Have you ever tried to braid your horse’s mane for a show and gotten so frustrated that you begged a friend for help or ended up paying someone to do it for you?

Braiding a horse’s mane is not overly difficult, but one adage holds true: Practice makes perfect. If you want to have beautiful, even braids, don’t wait until the night before a show to start learning. It takes most people a few fully braided manes to develop an efficient technique.

My preference is for “hunter bump” yarn braids because I find them easier to put in and take out than round braids sewn in with thread. This type of braid is a good all-purpose style that can be used for hunter/jumper, eventing and dressage horses. Yarn also securely holds in braids without damaging the hair.

Pulling the Mane Before Braiding

Before you braid, you’ll need to pull your horse’s mane to thin out the hair and even the length. If he has very thin hair, you can probably get by using scissors (held vertically, never cutting straight across) or an old clipper blade to even out the length. For horses with thick hair, however, you need to pull the mane until it is thinned out and about 4 inches in length. Thick hair makes yarn braiding nearly impossible.

If your horse is sensitive about having his mane pulled, do just a small section of pulling every day for a week or so to keep him from getting too worked up. It also helps to pull after you’ve ridden, as body heat tends to open the pores and make the hair less painful to remove.

In extreme cases, it may be necessary to have your vet administer a small amount of tranquilizer to get the job done. Pulling should be done every four to six weeks to keep up the short, thin mane necessary for braiding.

Using Yarn to Braid a Horse’s Mane

Note: In the photos, the horse’s mane lies to the left and is braided to the left. This is acceptable for eventing and dressage horses, but hunters prefer to train and braid the mane to the right.

◆ STEP 1. Assemble all of your braiding equipment. Tie your horse safely and comfortably so he can’t wander off, either on cross-ties or in his stall. Have a hay net nearby to distract him and increase his patience, if necessary. Stand on a sturdy stool or mounting block so you can easily reach your horse’s mane. NOTE: We used white yarn in our equine model’s black mane so that it would be more visible in the photos. For a show, use yarn that matches the color of your horse’s mane.

◆ STEP 2. Starting at the top of the mane, just behind the bridle path, wet down and comb a section of hair approximately two to three fingers wide, or 1 to 2 inches. You can use water, but there are grippy braiding spray products available that really make things easier. Use your comb to make a razor-sharp part, and keep the rest of the mane out of your way with a hair clip.

◆ STEP 3. Begin braiding downward (as opposed to out toward yourself), pulling each section of hair out to the side as you work your way down for maximum tightness. When you get about halfway down the braid, place the middle of a piece of yarn under the bottom of the braided section. Incorporate one half of the yarn into one section of the braid. Do two more crosses of the braid, then incorporate the other half of the yarn into the third of the three sections. Continue braiding as far down the hair as possible.

◆ STEP 4. Tie off the yarn at the bottom of the braid with a single slip knot, pulling tightly.

◆ STEP 5. Slide your pull-through down into the top and center of the braid at the crest; thread the free ends of the yarn through it and pull them out through the top of the mane. The braid will now be folded in half.

◆ STEP 6. Use the free ends of the yarn to make a simple square knot under the braid and pull tightly.

◆ STEP 7. Push up a “bump” so a knob of the braid is visible along the crest of the neck, with the rest of the braid in a small, folded loop below the bump. Tie another tight square knot on the “waist” of the braid (between the bump and the loop).

◆ STEP 8. Make another knot around the waist of the braid, this time behind it. Pull tightly, and use scissors to trim the yarn tails a couple of millimeters from the knot.

I like to braid the entire mane with the braids hanging down first, then go back down the neck to pull the braids up and “bump” them, making my yarn knots. My third and final pass is to trim the yarn tails with scissors. Finally, I braid the forelock using the same method, although it may require French braiding for the first few rows if the forelock is large and unruly. I don’t like to pull or shorten forelocks, but that is certainly an option.

Don’t get discouraged if your braids don’t look perfect the first time. Keep practicing, and beautiful, even braids are sure to follow.

