Starting in October, I’m doing a full lease for the first time. I’ve been half leasing for a few years so I’m not “new” to this but this will be my first full lease. I’m over the moon and I definitely have the urge to buy all the things.
So hit me up - what’s your favorite must haves? What product are you drooling over right now? Personally I have an addiction to Lemieux saddle pads and pink everything.
Well while you are buying the LeMieux saddle pads, get their furry boots as well, and the over reach boots, they are gorgeous!
Also build up a collection of HAAS brushes, yes you need them the right type for your colour of horse. Then engrave your name in them deeply, and hire an armed guard! My gorgeous beautiful Diva brush is the one single item that has gone walk about in 7 years of boarding.
Omg yes! I own a few Haas brushes, I should definitely get some more. I haven’t quite gotten to engraving them yet - that’s a cool option.
The Ultimate Hoofpick. Expensive for a hoofpick but worth every penny.
Carr & Day & Martin Canter Silk Mane & Tail Conditioner. It’s like Show Sheen but SO much nicer and isn’t as damaging to their tails.
Carr & Day & Martin GALLOP shampoo. Do the different colors really make a difference? I don’t know, but it’s fun to pick things for your color of horse and it’s also a really nice shampoo. Washes and rinses well, smells nice but not overly fragrant.
Equestrian Stockholm pads and bonnets. They are all I use, and I’m obsessed. They’re having an accessories sale right now (boots, bonnets, wraps, etc.)
The Tiger Tongue sponge! I have the Haas brushes in the appropriate coat color classification. And I go to the Tiger Tongue very day to get the scruff off before currying. Some days, it is all I use.
I am always complimented on how shiny my lease horse is and my usual routine is to just briskly run a Tiger’s Tongue over him to bring up dirt, go back over with a Haas Lipizzaner, pick hooves and call it a day.
I have also been an Effol hoof ointment devotee for years and randomly bought Absorbine Hooflex Natural one day when the tack shop was out of Effie and I actually love it!
My other best moves this summer were getting a huge stack of fresh saddle pads, and buying a loose ring bit and reins for my spare bridle so I had a flatting setup and a jumping/lesson setup. I also got a cheap pair of tendon boots for everyday. I want to preserve my nice stuff for many years and I’m often short on time, so it’s nice to have everyday gear I don’t feel guilty about putting away dirty when I’m rushing home!
Derby Originals English AP Quilted Horse Saddle Pad with Pockets
This is my current arena fave because I can throw my phone in the pocket and track my ride via Equilab. When I’m on the trail I use a belt bag from DadaSport to store my phone and essentials.
The Epona Tiger’s Tongue sponge is excellent! It’s cheap and does such a good job of getting the crud off. My horse actually puts his head down so I can rub his face and ears with it.
Effol Hoof Ointment works well, is easy to apply, and stays on hooves longer than liquid hoof dressings. A jar lasts a long time, too.
Baby wipes clean eyes, nostrils, under the tail, your own hands, and do a quick wipe down of tack as well.
Old towels. Get them at rummage sales or thrift stores. Handy for almost everything!
A bottle of Dawn or Ivory dish soap. I’ve used it to clean out a wound or bathe my horse in a pinch! Just rinse well.
A magic marker, for writing your name on things.
Scissors.
These are the things I keep returning to again and again. I’m sure you’ll find your own must-haves. Enjoy your horse!
I’ve started part boarding and am building up my kit too!! Does anyone have a grooming kit they swear by? Some of the ladies at my barn have this Noble one that I am contemplating ordering (cannot find locally):
https://www.doversaddlery.com/noble-…te/p/X1-10807/
I have moved away from “grooming bags” and have embraced tool bags. I find them much more affordable, have more pockets, and are generally better. My current fave is the Custom Leatherworks 12" bigmouth tote from Amazon ($22/$23). I also like the Husky 12" from Home Depot.
I just bought an engraving pen! And 3 more Haas brushes. The new lease pony is a bit more sensitive than the old one - she would prefer I took the hard brush to her face :lol:
I’m blaming you…thought this would be good to try, found one $10, but $10 to ship…only spend $50 and shipping is free…guess who isn’t paying shipping.
