Posts Tagged ‘curry comb’

In the care and keeping of horses, it is necessary to have a variety of standard horse supplies at the ready in order to responsibly fulfill our duties as horse owners or caregivers.

While fundamental needs such as quality food, adequate water, and comfortable shelter are obvious, there are additional supplies that are absolutely essential to the health and functionality of the horse in question and they are classified by the physical care for the horse and utilization of the horse’s abilities.

Included in physical care are those horse supplies that feature the materials used for grooming the animal. Frequent horse grooming is imperative for the comfort and appearance of the horse.

The supplies most often used in grooming include a curry comb – used to loosen dirt in the horse’s coat, a dandy brush which removes the dirt, a body brush which grooms the coat, a mane comb which does the same for the horse’s mane, a hoof pick/brush which cleans the hoofs, and a polishing towel used to give the horse a healthy sheen at the end of brushing.

As important as grooming in the physical care for a horse is medical care. Just as we keep a first aid kit in our homes should anyone require assistance, we must also keep a horse first aid kit as a part of your standard horse supplies.

Of course, in the event of illness or injury it is imperative that a veterinarian be called immediately; but in the meantime, a first aid kit can help you keep your horse comfortable – and out of immediate danger – until the doctor can arrive. Such items that should be included in first aid kit for horses include:

*antiseptics

*wound dressings

*bandages

*splints

*tweezers

*thermometer

There are, of course, those horse supplies that are associated with the utilization of the horse. For example, in order to ride your horse, you must have a variety of horse supplies on hand for riding.

The equipment used in this case is referred to as tack and includes:

Saddles – The “seat” in which the rider sits.

Stirrups – Which act as a support for the rider’s feet.

Bridles and Halters – Which slip over the horse’s head and are used to control the movement of the horse.

Reins – The ropes that run from the bit to the rider’s hands.

Bit – Which fits in the mouth of the horse.

Ultimately, there is a variety of equipment that is used for different styles of riding, racing, or showing a horse. The type of supplies used differs in each particular situation.

Owning a horse requires a significant amount of responsibility. As owners, we are committed to the physical and emotional care for the animals that have been entrusted to us.

Proper medical attention, healthy nutrition and hydration, frequent and loving grooming, and a dedication to having proper horse supplies on hand at all times are all a part of taking comprehensive care of our horses.

For more information on horses, try visiting http://www.interestinghorses.com – a website that specializes in providing horse related tips, advice and resources including information on horse supplies.

Author: Riley Hendersen
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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What is better than going to the barn and seeing your horse standing in the stall, shining like new money, mane perfectly pulled and laying beautifully on your horses’ neck, dapples everywhere just talking to you saying, look at me, tail free of tangles, almost reaching the floor, thick and wavy. Not to mention your horses forelock is where it should be, not too long or too short, and no dirt or dust on your horses nose and that shining look in your best buddies eyes. Wow!!!…Hah, GET REAL. These things happen only after many weeks or months of constant serious grooming and elbow grease.

A proper balanced diet as well as a regimented exercise program with a minimal amount of stress are contributing factors to a beautiful coat on your horse. Breeding will come into play but with hard work, a brilliant coat can be achieved.Successful, well groomed horses are very pampered animals. Of course they do have a price to pay, they must do what it is that is asked of them and do it well if they wish to continue this pampered way of life. Doesn’t matter whether you have a western pleasure horse, jumping horse or dressage horse, or even a racehorse, performance horses have a job to do and they will always be expected to have positive results from their performances. Nothing in life is free, not even for them.

So, let’s get down to business. First you will need a grooming box. Most of them today are made so you can sit them over the top of a board such as a fence board. You need at least one curry comb, preferably two of them, a fairly soft bendable one and you can get curry combs that look like they have small cones sticking out of a round base with a band to put your hand into on the other side.

Next you willneed a regular size soft brush, a regular size harder brush and a very soft regular size brush. You will need a smaller hard brush for brushing out the horses feet after you have picked them out. You will need a hoof pick, a mane pulling comb and a tail brush. Last you will need a few good rub rags. You will need a large spray bottle that will be used for a detangler for the tail. Old timers would not let us use anything but a hard brush on tails as you want to try and keep the tail as long as possible for swatting flies and gnats. If you are careful you can do a good job using a comb and detangler. Some eye wash in your box is probably not a bad idea, a good hoof care product and maybe an anti-thrush product. Last you should keep some type of wound care product in your box for easy access too (check out my latest blog).

