Grooming Products
Many products exist to make grooming a little easier. Some just smell nice and make the horse look more polished. Others have practical or specialized purposes, such as detangling manes or making braiding easier.
Detanglers do their job well, and they smell great, too. They come in spray or gel form. Be aware that some of these products are slippery, so be careful not to get any on the saddle area. If you get it on your hands, you will find it difficult to keep reins from slipping through your fingers without wearing gloves.
One product that has long been on the market for horses — Straight Arrow's Mane and Tail shampoo and conditioner — became so popular with horse people that they began to use it on their own hair. The company caught on to the product's secondary use and got FDA approval to market the shampoo and the conditioner to humans. Now it can be found on drugstore shelves.
Coat gloss makes your horse's coat shine. It is a topical product for coat enhancement only and doesn't provide any deep-seated benefit for coat health or condition.
Horses in the show ring have their toenails polished with special hoof dressings. Black has always been available, but now you can choose copper, silver, and many other colors, depending on what the class traditions allow. Such dressings are just for looks and can dry out the hooves, so don't use them excessively.
Hoof conditioners, on the other hand, are typically used two or three times a week as part of regular grooming. They help restore or maintain the natural moisture content in your horse's hooves so that the walls are more resistant to cracking. Always read product labels to determine what the product is designed to do and how it is supposed to be applied.
