Your Groomy Regiume

C

countrybumpkin727

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 June 2015
Messages
51
Location
West Sussex
Visit site
Curious to know what is everyone's grooming regime? Do you do a full groom every day or just pick out their hooves? What does it consist of? When you go to shows how do you prepare your horse? Do you bath your horse once a week or once a month?

Thought it would be an interesting to get others ideas as I just flick over with a brush and pick hooves out on a day to day basis and then wash maybe once a month if he needs it!
 
I do the same as you!--first I do is check feet,hoof oil,check over then body brush,sponge off any mud and brush mane and and tail. only wash once a month too-should we both be doing more? look forward to reading what everyone else does!
 
Feet picked out and brush over before riding, wash any sweaty bits after riding or brush off, no hoof oil, rarely bath, my horse has not had a bath this year just a tail wash a while ago, he probably had one bath last year, they do not require bathing if they are turned out naked as they keep themselves relatively clean.
Unless they are being prepared for a show none of mine get washed fully on a regular basis, other than greys when they get beyond grooming, they always get sweat washed off and have no skin problems, tails are done more frequently as they tend to get messy and tangled, I will not brush through tails unless they are clean and conditioned as it damages the hair and makes them thin out.
 
I do a full groom most days - includes rubber curry, flick brush, body brush and a spray and wipe with some conditioner. Then pick out feet and hoof oil. If I'm in a real rush he doesn't get groomed unless I'm riding, only feet picked.
For shows I bath the day before, trim, spray. then on the day i do a full groom but add plaiting and baby oil.
I only shampoo when I can feel him getting greasy- not very often, maybe once a month.
I'm definitely the only one on my yard who grooms this much apart from one girl with a coloured who's white parts are always gleaming! everyone else rarely grooms and only baths for a show.
 
I brush over quickly with a dandy, check for cuts etc, get stains/muck off as best as I can with a rubber curry comb, do mane and tail with brush and then go over with body brush,sponge eyes and bums & pick out feet and apply oil, I did used to go over with a stable rubber to get rid of any dust but it's dissapeared! I've just bought a grey, and I have ocd with white parts/greys so I reckon i'll be spending most my day grooming!
 
They live out so I actively don't overgroom as I don't want to remove the oils from their coats. In reality this means that they only get a groom if tack is going on. I used to be anal about picking out hooves twice daily when I had shod horses, but now they are all unshod I have relaxed about that.

Grey owners, look away now ;) - I have fully bathed my grey once in about six/seven years. She's actually pretty clean and doesn't take much grooming to get her sparkling.
 
She gets brushed and feet picked out in the morning before I ride. After riding she is sponged off if sweaty or brushed off if not. In the evenings I brush her again, pick her feet out and wipe her bum and 'bits' :) I also wipe her eyes and nostrils and put hoof moist on.

Her tail gets washed after every season, so do her back legs. She has a proper bath before each party in summer, during winter it's more a strip wash! I just do the bits that need doing.

She's mostly white and quite high maintenance but I do like to see her looking clean :D
 
Quick flick over and feet is about it - would rather spend time riding! Then either quick flick over or a wash/wipe down after riding. He's had one bath this year, although he may get another this week as we are going on an adventure on Friday and his mane and tail are both more yellow than white.

I wash his tail and feathers perhaps three times a year.
 
Mine are natives, barefoot and live out summer and winter. Hooves are picked out almost every day. (I pay someone to do them 3 times a week. My OH will do them but being unhorsey/doing them in between jobs sometimes forgets).
They will ocassionally come in for a good groom - flick all over with dandy brush, mane and tail untangled and brushed out.
If riding, a flick over with the brush and sweaty bits sponged off after.

(I was naughty yesterday and brought mine in for a ride with others. I was there first. Went out to poo pick my field but got chatting. Next thing I know, one of the girls comes over to ask if I'm riding. Ooops. Go back in to find the others in, brushed and tacked up. My horse didn't get brushed - although I did check by running my hand over saddle/girth areas to ensure there was no mud. Horse was ready in about three minutes).

I usually bath her once or twice minimum a year. When I was competing, she had almost fortnightly baths. She's had one bath so far and I really need to clean her tail. (Yucky greys).
 
A quick flick over, a wash down if he's sweaty after riding, and pick feet out/apply hoof oil, sponge eyes, maybe pick shavings out of mane/tail if my friend refuses to leave the yard with me.

He's grey, I only bath for shows, and these days I'm more than happy to admit I have a skewbald...

