Tack Trunk Grooming Essentials

If you are new to owning a horse, putting together your trunk for the first time can be a daunting task, however, with a little help you’ll have everything you need to enjoy your barn time with your horse.

Brushes are something you will use year-round. With so many grooming supplies on the market, it’s hard to know which ones to get for your grooming kit.

Brush box basics include a good curry comb, a rugged towel, a brush with hard bristles or a stiff brush, a brush with soft bristles sometimes called a finishing brush, a mane and tail brush, and a good sturdy hoof pick.

My preferences in my grooming kit include a soft curry grooming mitt for the face and legs and a rubber curry with long soft rubber teeth for the body. I recently discovered the Posture Prep curry from Dr. Pat Bona. I was surprised at how much Lego and now Oliver and Secret prefer this tool over my regular Grooma curry. It came with an articulate guide and video links on how to use the curry. Out with currying random circles around the body, and in currying in specific patterns adding knowledge and new skills!

Lego has always been fussy while being groomed but he now leans into the Posture Prep curry and stands fairly still for grooming sessions. My horses enjoy a good roll in the mud; these tools help break up the outer crust of mud. I follow this with a stiff brush to knock off all the chunks of dirt and finish with a soft brush to help bring up a shine to the coat.

Hoof picks are a dime a dozen, but trust me when I tell you to invest in a good hoof pick. There’s nothing worse than a hoof pick that bends when you are trying to dislodge a clod of dirt in hooves. I find the budget vinyl-coated metal ones tend to disappear into the abyss of my tack room, and the plastic ones with the brush don’t last as the pick part starts to bend with frequent use.

I purchased The Ultimate Hoof Pick about 10 years ago, it’s been worth every cent I paid for it! This hoof pick is comfortable to hold and gives good leverage when trying to eject dried mud clods, stones, or those spikey round seed pods that find their way into hooves every autumn. The fact that it’s easy to find when I fail to put it away and that it refuses to get lost in the abyss of my tack room also makes this tool a winner in my book!

Last but not least is the mane and tail brush, a good paddle brush is essential to detangling manes and tails without breaking off large chunks of hair. The teeth of the brush should be embedded directly into the handle of the brush. Some companies use a rubber cover with teeth and attach that cover to the handle. In my experience the bristle-covered rubber cover easily detaches from the handle of the brush, rendering it useless in a short period of time.

Now what about that rugged towel? A good barn towel is a top priority in my box, I use it to buff out stains, wipe away eye crusties, clean minor scrapes, etc. They’re essential for buffing out sweat marks after riding when it’s too chilly for a post-ride hosing. They make a great tourniquet on the off chance you need one, and they’re great for making the barn cat a purrito when it’s time for vaccines or flea treatments. Your farrier also appreciates using a good towel to dry off hooves after cleaning feet before he arrives to work on your horse.

I do keep a few incidental items in my grooming kit that I use frequently but not daily. These items include: Thrushbuster, wound ointment, leather soap, mane pulling comb, scissors, a tack sponge, and a hole punch. It keeps me from having to hunt around when the need for one of these arises.

Like all things, grooming tools do wear out and need to be replaced and/or cleaned. Brushes with synthetic bristles and plastic handles can usually take a run through the dishwasher on the top rack, just skip the drying cycle and the detergent.

Brushes with natural handles like leather and wood or with natural bristles should be cleaned with care. Soaking should be avoided and harsh detergents will loosen the adhesive in the handle/base and cause an early demise to these brushes. I prefer to wash these brushes in the wash rack at the barn. I give them a good rinse and then add some baby shampoo and water to pail. I work the soap into the bristles until there is a nice lather, rinse and repeat until the water runs clean on rinsing. To dry, brushes should be bristle down, handles up on a flat surface. This will cause any excess water to drain away from the base of the brush, maintaining the integrity of the adhesive holding the bristles in place.

This completes your basic grooming kit for your tack trunk. These tools also make great gifts for kids in a steady riding lesson program. Typical school horse grooming supplies usually take a lot of abuse. Young riders having a grooming tote of their own with some core brushes is a nice step into learning horse care and spending time at the barn.

There are plenty of seasonal things to keep in your tack trunk and grooming supplies, which we cover HERE. Did I miss any of your favorite core grooming tools? Comment below and let me know!