Horse Brushes Explained

Must-Have Grooming Essentials

1. Hoof pick (with a brush on the end)
2. Rubber curry comb or pair of grooming gloves.
3. Body brush (based on your horse’s preference)
4. Human hairbrush (or similar)
5. Washcloths/grooming rags.
6. Equine coat conditioner.
7. Equine hair detangler.
8. Equine dry shampoo.

Horse Grooming Tools Guide

• Curry Comb. A curry comb is usually the first tool that you’ll use in your daily grooming.
• Dandy or Hard Brush.
• Soft Brush.
• Face Brush.
• Hoof Pick.
• Mane & Tail Brush.
• Coat Conditioners & Detanglers.
• Shedding Blade.

• So Many Different Brushes. There are so many different horse brushes available.
• Dandy Brush. A dandy brush is a long oval brush with stiff, long bristles.
• Body Brush. A body brush is a brush with shorter bristles.
• Face Brush.
• Finishing Brush.
• Rub Rag.
• Brushes Need Care Too.

Curry your horse As you go over their coat, you should see dirt particles rise up from the skin for easier brushing later. Begin on their left side, working from ear to tail, avoiding the head, mane, tail, and lower legs, and taking care when going over bony sections of the shoulders, hips, and legs.

Horses love to be groomed. Pay attention as you groom the horse to see where it’s sensitive areas are and where it really enjoys a good scratching. Horses often signal their pleasure by screwing up their upper lip or by arching or stretching their neck when you hit an itchy spot.

A careful routine can prevent irritation, razor burn, and injury.

1. Clean your tools. Keep a separate grooming kit for your bits.
2. Trim excess hair before you shave, shape, or tidy.
3. Bathe before grooming.
4. Exfoliate.
5. Lather up.
6. Shave or trim in the direction of hair growth.
7. Take your time and use caution.

Apply treatment such as Theracyn™ Wound & Skin Care Spray to the horse’s hair, spraying against the direction of the hair growth (i.e., the underside of the hair) and using liberal applications daily for several days. In extreme cases of rain rot, bathe your horse with a medicated shampoo prior to treatment.

Mud fever, also known as pastern dermatitis or ‘cracked heels’ is characterized by scabs and sore on a horse’s legs. It often affects pink skinned areas and may be noticed as red, sore areas of skin that may be weeping, or lumpy patches often on the lower limbs, although any leg can be affected.

What is it? Greasy Heel or pastern dermatitis is an inflammatory condition of the skin (dermatitis) involving the lower limbs, particularly the non-pigmented skin. Organisms that most commonly cause Greasy Heel include fungi, bacteria and mites in horses with feathering at their fetlocks.

Treatment of greasy heel

1. Restrain horse, using a twitch if necessary.
2. Clean off excess grease with a warm, moist cloth.
3. Clip hair around lesion if matted or if cracks extend into the hair borders on otherwise bald areas.
4. Lightly scrub lesion with a warm solution of a medicated wash, e.g. Vetadine.

For mild cases, apply a topical 2-3% chlorhexidine solution (not scrub) to the affected areas twice daily for a minimum of three weeks. If the area is ulcerated, then a topical ointment such as zinc or sudocream will be soothing and protective.

Signs of Lice on Horses

1. Itching.
2. Irritated skin.
3. Visible raw patches on the skin.
4. Rough hair coat.
5. Lethargy.

Lice are spread by direct contact between animals, but are species specific, meaning that they cannot be transmitted across species. The lice that affect cattle cannot affect a horse, sheep or goat or vice versa.