Fall 2019 / 87of oils. Daily currying can almost com-
pletely control some conditions, such
as cannon bone seborrhea (that thick,
grungy skin that forms on the front of
the hind legs). And with daily groom-
ing, you’ll identify any small wounds,
crusts, or other abnormalities that
might require attention before they
become more serious problems.
To keep your horse’s skin healthy, cur-
ry his entire body (use a rubber mitt or
soft-rubber curry comb for his face and
legs), brush with a stiff brush to clear
away debris, and finish with a soft brush
or towel. If you have a white-pigmented
horse, protect his sensitive skin with a
sunscreen formulated for equines.
A word of caution: don’t share
brushes! Many skin diseases are caused
by microorganisms that can easily be
passed from horse to horse. To best pro-
tect your horse’s skin, keep grooming
tools separate and clean, and disinfect
them regularly. (For how to disinfect
your equipment, turn to page 100.)
STEP 3: Bathe wisely. Is bathing good
or bad? It depends. Bathing to remove
caked-on dirt or rinsing off sweat after
a hard workout can help keep skin
healthy. (If your horse is at risk for tack
rubs, apply a salt-water rinse, an old
trick farmers used to toughen the skin
of hardworking horses in the fields.)
Some horses can even expe-
rience an allergic reaction
to their own sweat that
leads to significant skin
issues. When you
rinse or towel off
sweat, you
can help
preventproblems. On the other hand, too-fre-
quent shampoo baths can negatively
impact your horse’s skin by stripping
the natural oils. In fact, it’s best to give
your horse a full-on shampoo bath as
infrequently as possible.
What about shampoos? Is it best
to use horse-only shampoo? Is baby
shampoo easier on your horse’s skin?
These are great questions—with unex-
pected answers. It’s true that the pH
(a measure of acidity) is an important
factor that can impact shampoo choic-
es, but studies have shown that slightly
more acidic shampoos are actually
easier on the skin. Interestingly, horse
skin is slightly less acidic than human
skin, meaning shampoos designed for
humans are probably acceptable
to use on your horse.
However, avoid baby
shampoos. These prod-
ucts are designed for
small children with
the primary goal
of “nomore tears,” meaning they’re typically
less acidic than shampoos designed
for adults (or horses). The result? Baby
shampoos may actually be the most
damaging choice for your horse’s skin.
STEP 4: Beat down bugs. Insects
are clearly public enemy No. 1
when it comes to healthy skin.
Fly bites are bad
enough—but an
insect hyper-
sensitivityPH
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