What is your grooming routine?

Orchardbeck

Orchardbeck

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Was just thinking when I was brushing off my mare last night about how grooming tools, potions and lotions had changed since I first learned to ride and wondered what other peoples' grooming routines were, and what tools they used for each job.

Would be interested to hear how your rituals compare to mine (and perhaps pick up a tip or two along the way!).
 
ummm.grooming routine!! Pick out feet every night, quick flick over with a brush if he is being driven. Other than that...... i do give him a proper spruce up if we are competing though!!
 
One of mine is totally roughed off, in the field and just gets his hooves picked out while he eats his dinner

The other suffers from sweet itch and he gets bathed weekly so doesn't get too dirty

In general if being worked he gets a flick over with a brush.

Bathing keeps him quite clean anyway but when I groom thoroughly I do the full works - body brush with metal curry comb to clean it, mane total untangled and combed, stable rubber or mitt - all very old fashioned, hard work physically too, the routine is the same I did 20 years ago but some of the tools are more modern now that's all
 
In the morning - pick out feet, flick off any shavings and stables stains that he's collected before chucking in the field or do a full groom if riding

In the evening - pick out feet, plastic curry comb for any mud that needs scraping off followed by flick brush to get rid of the rest of the mud then body brush with metal curry comb to remove dust. Bit lazy with the mane & tail so just use what ever is in my hand at the time :)
 
Bring in - pick out feet, flick over with dandy brush and body brush for head, brush mane.

Once a week I give her a good strap with a body brush to get some shine - but only in the summer as she lives out and don't want to remove too many oils in the winter.
 
If I do a 'proper' groom, this is my routine:

- wash feet off and pick them out into a bucket
- get rid of surface mud with a magic brush (you know, one of those weird looking green thingies with yellow handle)
- go over with rubber curry
- give mane and tail a brush with body brush (or plastic curry if really knotty/messy)
- go over with body brush
- flick off any random hairs from body/mane/tail with one of those long bristled flicky brush thingies
- clean eyes/nostrils/dock if necessary with warm water
- use hoof oil if necessary (e.g. off to a party)
- plait if necessary (e.g off to a party)

Obviously this routine would include stain washing also if applicable.

:)
 
Pick out feet, brush mane and tail, brush body then the lotions and potions come out..... Cornecresine on the hooves, conecresine on skin where new hair is needed (where hes been nipped of another horse and lost hair), sudecrem on all new cuts or healing cuts (currently one below his eye.. god knows what happened there), sudecrem mixed with turmeric on his sarcoid (working wonders may I add!!), naf citronella fly gel all over and then oil his feather with baby oil and taaadaaa were ready to turn out for the night hahaha!!!
 
Pick out feet, wash feet, apply either Solutions 4 feet and/or ointment, brush legs with long bristled body brush, rubber curry comb if casting, body brush/curry comb over body, brush mane and tail (with a brush that is similar to a hair brush, but great for tangle free finish).
Carrots&Mints - I'm interested in your turmeric/sudecrem option for sarcoids - my boy has one and we are having a devil of a job protecting from flies. What does your mixture do? And how much turmeric? Thanks :-)
 
I've just discovered the 'magic brush':
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Magic-Brush-Brushes-Versatile-Shampooing/dp/B006TR0N3W

I have one for the horse, one for the dog and one for the sofa! Apparently they're machine washable too. The only brush the dog doesn't really mind (he snoozes whilst I use it rather than running off) and it's really taken the scurf out of my field kept pony's coat. Really bought a gleam to it and removed the dried on mud without a tickle.

My grooming routine usually is to remove mud from anywhere that might rub, I'm particularly anal about in between the front legs and the elbow area. Legs I don't do very often but they get checked over for injury. Feet get picked out but as she has no shoes there isn't usually anything in there.

At the moment as I'm not really riding she does get longer spent on grooming more to get her out of the field and up to the yard.
 
