[everafterfarm]

One of my girls loves, I mean LOVES to be curried with those long stiff toothed ones. She will even "help" out so I can reach the top of her back and butt(she's just under 17h and I'm a bit vertically challenged). Of course after a good curry I follow up with brushing to get all the dirt off. Here is where the mare who was just squirming like a cat and lips a going, neck stretched and bliss in her eyes turns into a mare who has no ears(they are that flattened) and she will threaten to cow kick(she's not stupid enough to actually do it) when I do around her flanks. Now, I know there are some horses who are thin skinned and you need to take care when grooming, but this crack pot mare hates even the softest brush.

Anyone else have a weird horse like mine? Any ideas on why the curry is so great and a soft brush is the devil? Mind boggling I say!!

[dalpal]

Yep...I've actually got two. My mare loves to be brushed with anything. Both geldings do not care for brushes...but love to have you curry or scratch them.

[goeslikestink]

One of my girls loves, I mean LOVES to be curried with those long stiff toothed ones. She will even "help" out so I can reach the top of her back and butt(she's just under 17h and I'm a bit vertically challenged). Of course after a good curry I follow up with brushing to get all the dirt off. Here is where the mare who was just squirming like a cat and lips a going, neck stretched and bliss in her eyes turns into a mare who has no ears(they are that flattened) and she will threaten to cow kick(she's not stupid enough to actually do it) when I do around her flanks. Now, I know there are some horses who are thin skinned and you need to take care when grooming, but this crack pot mare hates even the softest brush.

Anyone else have a weird horse like mine? Any ideas on why the curry is so great and a soft brush is the devil? Mind boggling I say!!

horses like that like to be groomed so when a lighter brush is used your actually tickling them and making them jumpy some horses just prefer good old elbow grease and hard groom
i have one thats you can only brush with a soft brush haha as hes really sensitive a hard brush and he doesnt liek it still horses have there quirks and those i can live with easily

[buck22]

perhaps try a really stiff dandy brush, even maybe a riceroot brush?

[GilbertsCreeksideAcres]

One of my little surprises after returning to horses after about 20 years off was the variation in horses' preferences when it comes to brushing. One hates the dandy but is OK with the rubber curry. One hates the rubber curry and dandy but loves the body brush. One loves it all.

It seems to me when I was a pony clubber, they all reacted pretty much the same to the brushes. Either they were all dead heads (numb due to all the kids all over them all the time?) or I was a dead head not to notice their preferences?

[everafterfarm]

It never occured to me that I may be tickling her. I will have to give a harder brush a try.