Grooming Q&As
Q: What is a normal grooming routine?
A: A thorough grooming session will take up to 45 minutes. In South Africa, we commonly do not regularly groom our horses ourselves, but at least once a week it is worth making the extra effort to do this. Firstly, this provides a great opportunity to bond with your horse, as many horses love the grooming process. Secondly, it allows you to do a full body check to scan for any injuries or new lumps and bumps. And finally, it gives you some idea of the effort required to groom a horse properly. From outside the stable it is easy to assume that brushing a horse is an easy job, but once you are in there doing it yourself, you very quickly realise that a proper grooming requires much more effort than it might initially appear! Below is the standard routine employed in most grooming practices:
- Using a hoof pick, clean out the horse’s feet thoroughly. Ideally do this outside of the stable – not on the bedding. You must always pick from the heel towards the toe, taking care not to damage the frog.
- With a body brush in one hand and a metal curry comb in the other, use ONLY the body brush to give the horse’s body a thorough brushing. You must use firm brush strokes, and stand slightly back from the horse. Every few strokes you must draw the bristles of the body brush across the teeth of the metal curry comb to clean the brush. Every now and again tap the dirt from the curry comb – again it is best to do this outside, not into the bedding. Start to one side with the neck and then work down the shoulder and foreleg, over the body and hindquarters and down the hindleg. The process must then be repeated on the other side. Care must be taken over the legs, as these need brushing less vigorously than other parts of the body, and can be sensitive.
- With a gentle, soft body brush or a specific face brush then brush around the head collar, being careful not to put your hand through the head collar at any point; should your horse pull away you could be injured. It is sometimes best to undo the noseband of the halter to get proper access. It is important not to forget the underside of the head, but you must be especially gentle in this region.
- Carefully brush the mane and tail with the body brush, if necessary untangling knots with your fingers first. Hold the tail away from the horse’s body so that you can brush out one section at a time.
- At this point a water brush (a brush with softer bristles than a dandy brush) can be dipped into water (not your horse’s drinking water!) and then used to dampen down the topside of the mane and the top of the tail.
- Using clean water you can then gently sponge the eyes and nostrils. With a second sponge you can clean under the dock of the tail.
Q: Do you need special clippers to clip a horse? Or can you use human clippers?
A: Although human clippers may work, it’s not a good idea to clip horses with them. Horse clippers are specifically designed to remove large quantities of thick hair, over a much wider area. Human clippers are not designed to remove such huge masses of hair, but are designed for tiny areas, in comparison with the surface area of a horse. It would take many hours to clip a horse with human clippers, and the clippers would almost certainly overheat, running the risk of burning the horse or just cutting out. Human clippers could perhaps be used to do small areas where the hair is finer, such as on the ears and face, but ideally you should just be using horse clippers.
Q: How do I cut my horse’s tail correctly?
A: To avoid cutting the tail too short, and to make sure that you cut at the correct angle, you need to put your arm under the dock of the tail to raise the tail to the position it is in when the animal is moving. Supporting the dock with your right arm, measure the tail to the chestnut. Use your left hand to mark the place and to hold the hairs at the correct angle. Then cut the tail straight across and then square off (or round off) any unlevel hairs to get a neat finish. The end should now lie parallel to the ground when your horse is moving. It is worthwhile, however, to check the grooming standard for your individual breed of horse. In some breeds the tail must be cut to a specific length or in a certain way.
Q: My mare has dry skin and is constantly scratching. I've tried coconut oil, tea tree oil and a cortisone injection from the vet but nothing seems to help. What else can I try?
Before you try another cream or ointment it is very important to find out what the reason is for the dry skin, so that you can treat the underlying condition rather than only the symptoms. Causes of a dry and itchy skin can be several things such as infection (bacterial, fungal or mites), immune mediated (allergies from food, environment, bedding or tack), or caused by a systemic disease (liver or hormonal problem).
A more precise diagnosis of a skin problem requires you to consult a specialist in this area, such as an equine internal medicine specialist. They will ask you a lot of questions, such as how long the problem has been present, if it is generalised or localised to a specific area, if you’ve changed the diet or environment of the horse, as well as what type of bedding you use. Based on the answers the vet will have an idea about the condition and will decide to perform further diagnostics, like taking a small biopsy of the skin for microscopic examination or a making a sample for bacterial and fungal culture. Based on these results a more precise diagnosis of the underlying problem can be made and the proper treatment can be started.
