Grooming is an important part of horse care. Grooming a horse daily allows the handler to check on the horse's general health and well-being. At a minimum, horses are generally groomed before being worked, and are usually groomed and cleaned up after a workout as well
The main reasons for daily grooming include:
- Improved health of the skin and coat
- Decreases the chance of various health problems such as thrush, scratches, and other skin problems
- Cleans the horse, so chafing does not occur under areas of tack
- Gives the groom a chance to check the horse's health, such as looking for cuts, heat, swelling, lameness, a change in temperament (such as depression) which could indicate the horse is sick, and look to see if the horse has loose or missing horseshoes
- Helps to form a relationship between horse and handler, which can carry over to other handling duties and riding