He scrubs up very well though, so it's quite a nice surprise when the green patches are scrubbed off and I have a lovely flea bitten grey under it all!
 
horses get feet picked out and oiled, eyes and noses wiped and mud/grass/stable stains washed off, every day.

they get fully groomed at least 5 days a week.

sprayed all over with coat shine/coat conditioner/UV filter 4 times a week.

the 2 bays have a full bath incl mane and tail wash once a week, more in very hot weather. the grey gets spot washed every day, mane washed once a week, tail twice a week and full body as and when needed. Might be once a fortnight or twice a week. hes not in full work so doesnt get sweaty.

the get hot clothed after work if not sweaty enough to need bathing, with hand hot water and a dash of avon skin so soft.

i cant stand greasy smelly horses!
 
Last edited:
I do almost exactly the same as be positive, but I don't show so have never needed to bath.
If we need to look smart I either run a hot cloth over him and/or I wash his white bits if they look grubby.
 
She gets a full groom daily on an evening and a flick over on a morning while she has her breakfast ration. She is a native but rugged accordingly as shows at county level ( royal highland, great yorkshire, cheshire county type ) and has a full bath before a show including head. She has no white on her so dont have to worry about that and shes shown in her natural state with no trimming or pulling allowed. Shes qualified for a major championship at end of september and is now rugged to maintain her summer coat and prevent her being fluffy ( her friends of same breeding are changing their coats for thicker ones already ).
 
My two get a daily brush, including mane and tail which only takes a couple of minutes, and then fly spray applied .... unless its tipping down!

They live out so I only pick out feet if I am riding, and only apply oil on "special occasions" :)
 
Feet picked out every time he comes in from the field - usually 5/6 times a week
Flicked over with a body brush and mane and tail brushed before I ride

If going to a show i'll sponge off and stains and wash his white legs and tail, only bath if particularly dirty or if going showing! He's only had one bath this year :)
 
I pick out feet and brush over with dandy before riding, and sponge or brush off any sweat afterwards.

Mine has an annual bath! I don't show so he doesn't really need it - he goes out naked a lot in summer so I don't want to wash too many natural oils out of his coat.

I do regularly wash his legs with dandruff shampoo as he has 4 white socks and gets dry/ flaky skin and this helps.
 
I'm an incredibly bad owner...

my horse when he's in is very good at keeping himself clean (but not his bed!) so when rugged often will not have a hair out of place or a speck of dirt on him. So he gets a quick brush over.

when he's out full time he comes in a state so will either have his legs hosed if they're very muddy or it's wet mud, or I will brush out the hard mud.

As his mane is shoulder length and an incredibly thick mane, I normally don't bother brushing it if he's only got a few shavings or twigs in it I'll brush them out. He does come in with half a tree stuck in there sometimes, which is when it gets a brush, but he waits until it is all neat and over to one side before he shakes his head and it goes everywhere.

I sound like an incredibly lazy owner, but even for show preperations, he has such a smooth, shiny coat that not much actually sticks to it and he seems to keep himself very clean. And as he is dark, I have no stable or grass stains to deal with :D
 
I own a grey.
And we have a muck heap in our huge paddock :( & he loves it.

I aim to bath fortnight & try to keep a fly rug on most of the time.

Fully clipped in winter, this helps keep him clean & I only have to hot cloth the dirty bits & his mane & tail weekly.

Before I ride I always flick a dandy brush over him & picking feet out is a must.

Remind me to never ever buy another grey
 
I have a traditional who always comes in dirty no matter what rug he's wearing �� I give a full groom almost every day and I body brush body, scrub or sponge off stains, dandy brush legs, curry comb through feathers and pull out any scabs, wet wipe face, brush through his tail and tack up! ( feet done to of course) :) he has a massive mane almost down to his knees which gets replaited every week and then just left :)
Because he's so hairy I try to wash his feathers at least once every two weeks and same with his mane but alternate and full body baths depend on the weather the other week he had two in one week as it was boiling but hadnt had one for two months before :/
And for shows the prep sarts a week before and the day before it takes me about 3-4 hours to fully make him white and then he gets chalked over night ��
 
Mine all live out so I don't want to remove too much from their coats, particularly mare and foal as they have no rugs.

Billy, my gelding, gets a good brush where any tack or boots will go, feet picked, and maybe a quick flick over any particularly heinous portions of his anatomy. I brush his tail as little as possible as it's very thin (eaten by a Shetland pony in a previous home), but try to wash it with Megatek on nice sunny weekends. If he's sweaty and it's not too cold he gets a bit of a wash on his sweaty bits, with citronella wash for the flies. For going out I wash his tail, his legs (they're white), and his white blaze. I have never washed his mane, as I rely on the grease to keep my horrendous plaits in! Last weekend I washed his withers too as he'd rolled in poo. The rest of him gets a good grooming, dandy brush, magic brush, body brush, stable rubber. He has a natural gloss from his feed so it's all he really needs, especially as we don't show, just potter round unaffiliated dressage and an occasional clear round.

