Grooming is one of the best parts of owning a horse. It’s a great way to spend time with your horse to build that bond, and it’s always fun to make your horse look show ready. Plus, grooming is necessary to keep your horse physically and emotionally healthy. Unfortunately, there are a few pitfalls that could compromise your grooming efforts. Learn about the common grooming mistakes to avoid, and discover what you need to do to make your horse look show ready.
Using Excessive Shampoo
Shampooing your horse’s coat is essential for keeping them clean, but many owners find themselves going through shampoo quickly. Make the most out of your purchases by considering just how much shampoo you’re using. For example, it’s typically best to wash your horse’s coat twice when they’re particularly dirty. For the first round, you can use your favorite shampoo to get rid of the surface muck, grime, and dirt. On the next round, however, you could opt for a cheaper alternative as you really just need something that can lather up.
Washing Too Often
Washing your horse too often can actually cause some problems, especially if you have a dark colored horse. When you wash too often, the coat gets dull. While washing gets rid of the dirt, it also gets rid of natural oils and bloom that make coats shine. Light colored horses do need to be washed more often, but even they can be washed too much. Your ultimate goal should be getting the most out of your grooming products, and the horse’s natural shine.
Failing to Do a Patch Test
Whenever you’re using a new product on your horse, it’s important to do a patch test first. Grooming products have many ingredients, and some horses can have allergic reactions to them. Before going all in on a new product, test it out on a small part of your horse’s skin to ensure there isn’t any irritation or negative reactions. If there are any bad reactions, you may want to see a veterinarian to hone in on what specifically caused it.
Using Cold Water for Grooming
When grooming, it’s important to avoid using cold water. While most horses are able to handle cold water just fine, they don’t exactly enjoy it like they do lukewarm water. Additionally, warmer water is better for ensuring shampoos and other cleaning products lather up properly. Plus, horses enjoy it much more when shampoo is mixed with lukewarm water and applies with a soft sponge.
Forgetting Conditioning
Whether it’s washing your horse or your own hair, far too many people neglect the need for conditioner. With your horse, it’s fairly easy to manage. All you need to do is make sure that the product you’re using contains either silicones or oils or both. These are the substances that create a barrier between the horse’s skin and possible contaminants. Implementing conditioner is the best way to give your horse’s coat that silky texture.
Make sure you keep these common mistakes in mind when grooming your horse. Handle grooming correctly, and you can make your horse look show ready easier and more reliably than ever before. Most importantly of all, your horse will appreciate it.