:lol:@Sansena - make that 55!
When I was a kid (60+yrs ago) I had a trainer who made us present 12 circles of curry dust - made by knocking the oldstyle metal currycomb against the cement floor - for each side of horse being groomed :eek:
I can still see those neat rows of currydust imprints… & feeling so proud l’d made them happen 
Thank you all for your answers. I’m not riding now (letting her tendon heal) but come January I will be and I was just looking for ways to make her “presentable” haha (mostly for shows or vet visits or just for something to do). Will definitely try some of the tips!
Hot toweling is great but not everybody has hot water or a place to do it without the water and their fingers freezing.
The winter coat, left mostly alone, actually keeps dirt from sinking down to the skin. If you get into any kind of contioner or moisturizer, it will make its way down the hair shaft to the skin where it can itch and will attract more dirt down to the skin.
Theres no shortcuts but understanding they won’t look like they do in early summer will help you along, just don’t skimp on the currying under where the saddle sits. I find most don’t spend enough time currying preferring to work on getting an easy shine on the tips of the hair.
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After currying, I use a hand towel dunked in a water bucket and then wrung out well. I hold this in one hand and a dandy brush in the other…run the brush across the towel to get it damp, brush a few strokes, run the brush across the towel again to pull the dirt off the bristles and re-dampen, brush a few strokes. Turn the towel often to make sure you’re using a relatively clean side.
I’m in upstate NY and it gets COLD in the winter–this method doesn’t get the horse wet, but does cut down on dust and static.
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I have an ancient round rubber( yes it is actually rubber) curry that is wonderful at bringing any dirt to the surface. Then a stiff or soft brush finishes her off. My mare is mostly white but keeps herself pristinely clean and I am so thankful.
My daughter’s mare has a grey hue to her coat and she just grinds the dirt in all year round. We do the same for her and and while she doesn’t sparkle she is passable. For her a bath is the only way to get her clean deep down, but she would be just as bad in about 30 minutes so we are happy the way things are.
I’ve had my 23 y.o. Paint gelding for over 16 years and I still can’t believe how fuzzy he gets, right up to his Teddy Bear ears. I ride 6 days a week (big indoor) so I can manage to keep him pretty clean. I only use natural brushes that have a hand strap which I can hang onto better. He’s boarded outside. Since we live in Maine I can blanket him all winter, but that doesn’t help when he snoozes in damp muddy patches on days that are a little warmer before the snow flies. That creates nasty crusty patches when they dry. I find that if I scrub across the hair and then with it, it is easier to break that stuff up.
I use one of those incredibly cheap plastic curries with the sharp teeth to get started. Next is a dandy-style brush with very stiff heavy bristles. That usually gets most of it out. Next is another somewhat heavy brush and I go at it briskly which seems to get most of it out. I just got a new brush that has short bristles that are dense but finer and go after what is left. He doesn’t have a whole lot of tail, but I spray some Show Sheen on it when it gets tangled. If I brush it every day before I ride - a compulsive habit - it stays nice and doesn’t need the SS that often…
The thing about regular curry combs is they don’t do much for a truly fuzzy guy because you can’t get down to the skin. The natural brushes and a lot of elbow grease seem to do best.
