| GROOMING A
well-groomed horse is less apt to develop skin problems and is a feast for the
eyes. Daily grooming is required when a horse is worked, is shedding, or
rolls frequently. Bathe your horse once in the spring and once in the fall.
Frequent baths strip the skin and coat of beneficial oils and wreak havoc with
hooves. Keep a separate set of grooming
tools for each horse and wash them regularly. If any of the horses in the
barn are having a skin problem, wash all grooming tools with a disinfectant. Keep
feed buckets and water pail clean. At least once a week, scrub eating and
drinking receptacles. Be sure to rinse the soap from them thoroughly.
Lice and ticks cause itching. Ticks carry Lyme Disease that is contagious to humans.
If your horse rubs bald spots in his mane or tail, check him thoroughly for parasites
or fungus and treat according to your veterinarian.
Itching can also be caused by ringworm which is contagious to you and other horses.
If a horse has ringworm, you will need to treat the horse, disinfect grooming
tools, halters, blankets, stalls, feeders, and anything else the horse may have
rubbed on. 
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