The Horse Grooming Kit

Everything you need in your horse grooming kit

And speaking of which, it doesn’t need to be a box. It can be a bucket, or an empty supplement container, or a bag, or a box, or a grooming kit, or even a step stool that opens to storage.

Necessities:

Thermometer. Digital ones are good, they are fast, safe, and easy. Check your horse’s TPR every day, your horse may have a fever long before he “tells” you. You may also want to have a stethoscope for heart rate. Both items are handy for the first aid kit.

Grooming gloves or curry comb. Curry combs come in all different sizes and densities, it’s a matter of what works for you. I stick to the grooming gloves, you don’t need to buy different densities as your horse will just tell you how hard to press.

My stiff brush, cactus cloth, and medium density, natural bristle brush.

A cactus cloth is a great grooming tool to have around the barn, you can use it wet or dry. Most horses really appreciate the “buffing” that a cactus cloth can do.

You can also find metal curry combs, and I just don’t use them on a horse. I’ll stick to using a metal comb to clean my brushes or remove chunks of mud and hair from saddle pads.

Hoof pick with a brush. I try and have one on the stall door, to minimize the ick that gets brought into the barn aisle. I also have one in the box for the post-ride cleaning. The brush really helps to get the crevices of your horse’s hoof clean.

The basics.

Harder, natural bristle brush. For flicking off the loosened dirt and hair the curry brings to the surface. I have had my favorite hard brush for about six years now. Worth every penny to go natural! I prefer this brush to have dense, natural bristles.

Soft brush, also natural material. This is great for buffing and creating a shine after the hard brush. Use in long strokes to bring the oils to the surface of the coat.

A finishing brush is super short bristles, that are also very dense. These finishing brushes add mega shine and are great for creating quarter marks. Quarter marks are just fun ways to add a design to your horse, all you need is a finishing brush and some water or grooming spray.

Some sort of vitamin A & D ointment for the corners of your horse’s mouth, before the bit goes in. Also good for minor scrapes and wounds. These are easily found in the baby care or first aid section of the grocery store.

wash rack bucket with grooming gloves washcloth and shampoo

You may want a separate bucket or container for your wash rack goodies.

Hoof dressing, if you like that sort of stuff. There are lots of hoof “goops” that can add hardness or shine, it really boils down to personal preference. Some people call them hoof oils, conditioners, dressings, and each has a certain function, and most add shine.

Scissors. Because you always need a pair when you don’t have one.

Super dense and super hard bristled brush. I use this for muck on hooves, and for cleaning the pads, boots, and blankets before the laundry. When you get one of these brushes damp, you can brush your horse’s mane to one side in an effort to train it.

A video tour of my basics

One way to store stuff.

That about wraps it up for me…Although it seems like every day more and more stuff gets added to my grooming box. Whatever types of grooming tools you have, be sure to clean them regularly. There’s no use in grooming your horse with dirty brushes, it just ends up smearing the dirt around your horse.

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