Only Equine: equestrian

Showing posts with label equestrian. Show all posts

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Horse is For Sale

I have decided to put my Appaloosa mare up for sale, it is a tough decision, but I'm no longer riding and am moving on in life. I want her to go to someone that will take care of her and treat her well so she can have a happy and healthy life. Shes been in professional training since march 2013 until now.. so 9 months , she jumps, does her changes, is very well mannered in the saddle and on the ground. Also has amazing bloodlines for breeding, has not been bred ever. Is registered with the ApHC

Pedigree: http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/windy+sea+breeze

DeeDee

FOR SALE

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Find a Boarding barn....

Check you the barn yourself:

A visit lets you see the facility and level of care for the horses. You should have a list of questions to ask the owners or the manager running the farm. The facility need not be fancy but must be safe for horses to reside at. Things to check:

Fencing
All gates and fences should be in good repair and not broken and functional, Fencing doesn't have to be 4 boards or no climb mesh. Electric tape can be just as good as long as it works, barbed wire is not acceptable.

Stabling
Check stalls for dangers like holes in corners ,broken boards and protruding nails, look for fire hazards and exposed wires and any signs of a fire extinguishers and smoke alarms. There should be clean stalls, clean water buckets. Also take a deep breathe in... you shouldn't smell ammonia.. if you do.. that is a sign of poor ventilation.

Feeding
Ask how often horses are fed and how much, and if they have a custom feed plan for each horse that comes in for boarding. When peaking into the feed room you should see lots of grain and different kinds and supplements stored in a rodent proof containers. There should be a chart with each horses name and what it gets for AM/PM feeding time. Check the hay.. it should be leafy and green and sweet smelling not dark brown, dusty, course or stemmy.

Turnout
Paddocks that are grazed down to no grass and muddy suggest over crowding of horses in them. Paddocks should have a good source of water, space between paddocks will prevent aggression along fence lines.

Amenities
Make sure the farms arenas meet your needs and that footing is maintained and appropriate for your discipline. Keep in mind that no barn is perfect , pick the amenities you want and ones that are just an added bonus.

Horses
Look at the condition of the horses.. they should be fat and look healthy, not sore. They should be relaxed and happy.

20 Questions to ask:

1) How long have you been in operation?
2) What id your turnover rate?
3) How often do you feed?
4) What do you feed?
5) How often and where are horses turned out?
6) Do you require the use of a specific vet and farrier?
7) When are horses de wormed?
8) Do you require boarded horses to have negative coggins?
9) Does someone live on the property? how often are horses checked on?
10) Are there days where i cant visit or ride my horse?
11) Do you require the use of a specific trainer?
12) Can someone blanket my horse if im not there?
13) What services are not included in the board price?
14) Where can i store my tack?
15) Do you have a boarding contract?
16) Can I see a copy of the barn rules and regulations?
17) Do you provide trailering?
18) Do you have liability insurance?
19) Can you provide names and numbers for references?
20) If there a waiting list?

Good luck and have fun choosing a place for your horse to live at.
:)

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

An Equestrian Future

Hello fello Equestrians

I have been thinking for a while about doing a blog post about myself and my personal equestrian experience so far (up to 2012) so lets get started...

DeeDee winter 2011

Back in December 2006 my Dad bought DeeDee as a weanling as a christmas present for myself and my sister, my dad and i trained her, and i was doing riding lessons at a different barn, she was always strung out on sweet feed, she was a good horse though, fairly easy to train. At 1 year and 7 months we moved her to the barn I was taking lessons at. At that time it was the top training barn in the area. I broke her myself with little help from the coaches at the barn, and she was really easy to break, I was the first one to get one her and there were days where we had our good times and our bad. I kept her there for 5.5 years and I had alot of good times and bad , which was all part of training and I over came alot of confidence issues with my self as a rider.

