Wash & Groom your Horse – Things you should know about horse grooming & horse washing

Lets first talk about the subject of horse washing; I always get asked how often do you wash your horse? Well I feel like horse washing is a practice that is done way too much. I see people wash their horses for everything.

If you think about it how often do horses get washed in the wild in a natural setting?
Horse usually get washed in the rain if the is not protection or when forced to swim across a river or lake. Otherwise they get along pretty well with out it. I don’t think any harm is done for the lack of a bath. I believe this to be true for the domesticated horse as well. A lot of times after working a horse hard and he is wet and full of sweat, most people like to hose them down with cold water. Washing a horse with cold water when he is hot or when the whether is cold is a major temperature shock to a horse. How would you like it if someone just all of a sudden hosed you down with cold water especially in the winter? Though when my horse is hot after a work out I sometimes will hose his legs down but that’s it. Also when washing your horse its not necessary to use soap or detergents every time you wash him. This will remove natural oils from the skin and hair.

Instead after a hard ride, walk your horse around a bit until he dries off then brush him. A lot of times I unsaddle my horse and turn him out and let him roll in the arena or pasture while I go clean his stall. By the time I come back to halter him up he is cool. Then I brush him really good making sure I brush away all the sweat marks.

The only time I think its really necessary to wash your horse often is if you are showing your horse. You don’t want to be competing or showing with a dusty looking horse. When you do wash your horse make sure you scrape all the excess water and let him dry in a place where its not very cold or use a good light weight blanket.

The best way to groom your horse clean is with a brush & curry comb and use plenty of elbow grease. This is another good way to bond with your horse & your horse will love every minute of it. Give him all the attention he wants. Brushing usually takes no time at all. Keep in mind your horse should always be brushed well before saddling. He may have hay or stickers on his back or girth area from rolling around. And if you saddle him, you may come flying off when you get on to ride. Lastly always brush your horse after you ride to clean up any sweat marks that appear from being saddled. It’s also a good idea to run your fingers down your horse’s spine to make sure your horse isn’t experiencing any soreness.

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Basic Horse Grooming Made Easy – For Beginners Young & Old

Daily basic horse grooming should be on the top of your list when it comes to caring for your horse. You’ll need some basic horse grooming tools & equipment.

Stiff brush: A brush to loosen dirt, hair, and caked mud from the coat. Also use it after a nice long ride or workout to brush the sweaty areas of your horse back, girth etc…

Finishing brush: A brush with soft bristles for giving your horse’s body a final polish

Face brush: a soft bristled brush made especially for the face.

Curry comb: A comb to loosen dirt and hair, make sure you get rubber one as they are the best.

Hoof pick: Used to remove rocks and other debris from the hooves.

Mane comb/brush: A comb for the mane and tail. Plastic rubber or metal combs are best because these will last longer.

Shedding blade: A metal blade for loosening dead hair from your horse’s coat, especially after winter.

Grooming is rather easy. Start by using a rubber curry comb. Use it in a circular motion to loosen dirt that has settled under the horse's hair. Don’t use the curry comb on your horses face. Next get your stiff bristled brush for your horse's body. Start at the neck and work your way down to his withers, back, stomach and hindquarters flick the brush away from the coat so that the dirt comes off of his coat. Look for any scrapes, fly bites bumps etc…and treat them as needed. Then after you’ve made sure you’ve gotten the heavy dirt off you come back with the finishing brush to get any excess dirt and to smooth the coat out to a nice shiny finish. Also use your finish brush on your horses’ legs

Use your face brush gently on your horses face. I generally start from the bottom of the face or neck & work my way to the top to get a horse used to being brushed on the face.

Next I comb my horses mane and tail, pretty self explanatory though here’s a grooming tip. I run my fingers through my horses mane & tail so that when I comb it, I don’t get a lot of excess hair coming out in my brush.

Lastly I pick out my horses hooves. I check for any rocks or debris, any scrapes on the bulbs of the hoof, pastern and fetlock areas. If you have access to an arena, After picking out my horses hooves I usually walk my horse around the arena to pack the arena sand in his hooves so he doesn’t get any rocks or debris in there.

That’s pretty much basic horse grooming. There are some extra things you can do but we’ll cover those in another segment.

