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Ask any professional horse groomer how long it takes to groom a horse and the likely response will be about two hours. And that is for your basic wash and dry. Prepping the show horse before the big event can be a multi-day processes that requires an arsenal of brushes, picks, combs, and creams. As a non-competitive rider using loaner horses from the barn, a grooming session that lasts longer than the lesson is quite impractical. But grooming shouldn't be ignored altogether. The time spent pampering your mount - no matter how limited - gives you a chance to feel comfortable around each other, and can mentally prepare both you and the horse for the lesson to come. So what is that middle road between the several day show shine and no shine? A basic and effective groom can be achieved in as little as ten minutes focusing on the hoof, health, and heart of your mount.
Start your grooming session with your horse's hooves. Stand facing your horse and slowly run your hand down one of its legs to the hoof. Most horses identify with the action and will immediately raise their hoof for necessary picking. Horses spend most of their lives standing on their hooves and the dish-shaped undersides easily trap dirt and mud. Stabled horses pick up their own feces and bedding as well. The rotting matter can infect the foot if not removed regularly. Also clogged hooves can make for unsteady gaits, much like a runner with a pebble in his shoe. Lift the hoof gently so that the dirt packed hollow is accessible, and scrape out the dirt with a hoof pick. Any barn should have a plethora of spare hoof picks -- mini plastic hoes with a small, metal fork on one end, and a stiff brush on the other. With the forked end, dig into the clogged hoof until the natural hoof is one again exposed. The shape of the hoof follows that of the horseshoe, but watch out for the 'frog'. The 'frog' is the raised 'V' of horse's foot found at the open mouth of the horseshoe. This is a natural ridge in a horse's foot so leave this area intact, scraping only along its sides. Be sure to give the hoof a final dusting with the brushed end of the pick as well. Tackle the back feet in the same manner as the front, but with extra caution. A horse's weapon is his powerful kick, and some horses can be fidgety. Make sure to keep your face and body as clear as possible from the kick zone. Once all four hooves have been thoroughly cleaned, don't forget to sweep the debris from under your horse. Otherwise he'll prance over the muck during the rest of his grooming session.
After hooves comes your horse's health. You're about to launch into the heart of the grooming process that is the combing and brushing of your horse's coat. But a cursory skin evaluation should be preformed first. Glance over your horse's body paying special attention to the impact zones such as where the saddle lies or the girth pinches. Any scrapes or open wounds should be noted and avoided with rough brushes. Serious sores should be brought to the attention of the barn manager who will decide whether or not the horse should then be ridden.
If your horse's health passes your review, then it is time to move to the heart of the grooming session. Starting with your horse's neck and moving slowly toward his rump, currycomb your horse's coat. A currycomb is typically a round rubber or plastic device with knobbed ends that sits in the palm of your hand. Placing the knobs over your horse's coat, move the comb in a circular motion pressing firmly. If you are doing it correctly, hair and dust should rise to the surface of your horse's coat and even cling to the currycomb. Beat out the extra hair from your comb every now and then, and continue rotating it until you've reached the rump. Avoid any sores you have spotted during the health portion of your grooming regimen. True horse grooms can curry comb for hours taking several passes at the coat, but for your purposes, one run from front to back should suffice. Once the dirt has been lifted, brush the grime free with a stiff brush. Stiff and soft brushes look much alike, but the difference is in their touch for you and your horse. For particularly dusty steeds, the stiff bristled brush will be more effective in removing the dirt stirred by the currycomb. As always, start your brushing from the neck and move toward the rump. Never use a stiff brush or currycomb on a horse's face or legs. Both areas are much too sensitive for these rough devises. Instead gently brush out the legs and face with a soft brush.
At this stage, check for burrs or bristles in your horse's mane or tail. Severe tangles are best tackled by the barn staff, as they may need creams or conditioners to work out the knots. Never force a comb of any sort through a horse's tail or mane. Not only does it feel much the same as it would to a human, but also hairs will break and snap leaving the tail looking worse than before.
Once you've completed the brushing of your horse, go back to your health step again. Any small, open sores should be covered with creams to decrease the chance of infection from dust or aggressive flies. All barns carry basic first aid supplies so ask the barn staff to locate some ointment for you.
All in all your simple grooming session shouldn't take longer than fifteen minutes. In this short span you've not only socially interacted with your horse, allowing you to gauge his mood (Grumpy and snippy? Lazy? Wired and impatient?). You've also identified any possible skin problems what could lead to infestation. Lastly, you're touch has awoken your horse and mentally prepared him for your riding lesson together. Rarely will a lesson horse ever need a competition-level grooming, but focusing on your horse's hoof, health, and heart during your own grooming session will make him feel like a champion, and perhaps even perform like one.
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