Tips for Simpler Springtime Shedding

The days are getting longer and everything you own is covered in statically charged horse hair. It's almost Spring!

Here's a few tips for easier grooming and shedding during these hairy times:

• Make two passes with a long toothed rubber curry before using the shedding blade. The shedding blade will be able to get more hair if it's already loosened.

• Consider wearing a mask to cover your nose and mouth while shedding. You are a magnet for floating horse hair and when you're less busy wiping your face and groaning, you'll more likely to groom longer!

• When you're finished with the shedding blade, spray the whole horse down with a dry shampoo like Cowboy Magic Green Spot Remover. Then do a rub down with a rag with a heavy nap. The shampoo with help reduce the dust and dander you stirred up with all the currying and your horse will feel less itchy. If the coat still looks dull (as most do while shedding out), finish with a spray of coat shine (like Showsheen or Vetroline Shine, not on saddle area) and rub in again, then brush out with a soft dandy brush.

• When it's warm enough, bathing can be a good shedding exercise. When the horse is lathered with soap, curry with a soft rubber mitt to loosen dead hair, then spray off with the hardest spray setting your horse can tolerate comfortably. Happy Shedding!

Horse Grooming Tip - Winter Tail Care

In the colder months, your horse's tail probably receives less attention than during all those summer hose-offs and baths. Winter is the worst time for tails anyway, since the dry air and layers and mud and dust can make hairs brittle, leading to split ends and breakage.

Some of the most dedicated tail preservationists advocate braiding and wrapping the tail in socks, tail wraps or tail protectors. But these can come off, and if your horse is the mischievous sort, he could get the wrap caught in a fence or eyehook and damage or at least scare himself. If you're looking for a lower-maintenance approach this follow these simple guidelines:

1 - Resist the urge to brush! USEF "S" judge Elizabeth Madlener warns against taking a comb or even a soft dandy brush to the tail hairs. Every hair that breaks will take years to fully grow out!

2 - Use your fingers to pick out hay and debris as often as possible.

3 - Use a concentrated leave-in detangler like Cowboy Magic Detangler to help pick out knots and tangles

4 - Again, don't brush it!

5 - When the temperature permits, wet the tail and dunk in a bucket of lightly-concentrated shampooey water (try Cowboy Magic Rosewater Shampoo or Vetroline Bath) until the water from the tail runs clear. Rinse and apply a leave-in detangler liberally while wet. Let it try and if you have lots of time, pick the tail by hand!

Okay, now if you absolutely must brush - start at the bottom and work up in small sections - and use a brush designed for the purpose - the Oster Tail Brush is a great choice (see the dover saddlery link below or Google it for many results).

Also, check out Cherry Hill's advice...(though she is partial to the tail bag...)

http://www.horsekeeping.com/horse_grooming/tips_for_long_tails.htm

http://www.cowboymagic.com/products-detangler-shine.html - Detangler

http://www.farnamhorse.com/aqha/vetrolin_email.htm - Vetrolin Bath Shampoo

http://www.doversaddlery.com/product.asp?pn=X1-10076&bhcd2=1201621692 - Tail Brush