All these newfangledy shedding tools?

[Heinz_57]

I keep seeing ads for various “innovative” shedding tools. All promise to be the miracle upon miracles that will shed out your horse quickly and most efficiently while saving your hands and so on and so forth. Examples include the Sleekez, Groom Ninja, Equigroomer, etc.

Out of curiosity, has anyone actually tried any of these things? Are they really THAT much more magical than a $2 curry comb or shedding blade that it’s worth the $20 investment? I have no problem currying til my arms fall off, and I’m a cheapskate, but I just don’t see what makes these things so special. Enlighten me!

[Simkie]

The Sleekez is SO WORTH IT.

Buy one. It will change your life. Srsly

[newhorsemommy]

I do really like my SleekEZ. I understand that it’s technically just a hacksaw blade pressed in between two pieces of wood. But since I don’t have the time or craftiness to make such a device, it was well worth whatever I paid for it.

[Heinz_57]

But WHY?!! What does it do that other things don’t? Is it useful other than during shedding season? I need the facts!

[newhorsemommy]

It does exactly what the video shows Which is more than my shedding blade does.

[leheath]

I also love my SleekEZ. It is far more effective/efficient than my shedding blade (e.g. removes more hair with less time/effort). No, it does nothing but sit on my shelf outside of shedding season.

[Lusoluv]

A plain old shedding blade or plastic curry (if your horse will tolerate it) is still the tried and true. It all takes elbow grease and a firm surface to shed out a horse. I’d save my money.

FYI: I got a Furminator for my dog and realized why I got twice as much hair…because basically it is a clipper blade on a handle. Cuts as much fur as it combs out, so you get much more hair. Went back to a metal comb so I only get the hair I want - dead shedding hair and not healthy cut hair mixed in. Obviously folks swear by the Furminator otherwise it wouldn’t be so well known, well-selling with lots of knock-offs. But again, it’s not doing a better job, just a different one.

[Fergs]

I just got a SleekEZ and love it!!! It removes way more hair, especially the long whisker-like hair on the belly and legs, and it also removes a lot of the dirt underneath. Totally worth the $15 that I think I paid for it

[Simkie]

The sleekez just peels the hair right off. It’s also great at removing mud and stuff. You wind up wearing less hair than with a curry or shedding blade, and the hair comes off easier and more quickly.

[Bogie]

I will agree. I like the SleekEz a lot. For such a simple thing it works well and is comfortable to hold.

[newhorsemommy]

The SleekEZ doesn’t cut any hair because it’s getting nothing off my Cushing’s gelding (he’s not ready to shed yet) but gets PILES of hair off my mare. I have a shedding blade, but the SleezEZ gets more hair and is easier/faster to use.

Just buy one and if you don’t like it sell it on CL.

[Heinz_57]

I did watch the video, but didn’t see anything magical occurring. The website claims the blade design is the “special” part, although from the pictures it looks quite sharp. Not sure my thin-skin TB would love that. I don’t have any trouble using a shedding blade, it works best when the horse is damp (either from sweat, rain, or a spray bottle) and the hair clumps and doesn’t fly into my nose.

Thanks for the reviews. I thought maybe there was some new technology/design I was missing, but I guess not! I shall stick with my shedding blade and half a dozen different curry combs (and free arm workout).

[pony_baloney]

This forum convinced me to spend some bucks on the Ultimate Hoofpick, and now I want a SleekEZ. If I can strip off that much hair without currying first, I’m all for it. And not cough up a furball afterwards. Usually I have a bandana over my nose and mouth–I look like an olde time bandit, while the fur is flying from the currying, working up a sweat in the meantime.

One question though. Do the blades wear smooth? I can’t count how many metal shedding blades I’ve bought over the years because I wear down the teeth. Forget the cute plastic Shed Flower; that wore smooth in one season. Yes, I’m an enthusiastic groomer to my elderly Cushings guy.

[findeight]

Had the best luck with the little pumice brick sold under a few different names. Have small hands and that one is easiest for me to hold plus so cheap it doesn’t matter that it gradually wears away and needs replacing. No way it will irritate even the most sensitive horse and you don’t need to curry first.

[shayaalliard]

I hate my ultimate hoofpick
The sleek eez is worth it. The blade is not sharp in the direction you use it, but if you saw it back and forth, it is, well, a saw (tried it on me not her).

The other big thing that is worth the hype are the hands on grooming gloves. shedding out legs and face super easy

[keysfins]

Groom Ninja!

https://groomninja.com/

Same basic idea as the SleekEZ, but I like the contour of the wooden part better, more ergonomic for wrist and hands. It is shaped like )) instead of () if that makes sense.

I bought a set of the three sizes last year, and love them. Horses love them too, and they collect hair better than other shedding tools.

Price has gone up since last year for the set, but you can buy just the size you want. It looks like the SleekEZ also came out with different sizes.

One of my trainers got the grooming gloves on sale, and really likes them.

[furlong47]

I’ve not tried any of the newest things on the market, but the Epona Shed Flower is my absolute favorite shedding device (also the best for getting dried mud off) and it’s not expensive.

[Dutchmare433]

@Simkie

The Sleekez is SO WORTH IT.

Buy one. It will change your life. Srsly

Yes, this. I just got home from venturing out to the barn to groom my horse and I was going to start a thread about how awesome this thing is.

[Ceylon_Star]

@furlong47

I’ve not tried any of the newest things on the market, but the Epona Shed Flower is my absolute favorite shedding device (also the best for getting dried mud off) and it’s not expensive.

I’ve got a similar brush, but mine’s shaped like a heart (it was lime green and fit comfortably in my hand, the flower was a little big for me). It works better than anything on my IR gelding.

I have a large furminator as well, and use it mostly for anywhere I haven’t clipped. The horse one doesn’t cut the same way the dog and cat ones do, and I don’t find that it affects his summer coat at all.

I also have the smallest SleekEZ for doing his legs and under his jaw, where he’s the fluffiest (since I don’t clip lower legs or face). It also works like a hot damn at cutting through caked on mud! I’ll “break up” the dried mud with the SleekEZ and then I can actually work my little shedding heart better and get the crud off.

I have not met a TB or Arab who has tolerated the SleekEZ or furminator, even ones that tolerate a regular shedding blade. But ymmv.

[Greypolopony]

I have an elderly TB and she doesn’t mind the SleekEZ at all. I was also a non-believer who held onto my curry comb for years, but I finally gave in and I’m glad I did. It’s much less messy and time consuming than a regular curry comb. It sort of neatly scrapes all the loose hair off versus kicking up a huge fur cloud when you curry. It also scrapes mud off very well and leaves the coat feeling soft because of the fine teeth.