Grooming your horse need not be a stressful practice. If you are new to horse grooming, you will find that it can be difficult at first. You have to be willing to create a trusting relationship with your animal and learn your pet’s quirks. There are some horses that require extra attention and grooming, so it pays to learn early on what your horse needs.

If you are a newly minted horse owner or a beginner, you may not know where to start. Here are some ideas on how to start your bathing ritual. Begin with a pre-bath enhancer. You can create your own pre-bath enhancer using household items such as vinegar and olive oil. Mix two equal parts of each together for a natural coat soak. Sponge it onto your horse and leave it for up to three days. Make sure to plan this ahead for the right time of the year.

The next step is to apply a little petroleum jelly to your horse’s hooves before using water. Water is surprisingly damaging to hooves. Water can cause your horses hooves to dry out or become easily cracked. Don’t apply jelly if you plan on sanding the hooves.

Now it’s time to prepare your horse shampoo mixture. Use a baby shampoo for horses with sensitive skin and hair. You can use the horse shampoo for sale at your local pet supply store. Make sure to dilute the shampoo, no matter what the bottle says. For bringing out your horse’s natural color, try a color enhancing shampoo for horses. This is a nice way to get your horse’s colors to stand out.

If you plan on braiding your horse’s mane, you should not shampoo or condition it. Keep it wet and use hair gel after bathing, because using shampoo or condition will make it difficult to braid it.

There are some areas of your horse that may be difficult to wash or clean. If you are afraid of getting too close, consider getting a second pair of hands to help you out. Try to remain calm as your horse can read anxiety. Horses are amazingly sensitive animals and can tell when you are anxious about something.

Hot oil is one trick you can use if your horse’s tail is dry and brittle. Choose a hot oil treatment that is intended for humans. In most cases, you will see instant results, enjoying the shine of a moisturized tail.

For rinsing your horse’s tail, use some apple vinegar and rinse with water. This is a great mixture to remove shampoo. Apple vinegar also makes a great rinse because it repels flies, thus helping your horse remain comfortable.

Remember to apply a sheen product to the tail area and the body before it dries. Do not apply it to the saddle area, girth or mane, as these areas are sensitive. Instead, use a small cloth to get your horse’s face. If you don’t have a sheen product made especially for horses, use some baby oil in your rinsing water instead.

Finish up your bathing process with a steel wool cloth and lightly take the dirt off of your horse’s hoofs. Use saddle soap and neat’s-foot oil to take care of cracking hooves. An old home remedy is to use bacon grease for this problem.

Bathing a horse is a lengthy and involved process, but it must be done right. Despite the challenges, anyone can learn how to bathe a horse the right way. With some patience and knowledge, you too can give your horse the bathe of its life.

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One of the smartest things you can do, as a newly minted horse owner is to learn about the various safety issues that you need to learn in order to interact with your horse. Even the gentlest horse has the potential to hurt you if he should become startled or scared. Horses do not necessarily need to be aggressive in order to hurt humans. Accidents happen, but you can prevent many of these accidents simply by understanding that your horse is much larger and stronger than you. Horses are most often gentle giants that can sustain wonderful relationships with human beings when the proper safety measures are being taken. It is wise to remember that horses, by nature, are prey animals. They have the ability to react quickly and out-run a predator in the wild. Even in domestic horses, this survival instinct still remains strong. 

Here are some tips that can help you avoid kicks, bites, trampled toes, drags, or runaways. Try not to feel overwhelmed by all this information. Simply take it slow, observe and read.

1. Leading: Always remain calm and quiet when you lead your horse. Avoid sudden movements, which can cause a horse to jump sideways or kick out. The best and most safe way to lead your horse is by using a halter and a lead rope. Through a doorway, you want to make sure that the door is open wide enough so that your horse doesn’t hit the door on the way out. You should also avoid hooking your fingers through the straps of the halter, nor the bit or the ring, for if your fingers could become trapped and injured, you will likely be dragged.

2. Standing: Always avoid standing directly behind your horse. When you’re grooming the tail, try to stand off to one side and gently pull the tail over to you. Never kneel or squat when cleaning the hooves or applying bandages. Your goal is to be visible to the horse at all times. The safest place to stand when you are around your horse is either beside his shoulder or at least ten feet away.

3. Finger and toes: Take good care of your fingers and toes when handling your horse. When you are using your reigns, long lines or lead ropes, you should loop them around your hands or any other body part. You could be injured and dragged if you are not careful. Use a bucket or tub when you feed your horse treats in order to avoid your fingers from being mistaken of a carrot. Footwear is important when you are dealing with horses. Avoid thin shoes or sandals around horses, and opt instead for boots or other sturdy steel-toed shoes.

4. Quick release: Always tie up your horse when you’re cleaning a stall, grooming or saddling up. You may want to learn how to tie a quick release knot (panic snap) in case the horse feels the need to free himself in some situations. Never leave your horse unattended.

5. Mount up: Wear the appropriate riding gear before mounting up. Begin by protecting your head by wearing an ASTM approved riding helmet. You should also wear sturdy boots with minimal tread and short heels. The boots you wear should make it easy for you to enter the stirrups, release your foot easily and not slip through. You should always feel comfortable and in control in your gear.

6. Communication is key: If you are going on a ride, always let someone know where you’re going.

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Horses require a high percent of fiber content in order to stay healthy and keep the normal function of the digestive system working. For most horses, the normal requirement of roughage for a horse is determined in relation to its body weight. In general, a horse should receive 1.5 percent to 2 percent of its body weight in roughage a day. However, this may not always be possible. Most vets agree that animals should receive roughage totaling a minimum of one percent of its body weight.

