“Why do we groom our horses? Natural horsemen surely are the first to spot the hidden benefits. It’s not just to tidy him up after a ride, or before a show. When we groom, we communicate with our horse as he would in the wild.
You may not realize it, but when you groom your horse you’re bonding with him. Not only will your horse accept you. He’ll find comfort and safety around you. He’ll look to you as his leader.
What we do out of the saddle will always affect our performance in the saddle. Grooming shows there’s more to our horses’ care than simply keeping him healthy and clean.
Jim”
And now hear what Dan says on grooming.
“Horse grooming is an essential part of equine care, both for the health of the horse and to strengthen the bond between horse and rider. Regular grooming helps maintain the horse’s coat, skin, and hooves in good condition, while also providing an opportunity to check for injuries, irritations, or signs of illness. Beyond the physical benefits, grooming is a calming and bonding experience, allowing the horse to feel relaxed and connected with its handler. Dan”
“Special attention is given to the horse’s mane and tail, which should be brushed carefully to prevent pulling or breaking hairs. A detangler or conditioner can be applied to keep the hair manageable. The hooves are cleaned using a hoof pick, removing dirt, stones, or debris that could cause discomfort or injury. Dan”
“Grooming also provides a chance to check the horse’s overall health, including looking for signs of irritation, sores, or swelling. This routine also helps prevent skin conditions such as rain rot or fungus by keeping the coat clean and dry. For the horse, grooming often feels good and can be a relaxing, almost meditative experience, especially when done with calm, gentle motions. It is a vital aspect of responsible horse care that enhances both health and well-being. Dan”
So now you know why grooming is so important but does your horse trust you…
This is 110% true. Until I was disabled a few years ago I worked with horses a lot. I’d go from stable to stable to do what I call manner training which was basicly getting the horse to trust me. A lot of grooming was involved because that way as the trust grew I was able to put my hands anywhere on the horse without it getting spooked. This allows you to do just about anything with your horse from cleaning his feet to cleaning his ears, eyes, and nostrils. You must be very patient. Second best thing is always keep your voice and actions calm and level no matter what. If he spooks and sees that your voice and body language hasn’t changed he’ll learn that whatever spooked him wasn’t anything to worry about. I constantly talk to the horses. It doesn’t have to be about anything just calm and level.
I recently adopteda young mule tobe a companionfor my haflinger mare. Iwas told I wouldn’t getnear her, she was to wild.I am now grooming her every day tothe point that she dozes off. she has come so veryfar, we take oneday at a time!
I too have a mule. At first he was a little hesitant and would not even come to me with treats. After alot of patience, 3 months later, he comes up to me. I don’t have to get him the pasture. I had to start slowly, but believe me, it all paid off. Now he is my best friend! When he sees my car coming towards the pasture, he heads my way. He is so gentle and sweet. BTW, all mules err to be on the “cautious” side. Humans often mistake them for being dumb and stupid. How wrong. Their intelligence far outweighs that of horses!
I just had to tell my experiences with my horse Sassy. Sassy is 7 years old and her nickname fits her to a T. I am handicapped. And in constant pain everyday. (just to catch you up) I started out brushing and talking to Sassy since she was about 8 months old. She is my best friend. I can not see her everyday. But, she knows me very well. I believe she loves me too. The people at the barn, take good care of her. I can tell. Anyway, each time I get to the barn, she spots me. I swear she knows the sound of my car. Well, she starts to whinny real loud, as soon as she sees me come around the corner of the building. And then she starts to talk to me (you know that soft rumbled whinny) right after I say ok Sas mommies here. She runs around in her pen, and shakes her head, every time. And of course I always have a carrot or two for her. I brush her and clean her. I talk to her the whole time we are together. On a good day i get to take her for a ride.(with the help of a couple of really nice women.) The last ride I got to have with her this season was proof to me that grooming IS the most important time you can spend with your horse. They definitely bond with you. Anyway on this ride, I tried to run with her, and she got scared from a falling branch, from a tree. And yes, she threw me off. And she took off running. Luckily I had my cell phone with me. (I don’t usually) Everyone helped to find her. Calling her name and walking the trails. I could not, I had to stay put. I was in horrible pain now. So, I could only call for her. Well, she followed my voice. She came back to ME. And Donna said, she ran right past her. My girl knows me, and she loves me. I don’t usually get to see her in the cold months because my pain is too much. But no worries, she WILL start to whinny as soon as I come around that corner in the spring. She is my life line. And I am hers. (I rescued her from people that beat her.) Hope you enjoyed this.
What a truly amazing story and it definately uplifted my morning.
You have truly bonded with your horse!! That is amazing that she came back to you!! I loved reading this. Great story!! Keep up the good work…. 😛
I really enjoyed your story, I have a filly name Lilly she is at the race track and I go to see her twice a week and all I have to do is say Lilly and she comes running.
