by Stefanie Reinhold

The following guidelines are meant for horses that are not shown or shown in an environment that will allow natural, horse beneficial 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 you) and feel (for the horse).

A note regarding horse grooming brushes and equipment: There is an overabundance of cheap grooming brushes on the market, made from synthetic materials that are bad for your horse's coat and worse for the environment (mineral oil based raw materials and plastics). Investing in a good quality brush made from natural materials will ensure proper care for your horse, stunning results and years of use of your high quality brush. (There is only ONE brand available in the US right now that meets highest standards, and that's BORSTIQ products, quality brushes made in Sweden. Please contact me for a catalog or to become a retailer.)

Do's and Dont's of Clipping

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.

Clipping Ears - The horse naturally has protective hair growth inside his ear.  When clipping 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.

Squeeze the horse's ear together with one hand.	Trim hair that is protruding over the edges.
Enjoy your neatly groomed horse ears without robbing the horse of his insect and dirt defense.

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.  I have heard of good results using a mixture of anti-fungal (athletes foot) and antiobiotic ointment, applied with a syringe. This is a treatment for severe cases and should not be done on a regular basis. Further you can try washing your horse's foot with Dawn, then rinse off with clear water, followed with a water/cider vinegar solution. Experiment and keep at it until it's completely gone!

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.

Exceptions: Some horses rub their tails due to itch in anus (parasites), fungus on the tail root or a dirty sheath and rub off the tail hair! This can ruin your efforts of growing a healthy looking tail within a week or so. Remedy the cause of the itch and start over... Some horses develop a boredom habit of itching their tail, others itch their tail due to discomfort in the sacroiliac area. It takes some detective work to determine the cause.

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!

Resources and recommendations:

If you need to clip, you might want to check out the

There is a wondeful book about horse grooming, Grooming To Win, Spiral-Bound: How to Groom, Trim, Braid, and Prepare Your Horse for Show (Howell Equestrian Library). If you are a grooming enthusiast, you'll surely like it.

For the horse grooming beginner or someone looking for the basics, the book Horse Handling & Grooming: A Step-By-Step Photographic Guide to Mastering over 100 Horsekeeping Skills (Horsekeeping Skills Library) will be a great addition to your horsey library.

If you have fun braiding tails and manes I recommend Braiding Manes & Tails: A Visual Guide to 30 Basic Braids to get you started. This book even offers something for the experienced braider.

Happy grooming!!

Please email me your questions regarding Horse Beneficial Grooming practices.
I'd love to hear from you!

Stefanie Reinhold

*) Please note: Equine massage and bodywork is a non-invasive, gentle wellness modality aimed at enhancing performance in the healthy horse and never replaces proper veterinary care. If in doubt regarding the physical health of your horse please consult your veterinarian.