Spring Grooming Ideas

Some ideas and products to help loosen your horse's winter coat and spruce him up for spring.

Spring is here. The days are getting longer, and the shows are just around the corner. But out in the pasture lurks something resembling the Abominable Snowman. His coat is thick, shaggy and starting to come loose. Running your hand down his neck only serves to raise a cloud of dust and loose hair.

So how are you going to transform this hairy beast into a sleek and shiny animal you can be proud of?

Electric Groomers
One way to make the transformation is to take the hi-tech approach. There are now a number of electric groomers on the market, such as the Electro Groom, which comes in a floor model with two motors and a large capacity debris box with removable filter, or the lightweight Equine Metro 4 h.p. Vac ‘N Blo with shoulder strap and 6 foot flexible hose.

These machines are available through various catalogs, such as Valley Vet Supply, 1-800-356-1005 or larger tack and equipment stores. Depending on which model you choose, they come with different attachments which make grooming and removing loose hair a breeze. Most horses get used to the noise and the sensation very quickly. I tried one once on my own horse, Annapolis, who can be very “touchy” and I think he rather enjoyed the experience once he got used to it.

Electric groomers aren’t cheap though. Even the smaller models designed to be slung over the shoulder are about $150. The larger floor models are in the $500 range. This is going to be an item more practical for the manager of a training or showing barn, rather than the individual horse owner.

The Low-tech Approach
I’ve always been somewhat of a traditionalist. And so, for me, spring brings with it the ritual of trying to part Annapolis from his winter coat by means of vigorous scrubbing with a rubber curry, stirring up clouds of loose, dead hair which invariably goes right up my nose. Once I’ve loosened a good portion of the coat, I then go over Annapolis with a body brush in one hand and curry in the other, using the curry after every few strokes to remove dead hair from the brush.

I’ve done it this way for years. It usually takes a number of weeks for Annapolis to shed out in the spring, with my assistance generally concentrated into several weekends.

But I was introduced to something, which I am probably the last person in the equestrian world to try. When the owner of the barn I board at saw me standing in a cloud of flying hair, she suggested I try a Slick N Easy Grooming block, made by Farnam. At first I demurred, but she insisted that I let her show me how effective it was.

To say I was amazed would be an understatement. The grooming block is made of fiberglass and not only did it remove the hair that was already loose, it also appeared to remove the hair that would normally have not come out for several days or weeks. I worked at Annapolis’ coat for about an hour and by the end he was sleek and shiny. I would say that the Slick N Easy block probably saved me several weekends worth of scrubbing with a rubber curry.

Slick N Easy has certainly earned itself a place in my grooming box. It only costs a few dollars and, according to the wrapper, one bar will do 10 – 12 horses.

I don’t normally do “testimonials” here on this page, but I think this product is so good that every horse owner will benefit from it.

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