I know absolutely that Missy recognizes the sound of my car. As soon as she hears me pull up at the stables, she starts to whinny and runs to the gate to wait for me. I tell her “Mommy’s here” also, and she responds, Aren’t they amazing?
Sassy sounds like my Buddy. I purchased him in December, 2011 – he was 2.5 and I was 52. He was sort of a rescue. Sell him to me and know he will be loved, and cared for, and even spoiled a bit; sell him to someone the owner didn’t know, or send him to a horse auction. I wasn’t about to let either of the last two options happen (that’s another story for another time).
Lately where we live we have had quite a bit of rain, and of course the paddock gets muddy.
On a recent visit, I went to get Buddy. Instead of letting me put his rope halter on, he looked at me and walked away. At first it was annoying Then, he just stopped dead. I realized he lead me to an area in his paddock that wasn’t muddy. He looked at me and his eyes said “Okay you can put the halter on now.” I thanked him for being a gentleman, gave him a hug and then put his halter on and lead him to the barn for some grooming and quiet conversation about anything except politics! Once the grooming is over, he paws the floor, looks at me and says “Hurry up mom! Lets go, I wanna play!” The walk to the round pen is quick, but he knows if he goes too fast, mom will make him stop and settle down and then proceed
When it was time to return Buddy to his paddock, he went gently through the gate and stopped. He was letting me know “Mom take the halter off here so you don’t have to walk through the mud.” He is such a gentleman. I know some men who could take lessons from him!
I only get to see him once a week since I moved him to a safer and better maintained location. You can see the difference in him. He is happy, and content, and definitely at peace. The stable owner and Buddy’s trainer mentioned that she had seen him take a nap on the ground the first night back after being gone for almost 2 years. I saw him only do this one other time – the night I camped out with him at his previous location. He got as close to the fence as he could and laid down, and we took a nap together.
Just like Sassy, all I have to is call his name, he looks up and waits to see where I go. If I head to the house, then he goes back to grazing. If I head to the barn, he meets me at the paddock gate.
He’s my best friend and confident… and he doesn’t gossip except to other horses 😛 .
People say horses tell each other what to do with their owners, and I believe that. Where he was, the horses there taught him some bad behavior. Now, the horses around him have taught him far better behavior.
it’s amazing what a horse can do for a human. Whether you ride your mare or not the time spent with her is therapeutic for you both. I feel that just because you have a horse doesn’t mean you have to ride her. If talking and grooming you horse is therapeutic for you don’t let others push you into riding her especially if it puts you at risk. That horse is so lucky to have you.
Wendy, I’m sure that Carol Whitaker (Royal Grove Stables) would love to hear your touching story – she is putting together a collection of such stories (with the writer’s permission of course).
Love hearing good feel stories, I have just lost my gorgeous boy ,he knew my car and came to me as soon as saw me , he was like a big faithful dog , hope you are ok after your fall 🙂
I too am in great pain from a work accident. In ten years I’ve had 11 surgeries. I just got my first horse 6 mos ago. I have bonded with him by grooming him every day!! Sunday off. I do not feel the pain when I am with him. I am very grateful.. 🙄
Wonderfull to read your story and that you have got your first horse. I have just recently returned to riding again after some 33 years!!! My brother and sister-in-law think I’m mad but horses are so very special – I know they will rejuvenate and reward me more than I reward them.
Thanks everyone for reminding me about the importance of grooming – its something I had forgotten. Margot
I enjoy all the comments. I have just started taking riding lessons after loving horses all my life. I am 64. I rode some as a teen but never took lessons. I just got on and rode on my sister’s just broke horse and did fine. I love brushing the horses I ride and just being around them. It is what I enjoy most and look forward to it so much. I had back surgery 16 months ago and have been having pain recently and hope it is not from riding because I would be so sad to have to give it up. I love being around the horses and would some day love to have my own horse. I so enjoy reading everyone’s comments and am learning a lot.
This is so true. Besides, I loved grooming my horse. It was funny when I groomed my gelding, Midnight. He would turn his head and watch me sometimes, and would almost go to sleep. I also hugged him alot. As big as he was, I wrapped my arms around his big belly, hugged him and told him that I loved him. I did the same thing with my granddaughter’s horse and my son’s horse. Unfortunately, neither one of them could understand the importance of touching their horse and talking to them. They skipped this and the ground work, and couldn’t understand why they had problems with them while in the saddle. The horses did not respect them. And, yes, I tried to reason with them, they didn’t want to hear it. I watched an old man who has many years in breaking horses. His technique was barbaric. When he broke a new two year old, he made sure the bit was tight in their mouth that it cut the horse’s mouth on the sides. I saw this and wanted to treat the sores, but he didn’t want them treated. I had once respected this man, but after seeing how he worked with the young horses, I couldn’t stand to be around him and when he was doing this to the young horses. d
i have been around horses my whole life and rode everyone i could i used a piece of soft rope tied around their nose and one rein i had many a fall but i still rode. now i am 64 and just bought a beautiful paint mare which i ride i don’t even think about being too old to ride as long as i can sit in the saddle i well be riding i do all the work to keep her happy stall cleaning etc. she well do anything i ask her and i do use a bitless bridle or a halter she is a spunky girl but she loves me as i do her she waits by the gate for me and yes she do talk to me even when i am on her she is always asking me where do we go now. and she kno
ws where it is safe to go and where it is not.