September 26 2011 DeeDee

The summer of 5.5 years came and I had made the decision to leave the barn and go to a smaller private barn, it got to be too busy and a big lesson barn. On August 1st I loaded up my horse and went to a smaller barn just about 5 minutes away from the barn I was at. I was really busy with school and being in my last year of college I just needed to focus on school and not so much riding. So I just wanted my mare to have a year of light work and I didn't have to worry about lessons and such. It was a good year for my horse to just learn to be a horse instead of being at a big show barn (hunter/jumper). Exactly a year later while at the small barn, it went up for sale, so I made another decision to find another barn to go to.. and now that i was done school.. i wanted to get back into some serious riding and working with horses. so i moved to a barn that wasn't so far out into the country. The person leasing the barn wasn't the greatest, but new people took over as of (may 1st 2012) and it all worked out, I now have a chance to ride and show in many difference areas and expand my riding skills and meeting tons of good equestrian and horse people and also travel and look at stallions in the states for breeding opportunities. Im definitely looking forward to the up coming opportunities. :)

DeeDee with her eye's closed, my sister is holding her

Supportive parents

Helloo Fello Equestrians

Every kid has a dream they want.. whether it be small or big, or within school or in sports. It is hard when as a kid/young teen you have a sports goal in mind and you want to achieve it and your parents aren't exactly supportive about it. That has been my biggest challenge so far... Horseback riding is one of the most expensive and dangerous sports out there... its not like baseball or football or soccer where there is a small ball involved.. we work with 1000lb animals with a mind of there own. My parents agreed to enroll my sister and I in riding lessons about 9ish years ago.. it was all uphill from there, I was hooked from the moment I got on that school horse. My parents were ok with us riding in lessons because there was always supervision the problems came when my dad bought my sister and I a 6 month old appaloosa filly named DeeDee. Horseback riding is a very expensive sport on a monthly basis it can cost anywhere from $350-$3000+ a month.

one of the first rides on my own horse, i was terrified!

All costs and dangers aside kids in todays day and age should be enrolled in either a school sport or a sport outside of school it keeps kids active and social. Having supportive parents in anything you do is helpful in away that keeps kids motivated to continue trying their best and achieving and setting more goals for them selves. My dad in particular was the one who bought the horse and has been there for me every step of the way. In the beginning he financially supportive my dream and now that im old enough to work I pay for everything. My dad and I would go out to the barn a few days a week and see my horse, because she was only 6 months old at the time there was a lot of training to be done with my horse. Of course we had our ups and our downs, but we spent countless hours working with my mare when she was young to get her the perfect horse for myself and my sister to ride now. I had only been riding for about 2+ years before my dad bought the horse... and knowing nothing about how to train a young horse or much about on the ground work, it all turned out ok. I remember to this day going out to the barn in the winter in -20 degree weather afraid of my horse because she was young and unpredictable but i knew i had to work with her because she needed a lot of ground work, respect and just general training to become the horse she is today. Back when my dad considered buying my horse, my mom immediately said no.. because of the costs and it was considered a "dangerous animal" she didnt want us around the horse at all except in lessons when we would have lots of supervision. In the end my dad made the right decision to buy us an exceptionally well bred appaloosa filly.

My dad and DeeDee in the early days

Today: May 7th 2012

She is currently 7 years old and broke to ride English, has fantastic bloodlines and I'm planning on continuing her bloodlines by breeding her in a year or so. From all the training back when she was a yearling and up she was fairly easy to train, she had her moments but we got over those and she has been a dream to ride ever since.

these were the days when i was afraid of her..

There were days were i would get no where with her and just would think it was a waste of time and money, many days i cried and wanted to give up riding, training her.. everything to do with horses. Im glad i stuck it out. I now have the chance to grow as a rider,trainer and horse women in general all with the help of the new people at my barn. :)

DeeDee was almost 3 here

Today at 7 years old.

I thank both my parents for being supportive and sticking with my through thick and thin.. good times and the bad, we've pulled through some really rough times with the horse but made it. I gladly thank them for that. :)

Monday, May 7, 2012

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Thursday, April 26, 2012

Entry Level Reining.. Have you tried it?

NRHA’s program for beginning reiners provides a fun, educational, and family-oriented ladder of competition.

The program: The National Reining Horse Association’s new “starter levels” of competition, which debuted in 2010, welcome riders of all backgrounds and abilities to the sport of reining. The Green Reiner class in particular takes the pressure off if you’re at the very beginning/introductory level of the sport, and wouldn’t feel comfortable in NRHA’s more competitive Rookie Reiner division. Green Reiners compete at one of two levels depending on prior points and monies earned, so that the more advanced Green Reiners aren’t mixed in with the newest of the newbies. Moreover, once a rider earns 100 Green Reiner points, he or she is no longer eligible to compete in that class, making it truly an entry-level competitive opportunity. NRHA’s complementary “Ride” and “Slide” classes offer small steps up to slightly tougher competition, creating an inviting ladder by which you can improve your performance in the sport.

