Grooming is very benefitial for both the horse and horselover. For the horse it increases circulation and promotes a clean, heathly coat. It's kind of like a personal massage and bath for the horse, without getting wet or having to pay a lot. As for the horselover, it provides endless time of bonding with the horse and increasing trust between the two. The basic tools of grooming are the currycomb, brush, comb, and hoofpick.

The curry comb is usually used before the brush. The currycomd is used to remove mud and crusty and/or stubborn dirt. When you use it, make sure you brush in the direction the hair grows. It may take a while to get most of the excess dirst off, and sometimes you might now even need it. Use a somewhat circular motion when you brush.

The brush is to do what the currycomb can't. It gets a little farther into the coat and smooths out the hair. It also give it some shine if you brush long enough. Use it in the same manner that you do with the currycomb -- in an almost circular motion and in the direction of the hair. Some variations of the brush is the soft brush (which is for the final details), the hard brush (a smaller varation of the currycomb), and the face brush (for the delicate areas of the face).

The comb is for the mane. It does the same for the mane as it does when we used it on our fair. It detangles and adds a healthy look and sometimes shine. Just brush through the whole mane, being very careful around the forelock. The horse's face is delicate, and if you slip with the brush it could harm their eyes or somewhere else. Just be sure that you don't pull or yank too hard, it could be harmful on the horse. Be gentle, but still fierce enough to get most of the tangles out.

The hoofpick is, obviously, for the hooves. You just use it to clean out the hoof. You should use this often, especially in the winter if ice becomes a problem. Just be careful that you don't hit the frog, the tender part of the hoof. (see above image). Sometimes the hoofpick will have a brush on the other end of the pick for quikly removing loose dirt. Hoofpicks come in all sizes, shapes, and colors, but they will all have the same effect as long as the pick itself is the same and it is sturdy.

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