After your horse has had a bath (complete details on bathing in recent blog “Giving Your Horse A Bath From Nose To Tail“) and is now completely dry, take your softer curry comb, stand in front of your horse after you have either tied him or her in the stall with a tie chain, (tie chains are not necessarily made of chain, there are rope, elastic or other varieties), or have your horse in cross ties either in a barn or outside on a wash rack. If you are right handed, use your left hand and hold the nose band of the halter lightly, and curry your horse between the eyes, very gently, currying is usually done in a circular motion, continue up towards the ears.

Now down both sides of the cheeks. Start on the left side of the horse, if you wish you can change to your other curry comb. Continue from behind of the ear, again in circular motions, straight down the neck, onto the chest. You should gently curry between the front legs and over their chest. Do this all the way down the whole side of the horse, (the curry is not for their legs but there is a soft rubber glove type of curry that is much better for horses who are shedding this type would be ok for the legs), under the stomach, close to the spine but not directly on the spine, over the horses rump, around to the tail down to the hock. Now you need to start on the other side of the horse behind the right ear and do exactly the same. You will know if you are currying too hard because the horse will keep moving away from you or will drop his or her back down low trying to get away from the curry comb, adjust to a lighter touch. Next, take your regular size soft and regular size harder brush.

Gently start brushing at the forehead, up between the ears, behind the ears making sure to move the halter back cleaning under the crown piece of the halter very well. Using the brush in your left hand, on the left side of the horse, and your brush in your right hand, alternate strokes from top to bottom covering all areas again working your way all the way back to the tail. You will use these brushes to brush their legs all the way down to the hoof. Go to the other side using the same alternating strokes with soft and harder regular brushes. Now, starting again at the front of your horses head, use the soft regular brush and your rub rag. Do exactly the same alternating strokes except that you can sometime use the rub rag in circular motions with your right hand giving your left hand a little break.

Grab your comb, comb forelock, mane and then tail using the detangler if you get a lot of resistance or excessive knotting, starting at the bottom of the tail working upwards. Now it is time to perform the very important picking of the horses feet with your hoof pick and your small hard brush. Stand by the horses left leg facing the back of the horse, asking your horse for his or her front foot by running your hand down usually the inside of their leg. This is a taught behavior to give you their foot and practice makes perfect. After you teach this to a horse and with regular practice of this important procedure, most horses have no problem with being obliging.

As they pick up their foot, use your left hand to hold the front of their foot, using your right hand, as you face the point of the pick towards the ground, run the pick on either side of their frog and clean out any unnecessary stones, manure or other things you know do not belong there. Still holding the foot with your left hand, grab your small harder brush with your right hand, brush out the bottom of the horses foot in a downward motion. Put that foot down, run your hand, as you are bent over, on the outside of the other leg and do the same.

Continue to the back of the horse, stand by his or her hind leg, start up high, running your left hand across the rump and down the inside of the left hind leg, asking kindly for their foot, clean and brush the foot and then ask for the right hind foot, you know the deal. Job well done, stand back as you will be able to see a difference. By grooming your horse in this manner on a daily basis, it will bring you great satisfaction as you will really be able to see the difference,and your horse just might give you a smile.

Beverly Jansen
http://bevshorseadvice.com
Co-Owner of BevWeb, LLC

I’m a licensed Thoroughbred Horse Trainer and a licensed Equine Message Therapist. I have devoted my entire life to horses and have over 40 years experience to share. My blog site was created to share my knowledge and will soon offer exceptional, all natural horse products that are above and beyond any other products in comparison and will guarantee fantastic results. I will also be posting “How To” videos on my YouTube channel soon.

Author: Beverly Jansen
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Grooming horses is very important to a horse’s health. Grooming promotes muscle tone and circulation. Just like us humans need a good rub and groom once in a while – it’s the same for animals. You know that when you pet a friendly dog – they look up to you with those eyes and they just fall in love with you, well again, it’s the same for horses. Grooming strengthens the bond between the horse and it’s owner and also allows the owner to look over the horse to see if it has any injuries and such. Of course, the main reason one would groom a horse would be to basically make it look purty of course!!

