Horse Care > Vale Brothers Horse Care

Advantages: High Quality Brushes
Disadvantages: You'll lose them just as quickly as the others!

After almost 18 years of brushing the same bits of mud off of horses it is hard to get excited about it anymore! the only bit that winds me up is when everyone has the same liveryman brushes and they all get lost or "borrowed". So i decided to remedy this by buying a nice new set and off I trotted to get them. Once home the inevetable magic marker came out to christen them all as mine HANDS OFF! and even unrugged a horse just to try them out! Dissapointment ...
...the body brush was too soft to remove even stable stains and the dandy brush seemed to harsh- the back facing ears and teeth snapping at my sides kinda gave that one away! Never disheartened I thought I would save them for summer grooming and have a set especially for the shows, needless to say by then all but one had been lost, borrowed or eaten! And the body brush was still too soft-although excellent for brushing down your show coat! ... Read review

Advantages: It works!
Disadvantages: A bit expensive

...has approached I saw the Champion Tails Stain Remover and I thought i'd give it a try. As soon as we had a dry warm day last week I couldnt wait to get it out and try it on both horses!! It has an okay smell (which worried me because I thought the flies might be attracted even more!!) after really giving the tail a good scrub and then hosed it down the change of colour was instant!! Champion Tails Concentrated Stain Remover is specially formulated ...
...mane and tail hair, white socks and stained body hair. The tails stain remover isnt badly priced as its a specialist product but there are some cheaper on the market which also give a good result. You can get the stain remover in either natural or grey in 175g tubs. I opted for the natural as I use can it on both horses. The end result was a nice stain free soft and smooth tail with a noticeable difference in the colour. ... Read review

Advantages: Soft & Easy to use.
Disadvantages: Only 1 size and 1 Colour.

I own the Woof Wear Neoprene Tail Guard and I have done for a few years as its so reliable. Manufactured from soft, flexible neoprene to protect the tail whilst travelling. It has 4mm PX closed cell neoprene, ergonomic design for easy positioning and fit, it is designed to protect from above top of tail right to end of dock. Has a plush outer finish for unlimited strap adjustment and a secure fit and 4 adjustable high density Touch & Close straps. ...
...it slipped down my horses tail, not much but the top of the tail started to poke out. I thought it might be because my horse has quite a thick tail so I decided to put a tail bandage under the tail guard. After this the tail guard didnt slip once!! I also think that having a bandage under the tail is a bit more support and protection. I do think that if you horse has a thick tail or even a very soft (newly washed) the tail guard might slip a bit ... Read review

Advantages: It really works!
Disadvantages: The Price!

I started to use the Keratex Hoof Hardener when my one horse (who doesnt wear shoes) started to get brittle feet and tiny cracks started to appear. A few other people on my hard were using it and when my farrier came out to trim him he recommended it to me but just to use until there was a shown improvement in the feet. I went along to my local shop and bought a bottle (its not cheap) and started to apply it daily when his feet were dry. The smell ...
...pungent! Strengthens poor quality hoof walls so that shoes stay on tight and allows lightly worked horses to remain sound without shoes. It does not produce a surface coating thereby allowing the hoof to breathe and function naturally and works by improving and strengthening the molecular structure of hoofwalls and soles. A little brush came with the pack I bought but I opted to use a normal hoof oil brush. After a few a weeks I noticed an improvement ... Read review

Advantages: Two colours, easy to apply
Disadvantages: Melts in heat

Effol Hoof Ointment strengthens the hooves and encourages healthy hoof growth. The hooves are strengthened and supported in their natural development. Effol Hoof Ointment makes the hooves more elastic thus protecting them against cracks even under extreme conditions. I have used Effol for years on all my horses young and old. Im not one that uses this everyday as it will just eventually ruin their hooves as they need moisture from the ground and ...
...it was easier to apply Effol but as soon as winter came the contents of the pot went rock hard! So you couldnt really win either way. But as its not that expensive and it did during the summer moisten my horses feet the effects really didnt bother me to much considering I dont use it every day! ... Read review