Best Horse Grooming Kit (Complete Guide)
Keep your horse looking healthy and radiant by investing in a good quality grooming kit. Grooming is an important part of caring for your horse, but it can also be meaningful for creating a special bond between you.
Generally, a decent grooming kit needs the following tools.
- Curry comb
- Body brush
- Dandy brush
- Face brush
- Mane and tail comb
- Hoof pick
This article covers 4 of our favorite grooming kits that have all these tools and more. Check out our buyer’s guide to help you decide which is best for your needs.
Top 4 Grooming Kits With All The Essentials
Harrison Howard Horse Grooming Kit (Best Overall)
- FULL SET SOOTHING GROOMING KIT: Shinewell horse grooming set offers all the essential brushes and accessories you need, with a range of brushes for grooming from head to tail, and hooves for all the care and attention they need, making your grooming a lot more complete.
- MADE FROM STURDY MATERIALS: Shinewell grooming brushes are designed to last longer and to efficiently remove caked mud or dirt off the horse’s skin. These brushes can stimulate better blood circulation on the skin, which helps produce natural oils and a shiny coat.
- EQUIPPED WITH A BUCKET HOLDER, SUITABLE FOR DAILY USE: The brushes come with a bucket that’s both durable and highly practical for everyday grooming activities, put some water in and give the brushes a quick rinse when needed. You will find its worth.
- FULL SET KIT, INCLUDING
- IDEAL GIFT FOR A HORSE LOVING FRIEND: This set of brushes is great for horse lovers and beginner riders who care for their four-legged friend. Maintaining proper hygiene of the horse helps build a nice and strong bond with the horse in the process.
The Harrison Howard Horse Grooming Kit 11-Piece Equine Care Series is rated as our best overall horse grooming kit.
This kit contains an incredible 11 pieces of equipment, excluding the foldable brush bag that it comes with too.
In this grooming kit, you will find a soft face brush, a flexible finish brush, coarse curry comb, sweat scraper, mane and tail brush, hoof pick, finish body brush, tail comb, massage glove, premium mane, and tail comb, and hair braiding combs and elastics too.
This horse grooming kit has everything that you could possibly want to keep your horse well maintained and groomed from head to toe (or hoof, in this case).
All the equipment in this kit is of exceptional quality. The body brushes can help to stimulate better blood circulation towards your horse’s skin, which helps to generate natural oils and give your horse a shiny coat.
The kit and the bag come in a variety of four different colors, but the pattern on the bag stays the same with the color change.
The bag is also fully waterproof and can be used as a bucket to either give your horse a drink or to wash off your brushes after grooming.
This horse grooming kit retails for approximately $55.
Pros
- 11 pieces of equipment
- Complimentary bag
- High-quality equipment
Cons
- The bag doesn’t seal closed
- People may not like the pattern on the bags
Weaver Grooming Kit (Best Value For Money)
- A 7-piece assortment of grooming essentials in a durable nylon tote bag for easy organization and carrying
- Includes a comb, hoof pick, palm held curry comb, palm held face brush, mane and tail brush, dandy brush and sweat scraper/coarse curry combo
- Comfortable webbing handles, and an adjustable, padded shoulder strap
- Other features include a convenient top drawstring closure, plastic feet that protect bottom of bag, a flexible retaining strap and comfortable webbing handles
The Weaver Grooming Kit is definitely the best value for money when it comes to horse grooming kits.
The Weaver kit includes a nylon bag, and 7 pieces of equipment – a soft face brush, coarse rubber curry comb, sweat scraper, mane and tail brush, mane and tail comb, dandy brush, and a hoof pick.
While this kit has less equipment than the Harrison Howard grooming kit, it still has all the essentials that you will need to provide your horse with the best grooming experience.
The fabric tote bags that the kits come in have six exterior pockets for grooming tools storage, a shoulder strap for easy transportation, and has a drawstring to ensure it stays closed and equipment can’t fall out of it.
Unfortunately, the equipment is not the most durable out there, with the hoof pick being particularly flimsy, and the bristles of some of the brushes falling out fairly easily.
The Weaver horse grooming kit can be bought for about $40, which is a reasonable price for the quality and number of tools you get.
Pros
- Good quality equipment
- Easy storage bag included in the kit
- Exterior pockets for extra storage
- Shoulder strap for easy transportation
Cons
- Some people may think 7 pieces of equipment is not enough
Oster Equine Care Series 7-Piece Grooming Kit (Best For Travel)
- Ideal for the frequent traveller.
- Detachable, adjustable shoulder strap
- The package dimension of the product is: 10"L x8"W x7"H
- Model number: 078399-310-001
The Oster Equine Care Series 7-Piece Grooming Kit is the best horse grooming kit for traveling. The reason for this is that the tools come in a bag where each one can be strapped into place.
This is good for traveling, as it keeps everything secure and organized for when you are on the road.
This blue, complementary, bag also has a shoulder strap that makes it easy to carry and transport when traveling.
