#showhorse

"Purple Spots" 24 x 18 inch acrylic on paper.

you liked dog, so now i give you BIG DOG

Grooming Tips from the Paint horse who lives out 24/7!

Tip#1 - GROOM

I cannot emphasize how important good old elbow grease is. Groom before AND after your rides, head to toe. Emphasize your currying, it’s what helps lift up the natural oils. Hard brush removes all the dirt and loose hairs you loosened with the curry! Your soft brush helps bring out the natural oils, and a finishing brush really helps take off that fine dust left over! And make sure you’re doing around 10-20 strokes per “section” (neck, belly, hindquarters) if not more.

Tip#2 - KEEP YOUR BRUSHES CLEAN

Wash your brushes monthly or more! No point in trying to keep a horse clean with dirty tools! While grooming, run a shedding blade over your brushes a couple times every few strokes to get rid of dust in your brushes, otherwise you end up putting the dirt back on! PRO TIP- no brush grooms better than a natural hair brush! Make sure you wash these brushes with a baby shampoo, not a cleaner like you would with synthetic brushes! Always rinse well!

Tip#3 - CONDITION

Use oil based products wherever possible. I use a lanolin oil based leave in conditioner lightly on the coat and mane daily! My fly spray is also oil based! While these types of products can attract fine particles of dust, that is easy to remove, the benefits to the coat and hair far outweigh this small bother!

PRO TIP - brush with a clean short bristled soft brush after adding your leave in conditioners! And brush well! It helps evenly spread those beneficial oils and works it well into the hairs for a benefit to the whole hair!

Tip#4 - Take stains out when they happen

Any one with a light colour horse or a horse with chrome knows the struggle of keeping stains at bay! I found taking the stains out the moment you find them is so key to keeping those whites from becoming yellow, or dingy! Spray in rinseless shampoo is your friend! Get those stains out before they really set in! The conditioning mentioned in the previous step also helps prevent stains from setting in!

Tip#5 - Try to bathe as little as possible!

Try to bathe as little as you can! It strips those great natural oils! When you do bathe, make sure you apply a heavy layer of that leave in conditioner and really brush it in to replace the oils you took off!

Tip#6 - Let em’ get dirty!

This tip seems pretty backwards, and I’m not sure why it works, but you’ll never find a more gorgeous shine on a horse that is allowed to get dirty! Let them roll in sand, dirt etc. Curry and brush it out! That shine will be there!

Tip#7 - Mane and Tail

I believe less is more with this! Brush less! Brushing breaks your hair, causing thinning and a scraggly look! Any time you do brush, use a good detangler and brush out from bottom to top, using your fingers to undo the biggest knots! Braid your mane if you’re looking to add length! Undo and rebraid weekly! I personally don’t like braiding the tail due to the weight of the braid pulling on the hair!

Tip#8 - Nutrition

This could very well be one of the most important parts! A well balanced diet is so important to having that glossy show ready coat straight out of the pasture! Best way to do this is to get in touch with a nutritionist to get a good sense of what your area is commonly deficient in! My secret weapon? Flax! Not only is it cheap but it works damn well! I suggest 2 cups per day! It is AMAZING in getting that shiny coat and hair quality! It also great for joint health, as it’s has a high omega 3 content!

PRO TIP - flax is best ground fresh or pre-ground and stabilized! Otherwise it loses its potency!

I’m addicted to Riverdale and I’m so happy season 2 came out