Hi friends! Spring has nearly sprung and that means replenishing my grooming kit. The horse world is so full of indie brands that some people swear by, and I want to know about them! So tell me your ride or die grooming products – whether it’s Haas brushes or that delicious Marigold spray – and why you love it.
Bonus points if your sensitive-skinned horse loves it lmao
I bought two new grooming tools that changed my life last year. The first is a “Tiger’s Tongue” scrubber. It works so well in removing dirt and mud in sensitive areas ( legs, head, etc). I also use it in place of my rubber curry comb during the summer months, as it does a great job in brining up the dirt and dander on a sleek coat.
https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/epona-tigers-tongue-horse-groomer-15840?srsltid=AfmBOorN0Fase7kka3V7Vs-N-YUeOPfxVL1ieQiimJ0NwU_csRmZqn5h
The second is Epona’s “The Queen Brush”. The head of the brush is flexible and does not yank the hairs out. I’ve tried it on my own tangly/curly hair and it doesn’t hurt at all! Even after 8-9 months of use, it’s still in perfect condition.
My friend was able to score a 2 for 1 deal on both of them last year, as they’re made by the same company!
Ive gotten both the Tiger Tongue and the Queen brush through COTH secret Santa and agree they are great! I REALLY like the Queen…I used it on myself as needed at the barn 
I have a lot of the HAAS brushes which are great, and a Posture Prep is a MUST.
I also found this hoof pick which is great with also having the wire brush on it:
I just ride lesson horses now.
They LIKE the Haas brushes. The Schimmel seems popular even with the sensitive skinned horses though it feels harsh on my hand. They also LIKE the New Generation curry comb especially the super sensitive skinned ones which cringe from every other curry comb. Haas brushes for the win, your horse will tell you his/her favorite Haas brush. I like these brushes myself because I end up using a lot less effort to get the horses CLEAN and shiny. My riding teacher also likes my Haas brushes.
These horses also like the Postures Prep cross fiber groomer (really a fascia tool not a grooming tool). I have gotten nuzzles from a particularly closed down super reliable slow lesson horse. He travels better if I get to use it LIGHTLY down both sides of his spine and on his hind end muscles that combine to form the hamstring.
The lesson horses with thicker, less sensitive and often much itchier skin have LOVED my HandsOn grooming gloves, however the sensitive skinned horses just cringe when I try them on their skin. The less sensitive horses love that I FINALLY get all those pesky itches that drive them crazy and no other grooming tool works for them.
The Tiger’s Tongue grooming tool (looks like a coarse sponge) is also well accepted by sensitive horses. I have not used this one as much since I got all my Haas brushes.
I don’t groom much for appearance 
But for shedding out,this is The.Best!
(courtesy of a tip from a COTHer)
I wanted to add something to what I said about the Tiger’s Tongue.
When I used it on the lesson horses I sort of got this “feeling” from them that it reminded them of their dam licking them down right after birth. They obviously found this relaxing and left them feeling safe. I have no proof of this of course.
So it may give them a sweet memory of mommy as well as getting them clean.
Cactus Cloth
My 2.00 burlap sack from the feed store. My horse loves to get scratched and rubbed with it.
Posture Prep, Healthy Healthcare coat spray for detangling - pink stuff, Rice root brush, Sheepskin mitt
This hoof pick https://www.etsy.com/listing/117195375/hoof-pick-scraper-hand-forged-texas-made?
When I looked at that hoof pick I looked at other hoof stuff there and ended up ordering the Hoof Wand, a tool for cleaning mud, snow and ice off the hoof wall and coronary band. I bought four, one for me, 2 for the lesson stable, and one for the other barn I ride at.
My husband has also had to clean thick wet and/or dried mud of off hooves so I asked him if he thought it was a good idea, (especially since I’ve been on strike for buying stuff) and he did.
This looked like something even I, as weak and unsteady as I am, could use on a horse safely to get the hoof wall clean.
I know you did not recommend it but thank you for leading me to it @luvmyhackney.
The square, rough, black blocks used for shedding, I think it’s called Slick N’ Easy maybe. I go through 2 every Spring. They don’t offend one of my mini’s who is “delicate” to brush.
Another vote for Haas brushes. All of my sensitive TBs (who may feeling negatively or neutral about grooming) appear to actually enjoy the Haas brushes. I have the curry and schimmel that do the majority of the work as weak as some finishing brushes. The posture prep is also widely accepted (and liked). It isn’t as good as a curry for getting small crunchy bits of mud off but does a good job otherwise.
I like the Ultimate hoof picks. They are SO much more effective than standard hoof picks I swear.
My real secret is Dawn dish soap and a jelly scrubber for baths and not doing “bubble baths” (ones with soap) very frequently. Instead, they get a “shower” any time they get sweaty and it’s warm enough to hose off. This gets the sweat and a good portion of the dirt out of the coat. Getting the sweat off regularly means that it won’t dull or dry out the coat. I also like to do an ACV rinse at the end of bubble baths. For clipping, I’ll do a rinse at the end with Shapleys Light Oil 1 which I can’t recommend enough. For tails, an ethnic hair leave in conditioner (I use an olive oil based one) is great for leaving the tail nice and soft.
Not grooming tools, but copper and zinc can make a huge difference in coat quality. As can fats such as omega 3s.
Haas brushes and curry, Epona Shed Flower, stinky black shedding block, Manely Long Hair Detangler, Ultimate Hoof Pick, ACV/Water spray for preventing hoof stuff, Tiger Tongue for getting rid of surface dirt. Oh, and my redneck homemade shedding blade made of a hacksaw blade between two wooden paint stirring sticks. And Equisect fly spray in summer.
Way back at the dawn of time those were called bot blocks because they were made to remove bot eggs from the horse’s hair. This was maybe 70s/80s ish
Believe it or not, hack saw blades. I got the idea from a shedder that was all the rage a few years ago. It was just a hack saw blade embedded in a wood block. I use them like a regular shedding blade, but since the teeth grip the loose hair with almost no pressure I can also use them on delicate bony areas where I wouldn’t use a shedding blade.
I’ll toss in my vote for Haas brushes as well. I was gifted a set and oh…my…gosh! Where have these been all my life?! My mare loves them, all of them, but yes the schimmel is a favorite.
I love a good old fashioned shedding blade (the one that forms a loop) for my hairy old man and his sweet pony girlfriend who both have epic coats to remove each spring.
haas brushes - they are fine. I’ve always used horse hair brushes so maybe it would have been more earth shattering if I was coming off of synthetic
Posture prep - not truly a grooming tool but it is a nice secondary effect when focusing on the fascia
Wet/dry hair brush - any brand
Healthy hair care - 1:5 ratio
Tiger tongue - hate the texture on my hand but my most used tool
Equiderma white line cream - favorite central sulcus product post hoof picking
Farriers fix hoof oil - I’m lack luster on how much topical anything does but I like it before bathing
Soapbox coconut and shea deep conditioner - diluted in water to swish a shampooed and rinsed tail in before putting in leave in conditioner
I C U 
!
Looks like it’s fixed 
I love a silicon water blade for scraping water from horse’s coat after a shower. Not any specific brand, but something like this:
It’s soft enough to conform to the horse’s curves, especially the legs. Can be found for $4 - $10 each and MUCH better than a stiff plastic scraper!
I have two absolutes…
I LOVE, LOVE the Haas brushes. I also can’t live without Carr, Day and Martin Mane and Tail. My barnmate was raving about it, so I tried hers to be polite thinking she only liked it because it smells good. Nope, its magic. It never gums up the tail and it keeps it tangle free for ages… (and it does smell good!)
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