Read my article:
"Learn How to Train a Yearling Horse"



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Average cost & expenses for horses - The cost of owning horses in the suburbs

For most of us, one of the big factors affecting our answer to the question “Do you really want a horse?" is money. How much does it cost? Well the fact of the matter is I cant give you a definite answer due to the fact that cost depends on many different things. Owning a horse can be a very expensive hobby or be managed on a very modest budget. It not so much the initial cost for a horse, as it is the average cost for horse keeping

If you hire someone to build a fancy horse stable, build a high dollar fence, purchase a registered sport horse with an established show record, keep a vet on hand for the slightest lil thing, buy and expensive horse trailer to show in, and a nice big truck to pull it with. Then you are looking at a nice chunk of change and the cost for upkeep is going to be through the roof. On the other hand all that hoopla is not necessary.

If you keep your horse at home with suitable basic arrangements, then your monthly horse expenses will likely be lower than they would if you boarded your horse at a full service barn. The average cost in time and effort on the other hand will be higher, due to all the chores that come with keeping a horse at home. If you have a schedule that permits you some time & you plan well then this arrangement can be very enjoyable.

A good stable cost money great services and facilities aren’t free. Cost of boarding in the suburbs is moderate to high depending on location and services provided. You could be possibly looking at anywhere from $400 - $700 a month. A well run barn is typically in demand, so don’t be surprised if there is a waiting list. Also take into account the distance between your prospective stable and your home or job when considering overall cost. The barn you like may cost more money but if it saves you on gas its something to consider, it may be very well worth it. Remember you are buying a horse for you pleasure and enjoyment. If a barn is too far from home or work, boarding your horse could discourage you from riding. Always take our time and keep looking until you find a horse stable that best suit you and your horses needs.

You’re gonna constantly need tack supplies. The biggest expense is gonna be the purchase of a saddle. If you buy a cheaply made saddle you’re gonna end up having to purchase another one. Take it from me, you get what you pay for. A decent saddle can run you anywhere from a $1000 - $3000 or more. You may also want to buy extra bedding for your horse each month @ $6-$10 a bag. You my need to buy a different type of hay for your horse than what a boarding stable is feeding, and then you’re looking at around $15-$20 a bale. Oh and don’t for get about hoof trimming & shoeing every 6-8 weeks this could cost anywhere from $50 for a trim to $200 for shoes. It depends on whose trimming and shoeing your horse, once again you get what you pay for. Lastly if you want to supplement your horse the cost can be anywhere from $10 - $30 for a 50lb bag of grain or feed. If you decide to keep your horse at home, all these things you have to consider and more. I hope I have been somewhat of a help to you, because there is so much more to consider depending on your needs.

Learn about horsemanhip & how to train your horse at:
Horse Training Made Simple

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Owning Horses in the Suburbs - Suburban horse keeping

In today’s society about 20% of families in the United States own horsesin the suburbs. Thousands of other families living in urban or suburban communities with small acres of land and some with no land at all would like to own a horse or two. Many of these families have very little to no knowledge in owning horses in the suburbs or urban horse keeping.

Owning horses or a horse can be a very enjoyable, exciting, educational experience, for the young and old. Or it can also be a dangerous unpleasant experience if the proper knowledge of horse keeping in the suburbs is not pursued previous to buying a horse.

To many people, horses are simply beautiful creatures. But prospective horse owners should look beyond the appearances and know that there are many differences to horses many different responsibilities to owning a horse in urban areas as opposed to rural & agricultural areas.

-You need to learn about buying and how to buy a horse.
- Horse care & handling
- You also need knowledge of horse equipment.

You must also have the proper facility or accommodations for your horse if you have a small piece of land. You’re going to need a proper horse barn or shed, proper turnout area or run, also how are you gonna keep your horse or horses exercised?

There are many other things to consider, such as how many horses does your community permit per acre? How are your neighbors going to react to you having a horse or horses? Are they going to be comfortable with it and the possible smell of urine & horse poop, depending on how close or far you are from their property? Another thing to think about is what are you going to do with the muck after you clean the stall or paddock? Do you have the room to compost it or are you going to need a company or someone to pick it up? Where are you going to store hay and feed? Where will you store your horse trailer if you decide you want show with your horse or do some trail riding? Lastly consider what will be the cost to keep your horse at home, for feeding and maintenance etc…?

If owning a horse in the suburbs you may want to consider boarding your horse at a local horse boarding facility so you need to consider how much that will cost you as well.

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