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One such horse presented a classic case of “chestnut mare, beware” to anyone approaching her with a curry or brush. She was a kid’s lesson horse, but it was anything but child’s play to groom her. It wasn’t a good situation for the kids, and because of her objections to grooming, the mare was in real danger of saddle sores and rub spots on her withers, recalls professional equine groom Cat Hill, co-author of World Class Grooming for Horses.

“Everyone would just sort of barely dust her off,” she says.

But thanks to some time and effort to address the situation, and finding the right tools, the mare has come around to tolerating it. And while grooming may never be on her list of favorite activities, any of the school kids can brush her now as long as they use her special grooming kit, shares Hill.

So if your horse hates being groomed, there’s hope. We’ll look at some reasons horses object to grooming and what you can do to help with the expertise of Hill and veterinarian Jenny Biehunko, DVM, of Veterinary Behavior Consultants of Alabama in Pelham, Ala., who is a resident ACVB specializing in behavioral medicine.

Physical Causes

While horses all have innate levels of sensitivity and individual preference in how they like to be handled and groomed, pain is the first thing to explore.

“If you have a horse that’s reactive to grooming, you certainly want to make sure there’s not a medical reason for that,” says Biehunko. “Especially if you have a horse that previously didn’t have a problem with a certain procedure and suddenly does, that’s a big red flag to me that we may have some medical issues going on.”

Hill agrees that when horses hate being groomed, they are often trying to tell you they have an underlying pain issue somewhere in their body.

“Back pain, ulcer pain, and tooth pain all can cause a horse to be quite reactive and quite sore,” says Hill. “Vitamin E deficiency or Lyme disease can also make a horse very muscle sore, which can make grooming very uncomfortable.”

Try to notice if the pain is specific to one area, which might indicate an injury, or seems to be a whole-body issue.

According to Biehunko, there are a plethora of medical issues to consider.

Selenium/magnesium imbalances can cause horses to be painful. Other culprits may include neurologic issues, such as equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM).

Skin issues are a big one, such as rain rot, fungal and bacterial infections, and parasites (such as lice). With mares, Biehunko notes that reproductive tract issues can often affect the back muscles, resulting in discomfort and pain with saddling, riding and grooming.

Tools & Techniques

Some horses hate being groomed because of the way you’re grooming or the tools you’re using. Try not to take it personally! Instead, listen to the animal, and be willing to adapt and find a way that works.

“I have about 25 different currycombs in my kit, and I have lots of different brushes,” says Hill. “Sometimes it’s just finding the tools that a specific horse likes.”
Hands-On Grooming Gloves are among her favorites, as well as cactus cloth, a coarse cloth woven from cactus fibers.

“I happen to love using a cactus cloth as a currycomb on a really sensitive horse—you can get a nice, deep curry,” she says. In the case of the school horse that Hill knew that couldn’t be brushed, the cactus cloth proved to be the key to making her happy.

Another tool Hill likes to try with sensitive horses is the long-bristled “sweep” or “flick” brushes, as she finds that the long bristles help spread out the impact.

Finding out how your horse prefers to be touched can also be extremely helpful.

“Sometimes we’re too rough, but I also think that with horses, sometimes we’re not firm enough with our brushing, and it tickles,” says Biehunko. “Sometimes harder is the answer, and sometimes it’s not. Ask the animal. The animal will tell you whether something is comfortable or uncomfortable.”

Here are a few techniques that Hill recommends for these sensitive-skinned equine souls.

Reverse Curry: While we are often taught to start grooming at the front of the horse and move rearward, Hill says that many horses find that to be an invasion of personal space. Instead, she suggests reversing the process.

“A lot of times, sensitive horses don’t mind their hindquarters being brushed—in fact, they often like it,” she reveals. Starting your curry session on the hindquarters where there’s a large muscle mass that may be a less reactive area for the horse and can make them feel a little more comfortable as you start the grooming process.

