Mulligatawny, the word literally means "Pepper Water". It is a deliciously complex and a filling meal in itself. In the traditional Indian cuisine, soups do not have any significant place. It has been rumored that the English personalized a conventional spiced pea and lentil Indian peasant recipe to suit their taste of soup and named it Indian. Curry is the main ingredient that makes this soup taste fantastic. This is a healthy and easy to make soup. Go through the recipe below.

Ingredients

Chopped onion – 1/2 cup

Chopped celery – 2 stalks

1 diced carrot

Butter – 1/4 cup

All-purpose flour – 1 and 1/2 tablespoons

Curry powder – 1 and 1/2 teaspoons

Chicken broth – 4 cups

1/2 cored and chopped apple

White rice – 1/4 cup

1 chicken (skinless, boneless) breast half – cut into cubes

Salt to taste

A pinch of ground black pepper

Dried thyme – 1 pinch

1/2 cup of heated heavy cream

Directions

Saute the vegetables such as onions, carrot, celery and butter in a big soup pot. Mix in curry and flour and cook the stir-fried vegetables for about five more minutes. Add in that cooked vegetables some chicken stock and mix them well with the vegetables and let it boil. Let it simmer for about half an hour.

Add chopped apple, chicken, white rice, pepper, salt and thyme. Simmer the whole mixture for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the white rice is cooked thoroughly.

Add some hot heavy cream when serving your guests.

If you want to prepare this soup as a veg-soup then use Quorn tenders instead of chicken (for it to feel like chicken) and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Serve it hot with cream toppings and to lend it a more oriental flavor you can add some coconut milk.

When you travel to different places you surely would love to taste its special cuisine. The cuisine of a place speak volumes about its culture and traditions. So when you are in one of the most happening tourist destinations Goa, gorge on its variety of dishes to your heart's content. No wonder the cuisine of Goa is as exotic as the destination itself. The cuisine here offers the flavors of Hindu, Christan, Muslim and Portuguese cultures. This state witnessed the rule of the Portuguese, Hindu and Muslim rulers in the past and their influences still reflect in its culture.

The culinary delicacies of Goa will surely tantalize your taste buds. The liberal use of spices in the dishes lends a unique taste to them. In fact, this state is known for its spicy flavor. The daily meal of a typical Goan consists of rice, fish and curry. The people here not only love to eat but also take immense pleasure in cooking. They like to cook their food in a traditional way in clay pots on firewood. Although technology has taken over but in rural areas of this state people still use traditional methods of cooking to add more flavor to the dishes.

Some of the main ingredients of the Goan cuisine are rice, fish, curry, spices, palm vinegar, coconut milk, chutney, Kokam (a red colored sour fruit) and Tamarind. These ingredients make the dishes (vegetarian or non-vegetarian) more tasty. Here you will get a variety of dishes to dig into starting from prawns to crabs, clams, mussel, lobsters, oysters and vegetarian dishes.

Some famous vegetarian dishes of this exotic destination are mushroom tondak, uned, sanna, breadfruit curry, sushelle and karathiacho kuval. The non-vegetarian list consists of chicken cafreal, chicken xacuti, sorpotel and Chouricos. And if you are fond of sea food, try out kalputi, dry prawn kismur, lobsters, crabs etc. For real Portuguese flavor try fish caldinha, fish caldeirada, sopa de camarao and fish recheiado. To treat your sweet tooth feast on Bibinca (made of coconut milk, flour, sugar, coconut juice, eggs and ghee), Christmas cake, dhonos (made of coconut, jackfruit, jaggery and ghee). Goa is also well known for Feni, a liquor made from cashew or coconut.

Callaloo

This is a dark green leaf plant grows to heights of 2 feet. The leaves are large and thick. Jamaicans use this plant to cook breakfast. Prepare the callaloo by stripping the skin from the stems. Then put to wash with a tablespoon of salt into water.

After that, shred the callaloo and seasoned with onion, scotch bonnet pepper, pimento seeds and some salt. Put the Callaloo to steam in a stew pot with 1/2 cup of water and some oil. In 8 to 12 minutes, you will have Jamaica's callaloo for breakfast.

