Just like runners walk to cool down after a long run, a horse needs time to cool down before he stops working entirely. You can never walk for too long. Horses that have worked hard deserve to cool down as much as they need to! When you finish walking on your horse, he should not be breathing heavily or still actively sweating. Walk your house on a trail or around the property so it’s more scenic and enjoyable for you and the horse.
Put your hand between your horse’s front legs. If he feels extremely hot or is still actively sweating, keep walking him by hand. Make sure that the horse is not breathing heavily. If he is, keep walking him by hand. If you see white, frothy sweat between your horse’s front or back legs, rinse it off before you remove the tack.
A horse can lose between two and four gallons of sweat per hour if it’s hot and he is working hard, so he will need to drink to prevent dehydration.
If you’re attaching him to a hitching post, attach the buckle on the lead rope to the loop on the halter that is underneath the horse’s cheeks. Attach the lead rope securely to the hitching post. Make sure one end of the cross-ties has a quick-release to help keep your horse safe.
Make sure that you can access your lead rope easily. Keep your grooming area clean and organized.
After you hose down the sweaty areas of your horse, use the sweat scraper on those areas to rid your horse of excess water so that will dry faster. Instead of sweat scraping his legs, dry them off with a towel. If your horse is only mildly sweaty in a couple of places, dip a stiff brush in a bucket of water to “wet brush” him. With the wet brush, brush the sweaty parts of the horse. This is like a miniature bath. When you’re done grooming your horse, there should be no sweat marks on his body. He should look either well-brushed or well-bathed! You can also apply a horse-safe shampoo to help moisturize your horse’s skin and clean off any sweat and dirt.
Double check that the drain is clean and the hose is put away neatly. You want the grooming area to be nice and clean for the next person who uses it.