In this Oster horse grooming kit, you will find 6 different tools. This includes a soft finishing brush, a stiff brush, coarse curry comb, mane and tail brush, mane and tail comb, and a hoof pick.
The brushes have an ergonomic design, which makes them easy to hold and makes the grooming process more comfortable. The handles are also made out of rubber, so it gives you a better grip and they don’t slip out of your hand.
Unfortunately, there have been some issues with the bristles of some of the brushes falling out, but this has only happened in a handful of cases.
The Oster Equine care Series costs approximately $55 to purchase from Amazon.
Pros
- Great for traveling
- Very organized kit
- Brushes have an ergonomic design and non-slip grip
Cons
- Only comes with 6 pieces of equipment
Collapsible Grooming Bucket Set (Best Budget)
The Collapsible Grooming Bucket Set is the best budget grooming set. As the name implies, this kit comes in a silicone collapsible bucket, which makes storage of the bucket very easy.
This kit includes five pieces of equipment – a curry comb, a soft bristle face brush, a body brush, a stiff brush, and a hoof pick.
The bucket itself can be used to store the equipment in, give your horse a drink of water, or wash the brushes. It is not very secure for traveling though.
This grooming kit still has the essentials you need, even though it is quite limited.
You can purchase this kit for a very affordable $25.
Pros
- Budget-friendly
- Easy to carry
- Lightweight
- Waterproof
- You can give your horse water with the bucket
Cons
- Limited tools
- Doesn’t zip closed
Horse Grooming Kit Complete Buyer’s Guide
Type Of Tools
The type of grooming tools that you have in your grooming kit is very important and is the first thing that you should look at when purchasing a grooming kit.
We will be elaborating on what grooming essentials every horse owner needs and what their purposes are.
Rubber Curry Comb
A rubber curry comb has short rubber teeth and is a brush used to target loose hair and give your horse a massage.
Curry combs are also used to remove dirt and debris and stimulate blood flow in your horse’s muscles and skin.
This comb is used by rubbing in circular motions over your horse’s body.
When you are looking for a curry comb, make sure it is not made out of plastic, but rather a high-quality synthetic material. It should also be sturdy with small thick bristles.
Dandy Brush
A dandy brush, also known as a stiff-bristled brush, is used to remove dried mud from the horse’s body and legs.
To use this brush, start at the neck of your horse and brush down their whole body in the direction of their hair.
We would recommend using a natural hair brush rather than a synthetic hairbrush as it is more gentle on your horse and gets the job done better.
Medium Brush
Medium brushes are good if you have a sensitive horse who doesn’t react well to a very stiff-bristled brush.
This brush is used in the same way as a dandy brush.
Soft Brush
A soft brush, also known as a body brush or a finishing brush. This brush is used last after the curry comb and dandy brush.
A soft brush has fine bristles and enhances the natural sheen of your horse’s coat.
With a soft brush, you want to make sure that the bristles are obviously soft, but not too soft that they aren’t able to do their job.
Sweat Scraper
A sweat scraper removes any excess sweat or hair from the horse after a tough session.
To use this tool, scrape along the body of the horse in the same direction of the hair.
Mane And Tail Brush
This brush is similar to a human’s hairbrush, and you use it in exactly the same way on the horse’s mane and tail.
This brush is not necessarily used in every grooming session but should be used every now and again to keep your horse’s hair from breaking or getting too tangled.
Mane And Tail Comb
A mane and tail comb is used very similarly to its brush counterpart.
The only difference is that this comb is a lot finer and better for detangling.
Try and avoid combs with seams in between the teeth, as they can pull on, and cut your horse’s hair.
Hoof Pick
A hoof pick is seen as one of the most important horse grooming supplies. This is because a horse’s hoof health is crucial for their health and well-being.
A hoof pick is used to take out any mud, sticks, or stones from your horse’s hoof.
A hoof pick should be used from heel to toe and should be a gentle process.
Some hoof picks have brushes attached to them, but this is not essential. Hoof picks get lost and break easily, so buying the most expensive one around is not essential.
Bag Ergonomics
The practicality and convenience of the bag are something that should play a role in your choice of horse grooming kits.
Factors you need to consider are how often you will be traveling, how many tools you have, whether you’d prefer a bag or a box, and how secure and easy to use it will be.
Convenience is important, and you don’t want the bag to get in the way.
Materials Used
The products used to make the bag and the tools are something that you should look into. You want your kit to be durable, high quality, and last long.
Rather opt for tools that are made out of good quality materials than going for something too cheap.
In general, combs should be made out of good quality plastic or rubber, and the bristles of a body brush should be made out of plastic, pig hair, or horsehair to be stiff enough to remove dirt from their coat.
Comfort
Comfort for the horse and the groomer is an important aspect to look at. You want the tools to provide the horse with a thorough, enjoyable groom, and you want the groomer to be comfortable whilst doing so.
A tip is to get rubber or silicone brushes so that they do not slip out of the groom’s hand.