How to Groom Your Horse August 11, 2008

Firstly make a routine and stick to it. The routine insures you won’t forget any important things like picking out the feet. Your horse will most likely be relaxed by your pattern.

It is very important you pick out the horses hooves otherwise dirt or stones would get packed in, causing your horse to go lame. The first tool to use is the hoof pick, run your hand down his leg and pick it up. Clean the hoof from heel to toe, being careful not to dig into the frog (the V shape in the middle of the hoof.) It is essential to check for stones or other hard materials that may damage the hoof.

Next use the Dandy brush and use short flicking strokes. Start by his neck, and work your way down the body and down the legs. Remembering to brush in between all of his legs, and cleaning the brush regularly on the plastic curry comb, by cleaning your brushes it prevents putting the dirt right back onto the horse. The more frequently you do this , the less often you’ll need to wash your grooming kit.

Using a rubber curry comb is good for when your horse is molting, or you just want to work the circulation. Use it in firm, circular movements all over his body but try to stay away from his legs. Pressing down firmly on heavily muscled areas and rubbing lightly on tender spots.

Now get your body brush and use short flicking stroke, all over the body. The body brush sweeps the skin free of larger particles. Brush down the legs and in between the creases of the skin to stop any sores or rubs forming. Also pay attention to where the tack sits, especially around the girth area.

Slightly dampen a clean sponge, and wipe around each eye with it, gently around the nostrils. Then dampen a different sponge and wipe under the horse’s dock, which is under the tail bone and around his bottom.


The skin will now be clean but the hair will be filled with fine dust, an the greasy dust called scurf. To remove that rub the horse thoroughly with a stable rubber, or a Tea Towel. Now you can go and ride!

Grooming Gear August 3, 2008

Each brush or comb serves a different use and the most common items I have listed below.

A Dandy Brush – A brush with long stiff bristles used for removing dry surface dirt out of the coat, usually used on the less sensitive parts of the horse’s body.

A Body Brush – This usually has either a hard or soft and is used to remove the grease and dust from the coat and can be used on sensitive areas such as the head. The Body Brush should be rubbed over a curry comb during grooming.

A Hoof Pick – Hoof Picks are metal or plastic and are used to remove dirt and stones packed into the the horse’s hooves.

A Plastic and Rubber Curry Comb – Plastic or Rubber curry combs are made to remove mud and loose hairs from the horse.

Sponges – One used for cleaning eyes, nose and muzzle and another to clean the dock area. (Remember not to mix the sponges up!)

A Mane Comb – Mostly metal, sometimes plastic, are used to comb the mane and tail.

A Water Brush – Used when putting water onto the horse’s coat, mane or tail when dampening or washing.

A Sweat Scraper – Used to wipe away sweat or excess water after washing.

A Metal Curry Comb – These should never be used on the horse itself, but are used for removing the dust and dirt from the Body Brush while grooming.

A Stable Rubber or Soft Tea Towel – A stable rubber or good tea towel can be dampened and wiped over the body to give the horse a final polish.

A Tail Bandage – A Tail bandage is used to keep the tail laying flat while grooming.

To wash your brushes, fill a bucket with lukewarm water and add some soap, I wouldn’t recommend using detergent on anything that will touch your horse’s skin. Leave your brushes soaking until all the grime and dirt has come loose then rinse them thoroughly and leave the brushes to dry bristle-side down. If you have leather or wooden backed brushes, keep the water level shallow enough that the backs will not be immersed in water.

How To Plait Your Horse’s Tail July 30, 2008

Firstly if you think your horse will need distracting give him some hay or something similar. Using the body brush give the tail a thorough brush. Holding it in one hand, and start at the bottom in small sections working upwards. Knots come out more easily this way and it prevents them piling up and making a big tangle of hair.

Dampen a water brush and brush the tail, this makes it easier to handle and plait. Beginning at the top take a small section of hair, one from the right, one from the left and one from the middle. Plait with them once, now take another small section of hair from the left side and add it to the left side of the plait. Cross it over to the middle of the plait. Then pick up a small section of hair from the right side of the tail and add it to the right side of the plait. Then cross it all over to the middle. Repeat this until you are three quarters of the way down his tail. Keep even and constant pressure when plaiting and always keep the plait in the centre otherwise it will come out all wonky.

Now give the dock, (the tail bone) a quick squeeze, to feel how far down you are. If you are about three quarters of the way down, start to plait the long hair, as you would to a normal plait, to the end of the tail.

With a plaiting band secure the plait, and fold the plait once underneath. Now you can tuck the end of the plait under the French plait, and secure it with your other plaiting band. Instead you can secure it by using a needle and thread with the end knotted.

Horse First Aid Kit Contents July 20, 2008

Your First Aid Kit for your horse should contain these, or similar products to the ones I have listed.

-A book on simple first aid
-Some buckets
-Gloves
-A clean towel
-Sharp scissors
-Bandaging material
1. Cotton wool
2. Elastoplast (or similar product)
3. Disposable, or Gauze diapers
4. Adhesive tape
5. Duct tape
6. An assortment of stretch cotton bandages, like stable wraps, and gamgee
7. Meloin dressing
-A torch
-Emergency phone numbers
-Water tight container to keep everything in
-A halter and lead rope
-Disposable syringes and needles
-A digital thermometer
-Vaseline
-Zink
-Tweezers
-A hoof pick
-Betadine (or similar product)
-Burn gel
-A hoof knife
-Antiseptic wound cleaner

-Part 4- Vet Check July 20, 2008

Once you have found the perfect horse! You should organise for a vet to come out and check the horse thoroughly for any problems which may affect his health.

