Horses are majestic and large animals, and they require a great deal of responsibility. For first-time horse owners and experienced horse owners alike, you’ll need a comprehensive list of horse care products to properly care for your horse. Here, we provide you a handy list of equine essentials and horse supplies that every horse owner should have.

Horse Grooming

Horse grooming is an essential component or a horse’s health. Just like a car needs proper and regular maintenance for exceptional performance, the same goes for our horses. Grooming your horse doesn’t have to take up to an hour - especially if you do it on a daily basis. Horse grooming is an important part of proper horse care because it allows you to thoroughly inspect your horse from head to hoof.

Equine grooming can also help you:

• Build a close bond with your horse
• Check for lumps and bumps
• Examine any skin rashes, scratches, and swelling
• Seek and prevent common health issues, sometimes commonly found on the skin or hooves
• Increase the blood flow to muscle groups with a good grooming and massage session
• Practice ground exercises and equine yoga for horse balance and flexibility

There are endless equine grooming products readily available, but here are a few essentials that you can check out to keep your horse’s coat shiny and healthy.

Horse Brushes

Body Brush

A body brush has soft bristles, and is used to remove dust and grease from the coat. A horse body brush is often used on the head of the horse, and is rubbed over a curry comb regularly during grooming to prevent dust and grease from returning back to the coat.

Dandy Brush

A dandy brush has long and stiff bristles which are generally used for removing dry surface dirt and is generally used on the less sensitive parts of the body.

Metal Curry Comb

A metal curry comb has rows of raised serrated metal which is used to remove dirt and dust from a body brush by brushing it over the curry comb.

Rubber Curry Comb

A rubber curry comb for horses is used to remove loose hair and mud.

Mane and Tail Brush

As its name suggests, the mane and tail brush is used to comb through the horse’s mane and tail quickly and easily, much like that of a hair brush.

Mane comb

Much like the mane and tail brush, the mane comb is often used to pull the manes and sometimes used to comb sections of the horse mane to be plaited.

Water Brush

A water brush is used to apply water to a horse’s coat, mane, or tail, to either dampen or was the horse.

Horse Tack

Horseback riding is one of the many reasons why horse owners opt for a horse, and it’s one of the beautiful examples or horses and humans working together elegantly. A horse tack is equipment used to ride a horse, and can include bridles, cinches, girths, martingales, and saddles. In some cases, a tack is also referred to related riding equipment, such as halters, lead ropes, long reins, halters, and whips.

In some cases, a tack is kept in its own room to prolong its durability. It is important to note that a horse tack is made up of many different singular components, and they all work together synergistically to keep both horse and rider safe.

Parts of a Tack

Bridles, Bits, and Reins

A bridle, bit, and a set of reins are what make up the part of the tack that sets on the horse’s head, and is used to tell the horse the right direction and where to go. The birdle may be compared to a dog or cat’s collar as the base of the headgear which comfortably slips into place over the ears, jaw, and nose of the horse.

English bridle - has a nose band with reins clipped together below the horse’s chin to prevent swaying.

Western bridle - does not have a nose band, is generally light and thin, and the reins hang free.

Bit

The bit goes into the mouth and connects the bridle. There are many different types of bits, but some of the most common include the snaffle bit and a metal snaffle, often used for horseback riding.

Reins

A set of reins completes the headgear, and consist of long strips of leather that can attach to both sides of the bridle and loops around the back of the neck, easily in reach of the rider. These reins are used to direct the horse.

Saddles and Stirrups

The saddle fits on the horse’s back where the rider sits and is generally made of leather. There are two types of saddles: Western Saddles which have a grip at the front, known as a horn which is used for carrying a rope or whip. Eastern Saddles do not have a horn and are smaller and are fit for longer durations, often over hills or streams.

Hoof Treatments and Hoof Care

A horse’s hooves should be taken care of daily to promote hoof health and help strengthen the bond between horse and human. Some of the basic hoof care products include:

Hoof Care Tools

Hoof Picks as the name implies, are use to pick out the hooves for checking bruises and signs of infections or diseases, foreign objects, debris, and may also be used to put medicated cotton into the cleft and sides of frog if thrush is present.

Stiff bristles or Wire brushes are used to scrub dead tissue and mud when combined with soap and water. This should generally be done on a weekly basis, but if your horse spends time in an oiled arena, it is best to do it much more frequently.

