Grooming and coat care

Grooming keeps your horse comfortable, and it's your best chance to spot skin problems early. Follow a full groom step by step, learn what your horse's reactions mean, check its skin, and decide whether it really needs a rug.

A full groom, step by step

The order the British Horse Society teaches. Give each horse its own kit, and keep it clean.

Step 1 of 9

Get ready

You'll need: Headcollar and lead rope

Put on a headcollar and tie your horse up safely. Skip out the stable first, so you're not working around droppings.

How to groom your horse

Is your horse enjoying it?

Some horses love being groomed and some find it uncomfortable in places. Watch how yours reacts.

Pick what your horse is doing to see what it might mean.

Check the skin

Found something while grooming? Choose where it is to see what it might be. Only a vet can diagnose a skin problem, and some look alike.

  • Mud fever

    Not contagious
    • Crusty scabs on the heels or lower legs
    • Matted hair, or hair loss with raw skin underneath
    • Discharge under the scabs
    • Heat, pain or swelling

    What to do: Bring your horse out of the mud and call your vet for a diagnosis. Clean with very dilute antiseptic in warm water, and dry the leg thoroughly.

    Skin and coat problems

  • Feather mites

    Can spread to other horses
    • Stamping, and rubbing or biting the legs
    • Scabs or small bleeding wounds on the lower legs
    • Scurfy flakes

    What to do: Ask your vet early. All horses in contact may need treating, and the stable disinfecting, because mites can live off the horse for around 70 days.

    Skin and coat problems

  • Rain scald

    Not contagious
    • Scabs along the neck, back and quarters
    • Scabs that lift off with tufts of hair, like little paintbrushes

    What to do: Bring your horse out of the wet, and ask your vet to rule out ringworm. Clean the scabs with a dilute antibacterial solution and dry them gently.

    Skin and coat problems

  • Ringworm

    Can spread to other horses
    • Crusty patches that can be mistaken for rain scald

    What to do: The BHS says it's highly contagious. Keep the horse's grooming kit and tack separate, and ask your vet to confirm it.

    Skin and coat problems

  • Sweet itch

    Not contagious
    • Intense itching: rubbing on fences, trees and doors
    • Broken, thinning hair at the mane and tail
    • Thickened skin, sores and weeping wounds
    • Worst from March to November

    What to do: Ask your vet to confirm it. Use a fly rug and mask, shelter your horse from dusk until after dawn, and keep it away from standing water.

    Skin and coat problems

  • Sunburn

    Not contagious
    • Burnt pink skin, especially on the nose
    • Crusting or weeping in bad cases

    What to do: Get your horse out of the sun and cool the area with water. Call your vet if it's crusty or weeping. Prevent it with shade, sun cream and a UV fly mask.

    Skin and coat problems

  • Rug rubs

    Not contagious
    • Rubbed hair, soreness or wounds where the rug sits
    • Sweating under the rug

    What to do: Take the rug off every day to check. Refit or change a rug that rubs, and don't over-rug.

    Clipping and rugging

Does my horse need a rug?

Decide by your horse, not by how cold you feel. Nothing you tick is saved.

Is your horse…

Tick anything that applies to your horse, or choose "None of these".

Clipping and rugging

Signs of being too cold

  • Shivering
  • Tail clamped tightly to the body
  • Actively seeking shelter
  • Moving about or pacing
  • Gradually losing weight

Signs of being too hot

  • Sweating under the rug
  • Fast or heavy breathing
  • Lethargy or irritability
  • Rubbing often
  • Warm, damp skin under the rug
Rug weights, by fill, according to the BHS
Lightweight0–100g
Medium weight150–300g
Heavyweight350g or more

Guides

GroomingHow to groom your horseGrooming keeps your horse clean and comfortable, lets you spot problems early and can be something you both enjoy. The kit, a full groom step by step, manes, tails and whiskers, washing, and how to tell whether your horse is enjoying it.8 min readClipping & rugsClipping and ruggingA horse's coat is built to keep it warm and dry. When a clip helps and how to teach a horse to accept the clippers, whether your horse really needs a rug, which rug to choose, and how to fit it and put it on safely.8 min readSkin problemsSkin and coat problemsGrooming is the best way to spot skin trouble early. How to recognise, manage and prevent mud fever, rain scald, sweet itch, feather mites, sunburn and rug rubs, and which problems can spread to other horses.9 min read

By the numbers

  • 5°Cthe temperature many horses stay comfortable down to without a rug, says the BHSClipping and rugging
  • 5–25°Cthe range in which horses can usually regulate their own body temperature, says World Horse WelfareClipping and rugging
  • About 5%of UK horses have sweet itch, the most common allergic skin disease, says World Horse WelfareSkin and coat problems
  • 70 daysroughly how long feather mites can live off the horse, says the University of LiverpoolSkin and coat problems
  • 0.1%the strength of Hibiscrub solution World Horse Welfare suggests for washing mud feverSkin and coat problems
  • 24 hoursthe longest the BHS suggests leaving plaits in, or until turnout if soonerHow to groom your horse

Sources

  1. Session plans: Caring for your horse (Bronze) — The British Horse Society (accessed 8 October 2026)
  2. Session plans: Caring for your horse (Silver) — The British Horse Society (accessed 8 October 2026)
  3. About the Horse Silver awards: coach guidance — The British Horse Society (accessed 8 October 2026)
  4. Sensory hairs (whisker trimming) — The British Horse Society (accessed 8 October 2026)
  5. Types of rugs and rugging a horse — The British Horse Society (accessed 8 October 2026)
  6. Mud fever — The British Horse Society (accessed 8 October 2026)
  7. Rain scald — The British Horse Society (accessed 8 October 2026)
  8. Sweet itch — The British Horse Society (accessed 8 October 2026)
  9. Equine disease prevention — The British Horse Society (accessed 8 October 2026)
  10. Mud fever in horses — World Horse Welfare (accessed 8 October 2026)
  11. Sweet itch — World Horse Welfare (accessed 8 October 2026)
  12. Hot weather horse care tips — World Horse Welfare (accessed 8 October 2026)
  13. Rugging horses: when does your horse need a rug? — World Horse Welfare (accessed 8 October 2026)
  14. Mites: how to treat them in horses — World Horse Welfare (accessed 8 October 2026)
  15. Chorioptic mange: feather mites — University of Liverpool School of Veterinary Science (accessed 8 October 2026)