This dark green vegetable breakfast is delicious with boiled green bananas. They are both rich with iron.

Bok Choy and Chicken

Another name for bok Choy is pop chow, in Jamaica. This is also a dark green leaf plant. It grows no more than a foot. Another name for bok choy is Chinese cabbage. After cooked, it is accompaniment with boiled yellow yam or dumplings. Bok Choy is nice with boiled green bananas as well.

When I cooked bok choy with chicken, I used nothing but natural herbs and vegetables. Most Jamaicans prepares this meal on Sundays, in the morning before they go to church. Bok Choy and Chicken is a healthy choice for ordinary Jamaicans.

Cow's Liver (Brown Stewed)

For most people Liver is not a food. However, Cow's liver has 338 percent of the daily value of vitamin A and 988 percent of vitamin b12. Jamaicans cooks liver by brown stewing it. First, prepare and season the liver with scotch bonnet pepper, natural herbs, and vegetables. Put it to stew for 30 minutes. You have to experience this true Jamaican exotic cuisine for yourself. The taste is unique.

Cow's Kidney (Brown Stewed)

The method to cook kidney is the same as cooking liver. However, the taste of kidney is unique. It is difficult to describe the taste. Indeed brown stewed kidney is an exotic cuisine. That the Caribbean people love to eats.

Curry Chicken

This cuisine is accompaniment with boiled yam, potatoes, pumpkin, dumplings, and ripe plantain for breakfasts. Curry Chicken is cook at lunchtime and dinnertime; however served with white rice. This cuisine is flavorful with white rice.

Curry is a mixture of several spices. Turmeric is the main spice. People who eat turmeric regular have lower rates of some cancers. The compound that makes "curry" yellow is good for fighting skin cancer. Curry may help protect the aging brain.

In curry, there are pigments, which are anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. Curry Chicken is nice with white rice. People bought this meal at dance halls and party functions as well.

Fricassee Chicken

Jamaicans also called this cuisine brown stewed chicken. Fricassee Chicken carries a taste you will never get bored. I always feel satisfied when I eat this meal. I can eat fricassee chicken every day. For most Jamaicans, this is also a choice for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Turkey Neck (Brown Stewed)

If you are low with money, this food is best for cooking. This meal is affordable. The turkey neck is brown stewed in the same way as fricassee chicken, except for a few details.

Cut the meat into small pieces. Then unlike the chicken, you need to pressure cook the turkey neck for 5 minutes; then stew it down with herbs and vegetables for 20 minutes.

Alternatively, the turkey neck is cook in a stew pot for one hour. Finally as a chef, I realized turkey cooked with plenty scotch bonnet pepper is best. It really enhances the taste. Any pepper is good.

Banana Fritters

When I was a little boy, my mother cooked banana fritters regularly. You could eat banana fritters alone. Although usually served with fried eggs, bacon or sausage.

Jamaica's Banana fritters are a favorite with the children. It has over ripened mashed bananas, flour, baking powder, sugar, and water. With the right proportion, it will form liquid dough. From that, you would fry little dumplings. It is no bigger than your palm, half the size of a McDonald's hash browns.

Cornmeal Porridge

A warm bowl of Cornmeal porridge will boost your energy in the morning. This porridge is a favorite for most Jamaicans for breakfast. When I prepare cornmeal porridge, I used coconut, instead of cow's milk. Do you know what grits is? Well! If so, this porridge is the same. The only difference is that the cornmeal porridge has a smooth texture. Moreover, it tastes like corn flakes.

Some of the other porridge we like is peanut porridge and hominy corn porridge.

Ackee and Codfish with Roast Breadfruit

The ackee is a yellow fruit with a black hard seed on the top. It is big as your thumb and usually they come three fingers to a pod. The fruit is unique that no one can eat it before its harvest. To show the ackee, the pod will burst open with the sun light, and then it is fit to eat. This is so important! When the ackee fruit is available in the market, before people buy it, they can see the ackee pod is open.

