Grooming Secrets???

Question

What are your top 3 grooming secrets?? List your 3!! Maybe something someone doesn't know.

Answer 1

baby powder

for white parts

No matter what season it is I ALWAYS use the shedding blade first and then go back over with a good grooma/curry. I use the Oster grooma....I have found that it holds up better and gets more dirt loose and off better. Then, after I use the stiff brush I clean feet out BEFORE I use the soft finishing brush. I find that I tend to flick up stuff from cleaning the feet and so I can get those little bits off when I go back over with the soft brush.

for a white horse with discolored spots that just won't come out, get french chalk and rub on liberally, then lightly dust w/a brush. French chalk can be found anyplace that sells dog grooming supplies. Or, dampen the discolored spot and sprinkle corn starch on it. Allow to dry and then dust off with a soft brush. Cornstarch doesn't give it the sparkling white color that the french chalk does, but works in a pinch. These are great for leg spot your horse may get warming up before a show that go unnoticed until you are almost in the ring

Was your western class before your english class? Got a big wet saddle pad mark? Instead of a full on bath, try using vinegar to remove the sweat stain! Mist on vinegar from a spray bottle then brush the hair dry.

Got a maunure stain? Quick removal is only a dust rag away. Take rubbing alcohol and place it on a rag. Whipe away that manure stain in no time

Instead of sticky hoof dressings try these more natural approaches. Rub a cut onion or put baby oil on the hooves for that pretty shine. Some commercial hoof dressing leave the hoof dry and brittle

Answer 2

Grooming secrets...mine come from the inside out....daily wormer,  Omegas, and Grand Hoof.  Omegas and Grand Hoof specifically enhance hair and hoof quality.  Hard to beat them.  Both horses have  mirror quality to their haircoats...next are shampoos and conditioners....

Cowboy Magic shampoos and conditioner, or Rio Vista shampoo and conditioner, Pepi Show Conditioner spray for the show pen,  Show Sheen, Quic Braid.  Johnson's Baby Shampoo for white facial markings...no tears.   Pepi has a wonderful smell to it, beautiful shine, and you want to put it on just before you enter the pen, if you are showing, it has a little oil to it.  You'll want to use a very light weight cooler on your horse after you've applied Pepi and take if off just before you enter the pen.  

All of our horses have Mane and Tail conditioner in their tails and it is applied after a shampoo and not rinsed out...yes the tail feels a little gummy however the tail hairs are not fried by our high desert sun and stay in beautiful shape.  

Next is brush, brush, brush to bring that natural oil up into the hair coat.   I NEVER, NEVER use metal curry combs or shedding blades as they absolutely trash the quality of the hair...will leave rough edges on individual hair shafts and there's no correcting that until the horse sheds out next spring.   I'll use a rubber curry to remove dead hair.....and help bring up the natural oils.   You'll NEVER see any of the halter big guns using a metal blade on any of their horses...there's a reason for that...I followed their examples and it for sure works!!!

For white areas, and my halter mare had four white stockings and a white strip and snip in her face, corn starch did the trick.  Applied it generously, brushed off any overages, wiped down her face prior to applying it to her strip and snip;  and wiped down her hoofs with a damp cloth and allowed them to dry prior to blacking them.

  

None of these products are secrets, it's just that a lot of people might not want to go to the trouble....they will make you stand out in the crowd...guaranteed!!!!  Been there and done that.

Edit: For those of you using WD40 to remove knots in manes or tails...It's something I shampoo out right away after I'm done removing the knot.  I can't say its healthy for a mane or tail in the long run so I shampoo it out.

Answer 3

baby oil! put it around your ponies eyes and nose to highlight them and just before you go in the ring sprinkle some in their tail as it will really make it shine!it even works well on a white tail! Also, when plaiting the mane, try do it straight after its washed as then it will hold better and spray some hairspray over it too and again, some oil on it wouldn't go a miss! Another thing I do is make sure you spray some silicon based detangler spray on their tail everyday (like Canter Mane and Tail Detangler) as this will repel mud a bit and make the hair stronger and sleeker (as well as saving a lot of time before the show combing through it all!)

Answer 4

i prefer to keep mine secrets lol :P

Answer 5

At the very end of my grooming session i take a cloth ans spray show Sheen on it and towel my horse with it. It gets her very shiny and it looks like she just had a bath.

another thing that i do is it my horse is very dirty i "vaccum" her. It looks like a vaccum but its not a house hold one. She absolutly loves it... its kind of like a massage.

The last thing that i might do is after im done picking out her feet with a hoofpick i sometimes hose it down with lukewarm water. It gets out the smaller rocks, and its soothing for her.

