Use this teaching guide for unmounted HorseSense lessons that introduce grooming skills, with an emphasis on the horse’s comfort.
A fundamental skill for riding students, grooming is also a good way for beginners to become comfortable working around a horse on the ground.
While Red Level students should be familiar with the contents of a standard grooming kit, the goal of this objective is not to turn horses out to gleaming, show-quality standards. A simple currying and brushing in addition to hoof-picking will suffice, with shavings/hay and major tangles removed from the mane and tail.
These lessons go hand in hand with hoof picking practice, and offer the opportunity to start naming parts of the horse.
Lessons cover:
- Why grooming the horse is important.
- Names and functions of basic grooming tools.
- Practicing simple pre-ride grooming skills.
Teaching tips include:
- creative ideas for teaching this topic with both private and group lessons
- suggested Challenge materials (games, worksheets, etc.) and other teaching tools
- strategies for adapting for your unique teaching situation
If this is your first time using our unmounted teaching guides, please make sure that you download and read:
HOW TO TEACH HORSESENSE USING OUR TEACHING GUIDES – IMPORTANT INFORMATION
OTHER TEACHING RESOURCES YOU MAY FIND HELPFUL:
- Grooming Worksheet - Red Red HorseSense
- Red Level HorseSense Study Guide
- Teaching Guide - Red HorseSense - No Hoof No Horse
- Hoof Care Worksheet - Red HorseSense
- Teaching Guide - Red HorseSense - Pony Parts
- Pony Parts Worksheet - Red HorseSense
- Teaching Guide - Red HorseSense - Horse Safety
- Level Up Question Cards - Red HorseSense
