Jessica Jahiel's HORSE-SENSE Newsletter Archives

Grooming winter coats

From: Kellie

Hi. I have a question. I read one of your archived articles about not bathing a horse with a long winter coat because it takes all the oils etc. out that help to keep the horse naturally warm. My question is does grooming do this too? If you groomed (curry comb, stiff brush, soft bristled brush) on a daily basis and he was a horse with a naturally long winter coat that was turned out during the day with no blankets and kept in at night would this take away the oils helping him to stay warm. Is it better to leave him dirty all winter?

Kellie

Hi Kellie! Daily grooming is very good for your horse, and it's nice exercise for you, too. Grooming and bathing are two very different processes. Bathing generally involves some form of shampoo or soap, which lifts off and removes the oils in the coat. Grooming the horse daily - especially the kind of very basic grooming you've described, using a curry comb, dandy brush, and body brush - will simply distribute the oils throughout the horse's coat. That won't be a problem and it shouldn't interfere at all with your horse staying warm. In fact, he may be warmer if you groom him.

For you, grooming is a way to keep your horse clean and check on his health. For your horse, it's a lovely scratchy massage that increases his circulation, helps him relax his muscles, makes him feel good, and gives him a strong reason to like you and enjoy your company. Go right ahead and groom your horse all winter long - just save the shampoo and the bath until the weather is warm again.

Jessica

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