How to prevent 'static' when brushing your horse

May 31, 2017

Is your horse's coat static when you brush it? Are you looking for just the right product or technique to stop the static? Does your horse not like to be groomed because of static?

As human beings - it's in our nature to always look how to solve problems by DOING something. Sometimes, however, it is what we do that causes the problem. One example is

STATIC HORSE COATS, MANES & TAILS.

To front-load this blog post a little: I have owned my Standardbred gelding Paladin for over 10 years now (in addition to several other horses and rehab horses passing through...). Pal only gets a whole body shampoo twice a year: Once in spring time, once in the fall. He shines like a polished stone, even though on 24/hour turnout. His good looks even got him a spot in the book "Beyond Horse Massage". He can go from mud cake to shiny in 10 minutes - no shampooing, and NO STATIC. That, even though I use a high-quality synthetic flick brush, the dandy brush by Haas, on Pal on a regular basis.

Today, I got a question from a customer, who experienced static when using the 'non-static' flick brush by Haas. How can a non-static flick brush cause static?

Any synthetic brush can cause static under the right (wrong...) circumstances. Let me explain:

The only time this brush will cause static, is if

your horse's coat is dried out by too much bathing or
having used the wrong type of brushes for a long time, or
if you use low-quality (sorry, even if expensive...) detanglers or 'shine sprays' etc.

Your horse's coat is then stripped of it's natural oils, the individual hair is rough and dried out and possibly coated with chemical residue.

Here some tips to prevent static:

Curry your horse thoroughly
Use the flick brush (either natural flick brush or high-quality Haas non-static flick brush) in short, flicking strokes or to brush mane and tail, after you detangle them.
Do not bathe your horse with shampoo more than needed (I bathe my horse twice per year, then only shampoo mane and tail).
Use horse shampoos, detanglers, conditioners with true, nature-derived moisturizing agents. Most chemical products create dullness and static, which then leads the horse owner to believe more bathing is needed. That is not true!
Maintain the natural oils on your horse's coat by not shampooing the body hair more than two or three times per year (just spot clean and shampoo mane and tail) = no static and lots of shine (if groomed correctly and regularly)!
If your horse has lost the natural oils from its coat by bathing too much or with the wrong products, give it some time. You can shower with water, but do not use any shampoo or conditioner for at least 1 month. Then use one of these products (here shown in our new shop).
Groom, groom, groom! It's not rocket-science! Use our 4-Step Grooming Process.