Winter Grooming Tote Must-Haves

Grooming my horse in the winter (and probably most horses!) is always enjoyable, and my Quarter Horse, Finn absolutely loves to be groomed. Since I can't bathe him, he seems to literally collect dust and I'm always on a crusade to make him at least look clean. I swear (and my trainer will back me up!) that no matter how clean I think Finn is- even if I think I’ve gotten every shaving and clump of dust- once I go out and ride, the shavings and dirt just appear from nowhere! In the summer, he gets a quick brush down and that’s that. In the winter, there are a lot more steps, I'm talking extensive grooming.

Cut down on the Crud

To tackle the horse that dust and shavings cling to, I have a packed grooming tote. I usually start with the Epona Tiger's Tongue Horse Groomer™ . This thing is a game changer. I first used the April Power Shower™ Sponge with Tiger's Tongue sponge this summer to bathe my horse, Finn. Finn gets the worst summer crud, especially on his face and ends up losing most of the hair on the center of his face. Finn is also the itchiest horse I have ever met. I used this on his face this summer and he LOVED it, he would drop his head down and close his eyes when I scrubbed his face. Knowing how much he loved the bath sponge, I figured he would also love the groomer and he sure does. I use it all over his body, but I particularly love it for his face (and so does he!).

Epona Flexible Glossy Groomer is my go to Curry Comb because it is so flexible. Both the Epona Flexible Glossy Groomer and the Epona Tiger’s Tongue Horse Groomer are part of the Epona Bestselling Brush Bundle, plus you get the Queen’s Mane & Tail Brush with the bundle too!

Dust Free Finish

I finish off grooming with the Haas Pummel Flick Brush and the Haas Pummel Wurzel Stiff Brush, both of which I love because they are durable and doing a good job at getting out the dust that seems to be attracted to Finn’s coat.

For topical products during the winter I have the Effol® Regrowth Serum which I use on Finn’s forelock. Finn has a very thin forelock, but after being braided many times throughout the show season, I find his forelock to be very sparse in the Fall. A friend of mine used this on her horse’s forelock and swore by it, so I decided to try it and it truly made his forelock grow in quite a bit! I am not sure if you are actually supposed to use it on their forelocks as the product just says mane and tail, so don’t try it on your horse’s forelock. I use the EQyss® Avocado Mist for Finn’s tail in the winter to keep it from drying out.

Focus on Feet

Arguably, the most important products in my grooming tote are my hoof care products. I have been a long time fan of the Farriers' Fix Hoof Oil that my farrier recommended many years ago, I use on the outside of his hooves as a conditioner, but it can also be used on the sole and the frog. For the frog of his foot I use the Stubben 3-in-1 Frog Care Spray to treat and prevent thrush which Finn is prone to, especially in the winter.

With so many options for grooming products the options are endless, but these are my winter staples for a super dusty, itchy, thrush prone, handsome Quarter Horse with a sparse forelock.