One Brush only for hairy Icelandic horses/Shetland ponies

[Frances144]

Ok, absolutely NO Haas brush recommendations, please.

I want to give my daughters a late Easter present (sorry, don't need more chocolate around).

They both have competition Icelandic horses, kept unclipped, some live out 24/7, occasionally rugged, in full work.

So long double coats in winter full of grease and dirt. We don't wash except in summer for one show. They need their grease.

But I would like to give my girls one brush that will be the most useful brush. In summer, the horses lose their coats and shine.

The Shetland ponies are rescues and occasionally pass by, when not playing, for a hug or a brush. Think more of a mother spitting on her hanky type of brush! A quick spit and polish.

So, what is this brush? Good quality. I believe you get what you pay for.

 

[limestonelil]

Oh bummer, I thought your post referred to the ultimate brush you couldn't do without and made it easy. Sorry, but someone else will know?

 

[Auslander]

All I use on my unclipped, living out lot is a shedding blade - it removes mud and loose hair, but doesn't strip grease out of their coats.

 

[Frances144]

Anyone use a Bentley Original Dandy brush? Any use? Anything better?

 

[Leo Walker]

Thats just a plastic bristled dandy brush. Fine but no better or worse than hundreds of other plastic bristled dandy brush.

I'm not really sure what it is you want? What do you want the brush to do?

 

[Frances144]

I want it to be the go-to brush of choice for a rough, non TB type coat that makes the coat shine after much work or flicks the mud and dust off (depending on the time of year).

Plus be reassuring expensive and well made too!

 

[Laika]

Anyone use a Bentley Original Dandy brush? Any use? Anything better?

I have the Bentley Original kit and it's worked just fine for my Exmoor. She had quite a thick coat during Winter and she received numerous compliments about her shiny coat. I'm not sure if that's down to her brushes or her food though. To me it just looks like an average kit!

 

[Annagain]

Hands on grooming gloves. They deal with everything from mud to shedding coats, you can even use them for bathing and the horses LOVE them. My boy has gone from trying to kick me if I brush the inside of his back legs to shoving his backside in my face, spreading his legs and DEMANDING they get brushed. He then goes all googly eyed and starts rocking back and fore. The best £20 I've ever spent on horsey products.

http://www.norvitefarmandcountry.co...currency=GBP&gclid=CMe3nsXTrdMCFQoA0wodQswJjg

 

[MuddyMonster]

I have a few Leistner brushes that are nice enough quality to give as a gift without breaking the bank.

Might be worth a look?

 

[Alibear]

I can do it with two brushes but not one. 1 a jelly/sort rubber curry comb great for getting mud and malting hair out and then a long plastic fibre dandy/flick brush to get rid of the dirt and hair the curry comb loosened.

 

[Greylegs]

I've recently discovered the best thing for my hairy highland isn't a brush at all .... I've been using one of those cat comb things - like a square frame on a handle with the very fine, slightly angled wire teeth. It cuts through the hair, removes mud and loose hair, scratches his itchy bits and he seems to love it. Pretty much everything else I own just skims over the surface!!

 

[ihatework]

My go to brush of choice .... magic brush... oh the shame!

 

[MotherOfChickens]

My go to brush of choice .... magic brush... oh the shame!

no, they are great!

I also have a dandy brush that I got about 10 years ago which is the right amount of firm and soft but it wasn't expensive.

OP I don't know much about Icy coats (but I do have an Exmoor-who is rarely brushed other than chipping the worst off as he lives out) but could a dull summer coat may be due to a mineral imbalance? Copper affects coat quality for example. My lot are always pretty shiny and I'm not much of a groomer these days-I do supplement their feed though.

 

[pansymouse]

My go to brush of choice .... magic brush... oh the shame!

Sharing your shame - just what I was going to suggest.

 

[Frances144]

Thank you everyone for your input. All interesting and I didn't need know that about copper. There is no copper in Shetland, though we do have mineral licks out.

I shall look at the Magic Brush and also the others mentioned (sorry, can't remember their names without looking backwards and losing this)

 

[pansymouse]

The easy way to a good coat is to feed micronized linseed - mine has a 50ml scoop a day and is lovely and glossy with minimal manual effort from me.

