# Grooming Services Question- WHAT TO OFFER?!



## ristakrat (May 23, 2010)

Hi there! 
I am a certified pet groomer and my business is in-home grooming care. I live in an area full of horses and horse lovers (me included <3) and am really wanting to expand my business into offering horse grooming.
I am wondering what services I should be expected to do and what a reasonable cost for them would be. Also, most pets have a time limit on how long they can stand still. What is the max amount of time a horse would be expected to stand still. I have never owned my own horse  but have worked in barns and horse farms to gain more experience and confidence working with and around them. I can pull manes and clean out hooves. My braiding SUCKS  but I want to offer all the services that would appeal to horse owners. I am also wondering if for my and the horses safety it would be appropriate to require cross ties be available.
I want to be able to offer a basic/standard service- includes: _____________
What in the world should I charge for shave patterns?!___________________
Let me know whatever else I should be expected to do. __________________
_________________________________________________________________

I don't know how I managed to come from a family that never liked animals and had no pets or hung with horses or anything. It is really biting me in the *** now. Please help!
thanks!


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## SallyRC123 (Aug 22, 2008)

Different horses will stand still for different ammounts of time  If the horse is in a familiar and comfortable place, they will usually stand while you brush them quite happily. If you are doing something a little uncomfortable, such as pulling their mane, it helps to have a hay net up for them to munch on while you work.

My braiding is terrible, (actually, I cannot braid at all - only plait) So I the idea of someone coming to braid my horses tail before a show isn't bad! I think theres a couple of horse groomers around my area, that charge AUS $30-$50 for braiding or mane pulling.. If you got your braiding up to scratch you could do this. 

If you wanted to offer horse grooming services to horse owners, I would expect the basic outline for every day to be something like; hoof cleaning, tail and mane brushing, as well as entire body grooming - using the dandy brush to remove dirt/mud, body brush on the face and other sensative areas etc.

For shows however, you could offer: tail braiding, mane plaiting, hoof oiling, general grooming, blanketing, bandaging, shaving of the dock, trimming of the whiskers.. as well as bathing services

=) Good luck!


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

I would go on ahead and offer clipping, brushing, hoof care, mane and tail care......the whole nine yards. We have one mobile horse groomer here, and this is what she charges:

Custom Clips - $30
Brush & Shine - $20
Hoof Care (Picking out, Moisturizing, Shining, and adding Polish included) - $10
Mane & Tail Braiding/Plating - $15

That is what she prices. We don't ahve any tohers for me to compare prices to, so I don't know if thats good or bad. I only hired her once because I had tons of horses to get ready and only one pair of hands....Eh. She did a decent job and everyone was show ready by the time to leave. I had her do mane and tail braiding, clips (Winter coat) and polishing their hooves with silver polish, because I like silver and I was doing a freestyle with two that required silver polish


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## aforred (May 12, 2010)

By standard, do you mean everyday grooming? For me, that would mean shedding (seasonally), curry, dandy, mane, tail (if not in a bag), face, and hooves. If you're grooming for a show barn, you might be expected to add removing/replacing blankets or sheets, vacuuming, or a rubdown with a towel. You might also want to get comfortable with bathing, if you aren't already.

For special grooming, you could offer mane pulling (Lord knows I hate to do it), braiding/banding, tails, clipping, hoof polishing.

I am useless when asking what to charge, though, sorry.


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## kmacdougall (Feb 12, 2010)

Personally, I would pay you $20 to pull manes (I despise it) and probably $50-$70 to clip ($50 for high trace, $70 for full body).


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## hillarymorganstovall (Mar 27, 2010)

I think sheath cleaning would be a GREAT service! I don't have a gelding, but I imagine I would pay a load of money for that service!! I would be wary though of someone that was new to horses doing it. Some horses don't like to be messed with down there, it could be dangerous if the horse was ill-tempered. I think, that would be the only grooming I would pay for, but I don't show or anything.


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