Like they say in the kitchen, it’s best to clean as you go. Rather than allowing grime to build up on your horse’s brushes, take a few moments to remove the dirt, hair and dander each time you use them.

Most grooming regimes start with a good once-over with a rubber curry comb to loosen dirt and hair, followed by a hard or medium-hard dandy brush to remove it. The dandy brush can get clogged up quickly, so grab a metal curry comb and swipe it over the bristles every few strokes. This will help keep the brush clean and get the job done faster and more efficiently. Also do this with the body brush, which usually follows the dandy. These brushes have short hard-to-medium or soft bristles meant to catch the smaller particles of dust and stray hairs. It doesn’t take long for dirt to work its way down between the tightly-compressed bristles, so attending to it right away makes looking after these brushes easier. The same goes for softbristled face brushes.

But let’s face it, finding time to squeeze in a ride can be hard enough, let alone trying to stay on top of keeping your brushes clean. That said, you should make time at least once a month to thoroughly clean and disinfect your grooming tools. Not only will this help preserve them, but it can help prevent skin irritation and even the spread of infection. While the best prevention is making sure that every horse has its own set of grooming supplies, this is not always possible.

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