This time of year it gets pretty scary to walk out to the barnyard. The horses rush up to the fence whinnying for food–but only after playing in the mud. What used to be a herd of bays, buckskins, and greys, is now a herd of earth worked into the knotted hairs of fetlocks, manes, and tails. Dry mud, wet mud, clumpy mud, mud of all sorts. You are out there to feed hay to mudballs with eyes.

All horse people have come up with their own ways of scraping mud off of horses. Sometimes, it is easiest just to pull out the shedding blade and have at it. When the job looks rather discouraging, we wonder if we should just chuck the hay over the fence and retreat to our cozy, dry, mud-less homes. After staring at our mud magnets in disbelief and devising a plan for knocking the mud off as fast as possible with shedding blades and brushes, we may overlook the very important step of currying.



A rubber curry comb is the desirable tool for currying. It is less likely than a plastic curry comb to irritate the horse’s skin. It is also usually easier to hold on to, thus making it easier to rub the horses coat. This often causes the horse to stretch out its head and close its eyes from pure enjoyment. You may begin to wonder if this is in fact the reason why the horse goes through so much trouble to cake on mud in the first place!

The Curry Comb – A Tool for Equine Massage Therapy

While currying, the horse may stand perfectly still and lower its head close to the ground while allowing the ears to fall limp outwards and to the side. This, and the first gesture, usually indicates that it wants you to continue currying. It is almost as if they horse is telling us that the curry comb is a tool for equine massage therapy rather than equine cleanliness. If we always did as our horses ask, some of us would never let go of the curry comb.

How to Use a Curry Comb

Start on the left (near) side of the horse. Begin rubbing the coat in a small circular motion at the top of the neck, near the head. Work your way back, covering the whole neck, moving on to the shoulder, covering the barrel, and so on. Repeat this on the right (far) side of the horse. Don’t forget to curry areas such as the forearm and the gaskin.

No matter how tired your arm may get, it is important to do a thorough job. Focus on bringing the dirt from the skin out to the ends of the hair to be brushed off later. You may need to continually remove excess hair from the curry comb, especially if the horse is shedding. If dirt builds up quickly, tap the curry comb on a fence post or elsewhere to clean it.

It is suggested that the curry comb not be used on the legs. However, I have found it can be very effective when used with care. It is helpful when cleaning the cannons. It is best to use a back and forth motion up and down the cannon to clean off the mud and dirt. Do NOT curry the joints as there is much sensitive tissue here.

Using a Curry Comb while Bathing a Horse

Currying the horse while bathing can be very effective. Wet the horse and apply shampoo as you curry. The rubber currycomb is excellent for bathing; however, the horse’s skin may be a little more sensitive during baths, so take care not to press too hard, especially on the back.

If you find that your arms are about to fall off, or you start telling yourself that a good currying isn’t necessary [because your arms get tired too fast], ignore what you are telling yourself and continue. Just think, if you curry your horse everyday, and do a good job, you will also benefit. You will have great arms! On that note, maybe you should stretch before a good grooming session.

This article was originally published between 1997 and 2002.

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