Grooming whilst respecting the horse’s well-being

A recent study shows that when being groomed 50 % of horses demonstrated signs of discomfort (threatening behaviour, strongly contracting back or belly muscles) against a mere 5 % showing positive signs (relaxation, mutual grooming…). During a grooming session, the average horse will react defensively 7 times, either biting or kicking. This is the sign of a negative emotional feeling while being groomed for a majority of horses, and it has an impact on their general well-being, and their relationship to Man. These results also account for the quarter of horse related accidents which occur when the rider is on the ground. In this same study, a significant number of incidents (where the horse’s teeth or hooves just miss the rider’s head) was observed. Very often the rider did not even realise what had just happened. Obviously, some riders have already adopted appropriate practices, but there is still room for vast improvements.

The key is to carefully observe your horse so as to adapt one’s own gestures. The aim is to find the areas the horse likes having brushed, in order to promote positive behaviour as much as possible (mutual grooming, relaxation, positive facial expression) and a minimum of negative behavioural situations. With most horses it is quite easy to induce this type of behaviour. All you need to do is to test each part of the body and adjust your movements according to the horse’s reaction :
•    When the horse starts showing signs of comfort, just insist on this particular area of the body, and find the brushing intensity which best suits your horse. Ideally you should start with your hand and scratch him with your fingers. After a few sessions, brushes can be introdced, or you can continue with your hand.
•    When the horse starts to show signs of discomfort on the other hand, then you should apply less pressure.
•    An ideal grooming session should consist in  taking a few minutes to overall clean the horse without inducing any negative reactions, then save some time to massage the horse’s favorite areas, with the sole aim of bringing him a feeling of comfort.

Improving one’s grooming practices is a win-win situation. Firstly, it will improve the relationship between Horse and Man. It has also been shown to make subsequent interventions easier, even if they are unpleasant to the horse, for instance taking a blood sample. They also allow, by accumulation effect, to increase the horse’s overall well-being. Effects on the amounts of oxytocin or the heart rate have been observed.
Good grooming practices have profound repercussions on the horse’s behaviour and physiological state (oxytocin, heart rate).
For the rider, good practices will reduce the number of defensive reactions. This reduces the risk of getting kicked or bitten. Moreover, being attentive to one’s horse enables one to anticipate the horse’s reactions, and reduces the risk of accidents.

A quarter of all horse-related accidents happen when the rider is on the ground.
The risk of concussion is as high on the ground as it is in horseback.
Brushing one’s horse correctly and observing him, will decrease the risks.