Hoof boots are used when your horse loses a shoe while waiting for the farrier to provide proper equine hoof care.

Sanding blocks for horses, or a rasp, helps smooth out the chips and flakes before the farrier to prevent further expansion, but this should not entirely replace proper trimmings and farrier visits.

Crease nail pullers help open clinches of a loose shoe and to grasp nail-heads individually than by levering off the shoe.

Hoof stands may benefit horse owners who have multiple horses and help support the hoof in the tipped position rather than holding the hoof in between the hands and knees of the owner to prevent horse owner back pain.

Hoof Care Products

Hoof antiseptics include medicinal ingredients and are applied topically to prevent diseases and infections, thrush being one of the most common.

Hoof dressings often contain special oils and ingredients that help soften dry and cracked heel bulbs after the hoof has been moistened with water, but normally healthy hooves are generally dry and durable - be sure your horse’s hooves are not overly moistened and soft.

Hoof hardeners help toughen a horse’s hoof to increase the durability and resistance to cracking and chipping.

Hoof polish may be compared to nail polish and helps the hooves emit a shiny display when used in the show ring but should be removed after the show as it can be very drying and does not allow the hooves to breathe.

Hoof sealers are very commonly used when the horse is frequently exposed to wet conditions and helps the hoof form a solid barrier against dirt and moisture.

Horse Wound Care

Every now and then, our horses will have the occasional minor cuts, deep cuts, scrapes, puncture wounds, and bruises. It’s important that your horse gets professional veterinary care, but there are a few basic steps and products that you can use for minor injuries and while waiting for the veterinarian to arrive.

Most minor injuries should be cleaned first, and will need topical ointment or salves before a bandage, dressing, or wrap is applied to prevent further bleeding and infection. For much more serious and threatening injuries, it is best to always have your vet’s number ready at all times to seek proper steps before they arrive to properly treat the injury.

Horse Treats

Equine treats make up a viable part of a happy healthy horse. Often, horse treats come in the form of pellets. Our Equine Hemp PCR Horse Pellets make the perfect all-in-one horse treat. Our Equine Hemp Pellets are all-natural and safe. Enriched with Full Spectrum CBD,  numerous studies on the benefits of CBD have shown to be very effective in helping managing anxiety, reducing inflammation, improving joint pain and discomfort, provide instant relief for seizures, and many more benefits, including improving overall health.

How much pellets should I give my equine?

Using our Hemp Horse Pellets, one leveled tablespoon of pellets is equivalent to 25mg PCR. One leveled teaspoon contains approximately 9-10mg.

A general guide for Hemp Pellets is:

• Miniature (<350lbs) = 10 mg
• Pony (<900lbs) = 20 mg
• Horse (<1500lbs) = 50 mg
• XL/Draft (>1500lbs) = 65 mg

But we highly recommend you begin with ⅓ of the above suggested dosage once a day, and then gradually increase until you see the desired results.

Generally, starting with ⅓ of the suggested dose can be given twice a day with an interval of 6-8 hours between doses, or three times a day for serious medical conditions as advised by your veterinarian or trainer.

Horse Vitamins and Supplements

As we mentioned above, CBD is an excellent way to provide an all-in-one solution for your horse’s health. We mentioned Equine Hemp Pellets earlier, but you can also provide your horse vitamins and supplements with CBD Oil for Horses.

By now, you may have heard about all the stigma that surrounds Hemp-Derived CBD and with very good reason to. CBD can also be used for our pets. CBD works so well with our pet’s health because horses share the same endocannabinoid system as we humans do. Many holistic veterinarians, farriers, and trainers have most likely heard of CBD for horses by now, and in horses, it can be used for many things, including:

• Arthritis
• Chronic pain
• Inflammation
• Joint pain
• Emotional distress
• Improve digestive health
• Ease cancer pain from symptoms and treatment
• Improve skin condition and coat health
• Manages seizures

Horse Health Care: The Final Verdict

Our pets are much more than just plain old pets - they’re our family, and just like family, it’s important that we take care of them and take responsibility both emotionally and physically. Simply providing physical needs for your horse isn’t sufficient enough. Horses are majestic and emotionally loving animals, and just as it is important that you take care of their overall health, don’t forget to take attention towards their emotional well-being by providing tender loving care and affection along with routine check ups. Check out more tips on “How Do I Keep My Horse Healthy?” for a comprehensive guide on ensuring your equine’s top health and performance.