Grooming routines

[EngageDressage]

Completed a mammoth grooming routine with my boy last night because he’d not been groomed for a week while I was ill. I use the Haas brushes so did soft curry comb first, then all four brushes in turn, then finished with a stable rubber. Does anyone else still use a stable rubber/teatowel to finish? Any other grooming tips people could share?

My boy is a 17hh, 22-year old Chestnut Dutch Warmblood by the way. I’m tracking our progress on my Facebook page here if anyone would like to read:

https://www.facebook.com/2211178712502320/posts/2822314318055420

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Grooming what is grooming lol, have not groomed mine in months.

 

[Brownmare]

Mine live out so grooming is minimal in order to preserve the natural oils in their coat while they are unrugged. Once the rugs come out they will get proper grooming daily. I only use a stable rubber for show prep.

 

[Abby-Lou]

Shavings flicked off every morning and run over with a brush to get any mud off

 

[EngageDressage]

Grooming what is grooming lol, have not groomed mine in months.

Ha ha mine gets too dirty to even put tack on without thorough grooming. I used to have two black horses that looked immaculate with hardly a brush but it doesn’t seem to work on chestnuts!

 

[EngageDressage]

Shavings flicked off every morning and run over with a brush to get any mud off

That’s what I usually do most days, but he was so dirty he needed a full deep clean! Why don’t they make car washes for horses????‍

 

[dogatemysalad]

I'm now down to one horse, so I guess he gets more attention than when there were three. He's groomed when he comes in for breakfast, with a rubber curry comb or glove and a dandy brush. Teeth, eyes, hooves and bum are also washed. Probably takes 5 minutes. Before riding, he's brushed with a soft brush and sheepskin mit. After riding, he's hosed or sponged if sweaty.
Grooming kit gets washed once a month and tack is wiped off after use and properly cleaned if sweaty or muddy.
On days off, he's left to enjoy his natural state. It doesn't take long to keep on top of things,in the time he's cooling off waiting to be fed. There's still time for a chat, but I'm usually done and gone before everyone else.
The major benefit of regular grooming, is that I can see any tight muscles or knocks and bumps, and there's no grit under the tack.

 

[Gloi]

I go with the line a trainer gave me on a course - 'If you have time to brush your horse you aren't riding it enough'
Quick scrub over with a magic brush before tacking up.

 

[Sail_away]

Hoof pick, rubber curry comb, mane and tail brushed through (human hairbrush works surprisingly well), body brush, dandy brush on legs. Then stains and eyes/nose as needed. Every day - he’s a very white grey so I can’t get away with any less!

 

[scats]

I can’t stand seeing dirty horses being ridden but I don’t have time for a long grooming session, so whoever is being worked gets a 10 minute groom and the one not being ridden gets a quick flick over.
They are also brushed after work (or sponged down if sweaty)

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

Mine is rugless so I flick mud/shavings off, pick feet out, give mane and tail a proper brush through every few days. In the summer she gets a bath before competitions. In the winter after a good rain she is cleaner than the rugged horses as the mud just slides off and she then feels so soft and clean.

 

[EngageDressage]

I can’t stand seeing dirty horses being ridden but I don’t have time for a long grooming session, so whoever is being worked gets a 10 minute groom and the one not being ridden gets a quick flick over.
They are also brushed after work (or sponged down if sweaty)

Likewise - I’m hoping to exercise him today if I feel well enough and couldn’t bear how dirty he was!

 

[EngageDressage]

Hoof pick, rubber curry comb, mane and tail brushed through (human hairbrush works surprisingly well), body brush, dandy brush on legs. Then stains and eyes/nose as needed. Every day - he’s a very white grey so I can’t get away with any less!

You brave woman - greys have always been on my ‘dont buy’ list for that very reason!

 

[EngageDressage]

I go with the line a trainer gave me on a course - 'If you have time to brush your horse you aren't riding it enough'
Quick scrub over with a magic brush before tacking up.

Lol!

 

[EngageDressage]

I'm now down to one horse, so I guess he gets more attention than when there were three. He's groomed when he comes in for breakfast, with a rubber curry comb or glove and a dandy brush. Teeth, eyes, hooves and bum are also washed. Probably takes 5 minutes. Before riding, he's brushed with a soft brush and sheepskin mit. After riding, he's hosed or sponged if sweaty.
Grooming kit gets washed once a month and tack is wiped off after use and properly cleaned if sweaty or muddy.
On days off, he's left to enjoy his natural state. It doesn't take long to keep on top of things,in the time he's cooling off waiting to be fed. There's still time for a chat, but I'm usually done and gone before everyone else.
The major benefit of regular grooming, is that I can see any tight muscles or knocks and bumps, and there's no grit under the tack.

Sounds like a lovely routine. I bought one of those Rambo Dry Sheets last year so I could sponge him off after work in the winter and get him dry before his rug needs to go on, it works a treat!

 

[Sauerkraut]

In an ideal world I would groom both horses every day ridden or not. In the real world I constantly rush around with work/yard commitments so it's a quick brush over before riding.
To be honest, it's more for getting mud off to avoid tack rubbing and check for any cuts, swelling etc rather than looking smart.

 

[P.forpony]

I’m fanatical about grooming ?
We start with rubber curry, or spiky gloves which I thought were a bit of a gimmick but they’re brilliant and she loves them.
Then a flicky dandy to get rid of the bulk of the debris, then a firm body brush then a softer one.