A vet check is not very cheap, but it isn’t a waste of money either. You could save yourself a great deal of money.
The vet will check the horse for general health, obvious signs of injury (whether they are new or old injuries), soundness and conformation faults. The horse will be trotted out to look for lameness or any uneven or unnatural action. You are paying for an expert opinion and the vet will be able to spot things that we can’t always see.
Especially if you have already fallen in love with the horse, and don’t want to see any problems!

Quite often, the vet will find something which he will bring to your attention. Not every problem found will means that the horse will not be suitable for you. The vet will need to know what you want to be doing with the horse after you purchase him, so that he can make a decision about whether what he has found will be a problem. If you are going to be riding competitively at a high level, there will be more stress on the horse than if you just want to ride on the weekends and go to pony club.

Finally, if you and the vet agree that the horse seems suitable and healthy, then you are at the end of the long road to buying a horse, and you can now negotiate with the owners to purchase your new friend.

Good Luck!

-Part 3- Trying Out The Horse June 25, 2008

When talking to the owners ask them these questions or similar ones, it helps you understand more about the horse and owner.

Why are you selling the horse?, What activities/competitions have you done with the horse?, Is the horse graded at Pony Club and if so, what level?, What is the worst thing the horse has ever done?, How long have you had the horse?, How old is the person who usually rides the horse?, How often does this horse need to be worked each week?

When you are going to see the horse doing these things will help alot and remember to ask lots of questions.

-Ask the owner or someone who is there for the owner to ride the horse first. If there are any serious problems with the horse you don’t want to be the one bucked off first. Also you can see what the horse is used to doing, and how far along he is in his education.
-Ride the horse your self and try to cover most things you want to be doing with him if you end up buying him.
-If you haven’t brought a more knowledgeable person along with you, ask if you can arrange another time you can bring them.
-Make sure you catch, groom and saddle the horse yourself. If you will be the one doing it after you buy him, then it is important to try it before. A horse who doesn’t want to be caught will be an absolute nightmare to deal with!
-Try to ride the horse at least 3 times before you buy him. They won’t usually mind if you come out a few times to ride him, then they know what type of person the horse is going to.
-You can ask to take the horse on trial, but some people wont do this because they don’t have control over what happens with the horse over that period of time.
Remember, most people who are selling a horse are quite genuine, but there are some who are not.

Check back tomorrow for Part 4 the last of the series!!!

-Part 2- Budgeting June 24, 2008

Working out a budget is a very good idea not only is it easier to keep track of what you have spent, in the long run it can save you money. There are endless costs that just keep coming in, you need to be prepared to pay for things like vet bills and farrier fees. This is a list of most of the costs.

-Feed You will probably need to feed your horse during winter, but depending on were you live the cost of feed may vary. Feed can cost anywhere from $10-$70 per week.
-Farrier If your horse needs shoeing it will cost you at least $80 so have $80 to $100 available, but if you are leaving your horse barefoot it will cost you about $25-$40 every 6-8 weeks.
-Worming Horses need to be treated for worms every 6-8 weeks and that will cost about $10 – $20 each time.
-Tack After a while it gets boring riding bareback all the time, so you will need a saddle and a bridle, you will also need a halter, lead rope, and a grooming kit. Second hand gear is also available to help cut down costs.
-Rugs Most horses will need at least one rug to keep them warm during thoses cold winter months, but it really depends on their breed. I would probably say from $100 to $300 for a good quality cover that will last.
-Transportation If you need to take your horse to shows, lessons or pony club you will need some type of transportation to get there, you can hire a horse float for $40 to $100 for the day, or you can buy a good quality horse float for around $4000.
-The actual horse!!! An old saying is “bad horses cost the same to keep as good horses,” this is really true. But some times bad horses can cost a lot more, as you might have to fork out for retraining, but in the worst case you might have to sell it for a lot less than the original price you brought it for. In the long run it wil be cheaper to spend the extra money and get a well trained, and educated horse. People can often pick up a bargain, but you get what you pay for!

This long list of cost could stretch quite a lot further depending on what you will be doing so these are just the basic costs. So as you can see horse riding is a very expensive hobby!

Check back tomorrow for Part 3 of the series!!!

-Part 1- Looking for a Horse of your Riding Ability June 18, 2008

Buying a horse is a very hard decision. They aren’t just “things” you ride, they are living creatures too, so making sure they’re looked after properly is very important. Before you look at buying your first horse you need to make sure that you are capable of looking after one yourself. If you don’t think you are able to take on all the responsibilities that come with a horse, then going to a riding school, or a pony club will help you learn more about what is involved in owning a horse. However, if you think you are capable of looking after and owning a horse you will need to honestly assess you riding ability.

If you’re a beginner and you have only ridden on quiet, well behaved horses you will need to look for the older “been there, done that” type of horse and not a young green horse who will need lots of hard work and training. But on the other hand, if you are more experienced and have been riding for a long time, you might prefer to look for a younger horse that you can train to create a wonderful friend.

The main thing to remember is not to choose a horse that will be too much for you to handle because horses have a very good memory, so if they get away with bad behavior once they can become absolute rascals! It is so much better to never allow that problem to arise by choosing a horse which suits your ability level.

Check back tomorrow for Part 2 of the series!!!