Grooming as a health check: what to look for in your horse
, by Michael van Wassem, 4 min reading time
Grooming is more than cleaning: it is your daily check of skin, legs, hooves and rub spots. Here is what to look for and when to call the vet.
Grooming makes your horse clean, but above all it is the moment you touch him from head to tail. If you do it with attention, you often feel a warm spot, a swelling or a scrape sooner than someone who only looks at the outside.
Short answer: what do you look for?
While grooming, look at five things: skin and coat, legs and joints, hooves, places where a rug, girth or headcollar rubs, and how your horse reacts to touch. Write down anything new, unusual or painful and discuss it with your vet. You do not diagnose. You are the first to see that something is different.
💡 Tip: groom in the same order every time. Then a change stands out sooner.
Groom in a fixed order
Start at the neck and work through shoulder, back, belly and hindquarters to the legs. Finish with the hooves. Work from coarse to fine: first a curry comb in small circles over the muscled areas, then a hard brush for dirt, then a soft brush, also for head and legs. Skip bony areas with the curry comb.
What to look for: overview per body part
| Where | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Skin and coat | Bald patches, scabs, flakes, damp or sticky spots, a lot of rubbing or scratching |
| Legs and joints | Heat, swelling, scrapes, a difference between left and right |
| Hooves | Stones, a smelly frog, loose shoes, a warm hoof |
| Rub spots | Under the rug, girth, saddle and headcollar: hair loss or a red or sore spot |
| Eyes and nose | Watery eye, discharge, swelling |
| Behaviour | Your horse flinches, pulls away or pins the ears at a spot that was not a problem before |
Learn what is normal for your horse
Every horse has its own bumps, scars and sensitive spots. The more often you groom in the same way, the better you know what is normal for your horse. Compare the left and right leg with your hand: a difference often stands out sooner than an absolute value. Check the hooves every day if you can.
When do you call the vet?
⚠️ Fidello is not a vet. When in doubt, call too early rather than too late, and always for:
- deep or gaping wounds, or a wound near a joint or tendon;
- a wound that bleeds heavily or does not stop bleeding;
- lameness or a horse that will not put weight on a leg;
- an eye injury or an eye that stays closed;
- severe swelling, fever, not eating or restlessness;
- a wound or skin spot that does not get better.
Keep your horse calm until the vet arrives and keep the wound as clean as possible. Do not apply products on your own initiative.
A first aid kit within reach
A first aid kit is meant for first help until the vet arrives. It does not replace a visit. Think of bandaging material, bandages, scissors or a bandage knife and a thermometer. Never apply anything too tight, because it can restrict circulation, and practise bandaging at a calm moment.
Common mistakes
- Grooming in a hurry. If you only do the visible parts, you miss the legs and the belly.
- Grooming too hard over bones. That hurts and makes your horse jumpy about touch.
- Sharing brushes. A separate set per horse prevents skin problems from spreading. Clean brushes regularly.
- Not writing anything down. A swelling you see today is one you want to compare tomorrow.
- Treating it yourself. Skin problems and wounds are a matter for the vet.
Checklist for every grooming session
- Skin and coat: no new bald patches, scabs or damp spots?
- Legs: no heat or swelling, left and right the same?
- Hooves picked out and checked?
- Rub spots under rug, girth and headcollar checked?
- Behaviour when touched as usual?
- Anything unusual noted or photographed?
Frequently asked questions
How often should I groom my horse?
A horse that is ridden is usually groomed before and after riding. If your horse is mostly at grass, a few times a week is often enough. Check the hooves every day if you can.
Can I treat a wound myself?
Not without advice. Keep the wound clean, keep your horse calm and call your vet. Products in a first aid kit are aids and do not replace treatment.
What if my horse does not like being groomed?
It can be a sign that a spot hurts, for example because of a poorly fitting saddle or rug. Groom calmly and more gently, and discuss it with your vet if it continues.
Summary
Groom in a fixed order, look and feel at every body part, compare left with right and note anything that differs. For wounds, lameness, eye problems or doubt, call the vet.
Conclusion
Grooming takes little extra time when you use it as a check. If you look carefully every day, you spot problems sooner and can get the right help faster.
Sources
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University (horse care and first aid); Royal Dutch Veterinary Association (KNMvD); KNHS (safety when handling horses).
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