Horse Care and Grooming



One of the most important aspects of horsemanship is the proper care of the horse, which includes its grooming, feeding & nutrition, medical care and shoeing. A horse demands many hours of care from their owner or caregiver.

Grooming

Grooming is a process designed to clean the horse and stimulate its skin. The first step in grooming is to rub, or curry, the horse’s body with a rubber comb called a currycomb. The groomer should move the currycomb in small circles with emphasis on the direction of growth of the hair. The currying process loosens the hair and stimulates the flow of blood through the horse’s skin. The groomer then brushes the horse’s body, including its mane and tail, with a stiff brush, called a dandy brush. This action removes loose hair and mud and smoothes the horse’s coat. Finally, the groomer strokes the body and face of the horse with a soft brush that polishes the coat. Grooming also includes the cleaning of the horse’s feet before and after each ride and the periodic removal of excess hair from its tail and mane.

After exercising the horse, the rider must care for it in order to clean off excess sweat and dirt.  In cold weather, the rider should rub the horse’s coat with a dry towel to absorb moisture and then cover the horse with a blanket so that it does not cool off too quickly.

In cool weather, riders can use warm water to sponge the back, girth and head of the horse, where sweat may have formed under the saddle or bridle. Riders should use a small amount of water and should scrape excess water off the coat. A light sheet or blanket can then be placed over the horse.

In hot weather, riders should bathe or rinse the horse with a generous amount of cold water all over the body. When finished, riders should scrape excess water from the horse’s coat and then lead the horse to a shady area, or to a fan if the weather is extremely hot. Blanketing horses after exercise in hot weather is not recommended because it will prevent the horse from cooling off.
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Feeding and Nutrition

Horses spend much of their time grazing. Their basic nutritional needs are fresh, clean water, access to salt and other minerals and plenty of grass or hay. They also eat grain but do not need it except at times when grass and hay do not supply enough energy. An example of when grass and hay are not enough are when foals are growing, when mares are nursing or when horses are performing hard work. As a general rule of thumb, horses require 1.5 percent to 3 percent of their body weight in feed each day. Feed should be provided two or more times a day. 

Medical Care

A horse owner should be familiar with treatment for minor ailments. Any serious illnesses should be treated by an equine veterinarian. There are several tests, vaccinations and other basic treatments that should be given to your horse regularly, such as treatment for intestinal worms, coggins & proper dental care.  For more on horse health click here.

Shoeing

Proper shoeing is a highly important aspect of horse care. The horse owner should choose a blacksmith with great care. If a horse is shoed improperly, your horse can be lame for months. The type of shoe used depends on such factors as the breed of horse, the type of work it does and the way it habitually handles its feet.
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