In that way of people who have been doing something for a long time, I don’t always mention the little things. But since I just bought a new mare, some of these things are more in the forefront of my mind than they often are, so I am going to talk about something that I think is really important, and that you could easily do more of to both the benefit of you and your horse…

Currying.

In my mind, currying is the most important part of grooming. It raises the oils in the coat, releases the dead hair, scrubs off the grunge, and deep cleans the horse.

It also does so much more. Currying can massage the muscles, promote circulation, relaxation, lymph and brown substance flow, help muscles release lactic acid, and give the horse a beneficial scratch. It helps them think of humans as having some benefit to their lives, and that they are able to do something pleasurable for them. Currying can also incite horses to lift their backs, and do some amazing stretches that would otherwise be difficult to convince them to do.

So, compared to most people, I curry my horses a lot.

I have a collection of curries, and I usually use three of them on a horse in any given grooming session. Most of my horses are Thoroughbreds, so I lean towards softer curries than you might if you had a horse with less sensitive skin, but an assortment is always a plan.

At the moment I have 4 in my grooming kit:

Scratch Me Silly (yellow): This is a long curved tool with a curry head on each end, one head being larger than the other head. I use the small head on the neck and chest, and the large head on the back, haunches, and belly. The fingers aren’t very flexible, so I don’t use it over the ribs, shoulder blades, face, or flank unless the horse tells me that’s ok. The leverage gives a deep massage and a really good scratch. I usually start with this.

Round cone tooth curry (gray): There are lots of this type of curry in the world. This one happens to fit my hand well, isn’t as heavy as some, and has a hand hold that makes it easier for me to use than ones without. The teeth on this one are a little more flexible and the Thoroughbreds tend to like it. I curry everywhere with this one. Even the insides of the hind legs.

Jelly circle curry (purple): I love how flexible these are. They get in all the nooks and crannies the other two are not suitable for. They really mold to the contours of the horse, and the smaller teeth get more of the coat. Every horse I have ever used these on loves it.

Curry mitt (Orange): I found this orange mitt in the dog section at Tractor Supply. It gives a nice finishing curry to the body, and is also great for faces and legs. Thin skinned, light coated horses especially love this one, it may not have long enough teeth for winter coats on heavier breeds. I fold it in half to get between the jaw bones.

In general, I start with the Scratch Me Silly, then move to either the cone tooth or the jelly, and finish with the orange mitt. Unless the horse starts out filthy, I follow that with a medium soft “flicky” kind of brush, and maybe a damp rag to get the dust off. If they were practicing wallowing in the mud, I end up using more brushes. I generally do this before and after work to keep the horse flexible, and the circulation high. I don’t tie my horses during these sessions so they can freely participate.

I always do the back before the belly. I want to end whatever I do with the horse with his back up rather than pushed down.

Currying is also an excellent workout for my shoulders and arms, I am careful to be sure to switch hands when I switch sides, as I don’t want to become too one sided myself.

I think currying is an underutilized tool in keeping horses sound and comfortable. I encourage you to give more currying a try and see what your horse has to say about it! Let me know how it goes!

*** I have purchased all of these tools at my own expense, and have not received anything for talking about them here. I also do not recieve a commission if you buy one from any of these links. That said, if any of the folks responsible for these products wanted to send me another one as a thank you, I would greatly appreciate that! I carry them around in my car for work and would love to have a set just for my horses. If they wanted to provide two extra, I would do a video and a giveaway. Hint, hint!***