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Horse Grooming

How to Groom Your Horse

Updated on February 03, 2023
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Reviewed by Petco’s Animal Care
Education and Compliance (ACE) Team
horse

Horses that get along and live together will naturally groom each other for both health and bonding. By taking the time to groom your horse, you are not only completing a more thorough groom than another horse would, but you are also replicating a strong bonding experience. When you groom your horse, you not only remove debris that can cause skin irritation or infection, but also give your horse a gentle massage of the muscles and stimulate blood flow to the skin. Grooming your horse can help to spread natural oils throughout the coat which in turn assists with waterproofing and a beautiful shine. This is also a great opportunity to look over every inch of your horse for new injuries or health related concerns that may have become visible. Always secure your horse using a quick release knot or cross ties before beginning and ensure you remain aware of your horse’s behavior as well as your position during the groom avoid injuries.

How Often to Groom

In general, horses typically should have a full body groom at least weekly for health and wellness upkeep. However, that general rule can change- dependent upon a few things.

  • Before you tack up your horse, ensure the hooves are cleaned out and the saddle or harness and bridle area are groomed and free of any debris that could cause chaffing or irritation.
  • Once tack is removed, be sure to rinse or bathe your horse after a more difficult working session resulting in a very sweaty horse or thoroughly curry and brush your horse down when you have had a mild working session or it is too cold for a rinse off/bath.  
  • If your horse is not brought into a stall and blanketed during colder months, don’t overgroom your horse as you could cause the coat to become or remain too short and thin during winter months when they need that extra warmth.
  • While many of our equine companions love a good roll in the mud, bathing too often or using harsh detergents can strip the coat of its natural oils that help with waterproofing. Be sure to use equine specific shampoos and conditioners.

 

How to Groom and What Tools to Use

Hooves

Maintaining healthy hooves is a critical part of keeping a horse sound and pain free. Both horses that wear shoes, and horses that don’t, can collect dirt, rocks, and debris in the underside of the hoof due to its shape. This buildup can cause discomfort or even injury if not regularly removed, and especially if not removed before riding or working. Using a Hoof Pick will assist in digging out stubborn buildup.

To clean the hoof, face the opposite direction of your horse, run your index finger and thumb along the inside and outside (back) of the leg and gently pinch right above the fetlock. Carefully lift the foot to provide access to the underside of the hoof. Use your other hand and the Hoof Pick to remove any debris from the underside of the hoof. There is a sensitive V-shaped area on the underside of the hoof called the frog. While the metal pick may need gentle pressure applied to the crevice between the frog and the sole to remove impacted debris, be careful not to scrape or jab the frog with your Hoof Pick, use a brush to remove any remaining debris in areas too sensitive or too small to scrape with the pick.  

Coat

Grooming a horse’s coat involves multiple steps and tools and certain steps can be skipped depending on how much dirt and buildup accumulate on the coat between brush downs. When grooming the coat, always start at the front of the horse and work your way back and as always, watch the for any signs of discomfort and adjust as necessary.

A Curry Comb is typically the best way to start, no matter how much (or little) buildup is on your horse’s coat. When using a Curry Comb rub in a circular motion against the direction of hair growth. With rubber curry combs, use as much force as your horse enjoys, much like a massage to those heavy muscled areas and lighten pressure over bony or sensitive areas. When using metal curry combs to remove excessive debris or that winter coat, lighten up your force significantly from what you would use with a rubber curry comb. Most horses enjoy having the Curry Comb used and it can help to break down heavily caked on dirt.

After completing a brush down with a Curry Comb, a Dandy Brush, or a brush with medium to stiff bristles, can be used for removing the dirt or debris from the coat. While a brush with verry stiff bristles is great at removing excessive debris, be gentle or avoid brushing sensitive or bony areas as they can lead to an unpleasant experience for your horse. Pick a medium bristle brush to help remove dirt from those more sensitive areas or when a stiff bristle is not needed for a more pleasant brush down experience for your horse.

A Soft Brush, is a great tool to use for removing fine debris, dust and lose hair from the surface of the coat. Some smaller versions can be utilized on the face and other sensitive or bony areas of the horse. While smoothing, shining and aiding in the spread of natural oils to the surface of the coat, this brush is often an enjoyable experience for the horse.

Hair (Mane and Tail)

Dependent upon the length and texture of your horse’s mane and tail, a Mane and Tail Brush and Mane and Tail Comb are both good options for grooming a horse’s hair. If needed, a Detangling Spray can be applied to assist in stubborn knots or tangles, while shining the hair.

A Mane and Tail Brush will look similar to a human hairbrush in that its bristles cover a wide area, whereas a Mane and Tail Comb will look similar to a human hair comb with the bristles straight in a row. Always start at the bottom of the mane or tail and work your way up slowly. If possible, hold above the section of the horse’s hair that you are brushing to alleviate pulling or yanking directly to the horse’s skin. Break the mane or tail up into smaller sections when stubborn or larger tangles are present. The Mane and Tail Brush is easier for brushing out larger sections of mane or tail while the Mane and tail Comb can be utilized on smaller sections or in areas that need more precise detangling. 

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