Frances Mullan

Frances Mullan is a British event rider who has competed internationally with the horse Kilfinnie II (Tullibards Shakespeare x I`m A Star). Help us grow the stableexpress eventing part of our website and become a contributer, please email us at eventing@stableexpress.com

High Offley Fernando - Coloured Eventing Stallion

Stableexpress
High Offley Fernando - Colored Stallion
Posted by Stable Express

Grooming Your Horse Grooming Tools
Grooming Your Horse - Grooming Tools

So, you finally have a horse and now you need to buy grooming tools. However, the feed and tack store is crammed with tools and equipment, which of these tools do you need to buy to keep your horse looking and feeling great`

The first thing any horse owner or even someone who wants to ride horses regularly should shop for is a hoof pick. A hoof pick is used to clean dirt and debris out of the bottom part of the horse`s hoof. While you need to use a hoof pick as part of your horse`s daily grooming routine, you also need to carry one with you when you are exercising your horse so that you can quickly remove pebbles or foreign objects that become lodged in the horse`s hoof.

The next item that you should acquire is a curry comb. The curry comb is used to remove mud and hair from the horse`s body before you use your other brushes. It also can be used to help remove knots and tangles in the horse`s mane and tail. Since your curry comb will endure a lot of abuse over the years, you should consider buying the best comb you can afford. Metal curry combs usually hold up longest, but some horse enthusiasts feel that they are too rough to actually be used on the horse`s body and use them to clean out the other brushes, instead. Rubber models also wear well and are much less abrasive than metal combs. Plastic combs can become brittle over time and break more frequently than combs made with other materials, but they are less expensive, so still tend to be quite popular.

Some people use a dandy brush after they go over their horses` coats with a curry comb. The dandy brush removes dirt and loose hair, but is not up to the task of removing large patches of dried mud. You can do without a dandy brush if you are tight on money, but it is a handy grooming tool to have around.

The body brush is used to smooth out the horse`s coat after the curry comb and dandy brush have removed all of the excess dirt and loose hair. This brush is much softer than the other grooming tools and can also be used on the ......