You've got your beautiful new best friend home! What's next? Well, if you haven't got your feed room sorted, you can work on that. But how about getting to know one another? Grooming is a great way to get to know your horse, and show them your appreciation. It also is a sound basis of health care! Grooming helps to keep pests and organisms off their bodies, and is an excellent time to take the opportunity to check your horses' body all over for any injuries.

Let's talk about grooming supplies! If you go to your local store and walk down the isle, you're bound to see lots of brushes and combs, in a variety of shapes sizes and colors. Some are pretty colors and others even have glitter! Before you grab the prettiest ones, its best to know the grooming process, which brushes to use, and why you use them.

I've been to many high end stables in my career and one thing that frustrates me most of all is seeing a box of filthy brushes at the grooming area. Some brushes being used are well beyond their usefulness. Most of these stable owners definitely know better, but for whatever reason, choose to ignore this. This can lead to many health issues for the horses which use these brushes.

Horses really should have their own set of grooming tools. So lets get started with what you need.

The first brush you use in the grooming process is called the 'curry' or the 'curry comb'. This is typically a grooming aid made with very stiff plastic teeth. It is used to lift dirt and dead skin cells off the skin of the horse. It also helps bring healthy oils to the surface for the horses coat. This brush should never be used on the horses' face, or on the legs as is is too harsh for those areas of the body. You start just beneath the poll and work your way down the neck and over the horses' body using small circular strokes. This is a rigorous process and your arm should be tired by the time you're done with the curry! If you want to see this part of the grooming process, you can view a video by one of our interns here. You'll find an example of my favorite, here.

We also have a second curry that we use, which has magnetic massage balls on it. Some horses enjoy it more than others. But if you're look for a treat for your horse, and something colorful for you, this might be it! Here is where you can find that one as well. I had fun with the colors here, and purchased a different color for each horse!

As you groom your horse, you'll find there are certain spots which the horse REALLY enjoys you grooming! You'll know when you see it! Spend some extra time on these areas (A common one for most horses is at the withers) . Your horse will appreciate the attention, and it creates a bond, not unlike that of horses who groom one another out in the pasture!

Now lets move on to the second part of the process; the 'dandy brush'. A proper dandy brush is made of natural materials, such as rice stems, or tampico stems; and being either light or dark color, depending upon which you choose. The job of the dandy brush is to remove all the dirt and debris that has been lifted to the surface by the curry. You use the brush by moving with the in the same direction as the horses' hair, doing short quick strokes; directing the debris away from the horses body. You should be able to see the dirt, hair and debris floating into the air as you go. As always, it takes some arm action! But you'll soon see that your horse really enjoys it, and appreciates the effort. Again, this is a great way to begin bonding with your new horse! A few other points: It is a rather stiff bristle brush, and can be used either wet or dry. So if you're bathing your horse, and there is some mud on the body that needs to be scrubbed off, this brush is a good fit for the job. It can also be used gently all over the legs. Again, if there is dried on dirt after a workout, this is the brush for the job. If you would like to view a quick demonstration using this brush, you can view it here. Below you'll see the example of the tampico rice stem brush and one option for purchasing. I especially like the large wooden handle on this one. It's less likely to slip out of my hand.

Next we have the finishing brush. This brush brings everything together and helps to create a beautiful shine on your horse. You want to spend a little extra on this brush. Many people are beginning 'collections ' of a specific brand of finishing brush called 'HAAS'. This brand is from Germany, and used to be very hard to find here. The finishing brush is often made out of horse hair or synthetic soft materials. It has a shorter stem, and should glide over the horses' body. Its purpose is to shine the horses' coat. As a new owner, with lots of tack and products to buy, I wouldn't recommend a collection of these yet. HAAS has also developed lines of complete sets of brushes. Be careful choosing to buy these, as the entire collection may not be the best made for the job, and come at a steep price due to the brand name. Here is a link to a variety of the very prestegious HAAS brushes, as well as a photo of the one we use here.

A final step I always like to take for my horses is using a soft chamois cloth to wipe down the horses' body. This extra step, done every day can really create a beautiful shine!

Throughout this entire process, keep in mind, this is the best opportunity to really inspect your horses' body for cuts, infections, bruising or swelling, and general overall condition. You'll soon get faster doing all this, as you will begin to know your horses' body and what to expect.

The horses' face should be done with a soft bristle brush. There is even a small SOFT curry for the horses' face. Just be sure it is used softly and gently as the horses face is full of nerve endings. Again, the chamois cloth is another good tool for the face, especially cleaning around the eyes.

Your grooming tools should be cleaned once a month or more if they show a lot of dirt. This will keep them in good condition for a long time to come, and keep your horse happy too!

Again, when shopping for these brushes, you'll see a lot that catch your eye due to shape, or color. Keep in mind; this is for your friend first. It needs to work correctly. I also find, the larger the brush, the easier it is to keep hold of while working, while smaller ones, tend to slip out of your hands.

The mane, tail and hooves will be discussed in a separate blog.

Once you have your grooming tools collected, you want to choose a place to keep them. Many people choose these easy to carry grooming trays. I prefer a grooming box, that can also double as a step stool when you're a way at competitions. It can be very useful as a mounting block, or reaching things when needed. For my horses, I chose a box not found in the horse industry. I went to tools, and found a box similar to the one sold to equestrians, but this one was stronger and can support up to 300 pounds of weight. I've had them for years and found them very useful. This is the one we use here, and have one for each horse. You'll see it in the video we linked above. You'll see the weight rating on it is 325 pounds. If you compare it to the the similar style shown on equestrian sites, you'll see the difference. I have yet to break these, and have traveled with them and used them for years!

Start out getting to know your new best friend with a grooming session every day, and you'll be well on your way to a healthy happy relationship!

If you would like a reminder in your stable, regarding grooming practices, consider getting our grooming notes poster from Little Pine Stables.

Hope to see you here again at Little Pine Stables!