One of my very first Journal Entries in Wild Reverence, Mane Locks, was about the concept of grooming horses, the importance of it and how it can massively contribute to bonding with your horse. It’s always best to keep in mind that horses are not our Barbie dolls or toys to play around with and do their hair prettily and watch them run. They are powerful beings with a much higher IQ than people wish to believe and strong minds and wills of their own. Despite this, it is important you establish certain rules, boundaries and disciplines with them. Grooming is a great way to start this, especially if you have very young horses or rescue horses (like I do).

Below is a step-by-step guide on basic grooming, which can also be found on Wild Reverence’s YouTube channel, or you can watch the video here.

Step 1: Securing Your Horse

Secure your horse. If you don’t have a crush to put your horse into, it’s better to tie the lead rope pf your halter to a strong pole or tree so that you don’t have to constantly worry about your horse’s next move or keeping a tight hold on the halter.

Step 2: The Curry Comb

One of the most useful horse grooming tools you will ever come across. It’s really good for getting old dust out of your horse’s skin and fur. The best and common way to use a curry comb is to brush your horse’s body in circular motions, rather than straight, as working it in circles removes all that dust, loose hair and other unwanted particles from your horse’s body. You want to use a bit more force rather than a gentle brush in order to really make it work. It’s also important you get that dust off the curry comb itself once you have collected quite a bit of hair and dust, by hitting the brush on a pole or tree.

Step 3: Mane & Tail Brush

This is usually a brush with multiple teeth in it. Usually designed with harder teeth, this brush is meant for the mane and tail of horses. Since a horse’s hair strands are a lot thicker and coarser, it is important to be able to brush through such dense hair. Brushing the mane is generally easier and safer to brush than the tail. The best way to brush their hair is similar to how you would brush a person’s hair that is long; you hold the strands and brush below so that you don’t hurt yourself by tugging on your hair – it is the same for horses. Grab their mane from the top and start brushing from the bottom and gently make your way up.

When it comes to brushing the tail, you have to be very careful not to get kicked by your horse. Make sure you know what you are doing and that your horse is comfortable with this (my Phantom is not and has attempted to kick me when I try reach for her tail). It’s better to stand far from their side when doing this, not directly behind; you never know what can happen.

Step 4: The Soft Body Brush

This is a brush with much softer bristles than the previous tools, and used to brush off any extra loose hairs and for a quick touch up if needed. If you have a skittish or nervous horse, this may be the best brush to start off with to ease your horse into the idea of being groomed and pampered. It feels as light as a feather against their skin and is best used by brushing in the direction of the hair growth.

Step 5: The Hoof Pick

The last and final step in my mini tutorial. This can also be a dangerous task if your horse is not used to being handled or having their feet done and needs extra pre-caution before doing this. To get your horse to lift their hoof, you simply push your shoulder against theirs, until they pick their leg up and you can rest it on your knee. All you need to do is pick out anything from their hooves that are not natural or that can cause potential damage and infection; such as glass, rusty nails, plastic and other debris that you see. The back legs are a bit more difficult, depending on the temperament of your horse and could require supervision.

This is a very basic, beginner-friendly grooming tutorial that I hope is easy to follow along and understand. Please feel free to check out how I used each tool I mentioned in each step on my YouTube channel. There are plenty other brushes and tools and equipment, but this is just a basic guide as a “starter pack” for grooming your horses.