Last updated: October 4, 2026
If you’re new to horses, a grooming kit can look like a pile of brushes with no instructions. The good news is that once you learn the basic order, grooming is pretty straightforward.
Below, I’ll cover the tools you really need, how to work safely around a horse, and each grooming step in the order I use at the barn.
Table of Contents
Horse Grooming Tools You Need
You don’t need a tack store’s worth of brushes to start. These cover a basic groom.
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| Hoof pick | Cleans out the feet and lets you check them for problems. |
| Curry comb | A rubber or plastic comb used in circles to loosen dirt, sweat, and loose hair. |
| Dandy brush | A stiff-bristled brush that flicks the loosened dirt off the coat. |
| Soft body brush | Removes fine dust and smooths the coat. A small, very soft face brush is best around the eyes and ears. |
| Mane and tail comb, or your fingers | Works through tangles. |
| Sponges and a towel | Clean the eyes, nose, and dock, and give the coat a final wipe. |
If you’d rather buy a ready-made set, I’ve reviewed several horse grooming kits and the tools in them. If you have more than one horse, keep separate tools for each one, especially if one has a skin problem like rain rot that can spread on shared brushes. EQUUS recommends a separate kit for each horse for the same reason.
Before You Start: Tie Your Horse Safely
Put a halter on your horse and tie it with a quick-release knot to something solid at about the height of the horse’s withers, never low enough that it can get a leg over the rope, or clip it into crossties, in a spot with good footing. Wear sturdy boots, since getting a foot stepped on is one of the most common ways people get hurt around horses. Stay close while you work, and don’t stand directly behind the horse. When you switch sides, stay close and keep a hand on the horse as you pass around the hindquarters, or go around the front if you’re not comfortable doing that. Avoid walking directly behind any horse, since even a quiet, familiar horse can be startled or react suddenly. The National Ag Safety Database’s grooming safety guide covers these basics in more detail.
How to Groom a Horse Step by Step
I usually start on the left, or near, side at the neck and work toward the tail, then repeat the same routine on the right. Many horses are handled more often from the left, but both sides matter. Using the same order every time keeps you from skipping a hoof, leaving mud in the girth area, or missing a new bump or rub.
Step 1: Pick Out the Hooves
Run your hand down the leg and ask for the foot. Once the horse lifts it, support the hoof comfortably and use the pick to clear packed dirt, manure, and stones from the sole and the grooves beside the frog. Work carefully around the frog instead of digging into it. While you’re down there, notice anything that’s different from the other feet, like heat, a loose shoe, an unusual odor, or something stuck in the hoof. Here’s my step-by-step guide to cleaning a horse’s hooves.
Step 2: Use the Curry Comb
Use the curry comb in small, firm circles over the neck, shoulders, barrel, hindquarters, and other well-muscled areas. It loosens dried sweat, mud, and shedding hair so the next brush can carry it away. Many horses enjoy a good curry over the shoulders and hindquarters, but let the horse tell you how much pressure is comfortable. Ease up over the withers, hips, spine, and other bony spots, and don’t use a stiff curry on the face or lower legs. During shedding season, you’ll be amazed how much hair comes off.
Step 3: Flick Off the Dirt With a Dandy Brush
Follow the curry with the stiff dandy brush, using short strokes in the direction the hair grows and flicking your wrist at the end of each stroke to send the dirt off the horse. This is also the brush for the legs, since the curry is too harsh there. Every few strokes, scrape the brush across the curry comb to clean it.
Step 4: Finish the Coat With a Soft Brush
Go over the whole body again with the soft brush, using longer, smoother strokes. It lifts the fine dust the dandy brush left behind and brings out the shine. Use your free hand as you go, too. I pay as much attention to what I feel under my hand as to how the horse looks, and heat, swelling, or a spot the horse suddenly doesn’t want touched can tell you something has changed.
Step 5: Brush the Face Gently
Use a very soft brush or a small face brush on the head, and work slowly around the eyes and ears. Don’t force or trap the horse’s head. With a quiet horse that’s safely tied, you can usually brush the face while standing beside its cheek. If the horse is uneasy or pulls back, have an experienced person handle it rather than trying to hold the horse and groom its face at the same time.
