The mane and tail is the best place to start. Spray on a detangler and let it dry before removing the burrs from the tail and the long, unpulled mane. To start you should gently pick each burr out by hand and untangle the knots to your best ability before you use a comb since this will come in later steps.

Next you should use a currycomb to give the horse a good grooming that will loosen the dried mud or ground in dirt. Use a stiff brush and then finish off with a soft brush. The head and bony areas of the legs should be brushed with care and a softer grooming tool.

After the dirt is gone you should pick a warm day to give the horse a bath with an antifungal shampoo. Follow the direction on the label so that you can stop any potential or existing skin problems. Water repelling oils on the coat are removed during the bathing process so you should bath them when there is no forecast for rain otherwise you will want to give them a waterproof blanket or sheet before turning them out. The horse should have time for their natural waterproofing to return before they get wet.

Use a clean towel to dry your horse as completely as possible after the rinsing and scraping. Again spray the mane and tail with a detangler. A horse can be allowed to finish drying in comfort by covering them with an antisweat sheet and then a wool cooler in case the weather is still a bit chilly.

Use a cream rinse after washing if you have a horse with a long, tangled mane or tail. Human products work well, but there are also several products that are specifically made for horses. Use a wide toothed plastic comb to gently comb the mane. Use your fingers to pick out any bad tangles if necessary. It may be tempting to use scissors but the resulting mess will take months to grow out completely. You can put the mane at the desire length once you have completely gotten rid of any tangles.

Pulling on the tangles will not only thin but also shorten the horse’s mane and tail and over the winter naturally thin manes will have gotten longer so pulling can cause it to become too thin. A better option is to backcomb and cut to the desired length while using a stripping comb.

Caring for tails has some debate and many think the tails of a horse should never be combed. If you decide to brush you should start at the bottom of the tail with a soft brush and work upward. Use your fingers to loosen any bad tangles and brush out a few hairs at a time. This may be a time consuming process, but periodically using detangler spray can help you to maintain a beautiful and long tail with not much effort.

Trim the hair under the horses chin, the long whiskers on the nose, the hair that grows outside the ears and the long fetlock hair in order to have a good finished look. Leave the long hairs around the eyes and coronet band in addition to the hair inside the ears unless you plan on showing the horse. For spring checkups you should always schedule the horse for a visit with a farrier and vet.

The logistics of washing and shampooing a horse do require some pre-planning in order to avoid common mistakes that will cost you time and most likely also try your patience. Begin by picking out a spot that will not turn into a muddy mess as soon as you turn on the water. Similarly, find an adequate post to which to tie the horse and gather the supplies you will need. Consider wearing clothes that can get wet without leaving you soaked to the skin; find some rubber gloves to protect your hands, and get the shampoo.

When it comes to selecting the proper shampoo for your horse, you will need to resist the urge to simply use regular cleaners that are not specially formulated for these animals. If you wash your horse frequently, you will need to select a more gentle shampoo than if you only do so upon occasion. Additionally, there are several different shampoo formulas available, depending on your need. Purchase the kind of shampoo that matches your horses’ needs the best. Shampoos formulated for horses are pH-balanced for the animals’ sensitive skin which is also host to a number of beneficial bacteria which – if damaged or destroyed – will lead to severe skin problems.

Once you have chosen the proper spot to wash your horse and the animal is securely tied to a post, mix the shampoo with lukewarm water in an easily accessible bucket. The amount of water will depend on the concentration of the shampoo – be sure to follow the directions! Beginning with the animal’s feet and working upward, hose down the horse slowly and gently until you finish by wetting its back. After the animal is completely wet, use a sponge to transfer the soapy water to the animal. Work in the shampoo with a grooming mitt and do not be afraid to take your time until you are certain that the dirt, grime, and dead skin cells have been worked out. Hose away dirtied suds and apply soap once more. Ensure that the parts of the horse that have been shampooed do not dry out but instead keep them adequately moist. Keeping in mind that horses detest having their heads washed, be sure to use less shampoo so that you will have to do less rinsing. Cleansing of the nostrils and the inside of the ears should be done with a moist cloth. The tail can be immersed in a bucket of soapy water and then massaged in the same way that you would shampoo the hair on your head. A specially formulated conditioner for the tail and mane will round out the bath.

When you are ready for a final rinse, it is important to begin at the top and work your way down, being sure to wash out all of the shampoo to avoid a dull looking coat and irritated skin. While you are rinsing off the animal, continue to employ the grooming mitt. After the final rinse you will be able to remove excess water with a sweat scraper before you towel dry the animal. Some horse owners find that walking the animal after a bath until the coat has dried will minimize the chances of the horse rolling in dry, dusty hay to get dry.

