Grooming Tips

Winter Clipping

Winter woolies are not a good look when i comes to your horses coat.  As well as giving a smart impression, clippping makes grooming easier and most importantly, allows your horse to dry quickly after a sweeaty workout.  A damp coat going into a frosty night is a recipie for disaster.  For more on clipping see this website.  A clipping service is available at the Waikato Equestrian Centre.  Ph the Riding School at 07 849 6756.

Healthy Hooves

Try adding a small bottle of teatree oil to your hoof oil.  This will add antibacterial and antifungal properties to your hoof oil and will keep thrush and seedy toe at bay.  Brush the hoof oil in around the frog and souls after picking out.  TeaTree oil is available at most pharmacies.  A few drops of neat teatree oil poured directly onto areas of seedy toe or thrush will keep your horses feet healthy and smelling rosy.

 

Beautiful Tails

Silicone spray can be purchased from most service stations and is a good cost saving alternative to more expensive equestrian tail grooming products.  Spray generouly into the tail to help detangle and bring out those highlights.

 

Darken Bays and Chestnuts

To enhance and darken chestnuts and bay coats and add a fabulous glossy shine, try using a Condy's Crystal (Potassium Permanganate KMnO4) wash.  This will revive dull or clipped coats and the disinfectant properties will help as a medicated wash.  Use 20g (2-3 tsp) dissoved in a little hot water, then add luke warm water to top up the bucket.  Using gloves, sponge the mix onto a wet coat.  Take care not to get the wash on your horses socks or white patches.  Additional washes will deepen the colour.  Be careful not to make the mix too strong or you will burn your horses skin. 

But a word of warning...mixed with various substances it can cause a violent reaction or an explosion. One of these substances is glycerol/glycerine.  So be aware of what other products you have in your tack box and if in doubt keep the Condy's crystals seperate.  Condies crystals are designated Hazardous Substance.

 

Slippery braides

Avoid getting untangling spray or show sheen products on your mane before plaiting.  Plaite first then add final touches to the coat.