Horse racing is one of the most popular sports in the world since the medieval ages. However, maintaining a profitable horse for shows or tournaments takes a lot of time and effort. Even experienced trainers and jockeys find it challenging to keep every tiny detail of the regimen when looking after their stable. Here we are, with the four most important tips you should know for grooming your Horse:-
Make sure to maintain a proper diet.
Maintaining proper health and nutrition helps keep the Horse on its feet. Besides, impressive feeding habits are essential for a good shiny coat of fur. A good horse should be fed a mixture of crimped oats and alfalfa hay. Although proportions are not necessarily fixed, a 1:3 ratio is usually recommended. Besides, stabilized rice bran should be included in the diet. It contains fat, essential for a shiny coat. Some trainers also use liquid and powdered supplements to keep their horses healthy and nutritious.
Clean your horses daily, and keep their coat shining
Horses can suffer from different kinds of infections, if not cleaned regularly. The cleaning regimen should start right after their daily exercise. Once the sweat has dried off, the horses get proper grooming in the afternoon. This includes scrubbing and currying to get rid of dust, dry work, and patches of dead skin cells. A soft vacuum is then used to remove deep-seated dirt and loose strands of hair. Rapid hair growth can be solved easily with regular clipping. However, Clipped horses are vulnerable to the winter cold, for which they need heavyweight or medium turnout rugs.
Make sure you don’t bathe them frequently
Too many baths with soap can make the coat dull and dry. A good wash is recommended only before shows and races, with a good shampoo and a conditioner for the mane and the tails. Regularly, horses are not bathed, except for washing the legs and hoofs with plain water. However, the bottoms are washed every ten days to 2 weeks, with a mild shampoo and a good conditioner. Manes are cleaned with shampoo only if they are unruly. Otherwise, a vacuum is good enough to remove dust and dirt.
Use heavy insulation to keep them warm in the winter
Winter is the time when your horses are the most vulnerable to catching a cold. It is necessary to keep them warm at all times. Turnout coats help in keeping horses clean and free of moisture, when out in the field. They also help to protect clipped horses from the cold. Their outer material is waterproof and extremely durable, making them amazingly resistant to tears and snags.
Use the methods and tips detailed above to take regular and proper care of your horses. Keep in mind that they are sensitive beings, with intelligence comparable to humans themselves.