The breadfruit is a large round green fruit. It is large as a basketball or little as a large grapefruit. The fruit is ready to roast when it is fit, or when the breadfruit is ripening. The fruit grow on a tree as big as oak tree. Jamaicans roasts the breadfruit over a wooden fire. It can roast on the stove top as well.

Together with ackee and codfish, the roast breadfruit is Jamaica's national dish. This dish is flavorful and delicious.

The ackee fruit is dangerous, wild, exotic, and beautiful. While the breadfruit is hard and handsome; yet sweet, tender and smooth. Just like the people of this beautiful island Jamaica.

Continuing from last week's article, this week's article will focus on seafood and stir-fried dishes and Thai fruits. Certainly the fruits and the seafood are two particular strengths of Thai cuisine, and taken together the articles for both weeks outline enough dishes to help fill many months with a wonderful variety of flavorful and healthy dishes.

Seafood
Thailand is one of the lucky countries where seafood is abundant. There is a wide variety of seafood to choose from at a reasonable price. While not everyone likes or used to seafood, there truly is much to choose from and any different flavors and textures, making it quite possible one would find some favorite dishes.

• Goong Ob Wun Sen: steamed teamed prawns with glass noodles, ginger, cilantro and cilantro seeds
• Ho Mok Pla: steamed fish custard
• Ho Mok Ta Le: steamed seafood custard
• Hoi Tod: fried oyster in batter with egg on the bed of beansprouts
• Hoi Ma Laeng Phu Ob: steamed mussels with Thai sweet basil (Bai Ho Ra Pha), kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass and garlic
• Hoi Nang Rom Sod: fresh oysters with chilies and garlic dipping sauce
• Hu Cha Lam: shark fin soup
• Kung Mungkon phao: Grilled lobster with chilies and garlic dipping sauce
• Pla Kaphong Nueng King: steamed snapper (or other fish) with ginger and chillies
• Pla Krug Phong Kari Tod: deep fried fish seasoned with curry
• Pla Meuk Yang: grilled squid with chilies and garlic dipping sauce
• Pla Nueng Khing: steamed fish with giner and chili
• Pla Thod: Deep fried fish with chili dipping sauce
• Poo Jaa: steamed crab with pork
• Poo Kan Chiang Nueng: steamed crab sculls
• Poo Nueng: Steamed crab with chilies and garlic dipping sauce
• Poo Ob Phong Ga Ri: Steamed crab with yellow curry powder
• Poo Pad Phong Ga Ri: Stir-fried crab with curry powder

Stir-fried
Stir-fried dishes are generally easy to prepare and cook, while fitting well with a variety of cooking styles, including many American approaches to making dishes. Thai stir-fried dishes often include more intensely flavorful and healthful ingredients than some common stir-fry approaches.

• Buab Pad Goong Sai Kai: stir-fried sponge gourd with shrimp and egg
• Chu Chi: stir-fried fish (or shrimp) with kaffir lime leaves, Thai sweet basil (Bai Ho Ra Pha) and chu chi chili paste
• Gai Ho Bai Toey: fried chicken wrapped in pandanus leaf
• Gai Pad Med Ma Muang Him Ma Paan: stir-fried chicken and cashew nuts
• Goong Pad Yod Ma Proaw: stir-fried prawns with heart of palm
• Hoi Lai Pad Ped: stir-fried clams with Thai sweet basil (Bai Ho Ra Pha) and roasted chili paste
• Kai Yad Sai: stir-fried minced pork with chopped vegetable wrapped with fried whisked eggs
• Num Prig Ong: minced pork in tomato sauce served with various vegetables
• Moo Waan: stir-fried marinated shredded pork (or chicken) in oyster sauce
• Moo Sup Tod: fried marinated ground pork with onion and spices
• Pad Khing: stir-fried pork (or chicken) with shredded ginger
• Pad Kra Phrao: stir-fried ground chicken (or pork) with Thai holy basil (hot basil)
• Pad Kra Tium Prig Thai: stir-fried marinated pork (or chicken) in garlic and white pepper powder
• Pad Num Prik Pao: stir-fried pork (or chicken) and green beans with roasted chilli paste
• Pad Ped Nor Mai: stir-fried pork (or chicken) and bamboo shoots with red curry paste
• Pad Ped Tao Fak Yao Moo: stir-fried green beans and pork with red curry paste
• Pad Phong Ga Ri: stir-fried seafood (or meat) with curry powder
• Pad Wun Sen: stri-fried clear noodle with minced pork, black mushroom, egg, onion and green onion
• Pla Krug Phong Kari Tod: deep fried fish seasoned with curry

