Building a Grooming Kit

Stock your grooming kit with everything your horse actually needs without breaking your budget.

- BY SAMANTHA JOHNSON

Everyone knows caring for horses can get expensive. Lessons, tack, show fees, veterinary care, treats—all those costs can really add up! But the good news is that if you shop carefully, you can put together a really awesome grooming kit that will get the job done without spending a fortune. Here are some ideas to get you started.

BRUSHES

It's easy to get lost in the world of horse brushes; there are so many options and many different kinds. How do you even choose? But remember this: while having a variety of brushes and the finest materials (wood, natural bristles) is nice, it isn't essential.

If you're picking and choosing, you'll most likely want a dandy (hard) brush, a body (soft) brush, or both. You can always add other brushes to your kit later as you can afford them.

If you're going to splurge a bit on additional brushes right now, a soft face brush is nice for working gently around your horse's face and is a helpful item to have in your kit.

CURRY COMB

You pretty much need to have a curry comb in your grooming kit. Luckily, you can find inexpensive curry combs—just look for the basic type made of rubber or plastic, since the newer high-tech styles tend to cost more.

A rubber curry mitt or soft jelly scrubber is inexpensive and great for bathing and currying mud off sensitive leg and face areas.