Did you know that using the same grooming tools (brushes, hoof picks and combs) on multiple horses without properly cleaning them can spread fungal infections and diseases such as ringworm, rain rot and strangles? Routine cleaning of your grooming tools can also extend the life of the tools.
What can and should be cleaned:
- Curry combs
- Bristled brushes (stiff, soft and horsehair)
- Mane combs
- Tail brushes
- Grooming gloves
- Hair clips for braiding/banding
- Grooming blocks
- Stripping blades
- Scissors
- Grooming buckets/bags
So how should you clean your brushes and combs? Cleaning your tools can be done in two ways: Daily and weekly/monthly (depending on how often they’re used or if you share tools on each horse).
Daily:
- Remove excess hair after each use, especially between horses. Utilize a metal curry to swipe through bristle brushes. Bang rubber curries against a solid wall to remove the hair and dirt. Run a wide-tooth comb through the brush bristles.
- Use your hose to spray off rubber and plastic curry brushes.
Weekly:
- After removing excess hair and dried mud from your brushes and combs, prepare a bucket with unscented liquid dish soap or Nolvasan (chlorhexidine) and warm water.
- Dunk your brushes and combs in the water, swirl around some and then let them soak in the bucket for about 20 minutes.
- Use the curry or comb to scrub through the bristles of the body brushes while submerged in the water to make sure you’re able to get a deep down clean.
- Remove the brushes and thoroughly rinse for five minutes, until soap bubbles are no longer seen coming out of the brushes.
- Lay out the tools to dry out in the sun, with brushes on their side or facing down (you can place them on clean towels or on concrete).
- Spray out or wash out your grooming storage and allow to dry thoroughly before replacing the brushes.
Cleaning your brushes and grooming tools is the perfect time to evaluate the condition of each tool. Are there any broken teeth in your comb? Is your brush missing too many bristles? Is the handle cracked and uncomfortable for use? If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, it’s time to trash the old tool and invest in some new grooming tools.
Store your brushes in a grooming bag that fully closes to help keep your tools clean and dust-free and organized. This will allow you to have clean brushes ready to go so you can have a clean horse ready for your ride!
