Horses demand more than just a casual feeding and brushing. Just ask any horse owner or veterinarian and they will quickly tell you that these animals require a great deal of care and patience. The upkeep and maintenance for large animals can be overwhelming if you do not make them part of your daily routine. Here are 7 Simple horse grooming tips that any horse lover will find helpful.

Cleaning the hooves of your horse is one of your main duties. Hoof picks are inexpensive and these should always be a tool that you have on hand. You can routinely check the hooves of a horse every day and use this to dislodge any small pebbles or other debris that is found. These types of things can ruin the hooves and feet of these animals. If you do not clean the hooves regularly it can create a painful situation for your horse, and you run the risk of the animal going lame or becoming victim to infections.

Wash your horse's face. Humans wash their faces after any rigorous exercise that causes sweat and horses should be treated the same way. Sweat, moisture, and dampness can build up on a horse's face and cause fungal infection of not removed properly. Many times the horse's face is forgotten, but this is an awful mistake. Do not use a sweat scraper on your horse, but rather a horse-specific squeegee. These tools are softer and work better with your horse's face as it ensures that the experience is pleasurable and painless for your horse. Squeegees also help avoid any unnecessary hair loss from your horse's face.

Using a different sponge, you must also clean the rest of the horse's body. It is really important that you don't use the same sponge you used on the horse's face as you could cause cross contamination, which could cause disease and illness, especially on your horse's face.

A horse's tail is a lot like a girl's ponytail and should be washed, conditioned, and detangled weekly. Brushing should occur daily if possible in addition to the weekly tasks listed above. If you would like, you may utilize a tail bag to keep the tail protected and detangled, but you must be sure to tie the bag below the horse's tail bone. If you manage the tail on a daily basis, you will prevent snarls and sores from developing and you will also have a happier horse.

If your horse has a coat that is a darker shade, it is important to keep your horse out of the bright sun when he's not participating in activities. Therefore, you must provide some much needed shade. This will help to prevent their coat from fading or changing colors. Also, after a sweat ride or exercise activity, you should rinse your horse off with water before sending him out into the sun again. The salt in the sweat could increase the rate of the fading process. However, a simple rinsing could prevent this from happening.

Don't forget that over bathing your horse can be just as bad as not bathing him at all. So do not over shampoo or wash your horse; you can create a dull look for his coat. You should at most be bathing your horse once a week with shampoos and soaps.

Coat polishing sprays are great to use on your horse after you've given him a bath. When you use coat polishing sprays, your horse's coat will really shine. Moreover, your horse's coat will be protected from any dust build up that commonly causes skin infections and allergies.

Following these 7 grooming tips will not only improve the overall health and happiness of your horse, but will keep him looking good too.

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Written by Riche Goldmann using tags: horse grooming, horse health, horse maintenance, horses, Pets