Morning: pick out feet, brush mane and tail, quick flick over body with brush to remove the crusty bits . . . turn out . . . (at the moment he gets brought in an hour or so later) . . . in summer apply fly spray/gel

Afternoon: pick out feet, remove mud/crusty bits

He gets a bath once a week whether he is competing or not (he's grey and I prefer to stay on top of stable stains) . . . if it's chilly he gets a wash with the hot shower under the solarium, if it's warm he gets a blast with the hose outside in the sunshine. Also, once a week (not the day he gets a bath) he gets a really good, deep groom that leaves us both all wibbly - him from relaxation me from muscle ache ;).

Hoof oil is only applied at parties. He is plaited ONLY if we are doing dressage. But if it's particularly muddy in the field I give his tail a loose plait (not including the dock) just to try and keep it clean - otherwise it's a nightmare.

P
 
Pony lives out. Tie up, go over with plastic curry comb, remove hair from mouth, brush with dandy brush, remove hair from mouth, brush mane and tail, pick feet. Stand back and admire while removing hair from mouth and dust from clothing. Result - one tidy pony, one scruffy owner!
 
usually pick out feet, brush mane and tail then give him a quick flick over before he goes to bed in the evening :)
 
Depends. If I am about to ride, I will quickly flick over, pick out feet and make sure she is comfy. In winter this ritual is a bit longer and involves a quick scrub to help warm up my muscles and hers!

After riding, or when she has a day off and I am just grooming- I will scrub, brush/flick off (I sometimes strap a few times a week instead), pick out feet, lay down mane (she looks like a porcupine no matter how often I plait it down, drives me mad!!!), brush out tail, baby wipe face and eyes. If strapping I can spend foreverrrrr grooming. I definitely spend a lot more time on grooming than I use to, mainly because I see the benefit in her coat and muscles, and she feels a lot better for it.

Summer also involves tail washing, a bath, fly spray, lots of removing dust, and lots of sponging off after ridden work!

Suby2- I have a horse that sheds her winter coat in about a week. I swear I end up eating most of it- I feel for you :D
 
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A quick flick with a dandy brush all over before riding.

Before being put to bed for the night the 2 tbs get a good proper strapping 2-3 times a week depending om how much I ache! The other days - rubber curry comb scrubbed all over, dandy brush to remove whats come up theb body brushed to finish. I don't touch the mane or tail unless I am pulling, trimmig or plaiting it.
 
I brush off her saddle and girth areas and then stick saddle on straight away as she's a little cold backed and it just saves the grumpy faces when I tighten the girth later! Take tail out of plait and tail bag, if it's not been washed for a few days then wash it and leave it to dry while I brush the rest of her. Then get mud and loose hairs off everywhere else with dandy brush. Use soft brush on her face. Put some detangler on her mane and tail, leave it to soak in while I pick out her feet, then brush her mane and tail. :)

After a ride I get a bucket with some warm water & no rinse needed muscle soak shampoo and sponge off all of her face, then her legs where the boots go and then her girth and saddle area. Then brush her over with a dandy brush/soft brush for her face til she's pretty much dry, give her mane and tail another quick brush, plait tail and put back in tail bag. Then she gets her feet picked out again, keratex hoof hardener put on and then she's done.
 
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After riding

Curry body and head

Mane and Tail conditioner goes in

Dandy brush next

dock cleaned

vetrolin spray goes on

body brush then

tail and mane get brushed out and dampened down

Cornescresine on coronary band and bald patches

hoof conditioner next

baby oil on chestnuts

ran over with a goat hair brush then.

Thats a regular daily groom and then for shows vetrolin liniment first, dock cleaned fully etc, tail tidied, plaited, talc on white spots etc
 
Brush off with plastic curry comb
Brush off with dandy brush
Flick off face
Pick out feet
Oil feet

Normally done within 5 minutes. Of course I'll put more into it if I'm off to a show, but as long as there's nothing that will cause discomfort and they look clean I'm not obsessed.
 
