Brushing a horse

Video: Oddly Super Satisfying and Relaxing Horse Brushing

Content

To step
Tips
Warnings
Necessities

Brushing horses has a number of great advantages. First, it cleans the coat and makes the horse more beautiful. In addition, it promotes a healthy emotional bond between humans and horses and contributes to the development of confidence. Brushing also helps to release natural oils into the horse's coat, which protect the horse from, for example, rain and wind. It also helps promote healthy circulation. You should brush your horse regularly to keep its coat and skin healthy. In addition, brushing gives you the opportunity to check the horse's body for health and any external wounds. Unlike dogs and cats, most horses respond positively to brushing, making it a fun and easy task. Keep an eye on; Always walk through the back of the horse to the other side and keep one hand on his hindquarters so he knows where you are. If the horse kicks, he kicks your leg. Do not crawl under your horse's head to the other side; you could get stuck between the horse and the wall and if the horse is startled you could unexpectedly get a kick in the head.

To step

Tie up your horse. While some horses are trained well enough to stand still while brushing, most horses will feel the natural need to walk away after a while. Hold your horse in place by tying the lead rope using a "horse knot" (safety knot), or have a friend or colleague (if you work with horses) hold the horse.
- Always use the "horse knot" when tying your horse to a post or ring in the wall. Should something startle the horse and try to run away or fall, a normal knot can even break your horse's neck. With the "horse knot" you can pull the rope with one pull in an emergency. Make sure the knot is tight enough so that the horse cannot run away.
Scratch your horse's hooves. To make the horse lift its foot, run your hand down its leg and gently squeeze the tendon. If he doesn't lift his foot, you can lean against his shoulder to unbalance the horse and still lift the foot. With the help of a hoof pick, carefully remove all dirt, stones and sand around the jet (the V-shaped soft part at the bottom of the hoof). Make sure to clean the grooves on both sides of the jet. The beam is very sensitive; do not use the hoof pick there. Using a hoof pick on the jet can lead to lameness.
- If you start the brushing session by scraping the hooves, you have a chance to detect lameness more quickly. Starting to scrape the hooves is highly recommended, as not only can you detect lameness, but you can also prevent it by removing any stones and dirt that can irritate the jet. Scratching hooves before riding is essential, especially if your horse has batter. Scratching the hooves removes and also prevents the formation of thrush, a sticky black fungus that develops around the radius.
- There is no standard time for a brushing session; you can take your time to scratch the hooves. The most important thing is to scrape out the hooves before and after riding. This is very important to remember.
Use a horse brush to remove loose hair from the horse. Rubber horse brushes are made to loosen dirt, mud and other things in the horse coat. Follow the hair direction when brushing. To achieve the best results and to maintain the horse properly, you should always brush the horse before using other brushes. Rotate strong, narrow circles with the curry brush, avoiding places with a lot of bone such as the head, spine, and legs.
- Work on one side of the neck, through the shoulder to the torso. Repeat this on the other side.
- Using the hair brush against the grain will release extra loose hair and dirt.
Use a stiff brush. A stiff bristle brush is a stiff bristle brush that is used to brush away the loose hair and dirt that has come loose through the use of the curry brush. Make short, straight, sweeping strokes with the brush. Start at the neck and work your way up to the tail. It is not recommended to use the stiff brush on the legs as they are more sensitive than the rest of the body. In horse legs, the bone is almost directly under the skin, due to the lack of a fat layer.
- Do not use the stiff brush on the head, ears, mane, tail, legs or shaved parts, as these areas are too sensitive. If you do this, the horse can be startled or stressed.
- If necessary, use a soft cloth on the areas where the horse does not want to be brushed with the stiff brush.
Finish with a soft brush. The soft brush can be used on all parts of the horse due to its soft texture (still be careful on the head). The soft brush removes all remaining dust and loose hair. Finish brushing the entire coat with the soft brush, including sensitive areas such as head and legs.
- If you want to use a separate brush for the head, you can use a main brush. A main brush is specially made for use on the head and looks like a miniature soft brush.
Clean the horse's head. Clean your horse's eyes and nose with a wet sponge or washcloth. Use a different sponge or cloth to clean the area under the tail. Since these areas are always clammy, dirt and mucus builds up, which must be removed. Be gentle in these sensitive areas.
- Use a different sponge / washcloth for each horse to prevent the spread of infection.
Brush the mane and tail. Use a wide-toothed mane comb or a brush to detangle the mane and tail. Remove the largest tangles from the mane / tail with your fingers before you start brushing. Hold the tail or a large section of mane in one hand (to avoid pulling) and brush it out with your other hand. Stand on the side of your horse when brushing out the tail. When your horse is kicking, you are in a safer place and less likely to be injured. Brush small sections of the tail at a time until you have brushed out the entire tail.
- Talk to your horse and keep one hand on the horse so that he is not startled.
- If you want to use hair products, make sure you buy natural mane / tail sprays instead of silicone-based sprays. Spray it on the mane or tail and massage it in. In addition to the anti-tangle effect, it will also nourish and shine the hair.
Spray fly spray in the summer or in warm weather. When it is summer or in very hot weather, you could spray the horse with fly spray. Flies can be very annoying. They are usually on the horse's head and can spread infections. Horse flies can sting and cause pain. The flies and horse flies are likely to bother you too. Spray the horse completely, but avoid the head. You can apply fly spray to the head using special rollers or you can spray some spray on a sponge and spread it over the head that way.

Tips

If the horse is very dusty or has a lot of dried-on mud on its coat, brush it thoroughly with the steed brush. Then run a damp microfiber cloth over the coat, which will absorb most of the dirt.
Spend most of your time roasting brushing! It makes your horse beautiful and shiny.
If you have a gelding or stallion, you should clean his quiver every six months.
Get a good farrier. It is very important that your horse is trimmed or shoed regularly.
Be careful with sensitive areas such as the flanks and girth area. The horse may find these areas uncomfortable and misbehave.
There is no need to brush a horse daily. You should brush your horse at least once a week to keep the coat and skin healthy. However, it is recommended to brush the horse before and after riding.
Use an old (clean) towel or wool polishing glove at the end of a brushing session to give your horse a nice shine. This helps at shows or competitions.
Do not stand directly behind the horse when brushing the tail; the horse can kick you.
Don't brush the mane and tail too often. This can make the mane and tail frizzy and look unhealthy. Save brushing of the mane and tail for shows or competitions. Some combs and brushes break off the hair, which makes it look unkempt.
Brush the girth area well before you ride to remove sand. Mud can chafe under the girth. Also remove the sand from the places where the bridle will be placed.

Warnings

Don't use too much pressure when brushing the legs. The skin is close to the bone and this can hurt.
If you use baby oil to shine your horse's coat, don't do it at the hottest time of the day. The sun can heat the oil and it can literally burn your horse.
When scratching hooves, stand as close to the horse's body as possible. The further away you are from the horse, the easier and harder he can kick you. With the hind legs it is best to stand a little in front of the hind legs. If you do have to stand behind the back legs, place one hand on the horse so that he knows you are there.
Do not brush the horse in its stable as this will make its straw or flax bed dusty. If your horse has problems with his airways, it is best to brush outside.
Make sure you always use the “horse knot” (safety button) when cleaning or washing the horse, so that you can always loosen the horse quickly in an emergency.
Never handle your head roughly; the horse can become head-shy about this. Head-shy horses raise their heads high when you try to touch their heads. This makes brushing and putting on the halter / bridle difficult.