Horse Grooming:
Your Guide to Haas Brushes

If you consider yourself a grooming expert, then you have probably heard of Haas brushes. Made in Germany, Haas originated in 1919 from a region that has been crafting horse brushes and premier horse care for centuries. Distinguished by experience, Haas stands for quality through dedicated craftsmanship. While many brushes are now made by machine, Haas insists on keeping as much of the process as possible done by hand, for the precision and craftsmanship that can only be achieved by humans.

The innovative design of Haas brushes ensures longevity, with the bristles and handle incorporated directly into the body of the brush. Without the use of glue, screws, or nails, these brushes are a safe option for both horse and rider, built to last for years to come. Whether the Haas brush you select is made out of natural or synthetic materials, be assured that it will produce a sleek, shiny horse each time you use it. Read on as we explain how to select the best Haas brush for every grooming situation.

Body brushes can come in a wide range of shapes, bristle length, and bristle material. Most horse owners keep one to two types on hand for different grooming situations. A brush that is more coarse, or medium-stiff, is going to get hard or clumped dirt off the best. These are always great for horses healing from skin crud; just be sure they aren't in a painful stage of the fungus. For lighter dirt, softer bristles that are more horsehair-like are going to be gentle and add more shine than their super-coarse cousins.

• Pony: A mix of medium-stiff horsehair and brass bristles easily removes hard dirt and grime. Great for more course grey coat colors.
• Military: Short, stiff bristles surrounded by longer, medium bristles reach the skin and bring dust up, best for the more fine hair texture of bays and chestnuts.
• Parcour: Softer grey bristles surrounded by longer, stiffer black bristles clear dust from underneath the coat of dark-colored horses.
• Cavaliere: Medium-stiff horsehair bristles with a longer border remove dust from the top-coat of bay and black horses.
• Diamond Classic: Medium-stiff, short horsehair is surrounded by a longer border and finished with a glitter back. Similar to the military.
• Amazone: Black and white horsehair bristles create a medium feel to remove dirt from more sensitive horses or horses with healing skin.
• Lipizzaner: Longer bristles in a blend of black, bay, and grey horsehair on the outer edge whisk away dust and leave a shine behind. Shorter inner bristles work deeper for a thorough cleaning.
• Pummel Einhorn Mooh: A whimsical body brush with medium bristles that easily remove dirt, dust, and loose hair.
• Pummel Einhorn Mooh Root: Vibrant pink bristles made of imitation rice root remove dirt from the body and legs while remaining gentle for the skin.

Soft brushes are a must-have in every grooming kit. It's the brush that practically every horse will love to be brushed with. It removes the finer dirt particles that can escape the wider bristles of stiff brushes. Their delicate nature stimulates healthy oil production without risking irritation by over-brushing. Many of these are even soft enough for the delicate areas of the face and ears.

• Fellglanzburste: Dense, soft, 3-cm horsehair bristles remove dust and enhance shine.
• Diamond Gloss: Made to remove finer particles, the dense, soft, 3-cm horsehair bristles are backed with glitter resin.
• Grundy's Finest: Soft, smooth, medium-length horsehair bristles whisk away dust and dandruff.
• Fellburste Noir: For those who prefer longer bristles, this soft horsehair brush is sure to make your horse shine.
• Diamond Noir: Another soft horsehair brush with 5-cm bristles, complete with a glitter back.
• Kopfburste: Soft enough for the face but stiff enough to get the job done, this small brush removes dust and dander from sensitive areas.

Commonly referred to as a "finishing brush," these brushes act as a final polish to your beautiful grooming job. Typically made of horsehair or other uber-soft materials, these soft brushes remove any ultra-fine dust particles and give your horse a sleek shine. Many of these are even soft enough for the delicate areas of the face and ears.

• Diva: The Mattes lambswool center is surrounded by a soft horsehair border for incredible shine, with a blue resin back.
• Diva Girlie Girl: The same lambswool and horsehair, only with a fun pink resin back.
• Diva Exclusive: Lambswool and horsehair with a black wood lookalike resin back.
• Diamond Diva: A lambswool center surrounded by soft horsehair, complete with the signature Diamond glitter resin back.

Bristled brushes are a great option for getting dirt, mud, and debris out of manes and tails prior to more intense brushing with a hairbrush-style brush. This "pre" brush can greatly reduce hair breakage that can thin manes and tails. This important step is worth the little added time to ensure dirt doesn't cause the hairs to stick together and break when torn apart by a hairbrush! Most of these brushes can double for other purposes throughout the rest of the horse's body grooming.

• Koko: Stiff 3-cm coconut fiber bristles remove dirt from the coat and can also be used to brush through the mane.
• Brenig Madoc: Gentle 5-cm synthetic bristles lift dirt and dander out of the coat, mane, and tail to reveal soft, silky hair.
• Feger Grab: 8-cm synthetic bristles can be used as a flick brush for the body, or for getting shavings and hay out of the mane and tail.
• Mahnenburste Klein: The same synthetic bristles as the Grab, but on a smaller brush.
• Pummel Einhorn Unicorn Mane Brush: Part of the Pummel Einhorn Unicorn collection, 3" synthetic bristles can be used as a dandy or flick brush.

Small hands can struggle with a lot of horse brushes. Not just because they can be cumbersome to use, but they can cause smaller hands to hurt with repeated use or during an intense grooming session. Especially for riders who battle with arthritis or inflammation in their hands, having a smaller set of brushes can be a complete game changer!

• Kinderwurzel: Stiff, imitation rice root bristles are tough on dirt and grime, in fun colors with a stretchy hand strap for the young equestrian.
• Micro Diva: The same Mattes lambswool center surrounded by soft horsehair bristles, in a smaller size.
• Junior Horsehair: Crafted of a unique blend of horsehair, natural, and synthetic fibers in a size perfect for little hands.
• Schmusebuerste: Perfect for cleaning sensitive faces, legs, and bellies. 1" horsehair bristles are gentle yet effective.

Whether you're starting with a fairly clean coat that's ready for a shine or are looking at a bit of mess, proper grooming requires a sequence of brushes for your horse to look their best. Most grooms recommend a curry, stiff brush, soft brush, and mane brush for just about every job. Which Haas brush you use for each phase of the grooming process depends on your horse's hair coat as well as your personal preference. Sensitive horses may require more gentle brushes to ensure the process is as enjoyable for them as their thicker-skinned pasturemates! Never forget to wash your Haas brushes with cold water and mild soap occasionally, so they can continue to perform their best.

If you have any questions regarding Haas brushes, our helpful customer service team is always happy to assist. They may be reached via email at info@ridingwarehouse.com or over the phone at 1-800-620-9145. Happy grooming!