Fruits
Because of Thailand's location, conditions have made Thailand produce a variety of fruit throughout the year. Thailand is well known for its tropical fruits. Many street vendors sell fresh fruits in slices as one of many Thais' snacks. The following are just to name a few of the delicious Thai fruits.

• Chom Pu (Rose Apple): it looks like a pear but it is smaller. It has a green and pink waxy skin and white fresh
• Farang (Guava): it has green skin with white fresh. The core has many tiny seeds that must be removed. The taste is sweet and sour
• Ka Noon (Jack Fruit): it is a large fruits with greenish and yellowish skin. Its fresh is a small succulent segments with yellow color. It is sweet fruit
• Kluay (Banana): there are so many types of banana in Thailand, for instance, kluay hom (Gros Michel), kluay kai (Pisang mas), kluay leb mue nang and kluay nam wa (Pisang awak). The most famous type is kluay nam wa
• La Mud (Sapodila): both skin and fresh have a light brown color. It has a quite large black pit inside. To eat, one must peel the skin off
• Lam Yai (Longan): it has a brown thin shell that cracks easily. A black round pit is inside the transparent fresh. The taste is sweet and has a juicy texture
• Ma Muang (Mango): the popular fruit during summer season. There are hundred types of mango. Some are eaten raw and some are eaten ripe
• Ngo (Rambutan): it has a red skin with soft green spikes. The fresh is translucent and taste is sweet and has a firm texture. Also avoid the hard pit inside
• Noi Na (Custard Apple or Sugar Apple): the skin is green but the fresh is white and sweet and very fragrance
• Som Kiaw Waan (Tangerine): it has a thin, green skin. It is a small with a size of a tennis ball. The taste is sweet
• Som O (Pomelo): it like a grapefruit but it is bigger with a thick light green skin. The delicate fresh has varies color depending on the types of pomelo. Some types have a pink color, some have yellowish color meat
• Subparod (Pineapple): the abundant pineapple is irresistible. It is sweet and has a nice fresh smell to it
• Turian (Durian): the skin is thick and has lots of spikes, but the meat is soft yellow with pit inside. It has the pungent smell and flavor which many foreigners find it too strong

This overview of dishes starts to overflow, hinting at how many possibilities are out there. Thailand is host to many special ingredients, some of which it is difficult to reproduce at the same level elsewhere, but many of which can be found for dishes in a variety of locations around the world. It is my hope that these lists helped some readers explore new possibilities and provided a welcome reminder of enjoyable dishes to others. Bon appetit!

When on holiday in this glorious destination, many travelers enjoy sampling the local cuisine of the Seychelles, which can only be described as a blend of the tropical and all the other cultures that have influenced it over the past centuries, including British, French, Indian , African and Chinese cuisines.

There is something that everyone will enjoy here – from dishes that tantalise the taste buds to local beverages that make the perfect drink by the pool – so tasting some of the specialties from the area should be high up on your list of things to do during your travels to this exotic location.

First of all, it is worth noting that many of the hotels in the Seychelles offer a variety of cuisines, reflecting not only the islands' mix of flavors and tastes in its own cuisine, but also the tastes of the people who visit the island. With an international airport on Mahe, visitors come from Russia, Britain, China and even further afar to experience this tropical paradise.

