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)

Spoiler Alert: Horse feed storage is critically important

 Specialty feeds for horses come with all sorts of intriguing extra ingredients, mostly for added vitamins and minerals and other nutritional bonuses. Sometimes equine grain formulations are aimed at easier digestibility, or even better taste.

 

Horse owners pay extra for all that good stuff.

 I was all-in for my horses, willing to shell out extra dough-re-mi to obtain the optimum feed choices for each of them. And we were basically happy with our feed supplier, who was generally pleasant and dependable. Also, he was local and accessible and convenient, storing his inventory in a big airy outbuilding not far from the horse farm.

 So I bought bag after bag after bag from him. And all was well.

 

Then I found a surprise inside a bag of pricey grain.

 Fuzzy, stinky, damp, decaying horse feed was not exactly what the equine veterinarian ordered. My horses wouldn’t be likely to approve of it either. 

Most horses will reject moldy grain (or moldy hay), if possible. But if they consume the offensive feed, it can cause digestive troubles (even colic), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (heaves), reproductive problems and other issues.

 Avoiding this exact situation was one of the main reasons I bought our horses’ feed on an as-needed basis, rather than stockpiling at the stables.

 

I was a little steamed. Maybe more than a little.

 I schlepped the bulky bag back to our animal feed guy. He blamed the unseasonably humid weather we’d had for the moldy grain. He offered to credit me for half the price of the product.

 Let’s see … how much of that fungus-filled feed was I going to be able to use?

 

Hey, sometimes ya just gotta break the mold.

 Or at least, sometimes ya just gotta find a new feed supplier, if the grain comes with mold.

 Ever since that moldy mishap, I have purchased our horse feeds from merchants with climate-controlled feed storage. They’re a little out of the way, but worth the trips.

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: LAN photo/s – All rights reserved.

Buying saddles or tack? What about COVID-19?

Mid-pandemic, tack shops and equestrians alike are still marketing their saddles and bridles and other horse tack. Money is tight for many, as jobless rates soar with pandemic-related layoffs and business closures (both temporary and longer), and the stock market fluctuates more wildly than the greenest colt.

But some horse-people still shop for equestrian equipment.

How does COVID-19 affect your purchase of a saddle or tack?

Safety is definitely a concern, as the coronavirus is extremely contagious. By government decree and/or merchant caution, many brick-and-mortar stores are closed, but still offering their wares online. And individual sellers still advertise used and new items on websites, in blog sidebars, on online bulletin boards, and through social networking.

The buying and selling has not ceased, although folks may have grown more frugal in the current economic climate.

Even remote buying and selling merits some caution.

Is your new stuff coming in with an unexpected add-on, the dreaded virus?

 Some experts believe the virus is able to linger on various surfaces. Here are a few pertinent examples for horsey folks (thanks to WebMD):

• Aluminum – 2-8 hours
• Cardboard – 24 hours
• Ceramics – 5 days
• Copper – 4 hours
• Glass – varies (up to 5 days)
• Miscellaneous metals – 5 days
• Paper – varies (up to 5 days)
• Plastic – 2-3 days
• Silver – 5 days
• Stainless Steel – 2-3 days
• Wood – 4 days

Think about that fancy saddle or bridle, with hand-tooled leather and silver conchos. Consider the shiny new plastic water bucket or grooming tote. Ponder the handy halter, the sweet wooden dandy brush, the fluffy saddle pad, or the metal shedding blade. How about that brand-new new hoof pick?

COVID-19 may last from hours to days on porous items like fabrics and leather. (Check out that beautiful new show coat, those flashy breeches, or that amazing pair of boots.)

Don’t assume something is virus-free, just because it’s brand-new.

Any one of these could still carry coronavirus, if it was handled by someone who was infected. Especially if you picked it up in person or paid extra for express delivery.

Even that sweet pedigree paperwork or breed certificate on the new foal could be contaminated.

And all that second-hand stuff? All bets are off there too.

Have you heard the glitter analogy about COVID-19?

This analogy helps to paint a clear picture of the situation. Let’s assume (for safety’s sake) that anything you obtain these days is tainted with the virus. Pretend it’s shiny like glitter, so you can see it. And it’s all over your new stuff.  Now you have to wash the glitter off before you use your new stuff.

Let's just consider everything contaminated for now, for the sake of safety. If we are over-cautious, we still may come out healthier.

What can you do?

Go ahead, and buy that pretty bridle. Order that sensational saddle. Splurge on that spiffy show shirt.

When your stuff arrives, you can open it outside, and toss all of the outer packaging. Don’t even bring it into the barn till you disinfect it (in a safe spot, like outdoors or in the wash-rack, if you plan to clean that after you’re done). Household disinfectants, laundry detergent, cleaning wipes, and even soap and water can clean your newly acquired items. Saddle soap does the trick for leather goods, if you scrub a lot and rinse and buff well. You may even opt to hire a professional tack cleaner for your new saddle or bridle.

Be sure to toss all of the outer packaging.

Then wash your hands.

Image:

Public domain photo

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What basic rules does a horse barn need?

Most equestrian riding and horse boarding facilities have basic barn rules, which may or may not be posted in a prominent spot on site. Others print their list of rules on their barn websites or in boarding or lesson contracts. 

What barn rules are most often included?

Generally, barn rules are aimed at safety (for horses and humans), common courtesy, and peaceful coexistence. Here are several commonly posted barn rules, gleaned from several sources. Not all barns choose to have all of these rules, although many of these items may merit inclusion.

• No smoking.
• ASTM-approved safety helmets are required for all riders (or all riders aged 18 and under).
• Sturdy closed-toe shoes are required at the barn.
• All riders (or their parents, if minors) must sign liability release forms.
• Visitors must be accompanied by barn staff or horse owners.
• Children must be adult-supervised at the barn.
• Unleashed dogs are not allowed on the barn premises.
• Please clean up after your horse.
• Please clean up after yourself.
• No drama.
• Hand-grazing is not permitted on the barn owner’s lawn.
• Do not leave horses unattended (except in turnout or their own stalls).
• If you break something (or your horse does), please speak up.
• Barn board is due on the first of the month. Every month.
• Call out “Door!” before entering the arena.
• No stopping or standing on the rail in the arena.
• Out-of-control horses (on lines or under saddle) must be collected and depart the arena, while others are using it.
• A barn-approved riding instructor/trainer must be present during jumping.
• Do not handle, ride, lunge, medicate, feed, or offer treats to others’ horses without permission.
• Vet calls may be placed only by horse owners and barn staff (with horse owners’ permission)
• Only horses, barn staff, and boarders are allowed in the turnouts.
• Heaters and lights must be turned off, if not in use.
• Parking must not block access to horse trailers.

Additional rules may cover barn hours, horse vaccination and deworming requirements, arena usage, tack storage, guest riding policies, lesson/clinic arena priorities, and other concerns.

Of course, the big question remains:  How are these barn rules enforced?

Images:

Adapted from public domain artwork

Feel free to follow Twitter. Please visit my Amazon author page as well. And I am happy to share my RUNDERDOG ambassador code for 10% off on Bondi Band Athletic Headbands, Accessories, and Fashions. (Simply enter the code at online checkout.).