The Right Brush For Manes And Tails

Our pasture horses require an untangling tool that will help us “sort out” their tresses without lots of damage. On a daily basis we need help flicking sawdust and straw from our stalled horse’s tails. After bathing we need an effective but kind brush that glides through manes and tails. And, for our show horses we need to smooth the hair.

We looked at 40 brushes and combs and evaluated them for effectiveness, ease of use, ease of cleaning, and price. We included a large number of general grooming brushes to see which would be suitable for manes and tails.

Untangling Long Manes And Tails
The Best Buy is Vidal Sassoon’s human hair brush #7008KM, which worked well as a horse brush and was easy to wash and care for ($2).

We also liked Dover’s Mane and Tail Brush #1036 ($3.90), which had poly bristles on one side and steel teeth on the other side and Tail Tamer’s Deluxe Paddle Brush, which was quite nice but pricey at $9.15.

Combing Clean, Untangled Hair
The Vplast Mane Comb from Importer Direct is a strong, basic comb and a great value at 89??. It was, simply, the best.

Long Flicks
All three brushes in this group have 3” bristles. They’re good for flicking sawdust, straw and dust out of a mane and tail. Although these brushes have a limited use for manes/tails, but we like the Wright-Bernet Black Knight.

Stiff, Natural Fiber
Combining palmayra with either tampico or onion fibers, these brushes are good for a quick brush to remove dirt and for setting a wet mane. We like the size and cost of the Sparta English Style 158 at $4.21.

Stiff, Poly Bristle
Thick, stiff bristles are pretty harsh for a mane or tail you are trying to pamper, unless you want to knock off mud. The Groom-Rite MB1 Dan Patch is our pick.

Medium, Tampico Bristles
The bristles are compatable with mane and tail hair and can be used for brushing without damage. We prefer the full size here. The Champion Winner’s Circle 204 is our favorite bristle in this group and, like most Champion brushes, it comes in five sizes. Maguire’s Groom-Rite MB29 Dandy Pocket Brush is great for shows because it has an open handle that slips into a hip pocket.

Soft, Poly Bristles
These perform a similar function to horse hair brushes — smoothing and finishing a clean, untangled mane — but we prefer horse hair. We like the gentleness of the flagged bristles on Decker’s Grip-Fit #34 ($5.77).

Horse Hair
These were soft bristles; ideal as finishing brushes but don’t expect them to brush through mane and tail hair. Maguire’s Groom-Rite MB50 Greatest ($10.06) is our favorite. We are traditionalists and like the handsome wood block and 100% horsehair bristles. The handy size, durable poly block, and $5.63 make the Decker Grip-Fit #98 a Best Buy.

Also With This Article
Click here to view ”Brushes Suitable For Manes And Tails.”
Click here to view ”Brushes And Combs Specifically Designed For Manes And Tails.”
Click here to view ”What Do You Want In A Brush Block’”
Click here to view ”Bristles: Choosing Can Be Confusing.”

Contact Your Local Tack Store Or:

Dover Saddlery
PO Box 5837
Holliston, MA 01746
800/989-1500
www.doversaddlery.com

Champion Brush
12 Canonicus Ave.
Newport, RI 02840
401/842-0010

Decker Mfg.
PO Box 370
Keokuk, IA 52632
319/524-3304

Sparta Brush Co., Inc.
PO Box 317
Sparta, WI 54656
800/356-8366

Black Forest Saddlery
9591 Sulpher Rd.
Sulpher, KY 40070-7648
800/544-5819

White Horse Trading
PO Box 69003
Portland, OR 97201-0003
800/824-5224
whtcoinfo@aol.com

Jeffers
PO Box 100
Dothan, AL 36301-0100
800/533-3377
www.1800jeffers.com

Wright-Bernet
412 Shoshoni Trail
Lake Villa, IL 60046
800/367-3526

Tail Tamer Products
1269 W. Pomoma Rd. #111
Corona, CA 91720
800/655-7872

Norman Equine Designs
10830 Old Military Rd.
Subiaco, AR 72865
800/348-5673
www.horse-blankets.com

Maguire Horse Care Products
Harper Brush
PO Box 608
Fairfield, IA 52556-0608
800/223-7894

Importer Direct
Box 180
Dewinton Alberta T0L 0X0 Canada
403/938-0180

Absorbine
W.F. Young, Inc.
PO Box 14
Springfield, MA 01102
800/628-9653
www.absorbine.com

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