Different Strokes: A common mistake Hill sees that makes a horse hate grooming is pushing the brush too hard into the horse in an attempt to be vigorous.

“Some horses really don’t like that ‘thump’ when you put your hand down quickly,” she says. “It can be startling and cause the muscles to tense and be painful.”

Instead, she says, the “sweep” motion of the brush is what needs to be vigorous.

A Location Situation

In addition to how you’re grooming, where the grooming sessions take place can be part of why your horse hates grooming. With a horse that tap dances in the cross-ties during grooming, you need to figure out whether it’s the cross-ties, the environment, or the grooming process itself that’s causing difficulty. Grooming your horse in a different location is a simple step to try to make things better.

“Horses are incredibly good associative learners, and maybe something happened in that particular area in the past that they associate with something bad, so try a different environment,” says Biehunko.

Equine bullies nearby can be another source of angst when a horse is in a confined position for grooming. Sometimes the cross-ties themselves can put a horse in a physical position where he has trouble standing or balancing—especially for a young horse, a neurologic horse, or a horse that is simply not familiar with cross-ties.

Finding the Sweet Spot

What you’re ideally looking for when you groom your horse is a relationship-building process, as well as a get-your-horse-clean process, says Hill, noting that grooming between two horses is a fairly intimate relationship—it’s not something that’s done between two strange horses.

With that in mind, almost every horse has a spot where they enjoy being groomed or scratched. Hill suggests using your currycomb to find it and build positive associations.

“Once you find the magic spot, try to spend a little time there, and let them know that grooming can feel good,” she says. “I’ll often try to finish with the spot they really like. I’ll wait until the end of my grooming session, and I’ll spend a little extra time grooming there.”

Biehunko is a big fan of hanging out in the pasture with her horses and getting to know what they like.

“I do a lot of that, and I’ve done that with all the foals I’ve raised. It’s just touching in different places and sort of asking, watching their body language: ‘Do you like being scratched here, do you like being scratched harder, do you like being scratched softer; oh, you don’t like being touched there, OK that’s the area we need to work on.’ So just play! Play with your horse.”

Listening to the Horse

Learning to recognize and respond to a horse’s more subtle body language around grooming can help prevent increasing issues with a horse that hates grooming. Once he realizes that you are listening to him and honoring that body language, he doesn’t have to shout because you’re listening to his whispers, says Biehunko.

“The horses that are biting, if we can teach them ‘I’m listening to you at a lower level,’ maybe they don’t feel like they need to get so snappy,” she says. A harsh response to negative behavior is counterproductive.

“Punishing a horse for saying, ‘Ouch, that hurts,’ often escalates the behavior because they are, in their language, trying to say to you they don’t like that, and if you punish that behavior, then the next time they’ll say it a little louder and a little ruder,” says Hill.

Both experts agree that if a horse is exhibiting dangerous behavior, you should definitely not push the issue, and find a professional to help.

“Think of grooming as important as the ride when it comes to a training issue,” urges Hill.

Not every horse will love being groomed, and that’s OK. You can still find a way to get the job done safely while lowering the stress level for both of you.

“If you’ve got a horse that really doesn’t enjoy the process, you can do a minimal, but effective, groom as often as possible so that you’re not constantly pushing him, doing the job that’s necessary for hygiene and maintenance, but not going overboard,” says Hill. “The relationship works two ways. Maybe you’re someone who really loves to groom and pet and snuggle with a horse, but if you have a horse [that’s not into it], respect that and let them be who they are.”

This article with tips for when a horse hates grooming appeared in the May 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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English Sport Horse Shine

Liv Gude has ridden dressage, fox hunters, jumpers, reiners, and cutters, and was a professional groom for U.S. Olympic dressage team rider Guenter Seidel. She writes and teaches full time at proequinegrooms.com.

Weather permitting, Gude will bathe a horse two to three days before the show. For gray or white horses, she’ll bathe closer to show day, or rely on a spot remover/dry shampoo. A shine spray can be applied to a totally clean, dry coat.