Players: All types of riders. You need only an NRHA associate membership ($20) to compete in any of the entry-level classes, and you needn’t even own the horse you show. For both the Green Reiner and Ride classes, neither non-pro declarations nor competition licenses are required.

Other Advantages: Patterns are tweaked to make first experiences less intimidating. In Green Reiner classes, for example, you can ride with one or two hands, plus choose between simple (through-the-trot) or flying lead changes. Ride classes may also have reduced pattern requirements. You don’t need fancy gear or attire, either—just a long-sleeved shirt, a hat or helmet, boots, and a Western saddle and bridle.

Good to Try If: You’ve always admired reining but thought it was “above your pay grade.” In these classes, the atmosphere is supportive and encouraging, and you’ll always be competing against riders with about the same level of experience as you.

Success Tip: Work with a trainer or a knowledgeable friend to learn the basics, watch how the pros and experienced non-pros do it to absorb their knowledge and techniques, and ride a veteran reining horse if at all possible. “A seasoned horse allows you to learn how to rein versus trying to school a green horse while you’re learning yourself,” recommends Butch Human of Advance, North Carolina. Butch earned his Green Reiner buckle in less than six months aboard his “old war horse,” Mr Jerry Jac. “My wife and I started riding green horses and we struggled. With this gelding, I could go into the pen and think about what I needed to do, instead of worrying about my horse.”

The Buzz: These entry-level classes provide more than camaraderie and the satisfaction of learning and improving. They also offer the chance to win great prizes. By accumulating Green Reiner points at NRHA competitions, riders can earn trophy jackets (50 Green Reiner points) and Montana Silversmiths trophy belt buckles (100 points).

And for the Wee Ones: Youth riders can participate in the entry-level classes they qualify for, and for the smallest fry, there’s the short stirrup class. It uses NRHA Pattern No. 11, created especially for this class. The pattern calls for slower speeds and eliminates flying lead changes. As in the new entry-level classes for adults, the youngsters needn’t own the mounts they ride, making it easier for those great old reining horses to teach the sport to the next generation.

Via: Equisearch

http://www.equisearch.com/horses_riding_training/have-you-tried-entry-level-reining/

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Common causes of weight loss in Off track thoroughbreds

Learn about some common causes of weight loss in off-the-track Thoroughbreds (OTTBs) in this excerpt from the book Beyond the Track.

Insufficient calories: If a horse is not receiving enough calories via a combination of roughage and grain, he will lose weight, especially as his "race-fit" muscling disappears. Over the years at New Vocations, I have found that insufficient feed is the number one cause of weight loss in adopted horses.

Parasite infestation: Horses should be dewormed every 60 to 90 days, and at the track, Thoroughbreds are on a schedule to ensure this. While you should request information regarding the horse's last deworming when you buy or adopt him, it may not be available. As a precaution, it is always good to deworm a new horse to help avoid problems with condition as you begin retraining.

Heat: In a hot climate, or during the very warm seasons, a horse that spends long periods in direct sun will burn more calories than a horse that is in a stall, run-in shelter, or in the shade. If your horse is turned out all the time, it is important to provide him a means of shelter and shade. Inside a barn, fans can be positioned to help cool hot horses.

Cold: In regions that experience extreme cold temperatures, or during bouts of cold weather, a horse that is turned out with no shelter to protect him from wind, snow, and rain, will burn extra calories as he tries to stay warm, especially if he's wet. As in areas that experience severe heat, it is necessary to provide adequate cover from the weather. In addition, horses with thinner winter coats or those in the coldest climates may benefit from a blanket or rug.

Fighting insects: Thoroughbreds hateinsects. They tend to be thin-skinned and especially sensitive to biting flies and mosquitoes, so expect the weight to "melt" off your horse if he spends too much time fighting the bugs--inside as well as out. There are a variety of products available, including sprays, wipes, masks, and sheets, that can help keep your horse comfortable. And, scheduling turnout for the least buggy time of day is recommended.

Pacing the fence: Running back and forth along the fence line obviously contributes to weight loss. This can be due to initial anxiety about being turned out, boredom, horses in neighboring paddocks, or a lack of company in one's own. I explain how to avoid or deal with this problem further in Beyond the Track.

