LET’S face it - your grooming brushes have seen some things. They’ve battled with mud, coaxed fairy knots out of manes and endured those times your horse rolled in something suspicious. But just like your horse deserves a good scrub, so do your trusty brushes.

Cleaning grooming brushes isn’t just about aesthetics - it’s a health move. Dirty brushes can harbour bacteria, fungus and who-knows-what-else, and rubbing that gunk right back into your horse’s coat is like using a used coffee filter to brew a fresh cup. Not ideal.

Sunbathing turtles

So, how do you give your brushes the bubble bath they deserve? Start by knocking out the hair and dirt with a curry comb (brushes that groom each other - it’s very wholesome). Then, soak them in warm water with a dollop of mild shampoo. Swish them around fairly vigourously, rinse thoroughly, and lay them out bristle-side down to dry like sunbathing turtles.

Avoid soaking wooden-backed brushes for too long unless you want warped handles and sadness. For synthetic brushes, go wild - unless your definition of wild includes a washing machine. Don’t do that!

It doesn’t matter what stage you’re at, starting out or top-level, make it a monthly habit, or more often if your horse is a professional mud artist. Clean brushes mean a shinier coat, a happier horse, and one less reason for your four-legged friend to give you the side eye. If you expect them to sparkle, your tools shouldn’t look like they were excavated from a bog!