I plan on 1/2 lease a horse this fall and winter and would like to get my own grooming kit. What would you avoid buying? What would you not live without? I plan to make sure and treat his hooves often and especially would like to know which product is the best. The horse is in good health and good hooves, but I will enjoy this so much helping look his gorgeous best 
Especially in winter a good curry comb is a must. I like either the jelly curry or the Hands On grooming gloves because they get into nooks and crannies like behind elbows better than the hard rubber ones. A stiff brush for the body and a soft brush for finishing and the face. I much prefer natural bristle brushes to anything plastic - the just do a better job. Regular cleaning with a good hoofpick and brush will do more to keep,the hooves sound than anything you can put on them. Get a bunch of rags - for cleaning horse, tack, etc. Those are the basics and if you have these you will be fine.
In my kit I also have flyspray (you probably won’t need that in winter), a mane/tail brush, but I mostly just finger comb them without the brush, a smaller soft face brush, an extra medium stiffness brush, a jar of leather cleaner/conditioner (Higher Standards), a sweat scraper, a separate hoof brush (faster than the little one on the hoof pick). A bottle of thrush treatment to head off any thrush before it gets established. A tube of Tri-care or similar ointment for little scrapes. A small pair of scissors and a multi tool with screwdriver, knife and pliers comes in handy, too. I also keep sunscreen, chapstick and a pack of Kleenex in there for me!
Get the best quality you can afford and make sure they feel comfortable in your hand. I have a couple of brushes I have been using for decades!
Before you start treating his feet or using any health care products ask his owners what they want you to do and what products to use.
My horse doesn’t love being brushed but she has a very naturally shiny coat so only needs a quick going over with her special soft brush.
A lot depends on what environment the horse is kept in and if he is clipped or wears a blanket. If he lives in mud you will need rubber curry brushes to get that off. If he lives on sand or in a stall he will stay clean.
At a minimum a body brush and a wide tooth mane and tail comb. But ask his owners how much they want you messing with his mane and tail. Some prefer benign neglect until a show to avoid breaking off hairs with constant brushing.
A hoof pick with a brush on the end.
Soap and leatherbalm for your tack
Hold off on products until you see what you need. Ask the owners and your coach.
Really out of a very extensive grooming box I only use the soft body brush and hoofpick on a daily basis. In the summer mare gets a warm hose bath most days, but not in winter. I rarely use a shampoo on her. She has a lovely coat and is very shiny but that’s due to nutrition I think.
Some of what you will use is horse-dependent. The method of horse-keeping also plays a role. A fuzzy horse with muddy turnout will require a good curry and stiff brush. But a thin-skinned blanketed horse would need a softer brush.
Do check with the horse owner before using any products on hooves or coat.
The minimum I would have: two brushes of different stiffness, a rubber curry, mane-tail brush or comb (I like a human hair brush) hoof pick, soft rags, and paper towels. In a lease situation I would ask about mane care, bathing,shedding,and first aid supplies.
I am a minimalist horse owner and here’s what’s in my grooming tote. My horse is a thin-skinned Tb who is allowed to grow a winter coat in winter
- hoof pick with stiff brush
- jelly curry “glove” (for summer coat)
- metal sweat / coat scraper (for winter mud-covered yak coat)
- soft brush
- stiff brush (mostly for muddy legs and hairy saddle pads)
- microfiber cloth / small towel
I do have other stuff that I have needed over the years (scissors, Solo comb, hair brush, soft rubber sweat scraper for summer hosing-downs, 1st aid kit, polos, vetrap, duct tape, Epsom poultice, hoof boots, etc etc) but the list above is all I need day to day.
My Thoroughbred gelding is very thin skinned and very sensitive. I have to use softer brushes on him. My mare I can use regular brushes on. Talk to the owners about what they recommend. They know the horse best.
If it’s a mare just use your hands to keep the utters clean. If it’s a gelding you may need sheath cleaner. Before you clean the sheath talk to the owner. One gelding I leased was horrible with it. My current gelding tolerates it best when I let him graze while I do it. Some rarely need cleaning.
Be careful with how much you comb out the tail and mane. You can actually over thin them. The hair gets brittle in the winter (at least it does with my 2). When I do brush mine I use the brush that has the soft rubber with the bristles set in it so they give rather than pull. Seems to work good.
I love Thrush Buster. Usually one application and it’s cured. I use Keratex Hoof Hardener on my gelding. His feet are holding up really well with that.
The 3 staples I have everywhere are Wound Kote, Furazone and SWAT. They’re great for most any minor scrape or cut. I keep Vetericyn Eye Wash around too. It’s great when they get any kind of weepy eyes or if they get something in them.
Short of an emergency, before you use anything on the horse always check with the owners.
I LOOVVE those jelly curry combs/gloves.
A good flick brush and a good soft brush. Any of those grib fit, decker bushes are AMAZING. I swear by them. I also use a stiffer flexible body brush to apply soap vrs a sponge.
I also always have white rags in my kit, to wash faces etc.
Biggest splurge… a haas pastern brush. You will not be disappointed. (they are only 10 bucks, I thought they were more expensive)
Of course buying grooming supplies in excess of what anyone really needs is one of the pleasures of the horse owner.
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Someone mentioned paper towel. I prefer those “rag-on-a-roll” towels you get in the automotive department. They work just like paper towel but hold up much better/don’t disintegrate when wet. I use them for everything from wiping faces or bloody cuts to wrapping bottles of Blu-kote or betadine so I don’t get my hands dyed all kinds of funky colors.
I cleaned out mine today, so here is my inventory:
Horsehair soft brush
Rice root brush
Med soft flicker brush
ultra soft face brush
2 hoof picks (they grow legs when you need them)
human brush for manes and tail
Wide Comb for wet mane and tail
Pink detangler
BioSilk
1 rubber curry
1 pr Grooming curry cloves
1 Flower groomer for shedding season
Baby wipes
alcohol for wiping out ears
Wound creme
Scissors
strainer for cleaning out water buckets and getting the big stuff out
Sheepskin mitt
2-3 Cheap Microfiber clothes from the dollar tree
Grooming stones to get bot eggs off.
My advice is to buy the best brushes you can for the money. They will last a lifetime if you take care of them.
Thanks so much for the lists! I’ll start putting my kit together soon. I am aware of tails and doing less for more. I don’t want to see tail hairs coming out when I brush so that one I will double read for best advice.
I highly, highly recommend Haas brushes. You can get them at SmartPak. My dailies are the face brush, the Schimmel, and the Noir. They last forever and perform much better than the many other brushes I have tried. I use them on my own horse and I also groom 5 competition horses. I use the hands on grooming gloves to curry. The healthy hair conditioner is amazing for after baths or hose downs. Other than that, I use mostly human products on my horses - neosporin for cuts, desitin for scratches, Ivory or oatmeal shampoo for baths, conditioner from the ethnic section at Walmart for tails.
To brush tails without losing hairs, I put in a conditioner or a detangler then twist the tail all the way to the bottom and untwist and brush inch by inch.