Sickness: One indication of illness or disease is weight loss. Illness also weakens the horse's defenses against sudden changes in weather and parasite infestation, which contributes to the problem. If a horse is in poor condition and seems depressed, off his feed, or otherwise unwell, have your veterinarian examine him to rule out an underlying problem.

Teeth: Horses may have difficulty chewing and consequently digesting their food if teeth are sharp or in poor alignment. Watch the horse eat and note if he drops a lot of food out of his mouth while he chews. Other indicators of mouth discomfort can include issues with the bit, head-tossing, or poor behavior. A veterinarian or equine dentist can check your horse's teeth and "float" them--file down sharp and rough edges that may be causing problems.

By Anna Morgan Ford

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Tips for Ex-Racehorse Shopping Online

Buying or adopting an ex-racehorse off the Internet can look almost as easy (and just as tempting) as shopping online for a new pair of breeches. But, although candidates are offered at tempting prices--typically $1000 to $5000--the process is neither as easy nor as inexpensive as it first appears.

Are You Ready for a Racehorse?
"Horses coming straight off the track are not for first-time owners or beginning riders," says Jo Anne Normile, founder of CANTER, a nonprofit organization that posts Net listings for Thoroughbreds in 11 states. "These young horses have seen and heard everything but they don't know 'whoa' and they don't know how to make a figure-eight with a rider on their backs."

Most of the horses available through such sites have only had race training. That means they...

usually don't stand still for mounting. Jockeys and exercise riders are boosted into the saddle at a walk.
are taught to be competitive. To them, riding in a group means galloping at 38 mph and trying to get in front of everyone else. Until a racehorse has been fully retrained (a process that usually takes at least six months), he's likely to be excitable in group situations.
are taught to lean on the bit when they run--and understand pulling on the reins to mean "go faster."
aren't taught to stop or turn quickly. At the track, fast stops at high speed make for injuries.
have raced to the left--and so are probably unbalanced to the right, particularly in small circles.
are largely unfamiliar with leg aids. (Jockeys' knees are up by the withers.)

A racehorse just off the track will probably need three months or more to back off from extreme fitness and readjust his system from the high-energy grain regimen (plus any drugs he may have been on). Normal non-racing barn routine and daily turnout will be new experiences that need to be introduced gradually.

Additional challenges will be the mechanics of looking at and trying out horses in the track environment and, if you decide to buy a horse there, dealing with soundness issues typical of ex-racehorses.

Where to Look
Still interested? There are a number of Web sites specializing in ex-racehorse sales and adoptions, and they are not all the same. For example, you'll find:

For-profit sites, such as Mix 'n Match, that arrange meetings between buyers and sellers and take a commission on sales. They may offer prospects still on the track and others that have come off the track and have already started retaining. (Usually the off-the-track horses can be ridden.)
Nonprofit sites such as CANTER, which give trainers a forum to advertise their stock. Most horses listed are still at the track, but trainers may advertise horses "on the farm"; the site itself has for resale "on-the-farm" horses that were donated to it for fundraising.
Nonprofit sites that accept donated (in many cases injured) horses from owners and trainers for "adoption" to new homes. Adoption sites usually charge a fee-typically between $500 and $2500-per horse; many require adopters to sign a contract restricting future use and sale of the horse. Examples include ReRun, United Pegasus Foundation and the American Standardbred Adoption Program.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

A safe and successful eventing season starts in the barn

Equisearch

By Jim Wofford

You don’t need to be riding to improve your chances of success in the coming season, Jim explains.

January is the time of year when you can take care of things you don’t have time to take care of the rest of the year. Your horse is just coming back into work, or maybe you’re riding less because of bad weather, so your ability to practice shoulder-in or jumping related distances is limited. However, there are several things you can do now that will make the coming season enjoyable and, more importantly, safer for both you and your horse. The details I have in mind are not directly involved with your ability to sit the trot, but you will sit the trot with a great deal more peace of mind if you have taken care of some, or all, of the following suggestions.

Inspect Your Trailer
Your horse is your best friend, especially when he is thundering down to something that is bigger than anything you have ever seen before and it is cemented in the ground. Don’t you think that he deserves a safe and comfortable conveyance when you are hauling him around to lessons and competitions?

Somewhere in that pile of old mail on your desk is the owner’s manual that came with your gooseneck. Find it and open it to the page marked “Maintenance.” Read it. Do it.