The equipment you need to groom a horse are:

1) hoof pick
2) dandy brush
3) rubber curry comb – to clean the dandy brush after use
4) plastic curry comb
5) body Brush
6) metal curry comb
7) 2 used cold tea bags (optional)
stable rubber / tea towel
9) strapping pad
10) water brush
11) clean sponges
12) tale bandage
13) mane and tale conditioner
14) Hoof oil and a brush

Seems like a lot huh – well if done right, it should take you approximately 45 minutes to groom a horse correctly!

The first step is to start cleaning the hooves with the hoof pick. First tie up the horse outside and if the horse is fussy, give him a hay net to play with to distract him. Make sure you clean the hoof from heal to toe.

Next, take the dandy brush to remove any dirt on your horse. It’s best to start at the neck and go down the body then down the legs.

Next, remove hair and promote circulation with the rubber curry comb. This is the part of the grooming that promotes circulation – your horse will be very happy when you are doing this!! Avoid the legs during this stage.

Next remove dirt with body brush and metal curry comb. Be firm during this act. Hold the metal curry comb in the other hand and scrape the dirt off so that you can continue cleaning the horse.

Next is the head – remove the head collar and hold the head with the hand you are not going to be grooming with. Use the body brush to clean the head.

Next brush the mane with either your fingers or the body brush. Go here to see some natural products to promote a shiny horse coat and mane. Keeping horses healthy the natural way is always best!!

Don’t forget the tale, horse lovers!! Spray some condition and brush that pony tale, pardon the pun!! *** Be careful not to stand directly behind the horse in case the horse kicks**!!

Next, grab the dampened sponge and wipe around the eyes and nose of the horse. Use the tea bag to wipe down the eyes as well, but this is optional.

Next, (this will won’t be your favorite part) – but take a different wet sponge and wipe around the horse’s bottom area. told you you wouldn’t like it! LOL!!

The tale bandage gets wrapped around the tail for a neater appearance when it is removed.

Use the strapping pad to strap the horse. This is a skilled process which I will discuss in later articles. Only if you feel comfortable, this is the time to strap the horse.

Lastly, take a damp towel and wipe down your horse. This will make your horse feel refreshed for sure!!

Actually, one more step – and that is to grease both the inside and outside of the hooves with oil.

That’s it. Now you are happy that you have a clean horse and your horse is happy because he just got done with a massage!!

Debbie Drum – The All Natural Pet Helper

For Natural Horse Health.

Author: Debbie Drum
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Anti-angiogenic Food

Grooming your horse is an essential part of good horse care. Your horse will enjoy a good groom, and you will be able to see if there are any new marks, cuts or rubs on your horse. It is important to give your horse a good groom before you ride as to ensure that there is no dirt around his saddle and bridle areas as well as having clean legs if you are putting boots or bandages on. Having a well groomed horse makes you look very professional at shows and proves to everyone you have pride in your horse!

Your grooming Kit should contain:

1. Rubber Curry Comb
2. Body Brush
3. Metal Curry Comb
4. Dandy Brush
5. Hoof Pick
6. Hoof Oil and Brush
7. Mane and Tail Comb and Brush
8. Shampoo, Bucket and Sponge
9. Sweat Scraper

Each of the above brushes have a specific use and each one should be used accordingly.

1. Rubber Curry Comb – Use this on his body and neck in round circles. This will loosen all the dead hair and skin in his coat and get rid of tough mud if he has rolled in the field. Do not use this brush on his bones (face, spine or Legs) it will hurt him. This brush also acts as a massage for your horse. It will relax him which makes him feel good. It will also encourage his skin to produce natural oils which will make his coat look fabulous.

Tip: Groom your horse every day and you will not only have a happy horse but the best looking coat ever!!!

2. Body Brush – Use this brush his face, neck, body and upper legs in long strokes going with the direction of the hair. This will remove all the dead skin and hair that you have loosened with your curry comb.

Tip: flick your wrist at the end of your stroke – this will removes more dirt and hair!

Tip: If your horse is really muddy – just hose or sponge him off. You may have to dry his saddle area before riding but this could save you lots of riding time!!!

3. Metal Curry Comb – This is NOT made for use on your horse ever! This is to clean your body and dandy brushes while grooming. To clean your brushes while grooming simply run your body brush across the metal curry comb and watch the dirt and hair fly!!!

