Many of the natural horse grooming products that we carry at Teddy's Tack Trunk can be used on your other pets, like cats and dogs, as well as on yourself!  Because these products use natural, high quality, non-toxic ingredients, they are safe for everyone. 

Recently, we have been using the Espana Silk Shampoo and Conditioner on Teddy, our dog, and ourselves and are very happy with the results.  They do carry specific products for horses, dogs, cats, and humans. But, the products themselves are the same. The label is the only difference.

Other great products that you can also use for grooming your horse, pets, and family include EQyss, Mrs. Conn's Enriched Sponges, and Zephyr's Garden. 

For more information, please check these products out on our site.

A good grooming routine helps to keep your horse healthy and happy. It's also a fun and relaxing way to bond together. There are many grooming tools available for you to get the job done, and some people like to use a few and some people like to use as many as they can. Below is a step-by-step instruction on how to get a good grooming session done easily and effectively. Remember that your horse should be dry when using the various grooming brushes and tools.

1. Curry Comb

Use a soft, flexible curry comb on your horse by using circular motions to remove and loosen dirt and hair. Be careful on the leg area to not rub too hard or be too vigorous. Make sure to tap the curry on the bottom of your boot or on the fence post to knock out the collected debris on the curry comb. 

2. Mud Brush (if needed)
  
If your horse is especially muddy, use a stiff bristled mud brush to break up the mud. Make sure the mud is dried, however, because if you don't you will just be smearing it around on your horse.

3. Dandy Flick Brush

Use a dandy brush to flick the dirt and hair that was loosened by the curry comb. This brush is a medium stiff brush. After every 6, or so, strokes with your dandy brush, you should use your curry comb to scrub off the excess dirt and hair. That way you won't be just spreading around on your horse. It also helps to prolong the life of your brushes by keeping it clean.

4. Body Brush

The next step is to use a body brush to get the fine dust. Also, make sure to scrub the body brush with your curry comb every 6 strokes.

5. Dandy Shine Brush

For the final polish and to bring out your horse's shine, use a very soft, dandy shine brush. Use your curry comb to scrub off the excess dirt every 6, or so strokes.

6.  Face Brush

Use an ultra-soft, luxurious face brush on your horse's sensitive face area. Avoid using it too close to the eyes.

7. Mane, Tail & Forelock Brush

Before using a mane, tail & forelock brush, use a detangler to keep the hair moisturized and easier to brush. Don't be rough when brushing out a tail because you could do a lot of damage to it and remove too much of the hair. If your horse has especially thin or brittle tail hair, it is better to just use your fingers to get the tangles out. 

8. Hoof Pick

Use the pick side of this tool to get rocks, mud, and debris out of the bottom of your horse's hoof. Be careful around the frog area and heel are to not poke around too hard. The brush side can be used to scrub off dried mud and get into all of the nooks and crannies on both the top and bottom of the hooves.

For more information on the grooming brushes and tools at Teddy's Tack Trunk, see this page:

Grooming Brushes & Tools

We are happy to have some new products in stock at Teddy's Tack Trunk!

First, we have Mrs. Conn's Bath Day Enriched Sponges. What a great idea these are! These sponges have the soap already infused in them. So, all you need to do is wet your horse and then start using the sponge. Best of all, Mrs. Conn uses natural ingredients that are safe and gentle for your horse's skin. We are offering three of the varieties, including Oatmeal, Fruit Smoothie, and Lemon Meringue.

Next, we have these adorable, colorful horse grooming brushes for children. Made by William Leistner of Germany, these are also top quality and will last a very long time. We offer colorful horse body brushes with a horse head decoration in the bristles and a super soft, goat hair brush that are so luxurious, your horse will love it! Both are smaller sized to fit a child's hand and also a small adult's hand.

Our Leistner horse grooming brushes with natural bristles and fibres will not need to be washed often. Instead, while you groom your horse, use a rubber or metal curry to brush off the excess dirt and dust from your brushes about every 4-6 strokes on your horse.

If you do need to wash your brushes, add a drop of horse shampoo in a shallow pan of water. Then swish around your brushes, bristle down, in the water. Let them soak 10-15 minutes. Make sure that the water does not meet the handle of your brushes. Although some of them are lacquered, we have found that water can still get in to the wood if immersed. Repeat the same with clear, clean water. Dry your brushes thoroughly before using.

Goat hair brushes can be cleaned by sprinkling talcum powder on them and brushing it off with a curry comb. Be gentle with this brush, though, and do not scrub it too hard. 

We are excited to announce that we will soon be offering William Leistner natural grooming brushes! These high quality horse grooming brushes are made in Germany by a family-owned company that was founded in 1882. Their attention to detail and use of natural fibers and bristles make their brushes some of the finest in the world. We expect to have these in stock in early June 2014.

 UPDATE: We now have in stock, a full line of Leistner grooming brushes. We can also special order brushes that we do not have in stock. We place an order about once a month. Please contact us for more information.