Before you take your trailer in for service, look closely at the interior.

Have any sharp metal edges suddenly appeared? Are any of the partitions bent or out of alignment? Is there anything else in your horse’s traveling space that might pose a hazard to him? If so, now is the time to take care of it.

If you have had your trailer for several years and you have been at least normally active, it might be time to replace your tires. If you do not use your trailer on a regular basis, yet have been plagued by
a series of flat tires, you may need to replace your tires due to dry rot rather than loss of tread. Each of your trailer tires rotates with the help of mysterious creatures called “bearings.” All you need to know about bearings is that they require care on a regular basis from someone who knows far more about machinery than you and I.

What about your brakes? They need regular service, and your maintenance guidelines will tell you what is needed and how to go about it.

While your trailer is in the shop for its annual rehab, make sure that all of its brake lights, backup lights and running lights are operational. You will need this to pass your state inspection, but you want to take care of these details based solely on your desire to have the safest possible environment for your four-legged friend.

If your trailer is of a certain age, lift the floor mats and make sure that the flooring itself is safe. Some older trailers have wood floors, which have a distressing tendency to rot over time, starting at the back end. However, metal floors can also corrode and deteriorate, and they need to be checked.

While your trailer is in for service, make sure that the hitch apparatus is greased, adjusted and maintained. In addition, if you have been towing your trailer with the same ball hitch on your truck for a long time, have your mechanic check that the ball has not shrunk. It’s a long shot, but the ball can become so worn that the trailer hitch pops off—and it’s preventable.

If you take care of everything we have just talked about, it will cost you a little money. But it is a small investment in your peace of mind about your horse’s well-being, and it is a very small down payment on the vet bills you could incur if you don’t take care of maintenance.

Inspect Your Tack
You also need the month of January to conduct a rigorous safety examination of all your riding equipment.

Start with the bit itself. If it is a loose-ring snaffle, is it starting to show signs of wear where the ring goes through the bit? Are there tiny cracks appearing in the metal? Is there a flat worn spot visible in the ring? Any of these can be a sign that your bit is about to break. You will probably train in perfect safety all spring, yet it will come undone on you halfway around the season’s first cross-country course because that’s the way these things work. However, a little attention during the winter months can prevent a dangerous situation from occurring.

Look at the rest of your bridle. Are the cheekpieces worn? Is it time to replace the keepers because they have stretched out so much that they will no longer “keep” the cheekpiece straps? (That’s a pet peeve of mine because a horse whose bridle lacks effective keepers looks like a hedgehog coming at you.)

Then move your inspection to your reins: If the leather part that wraps around the bit is beginning to show a groove, it is time to replace them. Undo the reins from the bit and inspect the internal stitching next to the hook stud or buckle that fastens the rein around the bit. The stitching should still be complete, and the hook stud or buckle itself should still be solidly fixed on the inside of the rein. If you have difficulty getting your reins off the bit, that means your tack maintenance program is badly in arrears and now is the time to fix it. Neatsfoot oil is cheaper than a visit to your local tack-repair shop. In my tack room,

I have several of my father’s bridles. Some of the leather is 75 years old, yet it is supple and the leather glows because it has received regular attention.

Working back along the reins, if you use rubber reins, be sure that the rubber hand grips have not started to separate or fray. A skillful tack-repair service can replace them, which is cheaper than a new pair of reins. This should only be done once because of the extra stitching involved, which will weaken the reins with repetition.

Inspect all of the leather parts of your reins for cracks and gouges. In case of doubt, get your tack-repair person to give you an opinion. If you’re still in doubt, then it is time to invest in a new piece of equipment, because you would rather be safe than sorry.

If you are not riding much during the winter, have your saddle’s panels restuffed. While you are at it, repair and replace the billet straps as needed and certainly, if your saddle is an older model, make sure that the material to which your billet straps are stitched is sound and in good repair.

Although a stitch in time saves nine, nine stitches in your stirrup leather buckle might mean the difference between a successful season and a long time spent on crutches wishing you could ride. The stitching at the buckle end of the stirrup leather is the tack area that I most commonly find in disrepair at lessons.

Check Your Horse
While your horse is not in serious exercise, schedule his annual physical checkup, which should be a complete workup. Unless your regular veterinarian is unusually gifted, this annual checkup should involve a trip to the nearest veterinary school or equine diagnostic clinic.

