Our top 5 product picks for grooming shedding horses

 Shedding season is upon us again, as horses drop tumbleweeds of hair anywhere they rub or roll. In most climates, horses shed out twice a year, making way for their emerging summer and winter coats.

Here’s a look at our favorite tools for grooming shedding horses. For convenience, each title link leads to that product on Amazon. (Full disclosure: I’m an Amazon affiliate, meaning I receive credit for purchases made through their links on my sites. These products may also be purchased from saddle and tack merchants, pet stores, and other retailers.)

 

1. Equestrian Fuego Horse Shedding Bar-Blade – Get a grip on horse shedding with this handy tool. The metal combed edge easily scrapes away stray hairs all over the horse.

 

2. Farnam Slick 'N Easy Horse Grooming Block – This hand-held coarse fiberglass block uses friction and elbow grease to groom the horse’s coat. It’s super for putting the finishing touches on shedding, after using more heavy-duty tools. It’s also great for doing a quick touch-up before a ride or show class.

3. LuxPal Five-Fingered Deshedding Gloves – Horse shedding doesn’t get any simpler than this. (It’s the same principle as those old car-washing mitts. “Wax on. Wax off” (to quote The Karate Kid movie.) Lots of companies offer this kind of shedding glove. Quality varies. Pick a pair, rather than a single one, for quick and easy horse grooming.

4. Oster Coarse Curry – This spiky curry only looks fierce. It’s actually soothing to many horses, and it works well in stirring up and removing shedding hair. (My Warmblood, Paint, and Morgan couldn’t get enough grooming with this curry, although my ticklish Thoroughbred didn’t favor it so much.)

5. Wahl Shedding Blade –
This looped tool has serrated edges, making it extra useful for shedding out a horse quickly. The handles separate, making one long blade for two-handed grooming. It’s also handy for clearing off mud or scraping off water after a horse’s shower.

 

A few comments on other horse shedding products and practices:

 Ringed metal curry combs (with concentric circular toothed blades) are frequently found in the hands of those shedding their horses. This is a matter of some debate, as certain equine experts and owners maintain that these tools are intended for cleaning grooming brushes, not for actual use on horses’ coats. I think it depends on how you use them. And they can be super for shedding or for removing dried mud.

Many equestrians choose to clip their horses’ hair periodically throughout the year, especially if those equines are housed in heated barns and wear weatherproof blankets (and possibly neck and hood coverage) for turnout. Some purchase their own clippers, while others pay professionals for clipping.

 Equine grooming vacuums are also popular. In some cases, show barns have such vacuums for grooms to use, or they make the machines available for boarders to use. Some equestrians buy their own horse grooming vacuums. Although these seem convenient, I have never found them useful with my own horses. None of my horses have been fans of the suction or noise these machines make.

 Horse shedding is messy work, but it can be quite pleasing to the horse. Done well, it’s sort of a form of massage, and it offers quality bonding time for horse and human. In addition, shedding horses are frequently regarded as harbingers of the changing seasons.

 

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Image/s: Public domain photo and product promo photos (fair use)

It's tack sale season: Need pricing pointers?

 

Whoa! It’s tack sale season again already.

 Like lots of horse lovers, I’ve been cleaning out closets. I’ve dug through my garden shed (where I’ve perennially stored lots of horse stuff).

That’s right. I’m vending again. This time it’s a tack sale organized by the local 4-H group. This event tends to be extremely well-attended, year after year.

 My table is reserved. My saddle pads are laundered. The boots are polished. The saddle is clean and sparkling. The show shirts are washed and ironed. You get the picture.

 

Now it’s time to price all that stuff.

 As I pack my jumbo totes for the trip, I am hoping not to have to repack them after the sale. It was hard enough weed through my long-time collection of equestrian-related accumulation. I really don’t want to bring stuff home and try to find places to store it again.

 

So I am pricing my items to move.

 Sure, a couple of things may command higher prices. My faithful big-name dressage saddle, for instance, may draw real money. My quilted saddle pads are (You guessed it!) $5 apiece. So are a handful of halters that suddenly materialized in my shed. (Just when I thought I had sold, donated, or given away all of them.)

 

Deep discounts draw shoppers!

 A few years ago, my table was quite popular at a local tack sale. Folks started calling it “The Five-Dollar Table,” because I offered tons of items for that price. Old bridles, saddle pads, bits, brushes, halters – you name it. Almost everything was $5.

 I went home with two filled totes and three empty ones. And a pocket full of $5 bills. On the way, I stopped for lunch with a friend and lightened my pocket a bit as well. All in all, I counted that day as a win.

 

Boots must be clean to sell.

 

Tack sale vending is largely about pricing things right – as in, small prices.

 For costly items (such as fine condition saddles, fancy leather chaps, sparkly show shirts, and leather full-seat riding breeches), many sellers start pricing at 50% below retail. That stuff has to be pristine, even at half-off.

 Basic items like grooming brushes, bits, halters, buckets, are usually priced much lower. Shoppers can find those on every table at the sale.

 Used boots may go cheap too, unless they are genuine leather, pricey brands, and super condition. I’ve seen Ariats, Dublins, and even Hermes for $10-$20. (I’m selling a lovely pair of Frye cowboy boots for $30.)

 Safety helmets usually don’t sell well. It’s hard to tell if they’ve been compromised by a tumble. So people steer away from them, unless they are practically give-aways. There may be someone gearing up for kiddy rides, pony camps, or birthday parties that’s willing to pick up a few extra helmets for a song.

 

The big question about tack sale pricing is simple.

 Are you willing to haul all that stuff home with you after the sale?

 If you really want to lighten your load, then your prices have to be low enough to draw the bargain-hunting browsers.

 

Negotiations are part of the game.

 Tack sale shoppers expect to haggle over prices. Everyone does it!

 “You’re asking $25 for this turnout blanket? I only have $12. Is that OK?”

 “Your tall field boots are $40. I’ll give you $18.”

 “These riding crops are marked $10 apiece. Can I have three for $20?”

 “If I buy the bridle, will you toss in a bit to go with it?”

 This stuff happens. And most sellers are willing to play along with the give-and-take. Some will make counter-offers, encouraging some back-and-forth with buyers.

 In fact, as the sale progresses, many begin dropping their prices, just to empty their tables. The best bargains can always be found in the final hour of the sale, as the crowd begins to thin. Sure, the pickings may be thinner then, but shoppers can scoop up some super deals from eager sellers. It’s not uncommon for a buyer to return to a seller with a repeated offer (or even a lower one), right before the sale closes.

 

Donations are always an option.

 Last fall, I set up a table at a local tack sale. When it was over, I made two piles: KEEP and DONATE. I packed accordingly.  I drove to my chosen donation site and dropped off that pile. Then I went home and stashed the other pile in preparation for this next sale.

 This time, I have resolved not to bring anything home (except maybe that saddle, if it doesn’t sell). I’ve already inquired, and the hosting 4-H group will accept donations on-site. That will definitely lighten my load for the trip home!

 

 

Feel free to follow on Twitter. Don’t miss the The Mane Point page on Facebook. You are invited to visit my Amazon author page as well.

 

Image/s: Public domain photo/s