Deluxe Grooming Kit Supplies for Salon-Like Grooming
Though nothing can replace the benefits of elbow grease, all sorts of grooming products can make your grooming sessions easier and help you provide an almost spa-like grooming session for your horse. To build on the essential grooming kit outlined in the first part of this article, consider adding some of these tools to create a deluxe grooming kit.
Though nothing can replace the benefits of elbow grease, all sorts of grooming products can make your grooming sessions easier and help you provide an almost spa-like grooming session for your horse. To build on the essential grooming kit outlined in the first part of this article, consider adding some of these tools to create a deluxe grooming kit.
Super Soft Rubber Curry Comb - Very soft curry combs with fine rubber teeth are designed to gently loosen dirt on delicate places such as the horse's face and legs. These can become an essential piece of your grooming kit and are great for horses that have sensitive skin as well.
Round Curry Comb - This grooming tool has cone-shaped fingers, such as seen on a Grooma Groomer or an Oster Curry Comb. The large fingers of this type of curry provide massaging effects on a horse's muscles while they loosen dirt, hair and debris.
Jelly Scrubber Mitt - Similar to a curry, these soft rubber scrubbers are handy at bath time and for softly loosening debris on the horse's delicate spots. One side has larger, firmer nubs to produce a massaging action and the other side has smaller, finer nubs perfect for delicate areas. If you use it for bathing, you'll find that it helps create lather.
Face Brush - This is a very small and soft brush that fits in the palm for use on the horse's face. Its diminutive size can be helpful for horses who do not like to have their faces brushed.
Mane and Tail Brush or Comb - While some people prefer to use their fingers only for separating the hairs of tails and manes, others rely on wide-toothed mane and tail combs and brushes. These tools separate tangles and pull out pieces of bedding while leaving the mane and tail soft and glossy.
Mane Tools - A Solocomb can replace a pulling comb in your grooming kit. These tools will help you shorten your horse's mane without pulling.
Grooming Block - Some people appreciate using a Slick N Easy Grooming Tool during shedding season in place of a traditional shedding blade. This a fiberglass grooming block that attracts hair and dirt. It also performs double duty in removing bot fly eggs should the need arise.
Grooming Mitt - Available in both sheepskin and synthetic fleece, an applicator mitt can be used after your soft brush to help smooth out your horse's hair to increase shine. It can also be used to apply a thin layer of a hair polish, sunscreen or fly spray.
Detangler - Nothing makes removing snarls, burrs and bits of bedding from your horse's tail or a long mane easier than a detangling product. A must-have for a session of salon-like grooming, detanglers come in liquid or gel formulas. You'll find some that are fortified with vitamins for moisturizing and conditioning, and some that restore manageability, add volume or enhance shine. Because all horses are different, you may want to experiment with different types of detanglers to find the one that works best on your horse's hair.
Helpful Tip: Apply some detangler to your horse's tail just prior to starting your grooming session to give the product time to work. Then, when you're ready to comb out the tail, the detangling process will be quite easy!
Grooming Tote - To hold all your important grooming tools, you might consider the Deluxe Grooming Tote Bag(shown) with many pockets to keep you organized, or a large Grooming Box, which has a lid to keep out dust.
Perhaps you'll want to equip your deluxe grooming kit with some battery-operated power. Consider adding a cordless set of trimming clippers for quick touch-ups on bridle paths and fetlocks.