Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
Really does remove tangles without damaging hair . |
| Disadvantages: |
More expensive than other brushes . |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
When I was a young girl I used to dream about horses all the time, I would groom them for hours when I went riding and wish that I had one. Even as an adult I wanted the opportunity to spend more time with horses, not just to ride, to groom and spend quality time with them. Now that I have horses and a child and I work, it is more difficult to find time to groom thoroughly. The horses need mucking out and exercising, during the short daylight hours, grooming is more of a necessity (saddle patch etc.) than getting the horse to look nice. I would find that the horse`s bodies would be brushed, but the
tails would often be neglected.
Grooming manes and tails.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
It is generally recommended when grooming a horse`s mane and tail, to use a body brush as this does not break the hair. A body brush is a soft bristled brush with reletively short bristles. In realilty, these brushes don`t really seperate the hair. You can also use your fingers as this is gentle. Most of the people in the yard would use a plastic curry comb, which is just like a brush but plastic. This does comb the hair but can take ages and may break the hair. A mane or tail comb can also be used, but again, this can break the hair.
My Usual Routine.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
I would bring the
horse in, wash the feet off, pick them out, brush off any mud, make sure the saddle patch and bridle area were clean to avoid any possibility of rubbing, tack up and ride. Or if I rode in the morning the horse would be fairly clean from the stable, so the saddle patch would get a brush and not much else. It makes me sound a really bad horse owner, but I have more than one and horse owners need to get their prioritise. The stables need to be mucked out, the horses need exercise, so the tail would not get brushed every time. Every few weeks, I would then spray mane and tail conditioner into the mane and tail (which would make it much easier) and then brush it. The presence of the conditioner keeps the tail looking a bit better, but it was still hassle doing this. Someone recommeded the
Oster mane and tail brush, but at approximately £10, I thought it was too expesnsive. However, several others bought the brush, I borrowed one and had to buy one as soon as possible.
Oster Mane and Tail Brush.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The brush is only available in pink or blue. It is similar to some hairbrushes for humans, but more robust. The handle is of an ergonomic design, with a slightly rubbersied handle to make it easy to grip. The plastic bristles on the brush have a small plastic balls on then end. They are spaced quite widely. The bristles are fixed, they are not on a bed of rubber like the similar looking hairbrushes.
Using the Oster Mane and Tail Brush.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
When brushing the tail, work your way up from the bottom, removing tangles as you go. Take small sections at a time and then eventually you can brush the whole tail.
Brushing the mane is easy. The handle is placed in an ideal position for the brush to do the work and not the hands. It is especially good for a tall horse as you don`t have to reach so far.
Performance.
* * * * * * * * * *
The brush goes throught he hair easily. It does not seem to break the hair. The main
benefit is the time. It takes significantly less time to brush the mane with this than it does other implements. I now brush my tails every day as it is so quick and efficient. I cannot stress how much easier it is. With regards to the
price, approximately £10 though shop around, prices vary, it is expensive, but well worth it. The plastic curry combs you can buy for about £1, but this really are much better. It is worth spending more on the initial outlay and getting a better performance. I haven`t had mine long, but my friend has. It has lasted well, none of the bristles have broken off.
Other Products.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Oster sell clippers and they also sell other grooming products consisting of brushes and hoofpicks. A 7 piece set, one of the pieces being the bag costs in excess of £50, quite expensive. I won`t replace my grooming kit as it is all functional and I don`t need to. My friend has the set and she thinks it is brilliiant. It is a good thing to receive as a gift, which she did.
I certainly recommend the mane and tail brush. If someone would like to buy me the complete set then that would be wonderful. Otherwise I will just make do with what I already have.
The mane and tail is a useful addition to any grooming kit.
