Horse Grooming 101

These instructions are written for the novice horse owner.

Novice horse owner, is a beginning horse owner with minimal horse handling.

"The evolution of the horse, a mammal of the family Equidae, occurred over a geologic time scale of 50 million years, transforming the small, dog-sized,[1] forest-dwelling Eohippus into the modern horse. Paleozoologists have been able to piece together a more complete outline of the evolutionary lineage of the modern horse than of any other animal.
The horse belongs to the order Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates), the members of which all share hooved feet and an odd number of toes on each foot, as well as mobile upper lips and a similar tooth structure. This means that horses share a common ancestry with tapirs and rhinoceroses. The perissodactyls arose in the late Paleocene, less than 10 million years after the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event. This group of animals appears to have been originally specialized for life in tropical forests, but whereas tapirs and, to some extent, rhinoceroses, retained their jungle specializations, modern horses are adapted to life on drier land, in the much harsher climatic conditions of the steppes. Other species of Equus are adapted to a variety of intermediate conditions. The early ancestors of the modern horse walked on several spread-out toes, an accommodation to life spent walking on the soft, moist grounds of primeval forests. As grass species began to appear and flourish,[citation needed] the equids' diets shifted from foliage to grasses, leading to larger and more durable teeth. At the same time, as the steppes began to appear, the horse's predecessors needed to be capable of greater speeds to outrun predators. This was attained through the lengthening of limbs and the lifting of some toes from the ground in such a way that the weight of the body was gradually placed on one of the longest toes, the third."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_of_the_horse

*****Caution**** Be sure to have protective cowboy boots on when you are around your horse.

Preferably in cross ties. This is the best way to secure (the horse can't move their feet around) your horse.

Cross tie example

Drape the lead rope over horse's neck so it is not lieing on the ground to prevent them from stepping on it.

This brings the dirt and loose hair above the surface. Brushing daily keeps the horse from developing sores caused by dirt beneath the saddle. Also you can find injuries and apply first aid promptly. You can not use the curry below the knees or on the head.

https://www.amazon.com/Decker-M83-Rubber-Horses-5-Inch/dp/B000CSNK02/179-2336510-6971359?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0

This lifts dirt and loose hair off the horse and makes them nice and shiny. It can be used below the knee and on the head.

If you find any fly eggs stuck to the hair, remove them by scraping them with your finger nails. The eggs are a white yellow color and they are smaller than the size of a grain of rice.

This makes it grow longer and gets the tangles out.

While standing beside the horse, run your hands down the leg and pick up the leg.

Pick up hoof with a hoof pick, lets air to the sole to stop bacteria growth. If the horse was to have a rock stuck in their hoof they can become sore while riding.

Apply fly spray all over body including the legs and stomach avoiding the face.

Apply spay to a towel and then wipe towel all over the face.

You now put on the saddle and put on the bridle and you are ready to ride.

Repeat the process when you are done ridding after removing the saddle.

If your horse has been still give them a treat

Unhook the cross ties and place your horse back in the stall or in the pasture.