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Teaching your horse to accept his head being brushed is almost a lesson in itself. Because a horse’s head is very sensitive, it is the most difficult part of his body to groom. To get your horse accustomed to having his head groomed, again, start with the towel.
Stand in front of the horse’s left shoulder, lightly holding the halter near the cheek piece to keep his head straight. Bring the towel up from behind his head, rather than putting it directly in front of his face as that could frighten him or cause him to lift his head to resist. Hold the towel on your horse’s neck and slowly move it up to his poll (the top of the neck between the ears) keeping contact with him at all times. This is one of the horse’s most sensitive spots, so be gentle! Lightly hold the towel on his poll until he shows you that he accepts the touch by holding his head steady or lowering it. If he moves, move with him but keep the touch.
When he relaxes, bring the towel down between his ears to his face. Gently stroke his head with the towel as if it were a brush. When he accepts this step, “brush” him with towel from the bottom of his head to the top. When your horse is comfortable being groomed with the towel, repeat the entire lesson using a soft brush.
When your horse accepts being brushed, introduce different grooming tools such as a curry, grooming mitt, and a stiffer “dandy” brush. Watch his reactions as you use different grooming tools. If your horse wiggles away from the touch of the brush, wrings his tail, or tries to evade contact, the brush may be too harsh for his skin. Some
thin skinned horses may only be able to tolerate the softest of brushes. Never use stiff brushes on a horse’s head or legs.
Use your grooming tools in the proper order for the best results:
- Curry comb – rub in a circular motion to break up dirt down to the skin and clean it down to the pores.
- Stiff dandy brush – use in short strokes in the direction of hair growth. Its job is to take dirt loosened up by the curry from the skin and flick if off the hair.
- Soft dandy brush – use in direction of hair growth to whisk away the last of any dirt or dandruff and to distribute oil from the skin onto the hair.
- Grooming towel – use as a finishing tool to remove dust and distribute more of the coat’s natural oils
When the horse is clean, his coat will feel really soft and almost slick. If the skin and hair are not clean, you will notice a coarser texture and a dirty or sticky feeling to his coat.
If you take the time to progress through these steps, your horse will learn to accept and look forward to each grooming session. The acceptance and trust you will build through teaching him this basic grooming procedure will help build his bond with you.
Teaching your horse basic training lessons is covered in “Advancing Basic Training,” the second tape in my six-part Longevity Video Series. Learn more about building a partnership with your horse from the ground up at www.lynnpalm.com |
