Horse brushes are special tools used by groomers and concerned pet owners for grooming their animals. Horse brushes can be typically found in every day grooming kits for beginners and part time groomers. In rare cases, brushes are also sold individually or exclusively in packaged deals by specialized companies and brands. Although there are different kinds of horse brushes, the most common, and one of the best horse brushes is the body brush.
Unlikely as it may seem, finding a great horse brush can be challenging. Factors like material build and strength of the bristles matter when you’re deciding which brush to settle for. In this guide, we simplify the buying process by going over some of the best horse brushes out on the market today.
Contents
- 1 Guide to Picking the Best Brushes
- 2 Top 10 Best Horse Brushes
- 2.1 Wahl Professional Animal Equine Stiff Body Horse Brush
- 2.2 Decker 65 Horse Hair Blend
- 2.3 Oster Ecs Mane and Tail Brush
- 2.4 Oster Ecs Soft Grooming Brush
- 2.5 Jt International 68-14-0-0 Horse Brush
- 2.6 Happy Horse Mane & Tail Brush for Horses and Dogs
- 2.7 Jeffers Reversible Shedding/Curry Comb
- 2.8 Horse & Livestock Prime Soft Rubber Brush
- 2.9 Tough 1 Great Grip Mane and Tail Brush
- 2.10 Intrepid International Rubber Hoof Pick with Brush
- 2.11 Happy Horse Thick Rubber Sweat Scraper
- 2.12 Tough 1 Great Grips Flex Finishing Brush
- 3 Conclusion
Guide to Picking the Best Brushes
The average grooming kit contains about 5-6 brushes. Each brush is needed for a vital aspect of the grooming process, and that makes every brush indispensable. Here are some of the features you need to consider when you’re shopping for a great brush. If you stick to this guide, you’ll end up with a fantastic brush for your horse.
Wood or Plastic?
All brushes are mostly made of thick slabs of wood/plastic, and bristles. For most people, “wood or plastic” is a question they eventually have to ask themselves if they plan to buy a great brush. While wood feels firmer and handles better than you average plastic handle, it is harder to maintain. But, wood is still a suitable material, and you can use it for a long time, until it begins to rot and decay.
Plastic, on the other hand doesn’t have these problems. Although it doesn’t have a firm grip, it will never rot or decay. At the end of the day, both materials have their advantages and disadvantages. Whatever material you prefer is ultimately up to you.
Synthetic Vs Natural Bristles?
Horse brushes are either soft of hard. This varying toughness is achieved by using natural and artificial fibers. Synthetic fibers, like polyester and rubber, are cheaper and less delicate than natural fibers like pig or goat hair. Natural fibers, on the other hand, are more expensive. However, natural fibers can make the horse’s coat thicker and lusher than synthetics ever could.
Price to Value Ratio
There are hundreds of companies who commercially produce horse brushes. The biggest advantage to having that many manufacturers is competitive pricing. Horse brushes now cost a fraction of what they used to, and this means that it’s a buyers’ market. As a responsible and frugal equestrian, it’s you duty to exploit this market. Before committing to a product, you should review multiple products and identify a product with an acceptable price to value ratio.
What Kind of Brush Are You in the Market For
Like we mentioned earlier, there are about six types of horse brushes commercially available worldwide. The include: the dandy brush, rubber curry combs, mane and tail brush, mane comb, hoof pick/brush, and the sweat scraper. Normally, all these brushes are needed for a proper grooming session. But, if you already have some of them, you can single out a specific brush using this guide and buy it.
Top 10 Best Horse Brushes
Wahl Professional Animal Equine Stiff Body Horse Brush
The Wahl professional stiff brush is perfect for removing dirt and mud from your horse’s coat. It comes with a unique ergonomically designed rubber grip that helps you maintain control while cleaning. The patented rubber grip is incredibly comfortable, and it’s bristles are well tolerated by the horse. These qualities make the Wahl Professional Brush perfect for both horse and trainer.
It comes backed with a 30 days guarantee, and its available in two native colors — black and turquoise. This type of brush is perfect for detangling and cleaning, and it often accompanies your average Wahl clipper product.
Decker 65 Horse Hair Blend
The Decker 65 Horse Hair Blend is one of the most impressive wooden dandy brushes on the market. Not only does it’s handle come with a rot resistant polypropylene material, but, it also has an ergonomically shaped handle for maximum support. . The Decker 65 Horse Hair Blend comes with two inch long bristles and an 8 inch block.
Oster Ecs Mane and Tail Brush
This unique horse mane and tail brush is an accessory that comes with high quality Oster horse clippers and shears. Although, they are mostly associated with Oster clippers, they are also sold individually. Because Oster is a premium brand, most people have misconceptions about this product. However, they are effective, cheap and suitable for hands of all sizes.
This mane brush also comes with ball tipped bristles that are capable of detangling the wildest mane without breaking the hair. It is suited for multidirectional use and comes in two distinct colors — pink and blue.
Oster Ecs Soft Grooming Brush
Oster soft grooming brush is the perfect brush to finish off the grooming process. It is the second brush from Oster on this list and it is every bit as professional and impressive as the first. Oster ECS soft brush comes with an ergonomically designed handle capable of fitting into hands of all sizes. The handle is made of high quality durable plastic and the bristles are soft and natural.
