How To Groom A Horse – Steps To Grooming A Horse

If you haven’t ever had the opportunity to groom a horse before, you might feel a little bit overwhelmed. What are the steps to grooming a horse? How exactly do you groom a horse? Where do you start?

While steps to horse grooming may vary from person to person, there are some steps grooming horses that should not. The first step is make sure the horse is safely tied in cross ties. After you’ve done this, you can begin to groom him. I like to start with the hooves. I have found that if I leave this important task for later, I sometimes forget to do them. This isn’t good, because you may have neglected to remove a stone from a horse’s foot that would hurt him while being ridden. Or you may have missed the fact that the horse has a loose or missing shoe. Most trained horses will let you clean their feet without much trouble.

Simply stand beside your horse so that you are in line with his left shoulder and are facing his tail. Run your hand down his leg and he will usually lift his foot. If he doesn't, you will have to lean against his shoulder to throw his balance off and then lift his leg. If you have a horse who is wiggly, struggling or won’t stand still, I have found that it helps to gently tip the horses hoof upward, so the heel is close to the leg. If you hold it in this position, they will usually stand still and be cooperative.

Hold the hoof with one hand and use the hoof pick to clean out all of the pebbles, dirt and other debris out of the hoof. Be careful around the frog. This is the triangular soft part in the center of the hoof. This area can be tender.

Now you can begin work on the horse’s body. You will need to remove any mud, dirt and loose hair. To do this, you will use a rubber curry comb. Rub the curry comb in a circular motion, starting at the neck and chest. Continue over the back, stomach and rump and on the upper parts of the leg. Be gentle on the legs and stomach. Horses are sensitive in these areas. If the horse is especially sensitive in these areas, use a dandy brush instead. Use a dandy brush on the lower legs as well.

Once the dirt has been pulled to the surface of the horse's coat with the rubber curry comb, it is time to use the body brush. Repeat the same pattern you used to move the curry comb over his body, and brush in short, brisk movements, with the grain of the horse's coat. Stop brushing every few strokes to clean the brush with your curry comb.

Once your horse's coat looks sleek and glossy, it is time to move on to the head. Carefully use the damp sponge to wipe his face, including the inside of his nose. Most people also groom the horse's head with the body brush. If your horse doesn't like the brush near his head, you can skip this step, as the sponge should keep him clean enough.

Finally, you will need to brush out the horse's mane and tail. While some people use a comb, I prefer to use a stiff brush. A comb pulls and breaks hairs making your horse’s tail thinner. Remember, you should never stand behind your horse. Always lift his tail to the side to brush it, instead. I like to use a mane and tail detangler, or a product call Show Sheen on the tail. I find it makes the tail much easier to comb out.