Spring is such an exciting time. The natural world is bursting into life and colour. I can’t help but feel the buzz and pull of the outdoors. I’m excited about riding again and getting back into my garden.
As the days get longer, horses’ coats naturally begin to shed. I’m looking forward to the sleek summer look that they’ll get. In the meantime, they are itchy and need some help shedding out their winter coat.
There’s no two ways about it, over the next few weeks, I have my work cut out for me. I’ll need a bit of elbow grease and the right tools to make the job easier.
After spending a small fortune on trial and error, I’ve found a three indispensable items for my grooming kit.
The metal curry is excellent for scraping off dried mud and shedding hair, especially for thick coats. Just bump it on a nearby rail to quickly clean the fur that accumulates.
The grooming gloves are most efficient when used with one on each hand. They easily disintegrate caked-on mud and shed out thinner coats. Clap these together to loosen the fur they collect. My mare Indra gets so excited when when hears the velcro open. She can hardly wait for me to get started. I like how I can use them on the entire body, including face and legs and even on the mane. It is like stroking the horse and my hand can mold to the horses body.
For manes and tails, this is the best mane/tail brush. It detangles with ease and without pulling too much. This brush is also useful for ponies with really thick winter coats. It reaches down past the fur and massages the skin underneath.
The best part about these tools is that they are useful all year round. Just add a stiff body brush and a soft brush for sensitive faces and you are set.
By the time the job is done, I look a bit scruffy and the ponies look great. It reminds me of this Thelwell drawing.
The right tools make the job easier. In the text above, I’ve included links to amazon.com where you can view these items. If you do purchase these items, thank you, I will receive a small commission.
Horse Life 