 

[supsup]

Having an Icelandic, my top picks are two brushes: Magic brush (or knock-off version of one) any time of the year, together with a dog slicker (needle) brush to get dried mud off the thick winter coat. I particularly like the Mikki brand ones, and the ones with little "paint drops" on the ends of the needles, so they won't scratch on the skin should you manage to actually get through the thick coat down to skin!
Can't beat that combination, IMO.

 

[WelshD]

Not sure why no HAAS brush suggestions as they are still good brushes whether or not we agree with the marketing! the Schimmel brush is really good and would do everything you need it to, its like a firm short dandy brush so you can get more weight behind the brush

Apart from that would also suggest the magic brush but they do clog easily

 

[texel]

I use a dog shedding rake (not the comb) it is absolutely fab on my hairy Shetand, mane and coat.

 

[Theocat]

Unfortunately I don't think there's a single brush that will remove grease and dirt AND give shine; those are different jobs that need different tools!

I'd go for a magic brush, plus a body brush / old rag combo for shine. I buy cheap brushes and wash them regularly - a clean brush makes more difference than quality, I think!

 

[FfionWinnie]

You need this one for all year round.

https://goo.gl/images/XpsVBx

 

[Kezzabell2]

All I use on my unclipped, living out lot is a shedding blade - it removes mud and loose hair, but doesn't strip grease out of their coats.

having owned horses for 16 years, I invested in a shedding blade in December last year, and I honestly don't know how I've survived without one until this day! I have a mini Shetland, who's a fluff ball. my old mare was a connie x tb with cushings and she had about 1 inch long coat which had about 2 or 3 layers, a buckskin layer, a white layer and a black layer - this would have worked a miracle on her.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I love my shedding blade at this time of year. My gelding who normally hates being groomed - grumpy sod that he is - actually enjoys being groomed with a magic brush which is terribly annoying as I find them a pain to hold. I keep pondering about getting one of Equerry's leather backed brushes with natural bristles though as they just look so nice. The grey would love it as she likes being polished to the nth degree, but sadly her colour doesn't really shine however much elbow grease you put in.

 

[Casey76]

I love my shedding blade at this time of year. My gelding who normally hates being groomed - grumpy sod that he is - actually enjoys being groomed with a magic brush which is terribly annoying as I find them a pain to hold. I keep pondering about getting one of Equerry's leather backed brushes with natural bristles though as they just look so nice. The grey would love it as she likes being polished to the nth degree, but sadly her colour doesn't really shine however much elbow grease you put in.

Have a look at Kramers "wonder brush" it is really nicely shaped, and comes in hard and soft - the softer one is good to use on faces (sorry I can't link from my work computer)

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Thanks.

*goes off to google*

 

[Leo Walker]

Not sure why no HAAS brush suggestions as they are still good brushes whether or not we agree with the marketing! the Schimmel brush is really good and would do everything you need it to, its like a firm short dandy brush so you can get more weight behind the brush

Thats where I got stumped. I'm not sure just one brush will do all the things required but the only thing that came close was the Schimmel and I cant think of anything else similar to recommend, although I'm sure they are out there.

I cant abide magic brushes and find them an absolute pain. They clog and only just touch the surface of a thick coat.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I love my shedding blade at this time of year. My gelding who normally hates being groomed - grumpy sod that he is - actually enjoys being groomed with a magic brush which is terribly annoying as I find them a pain to hold. I keep pondering about getting one of Equerry's leather backed brushes with natural bristles though as they just look so nice.

A shedding blade and a magic brush are invaluable at this time of year for unclipped beasties, however they aren't really 'special' looking items which I believe the OP is after as a prezzie? I clean my magic brush with a curry comb as I use it, which stops it clogging up.

Before I got the brushes who must remain nameless but begin with an H, I had a leather backed Equerry body brush. It's done well, but is not as good as the H***'s !!

However, I can't see a single brush of any type being suitable as a standalone for year round use on hairy ponies.

 

[MouseInLux]

My go to brush of choice .... magic brush... oh the shame!

I love ours too, it works great on the Shetland my daughter rides ad my German riding pony.

 

[Gloi]

I find a metal dog shedding comb is the best thing on my Icelandic's winter coat. Just use a magic brush in summer.

 

[Nofilter]

Hello Frances,

Not sure if you are still on here but I’m looking for a riding Shetland for my daughter in Manchester? Thanks