Not really any set routine - living out at the moment and she comes in to be ridden in the morning then turned back out till the evening when she comes in for her tea... then turned back out! Always pick feet out, always brush her all over with a dandy brush (she likes hard brushes best!) both ends of the day. Then depending on time and weather conditions I may do some of the following: comb/pull her mane, wash her tail, wash legs, wash hooves, apply Kevin Bacon hoof stuff, clean her 'lady bits' :D Wipe nostrils, eyes and mouth. Never bother with mane & tail conditioner unless I've just washed them, never use coat shine - don't like the feel of it. If it's hissing down with rain (like last night) I just put her in stable for tea :D
 
Um pick out feet daily, and brush the two that are ridden, other four rarely see a brush lol. I do swear my magic brushes, love them!
 
So that's a magic brush I have in my grooming box! it was an adopted one and I hadn't seen one before as I certainly didn't have one in my pony club days! used it for the first time last night and thought it was fab!
 
Gloi said:
A trainer once said to me "If you have time to brush your horse you aren't riding it enough"
Click to expand...

^^^love this^^^

I advocate the use of the round sprung curry comb to get off most of the ***** before throwing on a saddle and having a good time.

They're out 24/7, so I'm not a bad owner - it's better for their natural oils ;)
 
Gloi said:
A trainer once said to me "If you have time to brush your horse you aren't riding it enough"
Click to expand...

Ha ha - mine says "they don't go any better for brushing you know"!

Mine is feet picked out, quick flick over with a shedding blade or rubber curry comb (and sometimes only where his tack goes) and then a good rub around the head with a massage glove. He was headshy when I got him and the glove was part of our desensitising process. He now leans into and really appreciates a good scratch around his ears.
About once a month he gets a "proper" groom with a body brush and his mane and tail de-knotted.
 
Before riding -

Mud washed off legs
Hooves picked out
Brushed all over with a natural bristle (kinda hard) brush
Then use the flicky brush to get rid of any dust
Spray sparingly with shine
Spray tail with de-tangler and brush
Go over coat with soft goats hair brush now that the shine has settled.

After riding I let him dry then brush off any sweaty bits
and fly spray, then turn out ( he lives out atm)

If he is molting I'll use the scraper.

His main is plaited, I re-do the plaits every 6 weeks or so.

For a show he would get bath :)
 
Just bringing in of a morning - hooves picked out, plastic curry comb and face sponged off. If just having a quick ride, hooves picked out, plastic curry cumb and then a quick go over with my bentley flick brush and sponging face before hopping on. Lesson (I'm old school and even clean my tack and boots before every lesson), hooves picked out, rubber curry comb, plastic curry comb, dandy brush, flick brush, body brush with metal cury comb, mane and tail conditioner sprayed and brushed out with a body brush, rubber grooming mit and then cactus cloth and sponging face to finish off. Shows are a bit more intense grooming and I also plait with thread and give legs a wash, hoof oil and then hot cloth if needed.
 
I hardly ever groom my own horse, just every now and then when I get time :o

But I work with SJ horses and I have a very strict routine with them. Before they're ridden they get a cursory flick over with a dandy brush, feet picked out and manes brushed. Sometimes they aren't groomed before they're ridden if there isn't time, but they're generally clean when they come out of the stable. After they've been ridden I knot their tails up out of the way, give them a good brush if they aren't sweaty, then hot cloth, then hooves are washed outside and inside and all sand/ mud washed off legs. Manes are brushed over, hooves oiled and rugs back on. If they're going in the field I don't hot cloth thoroughly, just around saddle and bridle area and I don't oil hooves, as they have to be done off properly when they come in. If the horse is hot after it's been ridden, they are washed down thoroughly then left under heat lamps until dry. Once dry I brush over then oil hooves.
When they come in from the field they are brushed off, manes combed, feet picked out, hooves and legs washed if muddy, then hooves oiled. If their coats still look a bit dirty they get hot clothed.

My one, big rule is NEVER brush tails. If they have bedding in them, they get shaken out the best I can then left. They only ever get brushed the morning of a show, after they have been washed and sprayed with detangler.
 
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