Spring Time Hairy Horse Hint!

[Critterhugger]

Shedding season is upon us! This is my favorite hint for helping with the over abundance of spring time hair during shedding season! I remove the handle from a push broom (Quickie brush is the brand I like), and then tie just the broom part to the wall in each of my stalls. My horses LOVE brushing themselves when they are shedding. I have a few horses that do not like to be brushed, but they love their stall brushes. And as you can tell from the photo they are being used! I clean up hair off the brooms and the floor around the brush every day in the spring.

http://www.miniaturehorsetalk.com/uploads/gallery/album_230/gallery_339_230_9927.jpg

 

[sparklingjewelacres]

Oh my.. thats clever. I will try that.

 

[Lil Eowyn]

Great idea! Éowyn would love that!

 

[disneyhorse]

Goats also like this.

 

[AngC]

That looks like a really good idea, Critterhugger. I’m not sure the broom pieces would work too well for us; our baby eats anything that isn’t nailed down, our mare is a spook and probably wouldn’t get near it, and our big guy wouldn’t see it, but it might be a useable idea. Thanks; I’ll have to get the husband to cobble something up to test it, though.

We’re shedding ferociously here, so I’ve been conducting an informal analysis of grooming tools. One of the first I bought was a curry comb; that was what we always used to use on horses a billion years ago when I was young. I’ve since learned on the internet that: curry combs are for cows. When I was a kid, we neither brushed nor curry-combed cattle, so I was surprised to learn a curry comb is for cattle. Regardless, our goobs don’t like the metal curry comb. I’ve tried a variety of other brushes; rubber, stiffer, softer, etc. and either the horses don’t like them or they’re a real pain to use.

My test criteria are whether I can use it on them while they’re loose in the pasture without typing them up. So far, the best grooming tool I’ve found is my hands. I take an office-type plastic trash can out there and scrubbie-scrub with my hands; then try to shake off the hair into the trash can. The benefit is that I touch everywhere and while I’m doing it, I can clean all parts, like if somebody has a little ear wax, or whatever (sorry not to be gross.) The drawback is hair, hair, hair, everywhere. The hair clings to everything!

 

[Critterhugger]

I know what you mean AngC. I was worried at first the horses would be too hard on the brushes, but they hold up well. I keep my horses in 12 x 12 stalls and I worry about them getting bored, but between the jolly ball toys and their wall brushes they stay pretty happy. When I get a new horse at first it seems like they aren't sure what to do with the wall brush, but then they see the other horses rubbing and they catch on pretty quick. Every few months my stallion manages to get his brush untied from the wall, but it only takes a few minutes to tie it back up again. It would be nice to have solid stall walls that I could bolt the brushes to, but they stay in place pretty well considering. I brush and clip my horses a lot especially in the spring, so this is just in addition to that. I forgot to say that the brushes already have two holes in the middle (where the broom stick normally goes) so I can tie them there, then I also drill two holes in the top part of the broom and tie it at the top too.