Before you start

Begin by checking the weather. If it’s too cool for you to get wet, then it’s probably too cold for your horse, too.

Next, carefully choose a good area for bathing. The ground should ideally be concrete grass or dirt could turn into a mud pile and defeat the purpose of bathing.

Tie your horse securely or have a friend hold him still for you.

If you are using a hose, begin by directing the water at one of the horse’s front feet. Leave the water there until the horse shows signs of acceptance (for example, he stops trying to move away). For an overly nervous horse, you may want to begin by sponging the water onto his back and then gradually introducing the hose.

Let the Bathing Begin

After hosing feet and legs, gradually move up to the body. Once the horse is wet, you can use a sponge to shampoo the coat. Mix a little bit of mild horse shampoo in a bucket of water. Too much shampoo can dry out the horse’s coat, leaving it dull and dry.

Shampoo one section and rinse. Trying to shampoo the entire horse before rinsing is not recommended. If the shampoo dries, this will also result in a dry, dull coat.

In general, horses don’t like having water on their heads, so leave the head till last. Think of a way to make your horse comfortable with the water. You can trickle a little between his ears, or you can allow him to take a drink from the hose. You will want to minimize any rinsing, so if you use shampoo on the head, only use a very small, heavily diluted amount.

After washing the head, thoroughly dry ears and nostrils with a soft, clean towel.

At least every six months, use a gentle, non-irritating sheath cleaner to clean the sheath of stallions and geldings or the udders of a mare.

Once your horse is clean, use a sweat scraper to remove excess water from the coat. Then rub him down with clean, dry towels.

Walk your horse until his coat is completely dry, otherwise he may be tempted to take a roll in the dirt!

To ensure the bath goes smoothly, have all your tools on hand. These include a hose, bucket, sponge, shampoo, water brush and sweat scraper.

A perfectly ‘banded’ mane

Natural, which includes manes conditioned to grow extremely long

Pulled or thinned, where small clumps of hairs are pulled out along the underside of the neck

Plaited

Banded, divided into many small sections with a small rubber band placed around each; used for Western

Hogged, shaven off down to the neck

The mane can be styled depending on the discipline. Below are examples:

Hacking

Usually left loose. Depends on the riders own preference.

Showjumping

The mane is usually plaited with button braids, although a smartly pulled mane is acceptable. The forelock can be plaited or left loose.

Dressage

The main is plaited and can be on either side. The forelock is sometimes left unplaited.

Eventing

The mane is plaited for dressage with ‘knob’ or ‘button’ plaits. The mane is generally left unplaited for the cross country phase so the rider can grab it in an emergancy. The mane may be plaited for the showjumping section.

Endurance

Generally left natural, depending on the rider’s preference.

Hunter competitions

Mane is plaited with ‘hunter plaits’, usually on the right hand side. When the mane is plaited the forelock should also be plaited.

Driving

Usually styled according to the breed. Generally pulled and plaited for competition.

Polo

Mainly hogged to keep the mane out of the way of the mallet.

Harness Racing

Generally pulled or natural.

Racing

Either pulled or plaited.

Hunting

Plaited, usually on the right side.

Western Pleasure

Usually pulled and ‘banded’.

Have someone with you to hold your horse and help soothe, if necessary. Always start on the side keeping one hand over the nose. This will give you more control, but you do not need to press down hard. Most horses will allow you to use larger body clippers on the side of the face but most of the time you will need to switch to a smaller clipper for the rest of the face. Clipping hair too close will create lines on the face.

Forelock: Cover the whole forelock with a finger or your hand to make sure that you do not cut the forelock by accident if the horse moves its head suddenly.

Eyes: you may need to cover the eye with your hand to avoid scaring the horse and to avoid clipping eyelashes by accident. Make sure that you gently touch the clippers down near the eyes to help reduce the chance of the horse moving away from the clippers as you clip.

Bridle path: select the hair that you want to clip before you begin clipping. If the horse’s mane is very thick you may need to braid the forelock and a portion of the mane that may be in the way to avoid cutting too much hair. Always start clipping a thinner bridle path and then if needed, clip wider. The bridle path should only be two fingers wide.

Mane

If you are new to clipping, start on the underside of the mane first. This will give you a chance to cover up any crooked lines or accidental clips of the mane. You may want to clip in short sections near the mane until you feel more confident with the control of the clippers. When you feel you can maintain a straight line, start clipping longer sections near the mane.

Use one hand to hold the mane down while clipping near the mane, especially if the horse twitches near the withers. This will give more control.