I also handicapped and on oxygen and in a wheelchair. I spent a great deal of time looking for the “right” horse for me. I am not paralyzed but i can not stand. I needed a horse that would feel comfortable around and electric chiar. Finally after many lies from sellers and purchasing several horses that were not anything like presented by the sellers I found an honest horse seller. I am now enjoying the love of a horse and I can attribute it to having one that was not afraid of the chair and that would allow me to groom her. She loves it and at times talks to me while i am grooming her….She is very careful to make sure she does not get to close to me in the chair….after time she learned to trust me and allowed me to actually move my chair close enough to her do that I can groom all of her. She has learned that for me to groom her mane she has to lower her head. She also on her own intelligence she also now lowers her head for me to put her halter and lead rope on and even if I cant ride that day we take a walk. This is like therapy for me and gives me some exercise that i enjoy. I am now getting to ride her. I have to have some help getting on. And watches the whole procedure almost like she wants to make sure I am on and ready. I know where you are coming from Margot, I am 73 and had not ridden in over 30 years. My love of horses finally drew me back to wanting one again. I am so happy I did not let all of those people tell me I was to old. I feel younger now than I did before I got “Sadora” pronounced “Sa Dora”.
Wow. Very inspiring. I’m glad you didn’t let someone talk you out of buying a horse. Apparently you are 73 years young. I hope I am 1/2 as active as you at 73.
Unfortunately Sadora does all the walking I just lead her in my chair. I trained her to say on my left side as the controls for the chair are on the right side. She knows my van and immediately gives me a really nice greeting as she stands by the gate to her paddock. I think anyone that is handicapped should have some kind of contact with horses even grooming a horse is therapeutic. I know it has been for me
Last spring, my horse Twilight taught me how to groom my TB 24 yr old named Emily. The mare was stomping and biting her self a lot and I thought it was flies. I was spraying and putting out fly predators and still the mare was bothered. Twilight was watching me rub Emily with bounce – keeps flies away from me too. Then Twilight stepped forward and ran her teeth hard over Emily’s back several times and pulled out a huge patch of fluff. Twilight stood back and motioned toward Emily’s back. The stomping was an itch from the winter coat. I had been brushing Emily, but not taking a harder grooming tool to remove the undercoat. I had been too timid. Now I make certain to remove all that winter undercoat in the spring and the flies seem to bother Emily less. 🙂 Horses are so much smarter than I am. Twilight knew that I was new to the game, and figured I needed a lesson or two.
I agree. Plus grooming is enjoyable and relaxing for both you and your horse. one quick question… whats with the italics? Its doing my head in.
Wonderful stories!
I am a bit selfish in I have a wonderful mare Splash I rescued when 18mths old. She is quiet as (I trained her)with children, but moves up a few gears when I ride her! She is 6yrs old now, and keeping her for the rest of my life – but will donate to Riding For Disabled if I go before her, as she has a real empathy which is special.
Another – Solly, a Arab /QTRH X, another rescue horse abused that could not get near…until spending a lot of time with him, now my favourite horse!!
I had Postnatal late after my son was born. I got the shits! Shoved my son in his Grandmothers arms and took off to the furthest paddock/field.
I’m sitting bunched up in a foetal position screaming, yelling, then down to sobbing.
I hear hoof steps behind me, and a great big nose nuzzling me.
“Go Away Solli!”I yelled.
He took no notice.
He just kept nuzzling me, and gently tapping me with his front hoof. And he tapped harder with that front hoof until I got up.
Then, this once wild, abused horse, stood there while I bawled my eyes into his neck, and did not move until I was in control.
Whoever says animals have no empathy – has not met this horse, or any other animal – that has helped a person in distress!
I had an Appy mare for many years, Misty, I got very sick and was put on very strong treatment that made it hard to even get out of bed – much less walk into the other room. But each day after my husband left for work I would slide out of bed and half crawl half walk out side, there I would have to stop and just lay there until I got enough energy to move on. I would do this until I made it out to Misty in her pasture. She would come over to me and lean down for me to love on her. She was very careful not to step on me and on a few times out she would lay down on the ground beside me. On these days I would lean against her side and pet her all over as far as I could reach. When it was time for me to return to the house she would slowly stand letting me use her to get to my feet. We exchanged hugs before I left. She never turned from me, watching to make sure I was safe as I crawled and laid down on my trip back into the house. I know it was her that pulled me thru that treatment. Without her I often feel I would have given up.
