2015 has started out wet and rainy here in Georgia, and Teddy the Haflinger Horse was soaking wet when I went to see him today. It isn't very cold, but I wish the weatherman would have been a little more accurate on the timing of the rain, because I would have thrown his sheet on the night before. Oh well, he's fine. 

Since the weather is so yucky, there's not much to do at the barn when it is so wet, I decided to make Teddy a warm, healthy treat. I know that there are bran mashes but, for various reasons, I don't really want to give him bran. So, I mixed up a small pot of oatmeal, carrots, apple, and a dash of cinnamon and cooked it in lots of water until it became a slurry of horsey goodness. Then, I added a splash of 100% pure apple juice to cool it down a little and add some more flavor. I poured all of this in a bucket and off to the barn I went.

The delicious smell of warm cinnamon and apples filled my car on the 5 mile drive, and I couldn't wait until he tasted it. After wading through the mud and muck to catch him, he willingly came with me in to the barn. He knows that there's always a good grooming session and maybe a snack or two during the process. Well, there wasn't much grooming to do so I put a towel on his back and covered him with a polar fleece blanket. Even though it was going to rain again, I wanted to try and get some of the water off of him.

I put the bucket of his oatmeal treat down and he dove right in. And, yes, he loved it and licked the bucket clean. It is very satisfying cooking for your horse. Although, I wouldn't do it every day, once in awhile is perfectly fine. It wasn't a lot either, just a snack. So, I'll be planning to do this more often, especially when it is cold. Maybe once a week at the most.

A good grooming routine helps to keep your horse healthy and happy. It's also a fun and relaxing way to bond together. There are many grooming tools available for you to get the job done, and some people like to use a few and some people like to use as many as they can. Below is a step-by-step instruction on how to get a good grooming session done easily and effectively. Remember that your horse should be dry when using the various grooming brushes and tools.

1. Curry Comb

Use a soft, flexible curry comb on your horse by using circular motions to remove and loosen dirt and hair. Be careful on the leg area to not rub too hard or be too vigorous. Make sure to tap the curry on the bottom of your boot or on the fence post to knock out the collected debris on the curry comb. 

2. Mud Brush (if needed)
  
If your horse is especially muddy, use a stiff bristled mud brush to break up the mud. Make sure the mud is dried, however, because if you don't you will just be smearing it around on your horse.

3. Dandy Flick Brush

Use a dandy brush to flick the dirt and hair that was loosened by the curry comb. This brush is a medium stiff brush. After every 6, or so, strokes with your dandy brush, you should use your curry comb to scrub off the excess dirt and hair. That way you won't be just spreading around on your horse. It also helps to prolong the life of your brushes by keeping it clean.

4. Body Brush

The next step is to use a body brush to get the fine dust. Also, make sure to scrub the body brush with your curry comb every 6 strokes.

5. Dandy Shine Brush

For the final polish and to bring out your horse's shine, use a very soft, dandy shine brush. Use your curry comb to scrub off the excess dirt every 6, or so strokes.

6.  Face Brush

Use an ultra-soft, luxurious face brush on your horse's sensitive face area. Avoid using it too close to the eyes.

7. Mane, Tail & Forelock Brush

Before using a mane, tail & forelock brush, use a detangler to keep the hair moisturized and easier to brush. Don't be rough when brushing out a tail because you could do a lot of damage to it and remove too much of the hair. If your horse has especially thin or brittle tail hair, it is better to just use your fingers to get the tangles out. 

8. Hoof Pick

Use the pick side of this tool to get rocks, mud, and debris out of the bottom of your horse's hoof. Be careful around the frog area and heel are to not poke around too hard. The brush side can be used to scrub off dried mud and get into all of the nooks and crannies on both the top and bottom of the hooves.

For more information on the grooming brushes and tools at Teddy's Tack Trunk, see this page:

Grooming Brushes & Tools