Why you should use the best grooming brushes you can find

...and where to find them.

What not to use: These brushes are scratchy and dull the coat!

If you own or lease a horse, chances are you have to groom him. You can find plenty of tools online and at your local farm supply or tack shop. Most grooming brushes (not talking about the best horse brushes...) look like what everyone else is using. And they are cheap, many featuring synthetic bristles and meant to be replaced quite frequently.

Most grooming brushes look like what everyone else is using. And they are cheap.

So why go for anything else?

Grooming is so much more than cleaning your horse. It is not only a chore that leads to a certain result, but also an opportunity to bond, listen to your horse, have a mutually satisfying experience, and get even better results! As with any job or chore, the right tools are key. When I was looking for the best horse brushes years ago, my frustration with what I could find in tack shops led me on a quest to find a better horse brush.

Do you really need better horse grooming tools?

• Do you care how your horse feels?
• Do you want a good relationship with your horse?
• Do you want the best possible grooming results?
• When making purchasing decisions, do you care about the environment?
• Do you appreciate quality that lasts for years?

If you answered YES to at least 3 of those questions, read on.

Grooming is so much more than cleaning your horse.

Gentle strokes with a soft brush are a tactile experience that feel good to your horse and will be appreciated. It resembles the way horses groom each other in this careful and caring kind of way. To a horse, grooming - in the best-case scenario - is an expression of trust and affection.

But many grooming experiences are pure torture.

Enter the scratchy grooming brush and the 'get 'er done' attitude of many groomers... Pure horror to your horse!

Remember, your horse's skin is extremely sensitive and the interaction during grooming is more than just cleaning! Just play this through in your mind and see it from the horse's perspective.

• Someone approaches you with a tool, intending to work it across your skin.
• You don't have a choice in the matter, you are tied up and any attempts to protest to unpleasant touch (wiggling, pinning ears, kicking) will be interpreted as ' naughtiness' and punished with yelling, prodding, or worse....
• You know what discomfort is coming, your sensitive skin flinches in dreadful anticipation.
• The groomer just tries to get it all over with because 'the horse does not like to be groomed'.
• Moreover, the results are mediocre, the coat looks dull, something to attack with a horse vacuum or another bath or 'shine spray'....

This type of torturous 'get it done' grooming does nothing to improve the condition of the coat or the relationship between horse and human.

What happens in 'your grooming story'?

1. Does the groomer use a tool that feels good or just anything that may be about the barn, scratchy or not?
2. Does this interaction between groomer and horse lead to a better relationship or to resentment and even fear?

Let's continue our story imagining our groomer has already discovered the many advantages of using high-quality brushes such as HorseHaus brushes:

• Our horse will be relaxed and unafraid, and looking forward to the grooming session.
• He will use this time to relax deeply and enjoy the company of the groomer, who goes about her task in a methodical, but also gentle and considerate manner.
• At the end of the session, our horse may have dozed off or show other visible signs of relaxation, his coat clean, healthy and shiny.
• Our groomer will have learned a lot about skin condition and little bumps or scratches on the horses body.
• She will be satisfied with the result and carefully clean and put away her grooming brushes to keep them neat and ready for the next grooming.

Now horse and rider are ready to begin their activities together.

Whatever your activities you pursue with your horse, you both will feel more comfortable and trusting toward each other after a considerate and successful grooming session.

You will feel good about grooming and your purchase.

• Others may notice how shiny and healthy your horse's coat looks and you will wonder whether it is not just the proper cleaning but also the gentle massage you give your horse with every grooming (and the answer is yes).
• Knowing that your brushes will last for years, you feel good about your purchase.
• The fact that neither people nor natural resources got hurt in the manufacturing of the brushes (HorseHaus brushes are FCC certified) or sourcing of the raw materials make you feel even better.

Which type of groomer are you?

Life is learning. If you are currently the groomer with the horse that does not like to be groomed, the scratchy plastic brush wielding type, do not despair!

Read about the 4 step grooming process and peruse the different types of horse brushes to put a set of HorseHaus brushes together that meets your needs.

Questions about grooming or brushes?

I love to hear from you. Please drop me a line! And since you read all the way to the end, here a coupon for your next set of wonderful horse brushes at HorseHaus.com - simply use ENJOY$5 to get $5 off your shopping cart. Shop

Enjoy your horse!

Stefanie Reinhold