China the mare is piebald. She's a companion pony and unbroken so grooming is a bonding session for us. She gets a go over on her scratchy places if it's not wet, all over when she's moulting, and her back legs done every day when she's in season as she wees down them and makes them grubby and attracts flies. I try to pick her feet out every day, but we do sometimes miss the odd day.

Graham the foal gets a flick over with whatever comes to hand, if its a nice day, just to get him accustomed to being touched all over. He gets wiped with a damp sponge brush on very warm days when he's come in sweaty - I suspect his father was a woolly mammoth. He gets his feet picked as often as possible, generally twice over. The dust in his coat means he's almost entirely waterproof (it beads and rolls off him!) and the flies can't get through it to his skin, so they don't really bother him.
 
I like my two to look 'show ready' as much as possible even though we don't really go anywhere. The little grey is bathed weekly with stains removed every day, he is trimmed up and always looks tidy and is fully clipped in winter as he gets allergies, he always looks his best in winter!

My little chestnut hasn't been bathed but gets hot clothed, he isn't trimmed.

A full groom takes a good hour each pony and is done twice a week

The rest of the time it's a quick brush over

No one really sees them but my personal standards are probably over the top, I don't mind them getting muddy but don't like to leave them like that for days on end
 
WelshD said:
I like my two to look 'show ready' as much as possible even though we don't really go anywhere. The little grey is bathed weekly with stains removed every day, he is trimmed up and always looks tidy and is fully clipped in winter as he gets allergies, he always looks his best in winter!

My little chestnut hasn't been bathed but gets hot clothed, he isn't trimmed.

A full groom takes a good hour each pony and is done twice a week

The rest of the time it's a quick brush over

No one really sees them but my personal standards are probably over the top, I don't mind them getting muddy but don't like to leave them like that for days on end
Click to expand...

I don't think your standards are over-the-top. My ponies would thoroughly approve - they enjoy being groomed.

For us the brushing/bathing ratio depends upon the weather, time of year and whether we are showing or not.

Daily massage-y brushing, one of those grooming combs when changing coats (very much appreciated as it reduces any itching), sponge down after riding, bath or hot-cloth depending upon weather before a show/outing or if they are getting very greasy and itchy. Feet checked before and after riding and when they come in for the night.
Giving them a good groom every day is an opportunity to check them over for any 'hot-spots', nicks, lumps etc - as well as something they enjoy. The companion pony, even though she never goes anywhere, hates being left out so she has the same treatment within reason as the ridden pony.
 
full groom every day!
1. use curry comb in circular motions all over body accept face and legs
2. dandy brush in a flicking motion all over body accept face
3. dandy brush in regular motion all over body accept face
4. body brush in regular motion all over body for a nice shine!
5. pick out feet

but i love bathing horses as well!
 
WelshD said:
I like my two to look 'show ready' as much as possible even though we don't really go anywhere. The little grey is bathed weekly with stains removed every day, he is trimmed up and always looks tidy and is fully clipped in winter as he gets allergies, he always looks his best in winter!

My little chestnut hasn't been bathed but gets hot clothed, he isn't trimmed.

A full groom takes a good hour each pony and is done twice a week

The rest of the time it's a quick brush over

No one really sees them but my personal standards are probably over the top, I don't mind them getting muddy but don't like to leave them like that for days on end
Click to expand...

i dont think you are over the top either :)

in addition to the mega grooming routine already mentioned, ours are always kept trimmed up-ears, beards,legs: off, tails banged, manes neat etc.
 
Prince33Sp4rkle said:
horses get feet picked out and oiled, eyes and noses wiped and mud/grass/stable stains washed off, every day.

they get fully groomed at least 5 days a week.

sprayed all over with coat shine/coat conditioner/UV filter 4 times a week.

the 2 bays have a full bath incl mane and tail wash once a week, more in very hot weather. the grey gets spot washed every day, mane washed once a week, tail twice a week and full body as and when needed. Might be once a fortnight or twice a week. hes not in full work so doesnt get sweaty.

the get hot clothed after work if not sweaty enough to need bathing, with hand hot water and a dash of avon skin so soft.

i cant stand greasy smelly horses!
Click to expand...

That is a lot of washing!! 😱
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top