Horse Beneficial Grooming Guidelines
The following guidelines are meant for horses that are not shown (see separate article on 'Show Grooming'):
Grooming means many different things to
different horse people.
My philosophy is 'let the horse be a horse'. Grooming
should benefit the horse as much as it does the human. You can
have a
fantastically groomed horse, looking absolutely stunning while maintaining a natural look (for your) and feel (for the horse).
Do's and Dont's of Trimming
Fetlocks - Nature equipped horse with fetlock hair for a reason. Fetlock hair helps keep the sensitive back
area of your horses' feet dry, by acting as a funnel for dripping
water, such as rain., puddle or creek water. Works almost like
your houses rain gutters.
Grooming Practice: Neatening of the fetlock hair, keeping enough hair to preserve the important natural function.
Muzzle whiskers - Muzzle whiskers are very important to the horse.
Horses use these whiskers to estimate the distance between their
muzzle and an object, such as a water source or the ground when
grazing. The horses' eyesight is somewhat limited in certain
angles below their head and the whiskers help solve that problem.
Taking away the whiskers will cause your horse to bump his muzzle
into things, especially at night, and become insecure and worried.
Grooming Practice: Cut whiskers that grow 'out of place', very
high up on the face or on other odd places. Otherwise, leave
whiskers alone. A neatly groomed horse will still look great with
whiskers.
Mane (shaving) -
Horses greatly benefit from the fact that nature equipped them with a
mane. The mane is used to help ward off insects and can even
help
regulate body temperature under certain conditions. Shaving a mane completely robs the horse of an important
natural fly defense.
Grooming Practice: Neaten the mane by pulling, dressing, braiding and other techniques, but never shave off entirely (exception are certain breeds such as Fjord horses)..
Body Clipping - Body Clips are, in my opinion, mostly done for the
benefit of the human. A clipped horse will be easier to dry off
after an intense training session or show (see show grooming). The horse does not
benefit at all. The skin becomes unnecessarily exposed to the
elements of sun = UV rays, rain, wind and insects and the animal will
then most likely need to be blanketed, another practice that is, in my
opinion, entirely unnecessary, unless right after a workout during cool down time in the winter.
Grooming Practice: Groom thoroughly on a regular basis to
stimulate the timely growth and shedding of winter hair. Hose horse off
after very sweaty workouts with clear water, starting at the legs and very slowly moving up, preferably using tepid water and a sponge for the the back, then rub with a whisp (see
whisp making instructions here) and dry off with a towel or simply rub with a bunch of
straw.
Exception: Naturally 'Curly' horses or horses with a disorder
that causes excessive hair growth, that are being used in a very hot
climate. Here a partial body clip can be beneficial.
Trimming
Ears - The horse naturally has protective hair growth inside his ear.
When trimming the ear, we should remember, that the hair inside the
ear protects against insects and debris from entering the ear cavity. If
removed, you would have to keep a fly mask with ear covers on the horse at all
times to ensure the ear health of your horse. In my opinion, this is
highly unnatural and unnecessary.
Grooming Practice: Trimming along
the edges of the ear, shaping the inside ear so that it will not
pertrude, but end flush with the ear edge, will give your horse a
neatly groomed look without hampering with nature's ear protection.
Never shave out the hair on the inside of the ear. (Show grooming is the exception.)
A horse as good as his feet...
'Sanding' the hoof - The outer layer of the hoof is a thin protective
layer, similar to the outer layer on your finger nail. The
practice of 'smoothening' the hoof with sandpaper or a wire brush is
highly unbeneficial for the horse, since it removes the protective layer, allowing harmful moisture,
bacteria and fungi to penetrate the hoof and to make it vulnerable to
infections and hoof problems.
Grooming Solution: If a highly polished look is desired, a
special show hoof polish can be applied. This special high gloss
polish must be removed after the show with a special solvent, since it
works almost like human nail polish and prevents the hoof from
'breathing'. For horses that are not shown, a good hoof conditioner will create the healthy look you desire.
Hoof Conditioning - The hoof of a healthy horse is usually sufficiently
able to withstand the elements. However, it can be beneficial to
apply a good natural hoof conditioner to the OUTSIDE of the hoof and
around the crown to encourage health and growth. Products that
contain mineral oils (petroleum jelly etc) must be avoided, since they
linger on the surface of the hoof and prevent the hoof from
'breathing'. Never apply hoof conditioner to the bottom of the
hoof, since you do not want the bottom to become soft and soggy, which encourages THRUSH!.
Grooming Practice: Apply a natural hoof oil to the outside of the
hoof no more than twice a week and right before showing (if you do not
use hoof polish for showing). Always keep hoof dry and clean.
Thrush - Thrush is a fungal infection of the hoof, often brought on by
excessive moisture in the horses' environment (spring rains on the
pasture, wet stalls etc.) In my experience, commonly used chemical thrush
remedies 'cure' the thrush on the surface, but underneath the fungi
continue to thrive.
Grooming Practice: Clean, brush and dry hooves daily. Remedy the conditions that led to the development of fungus, such as a wet stall, muddy paddock, etc. Have
farrier trim hooves on a regular schedule and keep horses environment
dry. For persistant cases use a natural hoof care solution or consult
your farrier or vet for advice.
The horses' tail ...pride or obsession?
Why
do I use the word obsession in conjunction with a horse's tail? Because there are products on the market such as horse hair tail
 extensions, ranging from around $200-$400 per item, depending on the
color, if natural horse hair is desired. But where did your horses'
tail go, if you feel the need to put on an artificial extension? Most
likely you (or the previous owner) pulled it out!
The common practice of brushing and combing
horse tails, slowly thins the horses' tails. Considering that a long
tail hair takes several years to grow down to the fetlocks, you see the
damage is pretty much permanent, if you continue brushing....
(<-- a trail horse with a naturally full tail, never brushed)
Grooming
Practice:
Hand grooming of the tail, separating each hair from the
next by hand, instead of using a comb, is more time consuming, however,
it will preserve your horses' tail.
(see image -->) 
If your horses' is naturally
a bit on the thin side, massaging of the dock, application of certain
conditioners
and special supplements might help encourage hair growth, but most
importantly, you want to show what your horse has, so do not remove it
involuntarily by brushing or combing the tail! Braiding a loose
braid
or applying a tail sock (horse tail sock instructions here) can protect
your horses' tail, if needed.
Horses with naturally thin tails an manes: Take a good look at your horse, appreciate his strengths and beauty and bring it out to the best of your ability. Groom and neaten, shine and fluff the tail as much as possible, then be done with it!
Please email me your questions regarding Horse Beneficial Grooming practices.
I'd love to hear from you!
You might also enjoy:
How to warm up your horse before exercise and competition
How to exercise your horse for strength and flexibility
Horse grooming 101
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