Choosing the Best Horse Grooming Brushes and Curry Combs

Grooming your horse can be just as enjoyable for you as it is for your horse. Bonding with your horse while taking great care in giving them a healthy, gleaming coat, mane, tail, and hooves take using the right horse grooming brushes and curry combs to get those great results. Our Ultimate Guide to Horse Brushes will teach you all about different types of horse brushes and curry combs and when to use each type of brush or grooming tool so that you can groom your horse like a professional!

Having a great assortment of horse brushes, curry combs, mane and tail brushes, and other necessary horse grooming tools in your grooming bag will make your grooming sessions easier and more effective. You can choose from popular brands like Dura-Tech®, Ultra®, Schneiders, Oster®, Epona, SleekEZ, Strip Hair™, and more.

Horse Brushes: These come in soft, medium, coarse, and stiff brushes that can be used for removing dust, bedding, dander, and mud from the coat and legs. Face brushes are usually soft and small so that you can use them around delicate areas near the eyes and nose.

Curry Combs: Loosen up mud, dirt, and dander that is deep into the skin and hair, while also stimulating healthy oils to spread through the coat. Horse curry combs come in grooming gloves or mitts, with handles to hold onto or straps to slide your hand into making it easier and more comfortable to use a bit of elbow grease to loose dirt.

Shedding Blades and Blocks: Also called mud-scrapers, horse shedding blades and shedding tools are similar to horse curry combs but used more for removing loose hair or mud, by grooming in straight, sweeping motions. Some of these tools have metal teeth while others use rubber or compacted sand-like grit to pull loose hair and swipe away caked-on mud.

Frequently Asked Questions About Horse Brushes and Curry Combs

What brushes do you use to groom a horse?

There are different types of brushes used to groom a horse, including:

• Hard Brush
• Curry Comb
• Dandy Brush
• Soft Face Brush
• Mane and Tail Comb

A stiff horse brush is used first to remove any obvious mud or dirt, especially on the horse’s legs. Then, a curry comb can be used on the horse’s body to loosen up dust, dirt, stains, and dander deep in the hair. Next, a medium or soft brush also called a “dandy brush”, should be used to whisk away all of the dirt and dander until you see the hair start to shine. A mane and tail comb can be used to detangle and brush out the mane and tail, with a hoof pick for the final touch to pick out a horse’s hooves.

Read more in our Ultimate Guide to Horse Brushes.

What materials are best for horse brushes?

The best materials for horse brushes are real horse hair or boar hair for softer brushes, or dandy brushes, that flick away dust and dander while spreading the natural oils in your horse’s coat across the hairs for a healthy shine. Synthetic bristles in mediums or stiff brushes are great for removing dirt, and mud, and getting deeper into the horse’s coat to lift away the hidden dander. Synthetic brushes can be washed and disinfected easier and may hold up to daily use in busy barns longer than natural-fiber brushes.

How do professionals groom horses?

Professionals groom horses by using a combination of high-quality grooming products, and traditional grooming tools with a mixture of experience and elbow grease. Horse Show Grooming Tips from Sydney Lewis will teach you all the top tips and tricks from a professional horse groomer.