Some of the staple foods of the islands include fish and shellfish, as can be expected from the location in the bountiful waters of the Indian Ocean. Rice is a staple grain here, along with coconut, mangoes and breadfruit, a fruit that is cooked and has a flavor that resembles that of freshly-baked bread.

The Indian influence is noticeable as there are many dishes using curry spices on the island, including the traditional Indian Dhal. Another Indian inspired dish here is coconut curry, which combines delicious spices with meaty and tropical coconut for a perfect holiday dish. There is also fish and coconut curry for those that enjoy seafood.

The abundance of tropical fruits on the islands mean that many dishes here use them, including Kat-kat Banana , which is banana cooked in coconut milk, and Carotte Bananas , which consists of bananas wrapped in banana leaves and served with honey and vanilla, a truly fresh and delicious treat that makes the best of some of the delicious fruit available.

Some other delicious local dishes include Soupe de Tectec , which is clams cooked into a soup with tomatoes, ginger and garlic, again showing well the merging of local produce with foreign flavors. Another soup option is Bouillon Bréde , which is a light spinach broth.

For those that prefer something a little more substantial, it is highly recommended to try freshly caught grilled fish with Chatini Seychellois , a chutney made from ginger, garlic and crushed chillies. Many of the hotels in the Seychelles will serve this classic, simple and popular dish, and it is definitely one not to be missed.

Meat is also on the menu here, with Caris Masala , with ingredients including vegetables, meat or fish and masala spices. These include cloves, cumin, mustard seeds, saffron, coriander and fenugreek for a fragrant and satisfying dish. Those looking for something exotic are recommended to try Chatini Requin , which is a chutney made from boiled and crushed shark meat, fried onion and spices.

All of this can be washed down with the Ekyulocal beer, palm wine, coconut liquor, or Dark Takamaka rum, which are all widely available at hotels in the Seychelles as well as licensed bars and restaurants. Some hotels in the Seychelles may also offer their own cocktail concoctions using the selocal ingredients.

If none of the above delicacies tickle your fancy, not to worry: hotels in the Seychelles generally offer a wide selection of menus to please all their international visitors, and it is not hard to find British, Chinese, Russian and Creole cuisine in many of the venues on the different islands, especially the biggest one, Mahe. In all cases, you are guaranteed not to go hungry during your stay here!

Before we start cooking our first Thai dish. I would like to tell you that after posting my blog yesterday, there are many people sending me emails asking me about curry paste, coconut milk and chilies whether they are the basic condiments that you need to have in a kitchen when cooking Thai food. Well, in my opinion…they are not because not many Thai food uses curry paste or coconut milk, particularly chilies. From my experience, all my friends (Westerners) can’t eat hot and spicy Thai food (with chilies). Moreover, these stuffs like curry paste, coconut milk have short expiration. You can’t keep it in the fridge or in the kitchen for a long time like fish sauce or light soy sauce. Therefore, I would recommend you to buy it whenever you need to use them. All right, that is clear enough.

Now let’s start our cooking. Our menu today is Spaghetti Mixed Seafood Thai Style. Actually, it is a combination between Western food (Spaghetti) and Thai food (Fried Mixed Seafood). I used to cook this dish to Kathrine, my German friend long time ago and she loved it. She asked me teaching her how to cook this menu but I was so busy and forgot about it later. However, last week I had a chance to cook this menu again and I gave it to my colleague Kaela to try. Oh! my God, she really liked it. Now you are eager to know how to cook it, right ? Okay, let’s go.

Ingredients

5 table spoon of cooking oil

5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

150 grams of mixed seafood (you can use a frozen package)

2 teaspoon of light soy sauce

1/2 table spoon of oyster sauce

1 teaspoon of fish sauce

1 teaspoon of sugar

5 leaves of Thai basil (if you can’t find Thai basil, you can use regular basil as well)

80 grams of spaghetti

Preparation

1. Cook spaghetti as per package instruction (boil it, rinse it with cold water) then set it aside.

2. Put cooking oil in a pan (medium hot)

3. Put garlic in a pan, cook for 2 minutes then put mixed seafood in a pan, stir fried until it is cooked (No problem if you use a ready-cooked seafood package).

