Curry Comb, Brush or Both? What is Better for My Horse?

Curry Comb, Brush or Both? What is Better for My Horse?

Keeping your horse’s coat, hair and mane in the best of conditions need a lot of grooming and proper care. The right dieting would largely contribute to a healthy coat but for that shiny feel and well-streamlined mane; routine cleaning is necessary. Horses, just like humans, can have either good genetics or the not-so-good type and this would partly determine the hair patterns and overall appearance. Regardless of this biological diversity, it’s still possible to give your horse the great look it deserves.

There has been a heated debate on whether one should use a curry comb or brush or even both for grooming purposes. This issue has been going on a long time, and the answers has always been satisfactory. It all depends on what you want to achieve and how right you’re going to use each grooming piece. Let’s take a quick look at the differences between the two and their suitability for the job.

Curry comb

Curry combs are available in three materials; plastic, metal, and rubber. The purpose of a currycomb is typically to help loosen hair & dirt while providing a skin-massaging action. When choosing the best currycomb, one factor to consider is the type of teeth. Teeth made of hard plastic or metal could cause discomfort or even break the horse’s skin giving an entry for infection like rain rot. An old-fashioned heavy rubber or soft plastic curry comb with concentric teeth-circles is recommended for the best grooming results.

Brushes

Brushes come in two types; the hard and soft brushes. Hard brushes are made either of plastic or natural fibers. They are used to remove dried dirt or heavy mud from the coat. Depending on the type of dirt your horse often picks; you can comfortably choose between the hard and medium brushes.
Soft brushes, on the other hand, are made either from nylon, plastic or organic fibers. Some of the most expensive soft brushes are made from high-quality horse hair. With their flexible bristles, soft brushes are best used for removing small dirt particles and dust.
Apart from the brushes and curry combs, an all-rounded horse hair care would require more than the ordinary brushing. Here are some important tips; the do's and the don’ts as far as horse hair health is concern.

Keep the tails bagged and mane braided

For a healthy mane and shiny tail, it’s best to avoid everyday brushing of the tangles since it can pull out healthy strands leading to a thinning tail or shorter mane. Instead of regular brushing, braiding the mane and bagging the tail is recommended. When braiding, the rubber bands should be placed on the thicker parts of the braids to avoid breakage. Bagging of the tail should also be done below the tail bone to avoid unnecessary injuries.

Groom everyday if possible!

Great tips for a Healthy Mane and Tail

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