A Hairy Situation
A Hairy Situation
Lately, I've been currying out hair more than I've been riding. With the onset of the warmer weather and the longer days, my lawn has been sprinkled with the copper and white hairs shedding from my horse's coat.
After every grooming session, I find that my shirt is covered in several layers of hair. It gets a bit frustrating when it seems as though there is no end to all the madness. It seems that no matter how hard and long I curry, the hair keeps coming. Or, there seems to be an end in sight one day, and the next day a shaggy animal appears once again.
Now matter how discouraging it may be, it is necessary to get this loose hair out. The following steps will help you bring out the champion lurking inside the hairball.
The first step can be somewhat frustrating during the spring when the coat is shedding out. However, patience and persistence produce a great reward. Curry the horse until all or most of the loose hairs are out. Be sure to do this in small circular strokes and pay attention to how the horse reacts to prevent irritating the skin.
After the horse is thoroughly curried, use a shedding blade to remove any extra hair. Be very careful as the blade can be stressful to the horse's skin if used too harshly. Smooth and light strokes are all that's needed. The blade is also useful in removing any extra mud from the horse's legs or other muddy spots. Be very careful if you choose to use the shedding blade or curry comb on the horse's legs. Be gentle.
The body brush is a hard bristled brush used to remove any dirt and hair brought to the surface by the curry comb. Use the brush with firm strokes. It is very useful for removing dirt from the legs and face . . . especially the face. Many horses enjoy having their faces scratched. However, be gentle and try to keep the debris out of the horse's eyes.
You can stop here if you are satisfied with the grooming session or if you are simply interested in doing a workout. However, if you desire to bring out more shine, use a dandy brush - a soft bristled brush - to bring out the oils to create a beautiful shine on the horse's coat.
After the workout, give the horse another brush down and rinse it (refrain from doing this in cold weather). Tie it until it is dry.
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Last revision: May 5, 2002