Hope this helps... =)

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EDIT

Jillian F - i kno what your talking about..its a dark grayish color..like a big bar of soap but hardand has tiny holes.. i believe they are called Bot Scrapers.

Answer 6

I just take a curry comb and a brush at the same time! it works! and maybe get the brush wet a little.

Answer 7

for our white arab:

we put up her tail in vet wrap/bailing twine(for the flies), that made her tail grow and look like a million bucks.

we used show white, the purple stuff, and currycombs to keep her white. (2 hours of petting, washing,grooming, the horse thought she was in heaven).

for my quarter horse:

we gave him a supplement, it was for his knees b/c he did have really bad knees/front legs... they were stiff.  we also use that peppermint smelling leg oinment.  those two things together made his knees/less less stiff.  (this was b4 his operation).

but the supplement also made his coat dapple out and look amazing. i didnt think he'd ever look that good when i bought him, i just bought him cause he was a great jumping horse/learning to jump with horse.

rainmaker(i believe they still call it that) was great for both their feet.

and last but not least: if you're going to use a bareback pad/ride bareback.... dont showshine you're horse... lol my mother did and after twice hopping on and falling off the next second learned that it wasnt a good idea. made the horse slippery and you cant easily balance. it was amusing but it couldve been dangerous with any other horse.

Answer 8

That pumice stone is wonderful.  I love it in the spring to help shed out the undercoat.  

OH...it's a pumice stone, not a bot stone as someone else stated.

A normal disposable razor for those horses that are not accepting of the clippers and for stray hairs.

WD-40 on the bottom of hooves to help prevent snowballs.

Mrs. Stewarts whitener (found in regular stores) is a great whitener I've been told and seen on other sites.  I haven't used it yet to say either way.

Taping a wax cup around the hoof to make an absolute line for trimming is something I have done once.

Spray on Sunblock (I've got a perlino) for whole body coverage.  Spray into my hands and rub onto face for thick all day coverage.  Great to help prevent fading too.

Those whitening and the dye type of shampoos for Equines.

Keeps my bay dark and my perlino White!

Clip the leftover winter fuzzies under the jaw if I go out on an organized ride.  I like them to look their best.

Mane and Tail Conditioner: massage it into the mane and tail...but leave it in, don't rinse.

Desitin/Vaseline on lower legs to prevent mud fever/scratches during the wet seasons.

EDIT:  more than three but I don't show and my input here is pretty much already known by all.  :)

It's those of you that show that have neat little tricks!

Answer 9

Once my horse is thoroughly cleaned, like for a show, I spray him with lemon pledge (very lightly) it really brings out the shine and keeps the dust off of him!

That's really the only secret I have for grooming.  Hope you like it!

Answer 10

to get a horse as shinny as possible spray the entire body - the face with wd-40. but do it before a show, because a horse who hasnt smelled it will probably flip. and its not super nice but, when horses who havent smelled before pass you in the ring they throw tweaker fits, and your horse remains perfect, so you score better....Also vasalene on the face works wonders, better than baby oil

Answer 11

Baby oil works great to stop dandruff in the main and tail! Also, if you go to Walgreens in the hair section they have a sign for Hispanic and African American hair supplies. Those products (especially they afro gro) work really well to help grow out tails. I like to use their hair mayonnaises on mains and tails also. It conditions better than anything else!

Answer 12

Grooming Secrets???

Ahh this is sonething I can answer!!!

1. Use a brush

2. Gently put in on the fur

3. Brush DOWNWARDS!!!

Answer 13

this is a good one :)

1. WD 40 is the best detangler and cheaper then most and smells good too.

2.Skin so soft makes best for fly spray and isnt so hard on the body and poors.

3.Also dryer sheets tied in the mane are great for a fly repleent

4.a bucket of water and sponge in the summer works best after the brushing.Helps keep saddle sores and heat rashes down ..

These are just a few of the little things I do and have known others to do..Ride safe and keep a smile on your face

Answer 14

Curry, curry, curry!! The best way I've found to get a nice healthy shine on my guys is to curry my butt off!! Lol

All the showsheen and spray-on shinny stuff is nothing compared to a good-old fashion curry comb!!

Answer 15

I only have one that stands out - grooming mitt.  Not only does it do a great job removing dried mud, shedding hair and dirt from a horse's coat, it feels great.  

I used it all over my Morgan Horse gelding, even wrapping it around his lower legs to clean.

On his face, he would anticipate by "l*****g" when he saw it.  Then, I'd hold onto my arm and he'd do all the face grooming himself!  It was comical and satisfying to see my horse thoroughly enjoying a good facial massage and grooming.

