How To Groom Your Horse For Results You’ll Be Proud Of – Part 3

The fact is that most of us horse lovers don’t groom our horses
properly. This could be due to lots of things – time,
motivation, circumstances etc. What we need to realise is that
time with our horse is bonding time. Remember that in the wild,
horses groom each other and that’s the basis for their
relationships with each other. If we don’t take the trouble to
groom our horses properly, then we can’t expect to forge the
bonds we want between us and if this doesn’t happen then we
can’t expect the partnership benefits we look for either. If we
take the time, if we have the patience, if we use the right
techniques AND the right products, then we’ll forge a bond of
trust between us and our horses that will last forever.

Domesticated horses rely on humans to provide the opportunity
for skin care, unlike the wild horse where they have the
opportunity to groom each other! Grooming should be
incorporated into the daily routine of owning and managing your
horse to maintain its health and happiness. This practice
increases the circulation to the skin, releasing necessary oils
that promote a vibrant and lustrous coat. Daily grooming allows
the coat to be shed gradually, easing the burden of trying to
remove long hair and excess dead skin. A horse that is worked
regularly should be thoroughly and properly groomed at all
times.

Grooming not only allows us to give our horses a shiny, short,
healthy coat, it also gives us the opportunity to go over our
beautiful animals from head to toe, to notice any abnormalities
such as cuts, wounds, irritations, fevers that your horse may
have developed. The H-10 product range for first aid, H-10
Ointment and Spray is perfect to treat these problems.

Stages Of Grooming part 3

Rugging & Rugs.

Rugging – Horses should be rugged according to their
environment, season, level of work, feeding patterns and
whether they are stabled or kept in a paddock. Rugging
practices must be taken into account when you are caring for
the health and happiness of your horse.

Poor rugging practices create a source of discomfort for your
horse and can often be cruel. An owner may not see it as
intentional act, however keeping your horse rugged all the
time, irrespective of temperature changes can be highly
irresponsible, i.e. leaving heavy weight rugs on in winter
temperatures that are still in the mid twenties!
Horses are mammals, and all mammals to remain healthy must be
able to maintain their body temperature within a narrow range
to avoid metabolic problems. Certainly they can feel the cold
like us; however they compensate for this by growing a coat in
winter and then fluffing it if necessary, so trapping air to
create extra warmth. But horses can also get very hot!

Horses, like us humans sweat to keep themselves cool. However,
the evaporative cooling effects of sweating won’t work
effectively if a horse has a rug on. Overheating can lead to
issues such as Heat Stress if your horse or horses cannot lose
enough body heat due to impeding rugs. This in turn can lead to
health problems such as dehydration, loss of electrolytes, lack
of Vitamin D and possibly even to an inability to sweat!
Therefore, if you feel hot so too will your horse!

Do not try and substitute grooming for rugging and always take
a practical and sensible approach to rugging! Good feed and
hard work along with this sensible approach to rugging will
assist you and your horse maintain a healthy coat throughout
the year. Remember, rugging is no substitute for adequate food
in keeping your paddocked horse in top condition in winter, or
in giving horses in work greater performance.

Rugs & Rug Types – A good horse rug should fit properly and be
suitably lined on the shoulders to avoid rubbing. There is an
array of rugs ranging from heavy canvas to ultra lightweight
cotton or satin fly sheets. A standard canvas paddock rug is
waterproof and lined. Lighter fabrics can be used for paddocks
and can be bought as a rip stop product. Quilted and fibre
filled rugs are also available and price will always reflect
quality! Tail and neck pieces on some rugs are added for
protection and warmth. Wool or wool/synthetic mixtures are used
for stable rugs or blankets.

Hoods also come in a variety of materials for both paddock use
and stable use. They should also be used sensibly and fitted
accordingly to the horse’s size, and should be secured properly
to the rug.

This is part 3 of the course and we hope that you’ve enjoyed
it.

This course is co-written by Geoff Roberts & Michael Glenn who
run H-10 Australia, a company specialising in the supply of
quality horse grooming & associated products.
http://www.h-10.com.au
If you want to sample a chapter from the life of a world
famous horse trainer and learn some of his secrets for free go
here: http://www.h-10.com.au/beery/index.htm