Along with hay and pasture feeding, roughages are a vital component in the diet of a horse as it is the primary source of digestive energy, protein, and also provides a small percentage of requisite vitamins and minerals.  Generally speaking, the requirement of food per day for an average animal is estimated at around 3 percent of its body weight. You should consider a few factors before deciding on the feeding schedule. You should be willing to adjust grain content according to the stage of growth of your horse, lactation, and the volume of work besides the expected body condition.

What exactly does the term “roughage” mean? Roughage refers to the high content fiber feed that most horse need. The expected minimum fiber content should not be less than 18 percent in crude form. Hay and pasture are the normal roughage foods. However, there are also many other alternate feeds that can be used to replace both hay and pasture feed.

It is very common for most horse owners to compromise on their hay and pasture feed supply on a daily basis. During a period of severe drought, roughage may become too expensive. Under these circumstances, roughage may not be replaced completely or else the quality may be lowered. In these times, grains with moderate levels of fiber content may be used. Alternate feed should contain eleven to fifteen percent of fiber. Keep in mind that low fiber content cannot replace the hay and pasture benefits. A change in feed may should be done very gradually. Make sure that your horse gets at least one percent of its body weight in roughage per day. The remaining portion should be filled by the required quantity of moderate fiber feeds.

Most horses ideally require one to two percent of their body weight as roughage in the daily feed. A normal mature idle horse may require roughage of 1.5 to 2 percent of its body weight. Some working horses may require even more due to the intensity of their work. A mare in late gestation or lactation may be seen as a workhorse for the purpose of feed content. In other cases a weanling and yearling will require comparatively lesser quantity of roughage.

Here are some of the alternate kinds of feed that can either be partially or fully replaced for the hay and pasture feeding.  Good supplement for the hay and the pasture feed in this category is alfalfa grass. Alfalfa contains higher protein and calcium and less quantity is usually okay. Grass hay and Bermuda grass hay may also be used as complete supplements for normal hay and pasture feeding. Another type of hay is Millet hay. This type of hay has significantly less nutrient value when compared to other grass hays. You should also know that it has a laxative effect when exclusively fed as roughage.

There are also other viable feed substitutes, including sorghum grass. This grass is sometimes not recommended because of its bad effect on the health of horses. There are some studies that indicate it may lead to neurological problems. The other supplements include hay, oat hay, beet pulp, straw, soy hulls, alfalfa hay, Bermuda grass hay, and millet hay.  All of these can be successfully used as a roughage substitute. There are also other sources of moderate fiber feeds, including hay and pasture feeding in the horse feed, like rice, bran, wheat, bran, and oats.

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Draft horses are often thought of as the classic workhorse. By definition this means that the horse has been adapted for drawing heavy loads. Sometimes workhorses are also described as dray horses or draught horses. A workhorse is not always breed specific, but the description is often used for any breed of horse that is physically suited to pulling heavy loads. As you probably know, there is a big difference between the workhorse and the show horse.

Here is a brief overview of the workhorse. The Draft horse comes from Europe, and it is thought to precede the invasion of the Romans. There are many popular breeds that have traditionally been known as workhorses. These include Shire, Percheron, Belgian and the Clydesdale horses. These classic workhorses are large and known for their endurance, strength and good disposition.

The Belgian horse is perhaps one of the most popular workhorses and a long history of pure European descent, becoming most popular during the Middle Ages. As its name implies, the breed was exported from Belgium and into many European countries between the 15th and 16th centuries. The Belgian horse was imported into the United States in the 1880s. It was slow to gain favor because of its large and slightly cumbersome appearance. This horse is known for its barrel-like, burly appearance and its coat, which is normally chestnut or sorrel in color. This popular workhorse stands about 17 hands or 68 inches and weighs in at over 2,000 pounds.

The Clydesdale is a workhorse favorite that comes from Scotland. This breed is often compared to the Shire horse, although it’s not quite that heavy. The Clydesdale is characterized by its springy and graceful step. Clydesdales became very popular due to their good disposition. Tradesmen who used them to transport commercial goods have also favored them. The Clydesdale is a favorite of today’s horse enthusiasts who appreciate the beauty of this horse. Clydesdales have white markings on the face and legs, a lavish feathering around the fetlocks and average a height of roughly 16 hands or 64 inches. They are known to weigh in at around 1,800 pounds.

Another breed of draft horse that was developed in North Western France is the Percheron, of Flemish origin with some Arabian horse blood. The Percheron is a very heavy horse but still has a considerable amount of stamina and is a very good trotter. Armored knights and general freight labor used this horse in the Middle Age. This was once considered the most popular draft horse in America, famous for its natural beauty. Percheron coats are nearly always gray or black in color. These horses stand just over 16 hands in height or 64 inches and weigh in at least 2,000 pounds.

Another large powerful draft horse is the Shire breed. They closely resemble the Clydesdale in size, weight and height and originate from central England. They are known for having long lustrous hair that grows from knee to hock.

Many horse lovers prefer the show horse, although the workhorse continues to remain viable. Show horses are very different than the average workhorse. The breed standards of show horses strive to produce the best athletic horse. The most desirable traits of a show horse may include:

1. Motion: A show horse must demonstrate visible power and balance from the hindquarters. The front legs should demonstrate extension and flexibility.

2. Neck: A show horse has a high neck on the shoulder. These horses have a fine throatlatch and are shapely without a pronounced crest.

3. Head: A show horse has a short and small head with large eyes and small ears. The facial profile should be straight or concave.

4. Withers: The withers are to be pronounced, with a very deep and laid back shoulder.

5. Proportionate: A level top line with a proportionate hip.

6. Legs: Straight and correct.

7. Bone structure: A refined structure throughout, especially in the girth, chest, shoulders and hips.

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