4. Put everything else’s (sauce, sugar) and stir fried for 3 minutes

5. Put cooked spaghetti in a pan, then Thai basil, stir fried for 2 minutes until everything gets along

That’s it. See ! How easy it is. Now you can enjoy a very delicious Thai food that is cooked by yourself. I’m so proud of you. Enjoy your meal!

This is a very easy Tamil Recipes Madurai Prawn Fry but oil consuming (which also tastes super) affair. But nothing to beat this recipe for taste and pleasure of original prawns flavor. My mothers special from Pasumalai, Madurai.

Ingredients:

Prawns/shrimp 2 to 4 cups depending on size of prawns

Red chili powder 2 tsp

Turmeric 2 tsp

Fennel 1 tbsp

Ginger/garlic paste 2 tbsp

curry leaves a few

Salt to taste

Oil 4 cups

Water to cook

Method:

Method:

1. Clean the prawns well and peel the shell off, then rub red chili powder, ginger/garlic paste, salt and turmeric for about 15 minutes

2. Pour oil in a deep frying pan and let it heat up in high

3. Now add fennel and fry a bit with curry leaves. Add the prawns in smaller quantities depending upon the number of prawns and the size of your wok. Do not let them stick to one another.

4. After about 5 minutes they should have become brown by now so turn the side and let the other side also become brown and crispy

5. Serve as side dish for any meal or eat it as a snack or bites for drinks

Prawns are the shrimps in America and it is also called as ‘eratu or ratu’ in Tamilnadu. It is a seafood that gas become expensive int he recent past. The entire export market in India picked up in the last two decades and make it almost impossible for people living in India especially y in the coastal regions to buy and eat shrimp. The export market can afford to pay a higher price because of the market demand for shrimps abroad the local price of shrimps and prawns have increased beyond the common man;s ability to pay up.

The recipes for this seafood like shrimps as many and varied. They are regional in perspective as taste in India differs greatly from regions to region. The south has traditional curry based recipes and north has different sets of criteria. These are also available for frying like this one above and many forms of curries and gravies abound. Coconut is also used with any of these prawn recipes throughout South India especially Kerala.

Some have allergies associated with any sea food more so with shrimps. You may need to consult a doctor before trying out any of these dishes in shrimps. All the curry and ingredients are available in America in Indian and Asian grocery stores in major cities all over the USA. The internet also now supplies all kinds of imported items through courier services.

What does the term ethnic food mean to you? To me, I think of the different countries and the cuisines they have to offer. One such type of food that greatly prevails all others is Indian Food. Well what does Indian cuisine consist of you may ask? Indian food is derived from India and uses a blend of subtle herbs and spices. In this form of cooking, there is a great amount of variation in the meat, vegetables, and spices used. The majority of Indian cooking is made up of vegetables and yet there are several meat and poultry dishes as well. Within India, there are two main yet distinct methods of cooking seen in both North India and South India.

Common Food Found in Northern India:

– roti: a traditional Indian flat bread eaten with Indian curries or cooked vegetables

– naan: resembles the western “pita” bread and is eaten with Indian curries or cooked vegetables as well

– kulcha: another form of tasty flat bread, usually found from Punjab

– tandoori chicken: form of chicken that is marinated in yogurt and tandoori spices, it is cooked in a large clay oven

– palak paneer: cooked spinach with minor cheese cubes and marinated with curry powder

– channa masala: chickpeas smothered in zesty sauce and marinated with curry powders and masalas

Common Food Found in Southern India:

– dosa: a type of South Indian crepe and made from rice and black lentil

– idli: a small spongy cake made from rice and black lentil

– vada: a small snack made from lentils and containing small pieces of onions as well as green chilies

– sambar: a thick spicy soup consisting of lentils and vegetables

As you can see, the above dishes are quite unique from western foods such as hamburgers and fries. In Northern India, there is a considerable amount of curry powder used in specific items. Whereas in South India, the spices are not strong and are much less filling than North Indian food.

