What belongs in a grooming box for horses?
If you compare the contents of the grooming boxes in the stable, you will immediately notice that every horse-rider-pair has individual preferences and needs when it comes to grooming equipment. However, the basics for horse care can be found in every grooming box. Are you a beginner rider and not yet sure which brushes and grooming items you really need?
There is a wide range of care products for horses – the beginner can quickly lose track. The basic equipment of every horse grooming box includes:
- Curry comb for rough dirt
- Body brush for fine dust
- Brushes for the horse’s legs, mane and tail
- Sponges for the horse’s eyes and nostrils
- Hoof pick
- Sweat scraper
- various nice to haves for the individual needs of the horse
1. Curry combs
Curry combs ensure that dirt is brought to the surface and dried-on stains on the coat are loosened. They come in different varieties, such as metal, rubber or hard plastic. The softer the material, the gentler the curry comb is to the horse. A curry comb made of soft rubber has a great massage effect and stimulates the blood circulation in the skin. A metal curry comb, on the other hand, has the advantage that it is not easily broken.
They are not recommended for use on sensitive areas – especially on the legs and head!
Variants: Iron, rubber, hard plastic
Properties: loosen dirt and dried mud stains
Area of use: well-padded body parts, not on head and legs
Price: £0.99 to £7.99
2. Body brushes
The curry comb does the preliminary work, while the grooming brush is responsible for the „final cleaning“. After the coarse dirt has been loosened, the fine dust is brushed out of the coat in the direction of the coat growth. This is also where the currycomb comes into play. So that the dust that collects in the bristles is not constantly spread over the coat again, the brush is repeatedly brushed against the curry comb.
Variants: Synthetic bristles, natural fibres (e.g. coconut) or real hair (horse hair, goat hair, sheepskin), sponge brush.
Properties: removal of fine dust in the coat
Range of application: whole body
Price: £4.99 to £29.90
3. Brushes
For removing coarse dirt from the legs, it is recommended to always have a brush with hard bristles in the grooming box. A dandy brush or a special hoof brush can also be used for hoof care. For the head, on the other hand, a soft brush is a good choice. For mane and tail, mane and tail brushes are used. If you don’t like a brush for mane care, you can also fall back on a mane comb.
Variants: Grooming brush, body brush, hoof brush, mane and tail brush.
Properties: depending on the variant, precise cleaning of the more sensitive or more high-maintenance parts of the body.
Range of application: depending on the variant, horse legs, head, hooves, mane and tail
Price: £1.99 to £29.90
4. Sponges
For hygienic reasons, you should have at least three sponges. One sponge for the eyes, one for the nostrils and one for the anus area. When lightly moistened, a sponge gently gets rid of dust and light soiling in sensitive areas. An alternative are special care wipes (eye care wipes, intimate care wipes and nostril care wipes), which save space in the grooming box and the ingredients contained are additionally adapted to the care needs of the sensitive body regions.
Variants: synthetic sponges, more rarely natural sponges
Properties: gentle cleaning of sensitive body areas, for lathering up when washing horses
Range of application: sensitive body parts such as eyes, nostrils, genital area, for horse washing also whole body
Price: £0.99 to £1.49
5. Hoof picks
The hooves should be picked out daily and freed from foreign particles. The hooves should also be examined more closely in order to be able to quickly recognise and treat hoof diseases. A conventional hoof scraper is perfectly adequate for daily care. Particularly practical are hoof scrapers with an integrated small brush, as this allows the cleared dirt to be swept out of the hoof at the same time.
Variants: White line pick, Hoof pick with brush.
Features: Cleaning of the hooves, removal of foreign bodies in the hoof
Range of application: Hooves
Price: £0.99 to £5.99
6. Sweat scrapers
Especially in the summer time you will be grateful for a welding knife, with which you can easily and quickly remove the water after washing the horse, so that the horse is dry faster. Welding knives come in two varieties: probably the most popular is the welding knife with rubber lip and integrated handle. It is easy to handle and the soft rubber lip is also suitable for sensitive areas Welding knives made of metal usually consist of a long strip with two handles at both ends. The smooth edge makes it easy to pull off the water, and the metal strip can be flexibly adjusted to the horse’s physical condition. Welding knives made of metal usually also have a serrated edge, which is also beneficial for horses changing their coat. In this way, the excess coat can be reliably removed and the itchy skin is massaged in the process.
Variants: Metal welding knife with two handles, welding knife with rubber lip.
Features: Removal of water and sweat after horse washing or sweaty training.
Range of application: whole body, metal sweat scraper is not suitable for sensitive areas
Price: £2.99 to £6.99
7. Nice to have
- Sheepskin glove: removes dust and makes the coat wonderfully shiny.
- Massage brush: for a first-class wellness treatment!
- Coat change helper: to help with the change of coat
- Mane thinning knife: for thinning out the mane
- Tail and mane scissors: for shortening tails and manes
- Hoof care products: for dry or damaged hooves
- Horse vacuum cleaner: for thorough grooming of the horse, especially helpful during the coat change
