Coat Care and Condition
Whilst there are lots of lotions and potions on the market to help condition and shine the hair, ultimately the beauty will come from within and from a regular grooming routine. Good feeding, grooming and stable management will maintain and condition the skin and muscle tone of the horse if done consistently throughout the year.Grooming is often rushed or overlooked when time is limited, but with longer, lighter evenings upon us and with more time to spend outside, now is the time to maximise and really get to know your horse from the ground up as well as giving the opportunity of checking over your horse thoroughly for any skin problems, lumps or bumps or field injuries.Having a daily grooming routine is especially helpful and will ensure no areas are missed and the horse gets a thorough brush and shine. It is also a good workout for the owner too!
-Starting from the top of the neck on the nearside, use a massage brush or similar, to massage the coat in circular motions to lift any grease and dirt. This also encourages circulation, helps with muscle tone and increasing the circulation of blood flow promoting healthier skin tone. Continue all around the body on the larger muscle areas.
-Once all dead hair and grease has been lifted use a medium or coarse bristled brush in a purposeful motion to pick up and brush away the debris. Choose a slightly softer bristle brush if the horse is thin skinned. These types of brushes will really get into the coat and flick away the dirt and dust brought to the surface.
-Once the body has been brushed off fully, move on to the Body Brush, this is a more densely bristled brush with shorter hair and is designed to lift grease from the skin and spread the natural oils along the hair shaft. This is the process that gave rise to the phrase ‘use plenty of elbow grease’.
-Clean your brushes frequently on a Metal Curry Comb throughout the process. This way you won’t be spreading grease or dirt back over the coat. The metal curry comb and body brush are used together so both hands will be needed for this process. Use the body brush for three or four strokes before cleaning across the teeth of the curry comb.
-Once the coat has been thoroughly brushed, finish off with a wipe over with a stable rubber (an old tea cloth is very suitable for this). If the coat needs additional buffing, use a soft mitt and spray Coat Sheen directly onto the mitt before buffing into the coat. This will give added shine and enhance the natural colour as well as give a dry shiny finish. Take care around the head area, and if the horse is sensitive ensure you use a soft brush and wipe the eyes and nostril area with a clean sponge to finish.
-During hot periods or after exercise, cooling lotions are perfect for giving a rinse off to remove excess grease and dirt as well as giving the skin and muscles a soothing wash. Smart Grooming’s Lavender Splosh Wash is a good choice and can be used either neat directly onto legs and tendons or as an all over diluted wash. Using a massage sponge is a great way to give an additional groom after damping the coat during the wash process.
-For additional shine for the show ring, the hot cloth method using Smart Grooming’s Super Shine lotion will give outstanding shine. This is an easy way to apply a product to the horse as well as being incredibly soothing. Just add a few drops of Super Shine to a small half-filled bucket of very warm water. Wring the cloth out before applying to the coat. Use all over the body and head as well as down the legs for a perfect finish. Allow to dry before wiping over with a clean dry cloth.
- 26th March 2020