Sri Lanka is a tropical paradise with a civil war that has been happening in the northern part of the island for over twelve years. This fact didn’t stop the Sri Lankan culture especially the recipes from continuously blooming and improving, making Sri Lanka meals one of the most sought after meals.

Sri Lankan food is can be called a home-cooking essential as well as a form of art, since this is how the Sri Lankans regard their cooking. Hoppers are the most famous Sri Lankan meal. They even have pancakes that are thin and crispy at the same time called dosa that is most of the time topped with curry.

Priya Wickramasinghe has authored the book Leith’s Indian and Sri Lankan Cookery that has over 150 Sri Lankan and recipes that Sri Lankan food lovers can use as a reference to their cooking. Viands are not the only ones with recipes here; you’ll also find recipes for desserts and snacks in Leith’s Indian and Sri Lankan Cookery.

The illustrations of the Sri Lankan curry recipes in Leith’s Indian and Sri Lankan Cookery leaves the readers’ mouths craving for the food and when one sees that there are only few ingredients needed to make the meal, the more likely will the person be attracted to cook it because of it’s easy preparation guidelines.

Leith’s Indian and Sri Lankan Cookery is a good book but of course it doesn’t compare to the other books that focus solely on Sri Lankan recipes. Overall, the recipes found in this book are rich and tasty dishes that would make anyone’s mouth water. The fact that they are very easy to prepare is really an encouragement most especially to beginners in Sri Lankan cooking.

Regularly grooming your horse is essential for keeping your horse’s coat in good condition. Grooming removes dirt and dust, and brings out natural oils, resulting in a shiny healthy looking coat. Grooming is also the best time for carefully check over your horse’s body for any cuts, bumps or parasites. Regular grooming will also provide a bonding opportunity between you and your horse. Read on for a step-by-step guide on grooming.

Your grooming kit

Your basic grooming kit should contain a curry comb, stiff brush, soft bristled brush, comb, hoof pick, and soft cloth or sponge. Additional items can include first aid accessories, such as antiseptic, cotton wool, and barrier cream.

Secure your horse

Make sure that you secure your horse within a safe grooming area, by tethering its halter loosely to a post, or wall bracket. Tethering is particularly important if you horse has a skittish nature. Taking the time to gently tether is a good precaution against possible kicks or trampling.

Grooming technique

Your grooming technique is extremely important. Put aside approximately 30 minutes to groom your horse, and never groom in a hurry. Horses are mood sensitive and can become jittery if they sense that you are in a hurry, so make your grooming sessions a relaxing time for both you and your horse. The first grooming technique you should use is a combination of the curry comb and stiff-bristled brush. With the curry comb in one hand and the stiff-bristled brush in the other, run the stiff brush gently over the entire coat in brisk circular motions to remove dirt.

After every few strokes of the brush, use the curry comb to remove loose hair and dirt. Remember to brush around the ears too, but make sure to use lighter, gentler strokes, as the ears are very sensitive. Do not use the stiffer brush over the face, belly, lower legs, or spinal area, as it may be painful to your horse. Next, switch over to the soft-bristled brush and gently stroke behind the ears and over the entire coat. The soft-bristled brush can also be used on the soft areas such as the face and belly, and bony parts such as the legs and spinal area. Next, brush or comb the tail and mane, working from the end of the hair towards the base. Then, clean the hooves next with the hoof pick, removing any mud, stones and debris. Lastly, wipe around the horse’s ears, eyes and nostrils with the soft cloth or sponge.

Remember that grooming is your opportunity to check for any cuts, lumps, bumps, swelling or injuries, so pay close attention whilst grooming, and make time to gently run your hands over all of your horse’s body. Additionally, you can use de-tangling spray on the mane and tail, and use hoof conditioner on your horse’s hooves. Ask your farrier what product they recommend.

Regularly grooming your horse will help keep the bond between you both, and make sure any potential problems are discovered early. With your horse in good health you can then enjoy riding together, be it everyday horse riding, horse trail riding, or equestrian sports.