4,777 answers about horses & farm animals
Horses and farm animals run on routine — feeding schedules, hoof and health care, safe fencing and calm handling, in all weather. This page gathers the horse and farm animal library of KinsLe Answers in one place, organized by topic from daily care to travel and senior animals. Every answer is original, written by KinsLe, and tied to a real KinsLe feature.
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395 answers in Grooming & Daily Care — page 9 of 17
Tie the Thoroughbred securely and pick out the hooves, then curry with a softer touch than you would use on a hardier breed, because many Thoroughbreds are thin-skinned and ticklish over the ribs and belly. Follow with a stiff brush used lightly and a body brush to finish, detangle the finer mane and tail by hand, and…
Tie the Tennessee Walking Horse, pick out the hooves, then curry and brush the body in the usual order, working carefully around a kind, sometimes sensitive disposition. This breed is often kept with a long, flowing mane and tail, so detangle both by hand with detangler, starting at the ends, and avoid thinning them…
Pick out the Quarter Horse's hooves first, then curry the short, sleek coat in circles, paying attention to the heavily muscled hindquarters where sweat and dirt collect after work. Follow with a stiff brush and then a body brush, detangle the mane and tail with your fingers before any combing, and brush down the legs…
Tie the Paint Horse and pick out the hooves first, then curry the body and brush it clean, spending extra time on the white patches where mud and stable stains show and set quickly. Detangle the mane and tail with your fingers before combing, and wash white legs or markings only as needed, rinsing thoroughly so soap…
Begin by tying the Morgan and picking out the hooves, then curry the compact, muscular body in circles and brush the loosened dirt away with a stiff brush followed by a body brush. Morgans grow a thick, wavy mane and tail, so detangle with your fingers first and comb only once the hair runs free. Brush the feathering…
Tie the Friesian safely, pick out the hooves, then curry the body in circles to lift dirt from under that thick black coat before brushing it smooth with a body brush. Work the long mane and tail with your fingers and a detangler rather than a comb, which snaps the hairs this breed is prized for. Wash and dry the…
A Welsh Pony usually needs no rug at all through winter, even in hard cold, because this native breed grows an exceptionally thick double coat over a round, efficient frame. Over-rugging is the bigger risk: a rugged Welsh can overheat, sweat, and gain unwanted weight; a lightweight waterproof sheet is justified only…
A Thoroughbred usually needs rugging earlier and heavier than most breeds: a waterproof medium-weight turnout as the winter base, stepping up to a heavy weight or layered rugs in sustained cold, especially for a clipped, lean, or ex-racehorse. Thin skin, a fine coat, and a fast metabolism mean a Thoroughbred loses…
A Tennessee Walking Horse generally needs a waterproof medium-weight turnout once wet cold sets in, sooner than hardier stock breeds because the Walker tends toward a leaner frame and finer coat. An unclipped Walker with good flesh and shelter may only need a waterproof sheet for rainy spells, while a clipped or older…
An unclipped Quarter Horse in good condition generally needs only a waterproof turnout sheet or light medium rug for wet, windy spells, and nothing in dry cold. The breed's heavy muscling generates warmth, but horses kept in show condition or clipped for winter competition lose that natural protection and need a…
A Paint Horse usually needs a waterproof medium-weight turnout for wet, windy cold, and no rug at all in dry cold if he is unclipped and in good flesh. Paints share the stock-horse build of their Quarter Horse relatives, but coat density varies a lot between individuals, so judge the horse rather than the color…
Most unclipped Morgans need no rug at all in dry cold, because the breed grows a dense coat and carries condition easily. A waterproof medium-weight turnout becomes useful when rain soaks that coat flat, wind strips its warmth, the horse is clipped, older, or losing weight. Check under the rug morning and evening for…
Most healthy, unclipped Haflingers need no rug at all in winter — the breed was developed in cold mountains and grows a dense double coat, and over-rugging a good doer invites overheating and weight gain. The exceptions are a clipped Haflinger, an older or underweight pony, or prolonged cold rain with wind, where a…
Many unclipped Friesians in good condition need less rug than their owners expect, because the breed grows a substantial winter coat under all that mane and feather — a waterproof, breathable turnout with no fill or a light fill handles wet, windy spells, while a clipped or older Friesian may need a medium fill. Fit…
A Welsh Pony kit should be pony-sized and kind: a small rubber curry, soft dandy and body brushes that fit smaller hands, a mane comb for that thick, often abundant mane, a hoof pick, and a soft face brush for a refined pony head. Welsh Ponies grow a proper native double coat in winter, so add a shedding tool for…
A Thoroughbred kit should be the gentlest in the barn: soft-bristled body and face brushes, a soft rubber or mitt curry instead of a harsh one, a fine mane comb, hoof pick, and a light touch throughout, because many Thoroughbreds have thin skin and a fine coat that bruise, rub, and feel every stiff bristle. Add a…
A Tennessee Walking Horse kit needs coat brushes, a hoof pick, and serious mane and tail tools, because the breed's long, thick mane and tail are part of its traditional turnout, whether grown naturally or enhanced for the show ring. Add a wide-tooth comb, detangling brush, tail brush worked from the bottom, and bands…
A Quarter Horse kit is a working stock-horse kit: rubber curry, dandy brush, body brush, mane comb, hoof pick, sweat scraper, and a soft brush for the face, with a shedding tool added in spring when that short, dense coat lets go all at once. Quarter Horses are heavily muscled through the hindquarters, so curry those…
A Paint Horse kit needs the standard curry, dandy and body brushes, hoof pick, and mane tools, plus two Paint-specific extras: a gentle stain-lifting routine for white markings and sun protection thinking for pink skin under those white patches. Keep a soft sponge and separate cloth for white legs and face markings,…
A Morgan kit can stay compact because the breed's coat is usually rich and manageable, but the upright, abundant mane and tail still need a wide-tooth comb and detangling brush of their own. Add a rubber curry, dandy brush, body brush, soft face brush, hoof pick, and a sweat scraper, plus bands if you plait for…
A Haflinger kit needs to handle a famously thick flaxen mane and tail as well as a hardy, often mud-loving chestnut coat: a wide-tooth comb, detangling brush, rubber curry, dandy and body brushes, a hoof pick, and a soft face brush cover most days. Add a mane brush you keep only for that pale hair, because dark dirt…
A Friesian kit is built around hair: a wide-tooth mane and tail comb, a gentle detangling brush, and patience for that long forelock, mane, tail, and the thick feathering over each hoof. Add a dandy brush and body brush for the black coat, a curry for mud, a hoof pick, mane bands for plaiting, and a separate soft…
Yorkshire pigs need constant clean water, measured meals rather than free feeding, dry bedding over a lying area they can keep separate from where they dung, and daily skin checks because that pale pink skin burns and scratches easily. Give them something to root in, keep a wallow or shade available in heat, and watch…
Suffolk sheep need fresh water checked twice a day, forage or hay within reach, a mineral source made for sheep, and a quick hands-on look over their black faces, bare legs, and heavy wool each morning. Watch for limping, wool hiding cuts or fly eggs, loose droppings stuck around the tail, and any ewe standing apart…
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