What should a complete workup include? More than the obvious. It is a given that an examination will include the horse’s eyes, lung function and heart as well as external blemishes and superficial injuries or old injury sites. However, you should request flexions on all four limbs, and X-rays should be taken following any positive reaction to a flexion test. Chances are that the reaction is something minor, but you will feel better starting your next training period if you know that you have a minor condition that will be improved, rather than worsened, by exercise.

While you are at it, the clinic team should provide you with a written critique of your horse’s feet and his shoeing with suggestions for improvement. (On your return, be sure you go over this carefully with your farrier. If he is resistant to expert advice offered in a constructive fashion, then you need a new farrier.)

Your horse’s annual examination should also include a wide spectrum of blood work. This will tell you a great deal about the state of his health, including any mild form of anemia, the effectiveness of your deworming program and the presence of any lingering low-grade systemic infections. These days, you also need tests for any diseases such as EPM or Lyme that are prevalent in your area. As part of these blood tests, remember to obtain a new Coggins test. Ask the clinic staff to keep you apprised of any new transport requirements—for instance, whether your state now requires a six-month current Coggins, rather than one year. And so on.

If you are competing in FEI events, be sure to bring your horse’s passport to the clinic and make sure it is up to date in every aspect—especially regarding the required flu shots. Also remember that old wounds can heal with white hair rather than hair of his overall coat color. The passport must be changed to reflect this in order to remain current.

While your horse is at the clinic, be sure to bring a label from his feed bag and get advice about his nutrition.

Update Your Info
What are some other things you can do during the winter that will make your warm-weather experience more enjoyable? Go online and make sure that US Equestrian Federation and all the other affiliate organizations to which you belong have correct information in their user-profile database for both you and your horse. One reason to be sure now that the information in the database is correct is that more and more competitions are accepting online entries. If your information is out of date or incorrect, you run the risk of the competition’s computer rejecting your entry. Check to make sure everything is correct now to avoid being placed on the waiting list rather than having your entry accepted.

Make several copies of all of your membership numbers and of your horse’s registration numbers and competitive records and stash them in various places: your brief case, your vehicle’s glove box, your tack trunk … so you can access them should a competition not be able to find the required information.

If you have not yet joined the various organizations for the coming year, make sure to do it now.

Continue Your Education
Finally, in case you haven’t looked outside yet, it’s still winter. It gets dark early and there’s not much going on. So—read a book. As a matter of fact, I want you to read three books over the next three months. Read one on dressage, one about stadium jumping and one of your choice. Obviously I think my own books have something to offer to you, and you can read my extended reading list here. However, a good place for you to start would be with Wilhelm Müseler’s Riding Logic for your dressage book. (Herr Müseler includes some advice about show-jumping in the back of Riding Logic—ignore it.) If you have not read Bertalan de Némethy’s classic Show Jumping: The de Némethy Method, then do so.

For your third book, I prefer you choose one that discusses technique and training rather than one that is autobiographical in nature. There are many autobiographical books out there based on the writers’ horse exploits, and they are fascinating and fun to read, but they usually do not increase your knowledge of how to ride and train the way books specifically written for that purpose do.
Anyone with a full-time job will tell you that continuing professional education is a necessity in the modern business world. To continue to improve and succeed in the horse world, you must take the same diligent, disciplined attitude toward continuing education about riding and training as you do toward your professional career.

If you take care of all of these details, I am sure your horse will take better care of you and you will have a safe and enjoyable season.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Highly Effective Grooming

In many cases, what makes the difference in horse grooming results is not talent but technique. Observe several skillful groomers at work and you are likely to notice similarities in how they approach their tasks. Many of their hard-earned horse grooming skills come from instruction and practice— but that doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from simply observing and imitating their methods. That’s why we surveyed several first-rate groomers, both professional and amateur, and compiled this list of their seven “habits.” Most of these are relatively simple and require little, if any, extra effort, but employed together they are sure to transform an adequate horse grooming job into an impressive one. Read on to take your skills with a brush and curry to the next level.

1. Use the right tools

If a carpenter is only as good as his tools, so is a groomer. A quick peek into the grooming kit of a highly effective groomer reveals items vital to getting the job done, along with some useful “extras.”