“This helps create an invisible barrier by protecting the coat so stains don’t set and are easier to remove,” she says. “Look for one without added alcohol, which can dry the hair.”

The days just prior to an event include lots of elbow grease, meaning extra currying and rubbing with grooming gloves to bring up the coat’s natural oils.

“I absolutely love grooming gloves,” says Gude. “Most of the time I just use those and a brush. Products are there to help, but the basis of your grooming routine needs to be hands-on with a curry comb or grooming gloves.”

Continued maintenance is the key to knot-free manes and tails.

“If you address them every day, you’re never going to have the challenge of tangles,” says Gude. “If a tail is sticky, wash it, and if it’s getting tangled, use a detangler product. Shedding and regrowth are completely natural, but if you keep a tail clean, conditioned, detangled and touch it every day, you will prevent breakage and damage.” She recommends never letting a tail get so long the horse can step on it.

Many grooms clip the horse’s legs from the knees and hocks down.

“This creates a really clean look and makes it easier to remove stains,” she says. Using fly boots when the horse isn’t getting ridden may be necessary, since clipped legs are more vulnerable to flies.

Before competition, whether legs are clipped or not, grooms may use spray pigment color on dark legs and baby powder or corn starch to brighten white markings.

Gude emphasizes the importance of keeping the horse and his environment as clean as possible right before a show.

“I might put on a slinky hood and sheet to create a barrier to stains,” she says. “I also strip the stall so there’s only clean bedding.”

Applying oil to the face isn’t frequently seen in English disciplines, so it must be used subtly, if at all.

“A tiny bit of grooming oil goes a really long way,” says Gude.

She keeps stacks of washcloths on hand for removing stains, cleaning ears and noses, and for the final all-over wipe-down of the horse.

“Some disciplines allow colored hoof polish, while others only allow clear, so know the rules for the discipline you’re competing in and make sure color is appropriate,” says Gude. “In dressage, we use clear hoof polish or paste. I apply it before warm up and in between warmup and going into the ring.”

Western Show Pen Polish

Roger Daly of Aubrey, Texas, has a well-respected reputation for starting young horses, fixing “problem” horses, and selling quality Quarter Horses that compete in reining, cutting, cowhorse and racing. In addition to prepping show horses, Daly takes approximately 250 yearlings to 15 different auctions each year, so it’s no exaggeration that he has grooming down to a science.

Much of what it takes to present a polished look in the ring takes place long before you ever go to an event. Ideally, you’ll have at least 90 days to get the horse’s coat, mane and tail into prime condition before an event.

Daly uses hair conditioner on manes and tails.

“For cutters, reiners and cowhorses, we leave the mane long,” he says. “For others, we pull the mane so it’s about 4 to 5 inches long, or the length of a dollar bill.” He keeps long tails clean, conditioned, braided and in a tail sock or bag at home. This way they’re tangle-free and he only needs to run a soft brush through them at an event.

Depending on the time of year, Daly uses blankets and hoods. He uses a coat conditioner at home, but generally avoids it at events as some products can attract dust, and the coat is already naturally shiny from good nutrition and regular grooming.

Like Gude, Daly isn’t a fan of frequent bathing.

“You don’t want to take the oil out of the coat, and if you bathe right before an event, it can make the hair stand up,” says Daly. “We bathe and rinse horses off at home when they’re sweaty, but we rarely bathe on the road unless the horse is extra dirty or gets warm in the trailer.”

Many pros use horse vacuums, and Daly swears by them. He takes them to events and follows the same basic grooming routine as he does at home. Every session starts with a thorough deep curry, followed by vacuuming to remove all the loosened dust and dirt. Daly follows the vacuuming with a stiff body brush, then a fine brush, and finally, towels off the entire body.

Right before going into the ring, Daly applies a very small amount of baby oil around the horse’s eyes and muzzle. He likes to brighten and highlight the area so it looks a little “sharper.”