I actually got really tired of the tote and having all the brushes in separate compartments. I bought the large Horseman’s Ascot grooming box and it’s perfect. It fits my show stuff (med armband, diva brush, show gloves), three bottles, and all the brushes you could want. It makes taking your grooming stuff to a show really easy - especially since I’ve always ridden at barns where they don’t take trunks. Also as a partial leaser, I didn’t have enough stuff to fill up a trunk.
My must haves are:
The Santa Cruz whitening shampoo - I buy it by the gallon. Gets my paint white without ever staining him or my clothes purple.
Ogilvy dressage pads - wash perfectly every time
coconut dollar tree conditioner - the best for tails
Premier 1 900cl clippers. Only cordless that can body clip a horse and charge both batteries at once. Well worth the $
Oh man… I could write a very long list! I’ll try to keep it reasonable:
E3 Argan Oil Shampoo
Carr & Day Mane & Tail Conditioner
Coat Defense Powder to put on cannon bones and other areas where crud/fungus can appear
UltraShield flyspray in the black bottle
ShooFly Leggins for during fly season (seriously, don’t bother with any other brand)
Alushield Silver Spray for superficial cuts and scrapes
Back on Track Quick Wraps
I like this Husky cleaning tote even better. Brushes and bottles fit in the outside pockets, and then I can put boots in the big middle part, and even toss in my helmet if I need to. It also has flat pockets on the inside that work for combs, jelly scrubbers and things like that.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-14-in-Supply-Bag-HD60014-TH/312387496?source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&mtc=Shopping-BA-F_PB-G-D25T-25_28_COMPRESSORS_AND_AIR_TOOL-Husky-NA-Feed-LIA-NA-NA-Compressors_And_Air_Tool_BT3&cm_mmc=Shopping-BA-F_PB-G-D25T-25_28_COMPRESSORS_AND_AIR_TOOL-Husky-NA-Feed-LIA-NA-NA-Compressors_And_Air_Tool_BT3-71700000045008692-58700004650922073-92700039927177495&gclid=Cj0KCQjwhvf6BRCkARIsAGl1GGha-a6GGoxVcy2I9sRVLHWoK_oG-bx40eImMKKbXhrT2NkXtj05xJ0aAvZjEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
The brushes can depend on the horse. One of my horses loves the HAAS brush with the little copper wires in it, but that is too harsh for my thin-skinned Appendix mare. I do almost all of her grooming with this: https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/sound-equine-easyclean-brush-2474
I also like the round purple curry that Oster makes with soft, close together bristles (I think it is actually labeled for grooming cows?) and the double-bladed metal sweat scrapers. And a bag of cheap cotton cloths always comes in handy. Oh, and a natural sea sponge! Soap rinses out of them so much easier than a synthetic sponge, and I’ve been using the same one for several years.
Oster sweat scraper—the cheap plastic ones break.
Jelly scrubber—the short brush side for faces and all the nooks and crannies in their lower legs.
Tiger’s Tongue, it works well, my riding teacher fell in LOVE with it the first time she used it. It is wonderful to clean the horse, and then you can use it to flick off that last layer of dust.
HandsOn Grooming Gloves. These are marvelous. I have not used a curry comb at all since I got them. Another grooming tool my riding teacher fell in LOVE with! Sometimes I get the impression that a person could tame a wild horse with these gloves alone. The only horse I know who does not love, love, love being groomed with these has super sensitive thin skin.
The Kong Cat Zoom Groom. This is sort of small, but the horses have “told” me this is their favorite grooming tool for their head and ears. It has really helped with getting an ear-shy horse to enjoy me grooming his ears inside and out, enjoy as in the horse lowering his head so I can do a thorough job grooming his ears. This is available through Chewy.com. If it is too small for you Zoom Groom also makes a dog brush that is a little bigger but I have not tried it yet. These are not really brushes, more like a curry comb with long “teeth” that are very flexible.
I really like my Hands On grooming gloves. Horse likes them too!
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