• Currycombs. Traditional curries—hard, black rubber devices with concentric teethed ovals—are the brush of choice for removing dried, caked-on mud from a horse’s coat, or loosening dirt and shedding hair. Newer curries are made of softer rubber and have fingerlike projections that penetrate into the coat. They are less useful for scraping through dried mud, but massage the horse as they dislodge deep dirt. Rubber grooming mitts offer similar benefits and are particularly good for hard-to-curry areas of the legs and belly.

• Brushes. The best groomers have several brushes, each designed to tackle different cleaning challenges. Dandy brushes have stiff to medium bristles, making them good for removing heavier dirt and mud. In fact, if a horse has only small patches of caked-on dirt, a dandy brush can substitute for a currycomb–simply use a quick back-and-forth motion across the soiled area. Body brushes, which have softer, more closely set bristles, pick up finer dirt and dust and distribute natural skin oils that contribute to an overall shine.

• Sponges, rags and wipes. Final touches can make all the difference when it comes to grooming, and the best groomers always have an assortment of clean wiping paraphernalia on hand. Old bath towels cut into small squares are the perfect size for applying silicone sprays or giving a final rubdown to a coat. Disposable grooming wipes, pretreated with a product, are a convenient alternative. It’s best to have at least two sponges—one for the eyes and nose and the other for the dock and udder area—that are color-coded to avoid confusing which is to be used where.

• Silicone spray. You can make a horse look slick and shiny just through skillful grooming, but silicone spray makes it a lot easier. Effective groomers utilize these products in many ways. Spritzed on the surface of a body brush, silicone sprays act as a magnet for coat-dulling dust. Applied to a tail, they help detangle strands while minimizing breakage. And sprayed as a finishing touch, they add shine and coat each hair shaft so dirt slides off. Savvy groomers know silicone sprays don’t replace grooming time and effort, but they do maximize their benefits

2. Lay on the elbow grease

For evidence of another effective grooming habit, check out your friend’s toned biceps: Good grooming is hard work. The best currying job, for example, has some muscle behind it. You need to apply some pressure to reach embedded dirt or release as much of the dead hair as possible. In addition, this massaging action stimulates circulation and releases the natural oils.

But brushing is less a matter of strength than stamina. A few quick flicks of the dandy brush over the body will only get a horse “surface clean.” For best results, you’ll need to apply multiple short, swift strokes that follow the direction the hair lies. End each stroke with an upward flick to pull the dirt out of the coat. Work from the front of the horse to the back, ultimately pushing dirt off the horse’s rump.

Alternate brushing arms as you work. Not only will you reduce fatigue, but you’ll build up your own muscles more symmetrically. (Of course, a grooming vacuum can replace the brushes entirely, but you won’t get the skin massage and dispersal of oils that vigorous brushing provides.)

Once you’ve finished with the dandy brush, pick up the body brush and repeat the entire process. This softer brush flattens the coat, picks up dust and brings out the shine. The more strokes you can get in, the better your results will be. Keep a curry in your opposite hand and wipe the dandy brush on it after every few strokes to clean off the dirt as you go. In thin-skinned horses or during the summer months when coats are sparse, it may be the only brush you’ll need.

When your arms feel like lead, you are nearly done. All that remains is a rubdown with a towel or soft brush to remove any remaining dust. Use short strokes that follow the hair growth.

3. Shampoo sparingly

You won’t see the most effective groomers toiling in the wash stall very often. That’s because they know hitting the suds too frequently can do more harm than good, stripping away the natural skin oil (sebum) that gives a coat its shine. Sebum also protects the skin from insects and hosts friendly bacteria that help keep harmful fungi, parasites and other pathogens at bay.

Too many soapy baths will also leave the horse’s skin dry and itchy, which may cause him to rub his skin, mane and tail. As an alternative to bathing, effective groomers are more likely to rinse a horse with plain water to get rid of minor dirt or sponge him down with a liniment after a workout. But when a real cleansing is needed, it’s important to choose the right products. There are shampoos formulated for frequent use, deep cleaning, to enhance light or dark coat colors, or block ultraviolet rays.

When using a new type of shampoo, it’s smart to try it on a small area of your horse’s body and wait 24 hours to check for an allergic reaction before proceeding. Some horses have sensitive skin and may break out in hives when exposed to certain ingredients.

At bath time, use the minimum amount of shampoo specified on the bottle—usually one capful in a bucket of water. Instead of applying shampoo directly on a wet coat, put it in a bucket of water and sponge it on. This will distribute it more evenly and make it easier to rinse.