Tip: Keep your Metal Curry dry and clean – this will stop it from rusting and it will be more effective for cleaning your brushes. (You can wash in water but dry immediatley after)

Tip: Hold your Metal Curry Comb in your left hand while using your body brush in your right hand and scrap your body brush every third stroke or so – aim at getting quicker – but be careful not to loose QUALITY in
brushing!

4. Dandy Brush – This brush is a hard bristle brush and should not be used on anything other than legs. Use it gently because it can hurt but you can be a little more vigorous with this brush especially if your
horse has had a mud bath!

5. Hoof Pick – Your Hoof pick is used to clean your horses hooves, which is one of the most important things you can do and should be done at least once a day whether you ride or not. To use your hoof pick, pick
up your horses leg and locate the frog. Run the hoof pick from heel to toe along side the frog. Be careful not to puncture the frog. Dirt can seriously stuck on your horses hoof so do be careful of yourself and your
horses foot.

Tip: If your horse is kept in a stable then hoof picking should occur at least twice a day.

Tip: If your horse’s foot is smelly or is ‘chalky’ this could be due to wet ground. If the hoof is smelly it could be thrush, and if the hoof if chalky it could be seedy toe. Some iodine spray from the local
horse/produce store can help. If your horse is visibly sore then you will need to call your vet or farrier.

6. Hoof Oil and a Brush – Hoof oil does not have to be used every day, unless your farrier has specified. It protects the hooves from becoming dry and brittle. it provides moisture which some horses need more than others. Apply with a small paint brush. Hoof Oil is different from Hoof Black. Hoof Black is used at shows to blacken horses hooves – this dries the hoof out and should not be used often. It would be a good
idea to use hoof oil after using hoof black to replenish moisture in the hoof.

7. Mane and Tail Comb and Brush – The mane and tail comb is used to pull your horse’s mane and top of his tail. This keeps his mane and tail tidy.

To pull your horses mane correctly is hard and takes practice but is much better than shortening your horse’s mane with a pair of scissors! When you use your pulling comb – brush through the hair, Hold the longer bits between your fingers and push the rest up as if you were teasing his mane. Next wrap the longest hair around the comb and while still holding the comb and the hair pull down sharp and quickly pulling the hair out. Only grab a small amount of hair when pulling, this wont hurt your horse.

The brush (usually just a hair brush) is used just to run through the mane and de-tangle your horses tail. When you brush his tail, grab little sections at a time and start from the bottom and work your way
up to his tail bone. Be careful as some horses do not like their tails brushed let alone the top pulled!

Tip: If your horse is getting annoyed then leave it for the next day. Don’t leave pulling a very long mane until the day before a competition, if you do need to stop you will only have half a mane pulled!

Tip: When brushing his your Horses’ tail, spray some show shine in his tail. This helps de-tangle his tail with very little breakage of the hair. All horses have different kinds of tails, so work with what you
have and keep your horses tail healthy and shiny!

8. Shampoo, Bucket and Sponge – Obviously these are used when you want to wash your Horse. To wash your horse, soak him with a hose from head to tail. Make sure you wet his mane and tail but be careful of his ears. Have soapy water in your bucket ready to go with your sponge and body brush in the water. Scrub his body with the body brush and use the sponge on his face being careful of his ears! Wash his tail (if he lets you). Ensure all the dirt or mud is off and then hose all the shampoo off your horse. Make sure that there is no soap left on him! This will make his skin itch.

Tip: Try not to wash him too often as this will wash away all the natural oils that are protecting your horses skin. Your horses coat will loose its shine if you wash him to often and he may also get dandruff or itchy skin!

Tip: A good groom will always be better than constant washing with shampoo.

9. Sweat Scraper – The Sweat Scraper is used after you have washed your horse. Scrap down his body to get all the excess water off. This will help him get dry quicker. Only use this tool on his body, not his legs
or head!

Extra things that you can have in your horses grooming kit are:
1. Moisturizer
2. Show Shine (for his tail)
3. Iodine / Antiseptic cream.

This is not an extensive list. You should also have a first aid kit at your horses stable or in your car if he is in a field. I will go through What a first aid kit should have in a later article.

If you intend to Show your horse you will need many more items. This is just a basic kit to keep your horse happy in the field!

If your horse is lame or has any serious cuts or injuries, please call a professional to help you. Once you are more experienced you will learn to tell when you need the vet or farrier.

Author: Christine Turley
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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