Grooming and Strapping. Who still spends the time doing it.

Esroh

It often comes up in threads that horses with problems from stiffness to refusing may be in pain. The advice is often to call in the Specialist . Now I have nothing against this but it got me thinking.
When I started out with ponies and then worked in yards I was expected to groom a horse every day . After exercise they were washed etc, but in the afternoon I had to groom. This meant actually using a body brush and cleaning it by pulling the rubber currycomb thru it to clean it after each stroke. Approx 400 strokes on each side :-)
(Actually worked in a yard where you tapped the dust into a pile outside the door so it could be seen)
This in effect was giving a horse a massage for 20-30 mins. I knew the tender spots were and also the sweet spots where the horses enjoyed it.
I know people are time stretched nowadays but I wonder is it something that is a forgotten art.

monflat

Esroh wrote: »

It often comes up in threads that horses with problems from stiffness to refusing may be in pain. The advice is often to call in the Specialist . Now I have nothing against this but it got me thinking.
When I started out with ponies and then worked in yards I was expected to groom a horse every day . After exercise they were washed etc, but in the afternoon I had to groom. This meant actually using a body brush and cleaning it by pulling the rubber currycomb thru it to clean it after each stroke. Approx 400 strokes on each side :-)
(Actually worked in a yard where you tapped the dust into a pile outside the door so it could be seen)
This in effect was giving a horse a massage for 20-30 mins. I knew the tender spots were and also the sweet spots where the horses enjoyed it.
I know people are time stretched nowadays but I wonder is it something that is a forgotten art.

Possibly isn't used as much as it should be or could be anymore.
There's probably more goin into marketin brushes and combs of every colour and shape rather than actual physical work that goes behind actual grooming. .

Do the bhs still teach it in their syllabus?

Ah_Yeah

I wouldn't put the amount of time you outlined into my horse on a daily basis, but I do groom every day (bar the one day of the week she's off as I don't go to the yard). I never get on my horse without grooming, I have seen too many saddle sores and girth galls over the years to not groom, and she's in the field with no rug every day. She's also grey, so dirt shows up really easily on her!

I spend about 15 minutes grooming before I ride, dandy brush all over to get the worst of the dirt off (she's a roller!), body brush on sensitive places, brush out the mane and tail, pick out the feet and off we go. After riding I run her over with a cactus mitt to get all the hairs off her and it's a nice little 5 minute massage for her

Esroh

Ah_Yeah wrote: »

I wouldn't put the amount of time you outlined into my horse on a daily basis, but I do groom every day (bar the one day of the week she's off as I don't go to the yard). I never get on my horse without grooming, I have seen too many saddle sores and girth galls over the years to not groom, and she's in the field with no rug every day. She's also grey, so dirt shows up really easily on her!

I spend about 15 minutes grooming before I ride, dandy brush all over to get the worst of the dirt off (she's a roller!), body brush on sensitive places, brush out the mane and tail, pick out the feet and off we go. After riding I run her over with a cactus mitt to get all the hairs off her and it's a nice little 5 minute massage for her

Ah_Yeah
I was taught to do that pre-ride prep with my first pony. Even when clipped out during the winter and you were taking rugs off. . Its something I still do years later even though I dont ride regularly now.

As you say if you didn't you would be looking for trouble.

Ah_Yeah

Esroh wrote: »

Ah_Yeah
I was taught to do that pre-ride prep with my first pony. Even when clipped out during the winter and you were taking rugs off. . Its something I still do years later even though I dont ride regularly now.

As you say if you didn't you would be looking for trouble.

It's just a habit I have gotten into and I do it without thinking now. As I said, the fact that she's grey is a big factor in grooming as it's so clear when she's filthy :rolleyes: She loves being groomed too so it's a nice time for bonding!

bnagrrl

I always groom before riding. I was taught you never tack up a dirty horse as it can cause sores.

I use a body brush all over as my mare is super ticklish, brush out mane and tail, pick out hooves. I do a massage once a week as part of my grooming. My mare had an injury before and I had a massage therapist treat her. The therapist then taught me the massages. There's one I do on her hind legs and you can actually see her legs loosen up as I do it

bob1984

5 minutes with a jelly-scrubber on both of mine and they love it. I would always do a basic groom every day but I would also try and do a full on 30 minute groom at least once a week - usually on their day off when I have more time

Ah_Yeah

bnagrrl wrote: »

I always groom before riding. I was taught you never tack up a dirty horse as it can cause sores.

I use a body brush all over as my mare is super ticklish, brush out mane and tail, pick out hooves. I do a massage once a week as part of my grooming. My mare had an injury before and I had a massage therapist treat her. The therapist then taught me the massages. There's one I do on her hind legs and you can actually see her legs loosen up as I do it

Any videos or anything of how you might do those bnagrrl?

argievai

Hi

I currently work at a racing stable, and here we do groom the horses for quite a while every day. I do know all of their more sensitive spots and have also learned massage methods on previous stables I worked at to loosen up those muscles and strengthen them. Apart from that we have a equisage we use every day and a physio comes in about once a month.

When I still lived in Holland (moved here not too long ago) and worked at a dressage stable we used to do a lot of stretching and massaging exercises with the horses to keep them loose, straight and get their muscle mass to build up more quickly. (could look up some videos if people are interested?)