She passed away last year at the age of 35. I miss her every day. But have the Mini we got her for a foal, which I promised her I would care for and love like her, and also now I have a young Arabian filly I am bonding with. I know Misty would be happy with how things are with her Mini and now the Filly. But I can’t help but think of her each day with love.
My husband and I have rescued two horses, a quarter horse that I named Castiel,Cass for short and a pony that we named Ruby. They were both starved so bad that Castiel looked deformed in the back in and you could see all their bones in their bodies. We know nothing about horses, but could not let them go back to those awful people. Ruby has been broke and is very gentle, Cass on the other hand has never been riden and we could catch him until he started to get stronger and got away from my husband and then we started having problems catching him. he now comes when he sees us, sometimes takes a few minutes and we just bought some brushes to groom them. After reading all that you experienced horse people have to say, I can’t wait to get home from work in the morning and start grooming him. Ruby loves it, also is it bad to look them in the eyes. Cass has so much expression in his eyes, I love to look in them. He is a wonderful horse and he does love us, I can tell, just not quite there on the total trust factor as of yet, we are also taking him to be broke.If we can not ride him we at least want to be able to groom, bath and spray him for flies, which he is not letting us do.
the looking in the horses eyes was a question, forgot the question mark. It is bad to look a horse in the eyes?
I heard that looking a horse in the eyes is considered good communication. I was also told never to wear sunglasses around the horse because the horse can’t see our eyes and may miss out on some communication. Does anyone know if this is true?
Hello, it is me again. I need to retype my last sentence, He IS letting us spray him for flies, he has realized the benefits of it.
I live in a house where there r 2 beautiful horses behind my back gate. because some neighbors complained the girls mwere chewing their fences I guess the owners decided to lock them up in their round pens. it has been 6 months now that they have been locked up. I feel so sorry for the girls. my heart breaks every time I look out my back door and see them pacing back n forth in their pens. I want so much to go to the owners to say to them I will get out there and take care of them and talk and groom them and exercise them if they don’t have the time. am I right or wrong for how I feel. I am very much an advocate for all animal rights so pls tell me if I should talk to the owners cuz they just leave the girls to their own to survive. they feed and water but no other association with the girls at all. pls tell me what to do. other neighbors of mine have told me the same thing and some are threatening to call the humane society.
😛 Kim, I would try getting permission from the owners to allow you to care for them.
Just be informed that it may well involve you
paying for vet care if needed. You have to buy hay, grain, straw for their bedding and water. It takes time and money to care for horses and you have to be caring and love the horses and what you are doing for them. I
hope the owners will agree to let you take
care of them. If not, I would call a horse
adoption group. They are on the web and easy
to find. If they can’t help I’d call humane
society, though I don’t know what they do with them. I’d hate to see them end up in
a slaughter house. (Those should be outlawed.)
I want to get out there and love on them and groom them and walk them around. talk with them. One sways her head back and forth, it s sad and the other little lady walks constantly round the pen over and over. it breaks my heart.
No one knows the owners situation, before someone turns them in for something that may be beyond their control. Like health , allergies or something you may not know or would ever think of.
Just go ask them if it would be alright if you could start grooming and. Walking the horses because your love for horses and you don’t have your own. That will work and no lies and no ones thrown under the bus.
May GOD Bless ya all
LISA
I just appreciate reading all your stories about experiences with your horses and neighbor’s horses too. I agree with grooming it’s a great way to communicate with your horse that you care. My horse always comes running to greet me and follows me everywhere. However I have trained her not to squeeze on me so she keeps her body off of me by about 6 inches unless I call her to me. I was using too soft of a brush and my trainer said to get a small palm size brush with stiffer bristles so I can really get down and remove the dirt and loose hair. Bonding with your horse builds trust and confidence in and out of the saddle. TRUST is always the biggest issue. We must depend on each other and trust each other.
Hi, I live in Australia and love this forum! All of the stories are both informative and inspiring. Wish we had mules here! I have a 26 year old horse rescued as a foal. My best friend. I am 50 now and looking for another.Thanks for the 😎 chats guys!
I have just bought a 20 yr old mare . she is a Tennessee walker . lovely horse but when riding her she will just suddenly walk backwards for no reason . I have no idea why she is doing this
I like how it was worded. i LOVE my horses too. 😀
How does regular grooming contribute to overall health and well-being?
Regular grooming supports health by preventing infections, maintaining hygiene and promoting self-confidence and well-being