If the horse twitches near the withers I will put firm pressure down with one hand on the mane and clip with the other to lessen the vibration of the clippers on the horse’s skin. This also lessens the twitching of the skin.

The base of the mane near the withers is always hard to decipher when you have a fuzzy horse. Pre-select hair before you begin clipping.

Make sure you carry the weight of the clippers around the mane. If you press down hard and the horse jerks away, you increase the chance of cutting off portions of the mane.

For getting a perfectly straight line you may have to hold the mane down firmly and clip excess hair vertically with the clippers.

Belly Near the Stifles

To make it easier to clip this sensitive area, you will need to stretch the skin out flat. Otherwise you may cut the skin accidentally because it is too loose. I always have a hand pressing with medium pressure to flatten the skin as well as to reduce the clipper vibration in this ticklish area. If you are having a hard time, you may need to have someone hold up one of the horse’s legs while you quickly finish.

Chest

Be aware of the cowlicks that abound in the chest area and make sure you clip going against the direction of hair growth. You will need to pull the skin flat to make clipping easier and avoid cutting the skin by accident.

Cowlick on the Flank Area

The flank cowlick will be easier to clip if you do the sides first creating crescent-shape clip markings, then finish the cowlick by clipping down vertically.

Legs

When clipping the legs I always place myself so I can see the horse’s face out of the corner of my eye. If the horse raises his head, I back off.

Make sure you have your forearm or hand with consistent pressure above the hock or above the knee when you are clipping on or near the legs. This allows you to feel the muscle tighten before the horse moves. Sometimes this pressure can be soothing to the horse as well.

Many horses are better if you pick up their leg to clip along the tendons. You can also clip in short sections diagonally to clip the hair along the lower legs. If you pick up a leg, make sure you hold its weight in your quads and not in your lower bag to avoid injury to your back if the horse suddenly pulls his leg out of your hands. Never put your fingers over the end of the horse’s hoof when you pick it up. If the horse jerks his foot down quickly, he may step on your fingers. Always hold the leg near the fetlock or along the coronary band for better support.

Do not press down hard and be sure to watch the corner of the clipper blades on the lower legs to avoid breaking the skin by accident.

Make sure all coronet hair is clipped evenly to make a better appearance when the hooves are oiled at the show.

Top of the Tail

To help create the “V” above the tail, use one finger to draw a line going against the direction of the hair from the center of the dock along the center line of the horse’s rump. Then create an upside down “V” by drawing a line up from each corner of the dock to this center line of the rump.

Always start by clipping a larger “V,” then you can make it smaller. The left side of the “V” is always harder to clip. The size of the “V” varies with the size of the horse or pony. Imagine creating a triangle with two 45-degree angles at the bottom.

After Clipping

Run a warm towel over the horse’s entire body to remove dander, dirt and excess cut hair. This also will help to reduce some of the lines. Reward your horse with treats or a chance to graze. Clipping usually requires that your horse stand still for up to two hours or more. He will want to move or go in the stall to roll.

“I don’t groom horses who are living out and not working because they need the grease in their coats as a waterproofing agent,” says Elaine Thompson, who freelances for event and racing yards.

“But to keep an unclipped or partially clipped horse clean, use the bed bath technique.

“Groom as normal, then get a bucket of clean, hot water and soak a piece of towelling or a face flannel in it. Wring out as much water as possible and use the flannel in a circular motion, rubbing hard to lift the dirt.

“It’s important to rinse the cloth frequently in clean water and keep changing the water, so you’re not rubbing dirt back in.”

Chris Higham, who looks after hunters through the winter, and broodmares and young stock in the summer, says that people don’t get results because they use the wrong grooming implements.

“Rubber curry combs are excellent for getting dirt out of the coat, but no good for cleaning brushes as you go along,” he says. “To keep a body brush clean you need an old-fashioned metal curry comb so that you can tap out the grease on the floor.

“I use a rubber curry, then a ‘flick brush’ — a brush with long, soft bristles that you use to flick the dust off — then a body brush with a padded back that’s comfortable to hold. You’ve got to put your weight behind a body brush — they don’t call it elbow grease for nothing.”

Owners often fail to appreciate the importance of keeping a grooming kit clean.

“Rinse brushes at the end of the day, leave them overnight to dry and wash them in horse shampoo every week,” he says.

Marie Rayner, who breaks and schools youngsters and runs a livery yard, asks owners planning to send horses to her to rug them up early.

“If the owners start with lightweight rugs at the end of August, the horses grow finer coats, which are easier to clean.”

Stain removers for greys, and coat gloss are essentials in Marie’s grooming kit.

“If you wash a tail and spray it with coat gloss when it’s dry, the gloss coats each hair and helps to repel dirt and dust,” she says.