing liquid and then disinfected. Some horse owners also wash them in the washing machine.
Horse brushes for changing fur
For many horse lovers, it is the most annoying and strenuous time of the year when it comes to horse care: the coat change. Horse hair is everywhere, as far as the eye can see, and it just never ends. While we are unable to complete this task for you, we would want to provide you with some advice on the brushes that will help you finish it more quickly.
Do you already know the fur changing aid from Fellschön? This consists of a wedge-shaped plastic handle with a fine metal blade, which gently pulls loose hair and skin flakes out of the fur. The advantage is that the hair doesn’t get caught in the tines, but falls to the floor in clumps. The brush is also available in many different colors, including glitter.
The MagicBrush brush not only ensures clean fur, but thanks to its special bristles it is ideal for changing fur and even massaging the horse while brushing. Removing the hair from the brush takes some getting used to, but can be easily done with a hoof pick, for example. If you want to clean the brush completely, you can throw it in the washing machine without hesitation as it is very robust.
If you would like to know more about changing fur, you can read our article “Changing fur in horses: all the important facts and tips”. There you will find out, among other things, how you can support your pet during this time, for example with oil for Horses.
The most important care products for horses
When it comes to horse care accessories, it’s not just the right brushes that are important. To ensure that your pet feels completely comfortable, you should also provide the horse’s fur, mane, skin, and hooves with other care products. For example, there are special mane sprays for the mane and tail that make combing easier and give the hair a beautiful shine.
If your four-legged friend has rolled around in the biggest mud hole again, it could be difficult to get the dirt out of his fur with a brush. If it is warm enough outside, you can wash your horse with shampoo and a sponge. Make sure that you use a special horse shampoo with an adjusted pH value. If the temperatures do not allow a shower, the manufacturer, Effol, for example, offers a dry shampoo that is skin-friendly and does not need to be washed out.
There are also some skin care products that you can use to do something good for your horse:
- Skin lotion
- Mouth butter
- Itch-relieving gel
- Makes ointment
- Wound care
You can support your horse’s regeneration, for example, with cooling clay, leg paste, muscle gel, or gel packs as cold and warm compresses.
Storing your horse care products
Where and how you store your horse care kit is up to you. So that all the utensils don’t lie around loosely and you always have everything ready, it makes sense to get a cleaning box, bag, or other storage option. Many riders prefer a sturdy, spacious grooming case with additional inserts for smaller items. A cleaning bag is practical for carrying, as it is usually equipped with a shoulder strap in addition to the handles.
If you often groom your four-legged friend in front of or in the horse box, the Stall Tack Box from Grooming Deluxe is ideal. This can be attached to the door with two strong hooks, so you have your horse care products immediately on hand. You can even add a lock to the cleaning box to keep all your belongings safe.
Conclusion
As you can see, horse care plays an important role in being a rider. Ensuring your four-legging friends look well not only improves their enjoyment and general wellbeing but also fortifies your relationship and fosters trust. You can pamper your horse with extensive cleaning sessions with the various brushes, or with other care products for mane, fur, skin, hooves, and regeneration. 🙂