Answer 16

#1: diet

#2: horse color (lol)

#3: um, i keep my pony in my house...

Answer 17

Dang, there are some good ones on here!  Not too sure about spraying WD-40 on my horses but I'm definitely gonna try some of the other ones.  Good question!

The only other thing I use/do that hasn't been mentioned on here is those Slick 'n Easy grooming blocks.  They are great for when a horse is shedding out in the spring and great for before shows!

Answer 18

MY TOP 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1. when you wash you horse put a tiny bit of vinegar in the bucket (it helps repel dirt  on a white horse worth its weight in gold)

2 When you wash their tail rub in some witch hazel at the end it gives an amazing shine and they wont rub!

3. Put Baby Powder on white socks before going into a show ring they will dazzle!!

Answer 19

1. When I am banding my pleasure horse's mane, I use mousse (like for human hair) to keep the mane lying flat.

2. When I use a rubber curry, I don't rub it in circles; I rub vigorously in the direction of the coat. This helps bring up all the excess dirt and grime.

3. Shapley's MTG has worked WONDERS on my horses manes and tails! They have gotten so much longer, thicker, and healthier looking!

Answer 20

This isn't really grooming- it is more washing.

In the final bucket of washing water add 100ml of cider vinegar to give your horse an amazing shine!

Answer 21

1. Cowboy Magic detangler and shine is AMAZING!!

http://www.horse.com/Horse-Grooming/Coat...

2. I use a curry comb to brush my horse's sweaty back so that he doesn't have a sweaty saddle imprint left over. A regular brush just doesn't do the trick so I use a curry comb to straighten out the sweat marks.

3. French braid the top part of their tails where the hair can get all short and fried-looking. Helps to grow that portion out longer and get a nicer looking tail.

Answer 22

Cornstarch for white areas (pat in in, brush the excess out) and Leather New for getting burrs out of feathers!  (OK, there is probably a better product than Leather New for that job, but the glycerine really does help those little bits of burrs to slide right out...)

I used to think baby oil was another good trick, but every horse I have tried it on HATED the smell so much that I felt bad for getting it anywhere near them.

Answer 23

there is this thing tht you can get at the local co-op and i cant remember what it is called but it is sort of like a dried out spong/brick type thing. and i know it sounds weird but it works amazing!! and it doesnt hurt them at all by they way.because the way i described it, it must have sounded weird, lol.

it gets rid of dirt, bots, water, and hair. IT WORKS AMAZING WHEN THEY ARE SHEDDING!!! like way better then a shedding blade!

Answer 24

There was a horse at a barn I used to work at that had a hoof pik "fear" so instead of a pik she used a soft brissled brush and a hose. It worked great. I don't know if it is a secret, and I know some fariers would have a "cow" but hey... it worked to keep the stones out!

Answer 25

Haha, well, I suppose I can share my 'secrets' lol.

I never ever worry about the mane or tail before riding. If it's dirty, it can wait until after.

Curry combs are your best friend, I use them for everything, after I ride, I use it to get the sweat marks off, since it seems a normal brush doesn't work.

Also, when I'm rinisng him off after a ride, I use a rag to 'squeege' out the legs, like to get all the water off, so I don't have to get my hands all wet.

Answer 26

#1- elbow grease

#2- time

my other best secret isn't grooming but fly control: pennies in baggies filled w water every 8-12 ft... makes the flies seek the ground/cover as if a storm is coming.  add a ground granule fly killer and all summer I have ponies who stand with tails quiet & feet calm while all the others are swishing & stomping

Answer 27

1. Save money on show sheen by mixing your own. 2 parts Rubbing Alcohol and 1 part baby oil. Use old fly spray or sheen bottles to house your own spray. Works better than store boughts and will get anything under the sun out of manes and leave an impressive shine.

2. For horses with light colored(especially those paints) hooves, mix baking soda with toothpaste and paste onto the hooves. Let sit for a few minutes, and rinse away. Then take sand paper and buff dirt and stains away.

3. Let shampoo sit for 10-15 minutes and then rinse. It will take stains out easier and leave the coat looking healthier.

Answer 28

1. Put 1 raw egg in branmash for your horse for a healthy shine!

2. I use the Tangler Wrangler for my horses manes and tails. Works great!

3.This isn't really a grooming tip but, soak your horses hooves in mud before your farrier comes to trim them. It makes them easier to trim;-)

Answer 29

I really dont have any ideas, my dad has a couple of horses and I have learned some stuff with this question that I or he didnt know about. Thanks.(The WD/40)  :)