Liv Gude with Professional Equine Grooms is the super groom of all super grooms. If she doesn’t have a hack or a method for some type of braiding, horse care or tack blunder, then it just doesn’t exist.
Liv joined us on social media recently to answer Heels Down Mag readers most burning grooming questions. Here are the tips and advice she had to offer.
My Horse Is Losing Hair On His Face. Help!
Liv’s first suggestion here is to consult with your vet.
“There are skin funk and bacteria infections that horses can get around the face that cause hair loss,” she said. “There are some obvious sensitive tissues on the face, from the mucus membranes around the nose to the eyes that you want to be careful of.”
But generally speaking, in the summertime when horses are hot and sweaty, they are going to be prone to more rubbing and general hair loss.
“They’re under fly masks (which can trap) extra dirt and debris. Their hair is thinner in the summer. All of those factors under this huge umbrella can create hair loss around the eyes and face,” Liv explained.
She suggested talking to your vet to rule out potential allergies first. Then it becomes a process of elimination – is there a product that you’re using that could be causing the hair loss? In order to know, you must rule out each product by removing them one by one from your routine. Then see what “pops.”
Daily Tail Care. How Do I Get Started?
Your horse’s tail doesn’t need to be cleaned every day, Liv stressed. Doing that will strip it of its natural oils and the tail will actually absorb more stains that way.
“The dier the hair is, the more likely it is to become more porous and soak up stains,” she said.
“Pick it out. Some people use brushes, some prefer by hand,” she said. It doesn’t matter which method, as long as it works for you. She recommends following up any shampoo treatment with a conditioner. A grooming oil application will go a long way, too.
“It’s a throwback to the 80s for the hot oil treatment you can do yourself,” Liv said. “You can do a deep conditioning, (apply the oil) and rinse it out the next day.”
This method keeps all the hairs nice, plump and stain resistant.
Is There An Easier Way To Pull Manes?
Perhaps. The reason we pull a mane to get it evenly thick to braid or for purely aesthetic purposes.
Liv says never pull a mane in one session.
“If they’re sensitive to it, you can train them to tolerate it,” she said, but it takes time. Do a little at a time and make sure treats are involved to make it a rewarding, positive experience.
“You want to work on the mane after your horse has had some exercise so he can be relaxed,” she said.
You can also use a topical lidocaine product on area of mane you’re working on.
Most people use a pulling comb to create a natural look. But that can be accomplished with scissors or a blending comb, too, depending on the angle you use against the hair. Liv says you can use whatever you like to shorten the mane. She suggests watching a video – on YouTube – for tips on how to find the perfect finishing look.