Grooming

Social Behavior

Mutual grooming between horses is social behavior. A pair of horses will stand head to tail, scratching one another with their top teeth, particularly along the backline and neck, using their tails to keep flies out of one another’s eyes.

Mutual grooming reinforces bonds and relieves conflicts. The grooming of horses by riders serves the same purposes.

Grooming Techniques and Tools

A horse can be given a thorough grooming in about 15 minutes. There are many different methods and grooming tools. The following grooming techniques and tools are typical of most polo barns.

1. Gently remove dried mud with a rubber curry comb. This tool can also be used to clean brushes.
2. Use a rubberized glove with small, smooth, firm projections all over the body to stimulate the skin and remove dead hair.
3. Tidy the mane and tail with a long bristled stiff brush or metal toothed comb.
4. Brush the horse with a short bristled, soft brush, wiping it periodically on a damp towel to remove dirt.
5. Give the horse a final wipe with the damp towel including eyes and nostrils.
6. Clean out the feet with a hoof pick.
7. Use a scraper to remove sweat and water after washing.
8. In cool weather, remove sweat with a damp towel instead of washing.

Some Cautions

While grooming, never remove the heel feathers, or the whiskers around the muzzle, or the hair within the ears. The heel feathers take water away from the heel area. Ear hair blocks grass seeds and dirt. The whiskers tell the horse about objects, such as feed and grasses, near the muzzle.