1) Make sure your horse is tied up in a slip knot or in his stall where he can't run away.
2) Grab a mane and tail brush. Start with the mane and brush it until there is no more tangles or bedding (such as straw or shavings that would be used in a horse’s stall). Do the same with the tail. When you’re doing the tail, make sure you do not stand directly behind the horse, in case he kicks. Also, start from the top of the mane or tail, and work your way down.
3)Using a curry comb, start at the horse’s neck and work your way down to their flank while making circular motions with the curry comb. You normally only need to do this when your horse is really muddy, they are shedding, or when they are sweating/sweaty. The curry comb helps bring loose fur to the surface, and it breaks up hard caked dirt.
3)Grab a hard brush. Begin at the horse’s neck and work your way down the horse’s body. You will want to make sure your brush is moving in the direction of the horse’s fur. By the time you’re done, there should be no, or a limited amount of dust and loose furs on your horse.
4) Now, grab a soft brush and groom your horse’s legs, face, and their underbelly. You want to use a soft brush for these areas because they are generally more sensitive, and the soft brush is more gentle.
5) When you are ready to pick out their hooves, make sure you have a hoof pick. Starting at the front hooves, make sure you are facing the back of your horse, not their head. Gently run your hand down the horse’s legs. If your horse is well trained, he will know that means you want him to pick up his hoof. If he doesn't pick up his foot, lean on his flank so he puts his weight off of it, then pick up the hoof. Make sure you don’t pick at the frog (a soft, v shaped bump in the middle of the horse’s hoof), and try to remove as much dirt, manure, and rocks as you can. Do the same to the rest of the legs.
6)The next step is to put on the saddle pad. Make sure the pad is thick enough for the weight of the saddle and that it is clean. Also make sure the size of the pad is correct to the size of the saddle. When you put the pad on, place it slightly above the horse's withers (a slightly raised up bump near the bottom of the horse’s neck) and slide it down. You know it’s in the correct place when the front part of the pad is resting on the horses withers.
7)Set the saddle on top of the saddle pad. Make sure that nothing is caught under the saddle. Then, do up the front cinch first. It needs to be tight enough that it won’t slip but loose enough that you can fit your finger between it. If the saddle that you are using has a back cinch, tighten that to the point that you can fit your 4 fingers between it and the horse.
8)When putting the bridle on, be sure that the chin strap doesn't get caught in the horses mouth. Then, slip the rest of the bridle over his face and ears. The bit should fit comfortably in their mouth and shouldn't be too tight or too loose.
9)Lead your horse down to the area you are going to be riding at. Before you mount up, make sure your stirrups are the appropriate size. Also, check to might sure your cinch is tight before you get on. This is because sometimes horses bloat up their bellies when you put on their saddle. This causes it to slip sideways when you are on. Tightening the cinch before you get on insures that the saddle is tightly on the horse and that it wont slip.