I decided, since the horse is clearly staying and I only had literally 2 or 3 brushes in my grooming kit that it was time to invest in some new brushes for him.
I put the request for recommendations out on our sister Facebook group “horse products tried and tested” and surprisingly overwhelmingly the consensus was to look at a set of haas brushes. These can be bought singularly online or are sold in colour packs by eqclusive.com.
Colour packs? I have to admit I was very sceptical. Being a veterinary nurse I’m very aware of the kind of marketing that makes us buy stuff for our animals, but when i looked into it there is actually some real sense behind it.
I went for the dark bay/black colour set because despite my horse actually being bright bay he has a slightly coarser and sturdier coat than the softer dustier coat that the chestnut/bright bay pack described. I have also heard from friends that they are great for poo stains on greys!
Now let’s get one thing super clear. I absolutely hate grooming. I don’t enjoy it and as such I’m the first to admit that I don’t do it as regularly as perhaps I should! My horse lives out (minimally rugged) for a huge part of the year and has a very very dense coat which I clip in the winter. It’s so dense it’s like velvet and if I allow it to grow he looks like a yak!
I ordered the brushes from eqclusive.com. Had I only needed one or two I would probably have sourced them individually, but for people wanting to put together a show grooming kit or a first grooming kit then the packs are a handy way to get the brushes you need. They are not cheap however, and so I was excited to receive them and try them out.
There was about a month delay in the order being dispatched (made clear when I was ordering) but the sleekeze I purchased for moulting was sent earlier on my request and is an absolutely brilliant thing. I would recommend it to anyone, however it is just a hacksaw blade on a block so if you’re crafty you could easily make one.
My brushes arrived earlier than expected and beautifully presented in a posh box with instructions on which order to use them.
The box didn’t last long as it’s cardboard and a tight fit so not the most practical.
The brushes themselves have really confusing and slightly pretentious names like “cavello” and “lipizzanner”. If I were selling as a pack I would number them which is essentially what I’m going to do with a sharpie pen.
The idea is that you brush your horse once or twice over with the brushes in order and each one does a slightly different job… lifts scuff, removes dust, adds shine, polishes!
Tentatively and not expecting much I gave my horse a 10 minute groom.
I. Could. Not. Believe. The. Result!!!!!
The brushes fit really well in the hand and are comfortable to use. The first couple of brushes really did get out deep scurf which couldn’t see! My horse had been bathed a few days beforehand and still the grime was still coming up. It really stays on the brush too so I would recommend using the curry comb inbetween strokes.
The brushes seem to put on more and more shine and in particular the difference on his face was pretty amazing! For someone who doesnt like grooming i can confirm that this was a very rewarding experience!.
We went out showing this weekend to a huge show and got 3rd place in a well supported best condition class and I’m sure the quality of his coat played a part in this.
I would recommend these brushes to anyone. Whether you do your research and buy them singularly or go for a colour pack I don’t think you would be disappointed .
They are an absolute show kit essential, particularly the “diva” which is the most gorgeous lambswool and gives an epic shine.
If you’re hesitant? I believe that eqclusive do yard visits to demonstrate them.
Go for it and let me know what you think!!
Equine... tried and tested 