Olympic Style Grooming In Under 30 Minutes

July 25, 2008

As usual, I’m a little behind in my Practical Horseman reading, so I just read a really great article on grooming by Laurie Pitts in the April 2008 issue. And to my surprise, it doesn’t take a whole lot more than good nutrition, staying fit, and a little bit of elbow grease, even for an Olympic horse.

Laurie, after all would know. She’s groomed for some of the top professionals in the country as well as traveled with the USET to the 1978 World Championships and to the first World Cup in 1979. Her favorite charge was Balbuco, who was selected for the 1980 Moscow Olympics. More recently she served as the stable manager for the 2007 and 2008 George Morris Horsemastership Training Sessions.

Here’s a quick run down of her grooming regimen that she shared at the George Morris training:

Laurie says it all starts with diet and fitness.

“In fact, the horses who really ‘glow’ with shiny coats and bright, alert eyes are the happiest, healthiest horses — those rewarded with plenty of regular downtime. Horses don’t like to be fussed with constantly.”

She says that in between shows horses only need thorough grooming once or twice a week, and never longer than 30 minutes. Laurie produces a shiny coat from the inside out. She feeds plenty of clean, good quality hay (timothy for younger horses and a timothy/alfalfa mix for performance horses). In addition to basic oats or grain, she adds beet pulp for fiber and calories and up to half a cup of corn oil a day for coat condition. She frequently monitors her horses to keep them in good weight.

Her grooming regiment consists of:

Curry Comb

Laurie prefers (and I agree) a rubber curry used with vigorous, circular motions all over the body except the head and lower legs. She uses a grooming mit to loosen dead hair and dirt on these more sensitive areas.

Hard/Dandy Brush

Using short strokes in the direction, brush in the direction of the hair growth to maximize shine. Add a little flick to the end of each stroke to remove loose hair and dirt. Use as much pressure as your horse comfortably tolerates. If he shows annoyed signs like pinning his ears or swishing his tail, back off on the pressure. If he is especially dusty, use a damp sponge to lightly wet the end of the brush bristles after each stroke. This will help remove the dust from the coat and the brush.

Soft/Body Brush

Use the soft brush all over your horses body, head and legs included, using long strokes in the direction of the hair. Pay careful attention to the changes in direction of the hair, especially around the chest, legs, and flank areas. You add shine by carefully smoothing down the hairs in the direction they grow.

Rub Rag

Laurie is a big advocate of a good grooming with a rub rag. Use a clean rag to go over your horse, again in the direction the hair is growing spending 3-5 minutes on each side. Apply a good bit of pressure. Laurie says she uses this every time she grooms and spends more time with the rag than any other grooming tool.

Mane and Tail

Laurie says the best maintenance plan for tails is “benign neglect.” Only comb a tail when it is perfectly, and do it very gently in order not to pull out any hairs. Spread the tail across your leg and use a wide-tooth comb to work your way from the bottom up. If you absolutely need to comb the tail for a clinic or lesson, spray it with coat conditioner and allow it to dry before brushing.

Manes can be trained to lay on the right side by braiding over periodically, and using a damp hard brush to brush it down. Always start from the opposite side and brush down from the roots of the mane. If you plan to braid, keep the mane 3-4 inches long, and if not keep it 5-6 inches long. Always braid with yarn!

For more specific details on braiding, trimming, and other show-specific techniques, read “Groom Like the Greats” in the April 2008 Practical Horseman magazine.

Posted in Horse Care