b'Equine DETAILINGscrunches down, Ill run my hand along the area to see if he is sensitive to the curry comb or truly sore.The back and girth area are spots were used to checking, as we ensure we have a clean, injury-free canvas for placing tack. Some parts of the horse, however, might get overlooked, say our sources. Here are four crucial areas to include in your grooming routine. Clear Eyes and NostrilsAs prey animals, horses rely on sight and smell to sense danger. While the eyes and nose are critical to horses survival in the wild, we often dont consider theirYour horse needs whiskers to importance as we groom our domesticfeel his environment. If you horses. In America its customary inwant to tidy them up, be sure to ISTOCK.COMmany disciplines to shave eye and muzzletrim, not shave, them.whiskers closely, a practice Corcoran says is not allowed in Europe.Virginia-based practitioner Eleanorshaving these areas, but be cautious. loosen and gently remove the discharge. Lenher, DVM, encourages riders to onlyTrimming is often the most thoughtIf your horse exhibits chronic eye tearing trim and not shave the eye or muzzlepeople give to grooming around theor oozing, Lenher suggests having a con-whiskers. Removing these wispy hairs eyes and muzzle on a regular basis. Butversation about it with your veterinarian. especially around the eyesinterferesCorcoran says these two areas deserveEven if an eye doesnt seem painful, there with the horses ability to feel hisregular attention. might be underlying issues.environment.Weepy, runny eyes become crustyBlocked tear ducts can cause a lot I used to do this, and most show peo- when they dry. Think about the crustof discharge, she says. The discharge ple do this, she says. Trimming thesethat can form in your own eye. Itsmight cause the horse to rub his eyes, too short can increase the horses chanceuncomfortable, she says. Its importantwhich can lead to injury.of eye injuries. If your horse is kept ex- to clean these areas, and they are oftenCorcoran uses the same approach clusively in a stall (and that is not a goodoverlooked.when cleaning nostrils as she does with thing, either), then you can get away withUse a warm, clean sponge or rag toeyes. I always keep a damp rag around and wipe the dirt out, she says. Dirt in the nostrils can be inhaled while the Gently wipehorse is working (and inhaled dirt can weepy eyes withcreate or aggravate respiratory issues), so a clean, dampwiping it out reduces that risk.sponge or towel to prevent themTidy Tootsiesfrom becomingWhen it comes to the lower leg and crusty.hoof, Corcoran is a stickler for trimming the hairs around the coronet band. She keeps them trimmed neatly year-round. Longer hairs soak up hoof oil, and dirt sticks to the hair as soon as (the horse) steps into arena footing, she says.This becomes particularly messy for competitive horses or horses in training that work in arenas regularly. It can also be problematic for horses on turnout. When the hair soaks up a hoof moisturiz-er, for instance, dirt attracted to the con-ditioner creates a gummy, gooey residue ISABELLE ARNONin the hair thats not only difficult to clean but also can cause skin problems.Corcoran says using a pair of scissors 38TheHorse.comTHE HORSE March 2018'