A total of 4lb per concentrate feed is the limit. After feeding, allow one hour for digestion before working. Observe the ratio between bulk and concentrate. Water must always be available to allow food to be fully utilized. Back to top Grooming Grooming is primarily carried out for appearance's sake, however, it has other objectives as well.
Grooming cleans the skin so that it can work to maximum effect.
Grooming and strapping, when the horse is rhythmically thumped with a pad on the shoulders, quarters and neck, also encourages muscle development and tone, and promotes circulation. Stabled horses that are clipped, kept under artificial conditions, and fed quantities of heating food, create additional waste matter. Much of this waste is removed through an increased rate of breathing and through excrement, but much is also disposed of through the skin, the pores of which must be clean if the function is to be fulfilled. In the case of the stabled horse, grooming is best carried out after morning exercise, when the horse is warm and its pores open. Horses kept out at pasture should not be overly groomed since you remove the waterproofing layer of grease from the coat.