Brushing your horse is important for the health of the coat and the skin. How often you should brush depends on what you do with the horse and how it is housed. In any case, it’s important to brush your horse before riding, to prevent chafing in the areas where the saddle(pad) sits.

So which brushes are absolute must-haves in your grooming kit?

Curry comb

This is the brush that is often taken out of the grooming box first!
The curry comb comes in multiple common variants: the rubber curry comb, the hard plastic (Finnish) curry comb, and the (American) metal curry comb

The rubber curry comb has ridged edges and is ideal for loosening hair and caked-on dirt from your horse’s coat. To do this, you make circular motions on the horse’s body. This often does not feel pleasant on the head or legs, so stay well away from those areas with this brush. It’s also not comfortable for horses with sensitive skin or too short (clipped) coats.
The hard plastic curry comb consists of several rows filled with hard, stiff bristles. This brush is also ideal for removing loose hair and stubborn dirt. Just like the rubber curry comb, you don’t use this brush on the legs or the head, nor on horses with sensitive skin.
However, its use is not exactly the same as that of the rubber curry comb: with this curry comb you don’t make circular motions, as the teeth are too rough for that. Instead, it’s best to brush in the direction of the hair.
However, this brush is also commonly used as a mane and tail brush. Additionally, you can use this hard curry comb well to clean your hard and soft brushes by scraping them along it.
The latter option is what the metal curry comb is perfect for. The metal ridges might be a bit too harsh for many horses, however, they’re great tools to remove hair and dirt from your softer brushes!

Grooming glove

For people who find it difficult to hold a curry comb properly, or for horses for whom a curry comb is just a bit too rough, there is also the grooming glove. This works similar to the rubber curry comb, but is slightly gentler.

Grooming block

The grooming block, often a square piece of pumice stone, is ideal for removing stains. It also works very well against loose hair. Cleaning a grooming block is easy too: scrape it a few times against a wall so the stone wears down, and you’re left with a clean piece of stone.
With this grooming block you can also more easily break the hairs of the coat. Therefore, don’t use it too often and handle it with care: don’t use it on the legs or the head, and brush in the direction of the hair.

Dandy brush

With the dandy brush you can brush away loose dirt and hair. As many of the other brushes, you should generally brush in the direction of the hair. Preferably use firm, short strokes. Although this brush is not as hard as the curry combs, the hard brush is also not intended for the sensitive parts of a horse.

Soft brush

After the dandy brush, the soft brush comes out of the grooming bag! With this one you sweep away the last bits of dirt and loose hairs. You use it in the same way as the hard brush: short strokes in the direction of the hair.
In addition, this brush might be soft enough to use on the head and the legs! However, do check that you really have a good, soft brush before doing so.
To really finish it off, you can then use a finishing brush, or even a piece of sheep’s wool. This will give the coat a wonderful shiny look!