Absolute key is the metal curry comb!
I hardly ever see people use them any more but you can’t clean a horse by moving dirt around! Its so therapeutic getting into the rhythm of brush brush swipe.
I also love tapping it out and seeing how much gunk you’ve removed from a grotty pony ?

Mane and tail get a fair bit of attention as she’s a native and I also give her a quick squirt of coat spray once or twice a week which makes a huge difference as the mud/poo stains just slide off.

 

[EngageDressage]

I’m fanatical about grooming ?
We start with rubber curry, or spiky gloves which I thought were a bit of a gimmick but they’re brilliant and she loves them.
Then a flicky dandy to get rid of the bulk of the debris, then a firm body brush then a softer one.

Absolute key is the metal curry comb!
I hardly ever see people use them any more but you can’t clean a horse by moving dirt around! Its so therapeutic getting into the rhythm of brush brush swipe.
I also love tapping it out and seeing how much gunk you’ve removed from a grotty pony ?

Mane and tail get a fair bit of attention as she’s a native and I also give her a quick squirt of coat spray once or twice a week which makes a huge difference as the mud/poo stains just slide off.

Def agree on tapping all the gunk out. I’ve just bought one of those Groomi tools that gets all the dead hair out too, it’s amazing!

 

[milliepops]

In an ideal world I would groom both horses every day ridden or not. In the real world I constantly rush around with work/yard commitments so it's a quick brush over before riding.
To be honest, it's more for getting mud off to avoid tack rubbing and check for any cuts, swelling etc rather than looking smart.

this!

I rarely have time to do more than a bit of a dust off and a general inspection in case of an injury. tbh if I have extra time, my ridden ones prefer a scratch & cwtch to being groomed both get washed off most days. the retirees rarely see a brush as it's just not necessary. i do brush my foal though, mainly to get her used to it

 

[Starzaan]

I am exceptionally anal and was a competition groom for a long time before running my own yard.
my horses are groomed every single day without fail. It’s my happy place, standing and seeing the shine on their coats each day. Generally they get half an hour each, and then once a week they get a full hour of grooming. I don’t use Haas brushes, just normal natural bristle brushes that have been going for twenty years or so, and I always finish with a stable rubber.
I take real pride in the fact that people regularly comment on how incredibly shiny my horses are, and it makes me so happy to see them reflecting like little sunbeams out in the field. ?

I start with a curry comb if they’re muddy, or, at the moment they are fully clipped (including legs and heads off) so I start with a cactus cloth. Then a natural bristle dandy brush, then a firm body brush and then a soft body brush, finally a stable rubber. I can’t bear seeing people using body brushes without a metal curry comb. I clean my brush after every stroke, the way I was taught at pony club many years ago, and I’m sure this is partly why my horses shine like they do.
I also brush out manes and tails every day. I always tell my grooms that I want to be able to run my fingers through any of the horses tails at any time without hitting a tangle. I know I’m probably excessive, but it’s incredibly important to me. Especially when people are paying lots of money to have their horses with me!

 

[tatty_v]

I’m terrible, pony is a white grey so it’s less grooming and more spot washing! I do love a clean mane and tail so they get washed weekly and brushed daily. Otherwise my haas brushes rarely see the light of day Pony isn’t the biggest fan of a groom anyway though so I think he’s happy!

 

[Lady Jane]

Use curry comb with whatever brush you are using ] - why groom with a grubby brush?

 

[Henry02]

The mud gets scraped off where the tack goes, and that’s it. I haven’t got the time to be spending hours brushing

 

[ozpoz]

I love grooming my horse! It is relaxing for both of us! I always use a body brush and curry comb. Mane and tail combed through, sponge nose and dock and use the wee face brush which he adores. He is hosed off in the hot weather after work and makes a point of rolling very thoroughly after when he is turned out, undoing all my efforts. I don’t feel ready to ride unless he has been groomed.

 

[HazuraJane]

Tiger Tongue all over large surfaces. Pick out feet. Tiger Tongue on chrome. Towel dipped in water for eyes and nostrils. Tail brushed with detangler sprayed on brush surface. Quick go-over with body brush. Stable rubber towel or microfibre towel to remove all dust.

 

[SpotsandBays]

Tiger Tongue all over large surfaces. Pick out feet. Tiger Tongue on chrome. Towel dipped in water for eyes and nostrils. Tail brushed with detangler sprayed on brush surface. Quick go-over with body brush. Stable rubber towel or microfibre towel to remove all dust.

Just googled Tiger tongue because I’ve never heard of it before, that looks interesting! Does it work dried on mud?

 

[oldie48]

To answer question, I don't use a stable rubber as I find the Haas Diva does the job of picking up any remaining dust and puts a real shine on the coat. I like my horses to look well groomed but Rose, being almost black, is a complete doddle to keep clean and shiny. If you have Haas brushes, you really need the plastic curry comb that goes with them. I used a different one initially but it doesn't do the job properly and can start to damage them. I love my Haas brushes, expensive but do a good job.

 

[Lurfy]

I love grooming my retired boy, he loves it too. He has his favourite soft rubber brush and I have my favourite spiky glove things. I use several brushes that I have had for many many years. The spikey gloves are newish and I really like them particularly for legs. I start and finish with his favourite brush and use the others in between. He gets a thorough grooming 3-4 times a week.

 

[Jenko109]

Never. It's actually a mission trying to locate a brush.

 

[scats]

I must add that I hate grooming. It’s never appealed to me to stand and brush a horse for hours, though I know some people love it. I just see it as a necessity really. Plus I have a coloured who likes to snooze on her poo..