Answered by ESI specialist Ellen Compagnie, veterinarian and equine surgeon
Q: Why do people feed their horses rooibos?
A: Rooibos is unique to South Africa and has always been known as healthy; however, the benefits of rooibos have far surpassed our expectations. Initially and still enjoyed as tea, the actual rooibos leaves are now available in bulk and can be fed to horses to help with a variety of health-related problems. Rooibos has proved beneficial for treating stress, allergies, inflammation, skin irritation and obesity, and is also good for general coat care. Regular feeding of rooibos can prevent the development of cancer or heart disease, and can prolong your horse’s lifespan during his elderly years. The benefits are a result of the bioflavonoid ingredient in rooibos.
Q: My young horse has a stubby tail. How can I get it to grow out quickly?
The first thing to consider is why your horse is rubbing his tail. Skin irritation or allergy could be responsible, and it’s important to then identify the cause of the irritation and treat it accordingly. Always consult your vet for a formal diagnosis. Some horses simply suffer from sweet itch, which is especially common during the hotter times of the year, and horses can also rub their tails during the drier periods of the year. In order to regrow a healthy tail, the horse firstly needs to be on a healthy and balanced diet and groomed on a daily basis. You can try natural products such as coconut or avocado oil, which work to moisturise the skin and promote healthy hair growth. Tack shops stock a variety of grooming care products that help to nourish the skin and regrow the hair. In extreme cases, your horse might need a cortisone shot to first ease the skin irritation before you can start using tail care products.
Q: Our horses are turned out in huge paddocks with lots of natural bushes and shrubs. Unfortunately, there are also a lot of burrs and thorns that get stuck in my horse’s tail. I want to wrap her tail while she’s turned out. Is it okay to cover her tail with a tail wrap on a daily basis?
A: It’s not a good idea to wrap a tail all day, as you can risk compromising blood circulation. Your horse also needs her tail to chase away flies. Tail guards are only intended to be worn during short-distance travelling. If a horse is being transported over long distances, he is not allowed to wear a tail guard for the pure reason that it causes circulation problems. Rather plait the top of the tail and leave the bottom loose, so that she can still use her tail when she’s irritated by flies. Tail bags are a unique product that can be bought online. The bottom of the tail is stuffed into the tail bag and the top of the bag clips to the top of the tail hair. The bottom of the bag has tassels that do the same job as the tail hairs would when the tail is swished. Alternatively, consider spraying the tail with a detangler product. This will help to get the burrs and thorns out of your mare’s tail easily.
Q: What are some easy fly control solutions to use around the yard? They become more and more resistant every year!
A: If finances allow, you can install a spray system that automatically delivers a spray of insecticide at set intervals. These systems can be custom-designed. Fly tape is effective, but must be regularly removed and reinstalled. Fans in the stables are also costly to install, but excellent in deterring flies as they can’t fly at those speeds. There are several herbs you can plant that naturally repel flies. Basil, bay leaf, lavender, chives, rosemary, mint, wormwood, citronella grass and lemon balm have all been proven to repel flies. Plant them in beds around your stable yard – just make sure they are out of the horses’ reach – and you may be scoring yourself some fresh herbs at the same time. Rubbing vinegar and mint oil on rubbish bins and stable doors has also proven to help reduce the number of flies.
Q: What is the difference between hoof oil and hoof cream?
A: Hoof oil is probably the oldest and most well-known method of moisturising a horse’s feet. These products are made from a variety of ingredients, most containing vegetable oil. Many contain Stockholm tar, which is thought to seal moisture in and have mild antiseptic properties, preventing thrush. Hoof waxes, dressings and creams are all similar products made from varying ingredients and of different consistencies and textures, which are more cream-like than oil-like. Manufacturers make varying claims, from preventing brittleness, improved circulation and growth to preventing bacterial and fungal hoof conditions. Hoof waxes, creams and dressings are more expensive than oils.
Q: How do you know if your horse has ringworm and can you catch it?