“Some people in western disciplines use black polish for hooves, but I prefer clear hoof polish or oil,” says Daly. “This way you aren’t covering anything up and it looks natural, but the foot is shiny and it’s easy to clean mud and dirt off of it.”

Daly keeps dry shampoo handy to quickly remove any manure spots from white markings.

At home, Daly clips horses’ bridle paths, fetlocks, whiskers and ears every couple of weeks. To present the cleanest silhouette, he clips two days before leaving for the event and brings clippers along for any necessary touch-ups.

Daly clips the lower legs of horses being shown in halter, western pleasure or going to a sale. This makes it easier to keep their legs clean and makes for a neat presentation. For horses competing in reining, cutting and cowhorse events, however, the lower leg hair is typically left alone.

“The biggest thing is having a routine with good nutrition and regular exercise and grooming,” says Daly. With these basics of good health in place, he adds, all you need to do at an event is maintain it and add the finishing touches.

Further Reading

• Ringside Grooming Kit Checklist

This article originally appeared in the June 2019 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Pro Tips for Better Horse Show Grooming appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

While a shiny coat begins with proper nutrition, professional horsemen do have some tricks up their sleeves in show day grooming to give their horse’s coats some extra sparkle. 

Incorporate some or all of these tips into your show-day horse grooming routine to turn the judge’s head when you ride by.

Coat

◆ Before you can have a clean horse, you must have clean tools. Soak your brushes (including mane and tail brushes and combs) in warm water with a squirt of dishwashing detergent designed to lift our grease. Rinse well and let dry in the sun.

◆ When bathing your horse, be sure to rinse him until no shampoo suds run off with the water. Soap residue can lead to a dull coat.

◆ Once bathed, spray a silicone-based spray everywhere except for where the saddle sits and on his mane if you plan on braiding or banding. Pay special attention to white legs and his tail, coating them liberally to discourage the dirt from sticking.

◆ At the show, if you need to quickly switch from an under saddle class to an in-hand or showmanship class, liberally applying rubbing alcohol will help eliminate sweat marks quickly.

Hooves

◆ While you’re bathing your horse, scrub his hooves with steel wool to get rid of the dirt and manure buildup around his coronet bands.

◆ Before you show, fill old nail holes with spackle that matches his hoof color.

◆ Once the spackle has set, sand his feet with a fine-grit sanding block.

◆ Apply only one coat of hoof polish if the arena footing is deep; dirt has a tendency to stick to polished hooves no matter what, but with only one coat, not much dirt will stick.

Legs

◆ If your horse doesn’t live outside full-time (where he could get sunburned), consider clipping his white legs (and face) at least three days before a show. Be sure to wash his legs and let them dry before clipping them with a No. 10 blade. Go against the grain of the hair for a close trim. This will leave his legs looking dazzlingly white.

◆ On show day, apply baby powder, corn starch, French chalk (used by tailors to mark clothes) or equine touch-up spray liberally to make his legs really stand out.

Face

◆ Right before you head to the warm-up ring, apply a light coating of baby oil or face grease to your horse’s eyes and muzzle to highlight his features.

◆ Swipe a dryer sheet over your horse’s face right before he enters the show ring to collect last-minute dust.

Mane and Tail

◆ How or if you comb your horse’s tail is really a matter of personal preference. At any rate, start at the bottom, working your way up, tugging gently on knots so as not to rip out the hair.

◆ If your breed or discipline encourages braiding or banding of the mane and/or tail, use human hair gel to combat fly aways.

◆ If you use a tail extension, ensure that it’s the proper color and clean before placing it on show day (use a silicone-based spray on the extension before you place it). Be sure you know how to properly braid the tail extension to the tailbone so it doesn’t have an artificial, noticeable swing.

◆ If you braid or band your horse the night before your classes, consider spritzing his mane with Listerine before placing a lycra hood over him. This will help prevent him from rubbing them out overnight.

These helpful grooming hints will keep your horse looking his best on show day, allowing you more time to focus on your ride!

This article about show day horse grooming appeared in the May 2014 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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