Step 6: Comb the Mane and Tail
Stand off to the side of the horse, not directly behind it, and hold the tail to one side. Gather it in your hand near the bottom and pick through the ends first, then work your way up a section at a time. Pulling a comb straight down from the top rips out hair, and tail hair grows back slowly. Fingers do a good job on the tail, and a detangler spray makes it easier.
Step 7: Wipe the Eyes, Nose, and Dock
Use a clean, damp sponge to gently wipe around the eyes and nostrils. Use a different sponge for the dock, the area under the tail, and keep the two sponges separate so you’re not spreading dirt to the face.
Step 8: Finish Up
Wipe the coat down with a clean towel for a final polish. In fly season, finish with fly spray. If your farrier recommends a hoof conditioner, apply it last, once the hooves are clean.
How Often Should You Groom a Horse?
How often you groom depends on your horse’s turnout, the weather, the workload, and how much dirt the horse manages to find. Before every ride, pick out the feet and brush the saddle, girth, and bridle areas so dirt and dried sweat don’t rub under your tack. After work, deal with sweat and mud, check for rubs or heat, and make sure the horse is comfortable before you put it away. A full groom a few times a week keeps most horses looking tidy, and my horse care schedule shows where grooming fits into a daily and weekly routine.
Even on days you don’t ride, a quick once-over gives you one of the best chances to put your hands on your horse and notice what has changed. My guide on using daily grooming to spot health changes early covers what to feel and watch for, and when to call the vet.
Horse Grooming Tips
A few habits make grooming go better. Groom in the same order every time, so both you and the horse know what’s coming. Keep tools picked up and out of the way, because a brush left on the ground can get stepped on or tripped over. Work quietly and predictably, and don’t sneak up on a nervous horse with a brush. Let it see what you’re doing, especially around the head and hindquarters. If your horse is sweaty after a ride, let it cool down, then remove the sweat before doing a full dry groom. A sweat scraper, a rinse, or a sponge can help, depending on the weather and the horse. On a wet, muddy coat, brushing usually just smears the dirt and packs it deeper into the hair.
Bathing isn’t part of every groom, but it can become part of the routine after work in hot, humid weather. We bathe our horses often here in Louisiana when they come in sweaty, then make sure they’re rinsed well and have time to dry. If you’re wondering how often bathing makes sense for your horse, I’ve covered whether horses need baths and how to wash one.
Horse Grooming FAQs
How long does it take to groom a horse?
For a reasonably clean horse, a basic groom often takes 15 to 30 minutes. A muddy horse, a long mane and tail, or shedding season can stretch that out.
Which side of the horse do you start grooming on?
Most people start on the left, or near, side at the neck and work back toward the tail, then repeat on the right side. Many horses are handled more often from the left, but what matters most is grooming both sides the same way every time.
What’s the difference between a curry comb and a dandy brush?
A curry comb is used in circles to loosen dirt and hair from the coat. A dandy brush is a stiff brush used afterward to flick that loosened dirt off. You use the curry first, then the dandy brush.
Should you groom a horse before or after riding?
Both. Grooming before you ride removes dirt that could rub under the saddle and girth, and grooming after lets you clean off sweat and check for rubs or small injuries.
Once you know the order, feet, curry, dandy brush, soft brush, face, mane and tail, then a final wipe, grooming becomes second nature. Take your time, use your hands as much as your brushes, and pay attention to anything that feels warmer, bumpier, sore, or different than it did yesterday. A good groom leaves you with a cleaner horse, and it helps you know your horse better.
About Miles Henry
Racehorse Owner & Author | 30+ Years in Thoroughbred Racing
Miles Henry (legal name: William Bradley) is a professional horseman based in Folsom, Louisiana. He holds Louisiana Racing License #67012 and has spent over three decades managing Thoroughbreds at premier tracks including Fair Grounds, Delta Downs, and Evangeline Downs.
Expertise & Hands-On Experience: Beyond the track, Miles has decades of experience in specialized equine care, covering everything from hoof health and nutrition to training protocols for Quarter Horses, Friesians, and Paints. Every guide on Horse Racing Sense is rooted in this “boots-on-the-ground” perspective.
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