It’s been way too long since I have talked about grooming aids on Grey2Bay, so I decided to jump back into it today. I am going to walk you through my ideal grooming aids for my grooming tote, and what I’d have on hand in the barn as well.

Time after time, I go back to my Sport Horse Essentials Waterless Shampoo Stain Remover. It used to help with Caz’s coat at Webb with the heavy mud, poo and stains he would accumulate over time out in pasture. While I never used it to help out his chronic poo stains from Digest, it worked on everything else beautifully. I primarily use this spray on stream and spray it directly onto Capone’s socks to clean up the gunk, dirt and such from all four legs. It’s a magic eraser for white/ light areas on a horse, seriously. The eventing girls at Webb recommended it to me, and I’m so glad I joined the SHE train. Priced at $23 this 16oz bottle will save your life.

The next go to in my kit also from Sport Horse Essentials is their hoof oil. It is an amazing follow up product to each farrier visit, because it helps moisturize the hoof after all the work is done for said pedicure. Capone has been shod for well over a year now, and I highly recommend this after each trim and shoeing. Not only is it a great general hoof oil for shows, shoes and day to day care for hard dry hooves; it also is a guaranteed thrush preventative. For a nice $28 for 16oz, you can kiss the days of thrush goodbye with this jar. Capone went through a couple different thrush treatments while living in a sloped stall during the rainy season at Webb. They never really seemed to do that much, other than dye my fingers and boots since the water really wouldn’t dry up until the next season arrived. With this in mind we tried out the SHE Hoof Oil, and bam it started making progress with consistent picking, cleaning and maintenance. After my Japan trip in 2019, Capone moved to his current home and thrush has been a thing of the past.

I tried the SHE Coat Spray, but ultimately decided it wasn’t the coat spray for me. It is a bit heavy on the vinegar, which is great for coats, but not for my nose. I had myself running in circles convinced my saddle pads had mildew every time I used it. I love the Purvida Conditioning Spray and the Eqyss Marigold Premier Spray. They both help keep coats from sun bleaching, both have fly spray properties, while moisturizing and conditioning the coat and skin for the best shine ever. They’re both great on the nose for humans and horses, and bring an instant smile with each use. The Eqyss Marigold Spray is a 32oz bottle priced at $21, and the Purvida 16oz bottle & concentrate is $20.

While these two coat sprays are great for the coat, I prefer a separate fly spray for the summer months when the flies are out. I love the Farnam Bronco Fly Spray, it’s a 32oz bottle and you can grab one for $8 on Chewy. That’s an incredible price for a great product. The citronella in it reminds me of summers spent with Top Spot in Arizona with my Grandma Jacobs.

The next must have on hand is the Infused Equestrian PURE bit wipes in peppermint. I got my first box of these in my Fall 2018 Cavali Club box and loved them. They are a bit (haha puny!!) big for the pockets in my grooming tote, but fit nicely on a shelf in their plastic tin. I was taught early on to soak my bit or wipe it clean at the very least at Sagebrook Farms. Sagebrook Farms was the first riding school I actively rode and worked for back in Los Angeles. Nestled in the back corner of the Paddock Riding Club off Rigali Ave, Sagebrook Farms offers Hunter Jumper lessons, and introductory lessons for English riding. They used to have a small, but manageable herd of horses and ponies for varying levels of riders, and I’m sure its much the same these days.

I love a good microfiber towel for noses, sweat, stain removing and tidying up any dirt, another tip I learned from my days at Sagebrook. You can find the standard yellow car microfiber towel at Dollar Tree, or companies like Sport Horse Essentials also make them with their logo on it in a nice powder blue color.

If you’re looking for more things to help your grooming routine, reach out to me and I’ll be happy to help you find something or someone to help you.