The first thing to know is that ringworm in fact has nothing to do with worms. It is a fungal infection and is typically caused by two groups of fungi, the Trichophyton or Microsporumfamilies. It’s a contagious infection that affects the outer layers of the skin, hair and also occasionally the hooves. Any horse can catch the disease, but it is more typically seen in younger horses. It is usually transferred from horse to horse by direct contact, but can also be transferred between horses with contaminated grooming brushes or tack.
Ringworm typically causes ring-shaped patterns of hair loss, due to infected hair shafts snapping off. However, not all lesions are ring-shaped, so it is worth considering a diagnosis of ringworm even if the patch is not circular. Similarly, there is a common misconception that ringworm is itchy. It is in fact not particularly itchy, and does not seem to trouble the horse too much. The unsightly nature usually bothers the owner far more! The areas of the horse most commonly infected are the head, neck, shoulders and flanks.
Ringworm is highly infectious and therefore, while it does not hugely trouble the horse, it must be treated promptly. There are a variety of topical antifungals that can be applied as creams, washes or sprays. Regardless of the distribution of the lesions, your horse’s whole body should be washed if ringworm is present. Similarly, tack, rugs and grooming equipment that have come into contact with the affected horse must also be washed in these antifungal products. This should be repeated two to three times a week for two weeks to try and eradicate the fungus. When the ringworm is gone, the hair will start to regrow in the centre of the lesions, but this can take three to four weeks to occur. If the topical treatment fails to work, you must contact your vet for alternative therapies.
The infection can unfortunately easily be transmitted from horses to humans and humans to horses as it is a zoonotic infection. It is therefore advisable that anyone interacting with a horse with ringworm does not expose their skin to the horse’s skin. If, after interacting with a horse found to have ringworm, you find that you develop any unusual skin lesions, contact your doctor or pharmacist to get these treated.
Q: My Friesian has the most wiry mane and tail. Is there anything that I can do to improve the texture of his hair?
Mane and tail conditioner and leave-in spray can help manes and tails to feel less coarse and wiry but, just like with our own hair, it is very difficult to change the texture. Maintaining his hair at the tidiest-looking length, conditioning after washing and then plaiting his mane and tail while they dry can help the general appearance of wiry hair. It is also worth making sure that he is not wearing anything that is rubbing his hair, as this can give it an unsightly appearance and coarse texture. Some people swear by apple cider vinegar diluted 50:50 with water to help coarse hair. They say that if this mixture is sprayed onto the mane and tail, it will help to soften the hair, make it more manageable and add shine – as long as your horse isn’t allergic to the ingredients, it may be worth giving it a try!
As a final word of caution, however, a poor or nutritionally unbalanced diet can cause changes in hair texture. If you have concerns about your horse’s diet, please contact your vet or an equine nutritionist to discuss the diet and whether any changes they can recommend might improve his hair texture.
Q: I have recently heard that plastic curry combs can do damage to horses’ hair, removing its natural oils. Is this true? What should we be using instead?
A: Recent research has suggested that cheap plastic curry combs, especially those with sharp teeth, can cause damage to the hair and in some cases even damage the skin of your horse.
The importance of good, high-quality grooming tools is often overlooked, but when our horses get brushed almost every day it seems sensible to make sure that we are using only the best tools on them. If you want to continue using a plastic curry comb, just make sure that the ends are rounded. A good substitute for a plastic curry comb is a rubber curry comb, which can help to remove the loose dirt and hair just like the plastic variety. MagicBrushes are also useful for this and have lots of finer, plastic bristles, which are much softer on the horse.
The best advice is to watch your horse while he is being brushed. Does he seem to be enjoying the grooming process or finding it uncomfortable? If your horse seems uncomfortable, this is a sign that he is being groomed too hard, that the equipment is not ideal or that he is just very sensitive and needs some help desensitising. If you are still unsure whether your tools are gentle enough, try using the brush on your own arm with the pressure that the brush is used with on your horse. If it’s sore, it’s sore for your horse.
As a final note, it is not uncommon to find yards in South Africa using the metal curry combs to groom horses. This is an absolute no-no! It may be a quick solution to dirt and loose hair build-up, but it is extremely uncomfortable for the horse. Metal curry combs are for the sole purpose of cleaning other brushes. They are never to be used directly on the horse.