A New, Old Tool

When I did a brief stint as a dog groomer, many moons ago, I often turned to the soft slicker brush for finishing touches on the pooches on my table.

About a month ago, I found the same old slicker brush in the barn and began applying it to the shedding horses.  Although intended to be a dog coat tool, this soft, bent-wire brush has risen to number one on my top-ten list for horse shedding implements.

Its wires have enough give so as to not scrape the horses uncomfortably, it collects hair like nobody’s business and it’s easy to yank or comb the hair out of it for swift grooming.  And the horses love it!  Tonight in the pasture, they were standing in line for their turn to be brushed.

Here’s the result of a few swipes on Dee’s furry back.  

This picture opportunity gave me a chance to show you Dee’s best spot, that round one in the middle of her back.   I love it, but no one will ever see it when I ride her, since it will be covered by the saddle and pad.

Here’s what the brush looks like, sans hair (well, most of the hair, anyway).

You can see that it’s soft, giving to my finger pressure.   

If you want to use one, they are available at most pet stores and grooming supply companies.  I would avoid the softest, which won’t pull as much hair, and the hardest, which might hurt the horses’ skin.   Give it a shot, and if you’re like me, you’ll soon end up removing lots of hair from the horse, only to cover yourself with it from head to foot.

Ah, Spring!