For an especially dirty coat, scrub with a currycomb or grooming mitt. When you are finished with the suds, rinse, rinse and rinse again. This task is easier with a watering “gun,” which has several speed and spray settings. You can widen the stream to cover larger areas, like the barrel and flanks, then soften the flow for sensitive spots. You’re not done with this step until you use a sweat scraper and not a single soap bubble appears.

The bathing secret of many great groomers is a finishing rinse—a quick sponge down with water containing a conditioner or light oil to replace whatever shine the soap may have taken away.

4. Handle manes and tails with care

The crowning glory of any well-groomed horse is a thick, flowing tail and a full, healthy mane. Good groomers take a literal “hands-on” approach to achieving both, because they know the most effective tools for detangling the mane and tail are their own fingers. For best results, start by dousing the mane and tail in a detangler, such as a conditioner or a silicone spray. Then “comb” through sections of hair with your fingers, stopping to gently massage out tough knots and burrs. Use a comb only after you’ve finished with your “finger grooming.” Start at the bottom and work your way upward.

If you’ve washed your horse’s mane and tail, rinse thoroughly. Like soap residue on a coat, suds left in a mane or tail will leave it dull and itchy. A horse who rubs his tail or crest in an effort to find relief can leave ugly bald patches, and the hairs may not grow back as readily as those on the body.

5. Feed for a good coat

Great groomers are usually astute horsepeople. They know no amount of grooming or application of hair-care products will make a horse look good if his diet is lacking in key nutrients. They will notice a lack of luster in their horses and consult with their veterinarian to rule out health issues, such as Cushing’s syndrome or internal parasites, that can lead to a dull coat.

In addition to diagnosing and treating any illnesses, a veterinarian can also review a horse’s diet and suggest adding a supplement to support skin and coat health. Dozens of commercial formulas for enhancing coat health and shine are on the market. Common ingredients include omega fatty acids as well as vitamins and minerals to support general health, and biotin, a B vitamin that contributes to the health of skin and hoof horn. Vegetable oils can also add shine to a horse’s coat—consider pouring a tablespoon or two of corn oil over his feed daily.

6. Trim carefully

Effective groomers can wield clippers in a way that accentuates a horse’s conformation and keeps him looking tidy without compromising his well-being. Show standards dictate some clipping conventions, but if your only goal is a good-looking pleasure horse, follow these guidelines:

• Trim the long hairs under the jaw for a tidy profile. Botflies like to lay their eggs on these long hairs, so keeping them short helps deter these pests. A close trim will also help you detect and treat any scabs and scurf left by black flies and gnats, which like to congregate in this area in hot weather.

• Leave the long hairs around a horse’s eyes alone. These are tactile hairs, known as vibrissae, similar to a cat’s whiskers in their sensitivity. They protect the eyes by triggering the blink reflex when something touches them.

• You can tidy up muzzle hairs that are extremely long, but these are vibrissae as well, so leave several inches intact to help your horse explore what is directly under his nose, such as delicate blades of grass.

• Clip very fuzzy ears by pinching them closed and trimming only those hairs that protrude beyond the edges. Do not clip out the interiors of the ears—those hairs protect against insects and are best left alone.

• Trim fetlocks with electric trimmers in a downward direction, following the growth of hair. Clip any tufts of hair high up on the cannon bone and behind the knee in the same manner.

• Trim the long “cat” hairs under the belly of older or shedding horses by running the trimmers in the direction of the hair, just below the surface of the coat. In many cases, a shedding blade alone will remove these.

7. Be consistent

Effective groomers approach their tasks with vision and purpose. To them, a grooming session is more than “knocking the dirt off” the saddle area before tacking up—it’s an all-over body treatment designed to not only make a horse look his best, but to lay the groundwork to keep him looking good again tomorrow.

They pay as much attention to a horse’s coat each day as they do his legs, lungs or eyes. In addition to regular daily grooming sessions, they pick up a brush in the idle moments of the day and use it as a tool to learn more about their horse. They know a horse’s ticklish parts and itchy spots and can tell you just how long he’s had that scab on his hindquarters or when that rub spot appeared on his shoulders. In other words, the secret to highly effective grooming is essentially highly effective horsemanship.

http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/7-habits-for-highly-effective-horse-grooming/

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