Like the Oster Mane and Tail brush, it is available in both blue and pink. The brush is recommended for distribution of essential oils and other care products. Its closely knit bristles are more than capable of spreading sensitive substances evenly.
Jt International 68-14-0-0 Horse Brush
The JT international horse brush is wooden brush. It comes with a strap for control and balance. It keeps your hand in place while you work. The strap is elastic and pinned to the block of the brush with two screws, so you can expect maximum control. Also, the bristles are extremely stiff and the JT international can be used as a make shift curry comb.
Although it was designed for equines alone, you can use the JT International on dogs, donkeys and even foals. It is great for removing dirt and dried up mud. You should know that the bristles of the JT international are made of synthetic materials and are incredibly coarse. As a result, it might not be the smoothest brush on the market. But, it’ll definitely get the job done.
Happy Horse Mane & Tail Brush for Horses and Dogs
The Happy horse mane and tail brush is not like your average horse mane/tail brush. It comes with an ergonomically designed handle that is compatible with multiple hand sizes. Its head is round and allows multidirectional use. Also, the bristles are made of high quality plastic and they have a ball tipped pin top.
This uniquely shaped pin top allows equestrians to run through the entire mane and tail of the horse without tangling or breaking the hair of the horse. The brush comes in two unique color — powder blue and green.
Jeffers Reversible Shedding/Curry Comb
The Jeffers Shedding/Curry Comb is a reversible curry comb/brush cleaner. It has stainless steel bristles and when it is not cleaning out the coat of your favorite horse, it doubles as a very effective horse comb cleaner. Its metal bristles are hard enough to clean the hardest curry combs and they are tough enough to be used as a convincing curry comb.
The reversible stainless steel brush comes with a soft touch handle that helps you maintain control during the entire cleaning process. Although it’s almost always used as a curry comb/brush cleaner, it can also be used as a carpet cleaner.
The Jeffers Reversible Shedding/Curry Comb is a versatile piece of equipment that can do a lot more than clean your horse or brush. It is a delicate tool that provides incredibly value and could easily be one the best horse brushes
Horse & Livestock Prime Soft Rubber Brush
This simple yet affordable curry comb from Horse and Livestock Prime is a full rubber curry comb, and it comes with a strap for control. This comb is especially recommended for horses with short hair and soft skin.
The Livestock Prime soft rubber brush is tough and versatile and it can work through the most difficult patches of dirt, mud and grime. It’s bristles are incredibly short and it can be used to clean the face of horses too. The comb is oval is shape and it comes in black only.
Tough 1 Great Grip Mane and Tail Brush
The tough 1 great grip mane brush is an elegant mane/tail brush that is cheap, affordable and incredibly easy to use. It comes with an aesthetic uni-body design that accentuates the color and handle of this amazing mane and tail brush.
It comes with an ergonomically shaped handle for multidirectional use and a deck of pin tipped bristles for a smooth detangling experience. This amazing brush is able to detangle the most matted locks without breaking the hair of the horse during the process. This brush comes in different colors and is available for sale worldwide.
Intrepid International Rubber Hoof Pick with Brush
The Intrepid international rubber hoof pick/brush is a versatile grooming device. Its use is more than basic hoof clearing work. With its innovative half brush and half hook design, cleaning and brushing down the hoof has never been so straight forward. The brush allows you to brush off the dirt, snow and dried off mud particles off the hoof. For effective use, you should break the particles loose with a hoof pick.
The intrepid international rubber hoof pick comes with a rubberized handle and a small hanging hole for easy storage. The brush is located below the well placed hook and it is as durable as it is stylish. This multipurpose brush comes in different colors and shades.
Happy Horse Thick Rubber Sweat Scraper
The Happy horse thick rubber sweat scraper is technically not a scraper. Even though it doesn’t qualify as a brush, it makes this list because of the role it plays in the cleaning process. It essentially lays the ground work for most brushes and other grooming items.
It helps the equestrian remove sweat before the real cleaning begins. This sweat scraper comes with a black thick rubber squeegee mounted on a very comfortable wooden handle. The plastic that makes up a bulk of the scraper is high quality and ergonomically shaped for a palatable experience.
Tough 1 Great Grips Flex Finishing Brush
The Tough 1 great grip finishing brush is a double jointed brush designed to fit into the palm of your hands perfectly. It comes with a durable strap for better control and the upper layer of the brush is made of a unique soft touch material that lets you work with comfort and ease.
This innovative finishing brush is an omnidirectional grooming tool able to comb and pamper the edges and curves of your horse without much effort. The soft bristles and the jelly like bristle block makes it easy to use and manipulate when brushing sensitive areas.
Conclusion
There are at least a few hundred thousand horse brushes out on the market today. The sales of horse shoes is fiercely competitive, and you’ll find revolutionary great brushes everywhere you look. In such a competitive market, it can be difficult to single out a brush and call it one of the best horse brushes on the market. Luckily, we don’t believe in singling out a particular product and calling it the best. We choose to leave that decision to you, the buyers. That’s why we have provided a comprehensive guide.
However, if we had to choose a single product best brush, it would be the great Flex Finishing Brush from Tough 1. It can just about brush any part of horse’s body. It is suitable for both light and cleaning. Not only that, it is also cheap, easy to control and suitable for multipurpose use. It has everything you’d want in a finishing brush.