What’s in my Grooming Tote?

When it comes to my horse and his products, I’m super specific as to what he uses! After trying out so many different products and brushes, I have finally found my absolute favorites. I’m not saying these are my end all be all choices, but I do really like and recommend all the products I use. I will link all of these as I name them, and will include any codes I have! When looking for new brushes or sprays, I try to stick to minimal and most effective. I don’t like having multiple brushes of the same kind/category in my grooming tote because it takes up so much space and creates more weight. I also try to limit the number of sprays/products because I find brushing your horse is much more effective than spraying a bunch of random sprays.

To start off, I use the Kensington Plaid Groom Tote in the color SmartBlue which I got roughly 3 years ago. This groom tote is AWESOME. It literally took me so long (and a lot of money spent) to find the perfect grooming tote. I needed something small, lightweight and easy to use/organize. Another huge priority is being able to make one trip from the tack room to the stall (we all know that struggle)! This grooming tote has about 6 different pockets on the outside great for storing gloves, spurs, hoof picks, etc. On the inside, there are a bunch of straps to hold your bottles in place along with a large, open space in the middle to put your brushes. I don’t have a specific way of organizing and, honestly, I will just throw my brushes in the middle.

I have tested so many different curries and I have finally found my favorite one. I believe I actually was introduced to this curry from Equestrian Prep’s YouTube years ago but I know so many other people who use this curry. I use the Rubber Mitt Curry and you can find this at any tack store. I love this curry because it is flexible and soft enough to use on their legs and face, but also tough enough to really get all the dirt and dust off of your horse (and JT has really tested that). I have 2 different mitt curries: one for everyday use and one for getting the poultice off his legs (we poultice after every jumping lesson/show).

To get all the dust and dirt off his body, I use the Wellesley Equestrian hard brush and soft brush from their Personalized Horse Show Brushes collection. I think this best hard brush is the best on the market. It’s the perfect mix of a hard brush and flick brush and is super flexible. My horse is pretty sensitive, so stiff hard brushes are an absolute no go for us. This hard brush gets all of the dust and dirt off of his body and wipes off any poultice dust left on his leg. Now that we’re in blanket weather, I don’t usually use the hard brush on his body because he normally doesn’t get super dusty/dirty and doesn’t need a super hard brushing. The WE soft brush is one of the absolute favorite brushes I have. I use this brush every day, whether to add an extra shine to his coat after a hard brush, or to get little pieces of dust off his body post-curry. What I also love about these brushes is they have my name on the back, insuring my brushes are all in place and don’t get lost. After 3 years, the brushes still look like new, with minimal to no scratches on the brush’s engraved backing. If you want to try out some of Wellesley Equestrian’s brushes or other products, use my code WEOLIVIAG10 for 10% off your order!

Hoof picks are something I don’t really have a preference on. Give me a hoof pick and I will use it! Right now, I am using the Epona Woodpicker hoof pick and I like it. I do wish I had a brush on my hoof, but honestly whatever hoof pick I have I will use. I couldn’t find a trusted link to the pick I’m using now, but I linked a hoof pick (here) I also really like (and my sister uses)!

I absolutely love the mane and tail products I use. The brush I use is a very generic brush that I don’t even think has a brand name. JT has a pretty thick tail and this brush will glide through his tail without pulling out too many hairs or even breaking mid brushing session. I’ve had multiple brushes snap in half when brushing the tail, and so far I haven’t had any issues with this one. I believe I bought this brush at a tack store at a horse show, but I linked a similar brush from an Amazon link! To spray in his tail, I use the Carr & Day & Martin Canter Silk Mane & Tail Conditioner. Typically, I spray this every other day in his tail to detangle any knots he might have in his tail. This is the one and only spray I use on JT and I LOVE IT! It’s very easy to use with a quiet spray, and an effective product.

The rest of my grooming tote includes random shavings, hay pieces, and spurs for when I ride other horses that need them. Other than that, that’s it! Like I said, I try to keep my grooming tote pretty minimal and basic. I don’t really like to get fancy with my products, especially if they don’t work. Instead, I go for least expensive, best quality option and save my money for spoiling him! After a lot of trial and error I feel I’ve put together a grooming tote with the products that bring out the best in my horse’s coat and keep him shiny and clean!