Yep, Teddy’s Tack Trunk strikes again, this time with a whole set of grooming stuff that I never knew I needed. They’ve already won me over with their awesome Leistner brushes and the Zephyr’s Garden Anti-fungal line, converting me to a total grooming supply snob in the process. Really nice brushes are a vital part of life now.
This time I got the “Hoof and Leg bundle“, a package deal put together and sold by Teddy’s Tack Trunk. This set arrived just as the torrential rains started here in Texas, which proved to be impeccable timing. The bundle includes:
Leistner Natural Coco Fiber Brush – Pure coco fiber bristles with a lacquered beech wood base. This medium stiff brush has dense bristles that are great for removing mud and grime. Coco fiber is water resistant, impedes break down by salt water, and will last a long time. The smaller, hand-held size is comfortable to use, especially on the legs.
Leistner Natural Hoof Brush with Handle – Hoof washing brush with beech wood handle. Stiff, natural fiber bristles on the end for tough scrubbing with natural Mexican fiber (also known as Tampico) bristles for cleaning. Also makes a great bucket brush. Helps to keep hooves healthy. Use after picking and during bathing.
Leistner Natural Bristle Hoof Oil Brush – Premium brush made of natural bristles with a natural beech wood handle. Use to apply hardener or medication to hoof.
The Ultimate Hoof Pick, Jr. – The Ultimate Hoof Pick, Jr. features a superior ergonomic design and pick angle to help remove the toughest packed-in dirt, mud and snow. It is designed for comfort with a soft rubber grip handle that fits solidly in your hand. The Ultimate Hoof Pick has a durable stainless steel pick, which makes it unbendable, unbreakable and built to last a lifetime.
The bundle with the hoof pick included is $42.45, or you can get it without the hoof pick (brushes only) for $27.50.
Typically I shy away from any brush with bristles that would be considered even remotely stiff. Princess Henry does not like hard/stiff bristled brushes, and I try not to upset the Princess. The coco fiber wasn’t super stiff, but definitely more than I’ve used on him before, and it had me a little bit worried about what his reaction would be. To my surprise he actually doesn’t mind it at all, and it works really well at getting the heavier dirt off of his butt and the chunks of mud off his legs. The coco fiber bristles are actually really cool, I like it a lot.
The hoof brush was interesting to me. We have really thick, clay based mud here in this part of Texas, and it builds up on the horse’s feet like crazy and sticks like glue. If it’s muddy I usually hose off as much as I can then use my hands to pick away at the rest. Who knew there was a brush that was actually meant for that job? This thing works great to help get the mud off faster (and does an especially good job of getting it all out from the sensitive area behind the pasterns, something that I usually failed to do but is really important if your horse lives in bell boots like mine does) and it’s really easy to rinse clean. The size and shape make this brush useful for lots of different things (I’ve also used it to scrub out a bucket and get mud/poop off of some XC boots), so it’s definitely earned a spot in my trunk.
There’s not a lot to a hoof oil brush, but it’s definitely a useful thing to have around. In the summers I use Effol on Henry’s feet to keep them from drying out, and in the wet seasons I apply thrush medication, so I can pretty much always find a use for it. My last one (a cheapie with an ugly red plastic handle and plastic bristles) fell apart last summer, so I had been slathering the Effol on his feet with my hands. This one is way nicer than the previous one, so hopefully it will last quite a while. The natural fibers lend to better application and are much easier to clean, too.
I have been a long-time fan of the Ultimate Hoof Pick (I prefer the Junior size, I think it’s easier to hold than the bigger one) and already have one in my regular grooming kit. It’s never a bad idea to have a spare, though, so this one went into the little trunk that lives in my trailer. Now I’ll have one with me wherever I go! Nothing works as well as the Ultimate Hoof Pick and they last forever, so it’s a definite must-have item.
Overall this is a great little bundle full of several “essential” items, all of which are great quality and do their jobs really well. The Leistner line continues to impress me with their high quality materials, excellent construction, and beautiful finish. I have yet to be disappointed with any of it.
Enough about the sciencey stuff – whether or not the results of the sexing end up being accurate, we won’t know til next March. Let’s have a little fun with it in the short term via a contest!
