Proper grooming of a horse minimizes potential problems
             and maintains a tidy appearance. While working at a horse
             barn in Orlando, Florida, I quickly learned the advantages
             of a complete grooming session. Horses are high maintenance
             animals that require much time and devotion. Three major areas must be tended to on a daily basis. The first is foot care. Cleaning out the hooves can prevent diseases, monitors the state of the horse's shoes, and removes any foreign objects that may become lodged in the hoof. The second significant part of grooming is skin care. The third major area of grooming a horse is maintaining the mane and tail. A horse lacking care is likely to become sickly, lame, and unattractive.
             The most important step in the grooming process is to
             pick out the hooves. A hoof pick is normally made of plastic, and has a small metal pick on the end. Feet should be "picked out" at least twice a day as an absolute minimum. This helps to prevent many foot ailments like thrush, a fungal infection. Attentiveness allows equestrians to monitor the quality of the horse's shoes. By removing any objects imbedded in the hoof and watching the condition of the shoes it eliminates any discomfort to the horse. To clean the front foot, stand at the horse's shoulder facing his rump. Lift up the foot by running the hand that is closest to the horse down the back of the leg to the foot. To pick out the hoof, hold the hoof pick in the free hand and place it in the groove between the frog and the corner of the shoe. The frog is a v-shaped cushion in the center of the hoof that is designed to absorb shock. Pull the hoof pick down the front of the hoof, and be sure to clean around the edge of the hoof by the shoe. Cleaning around the edge is similar, always work from the back of the foot to the front. When finished, lower the leg back to the floor. To clean the back feet stand at the horse's hips, facing away fr...