Horse glossary
Body Brush
A soft brush for finishing touches.
In Spanish: Cepillo suave
What it means
A body brush is a soft brush with short, dense bristles used at the end of grooming to pick up fine dust and smooth the coat. It comes after the curry comb and dandy brush have done the heavy work. Because it is gentle, it is often used on the face and legs, too.
Why it matters
Finishing with a soft brush leaves the coat clean, flat, and shiny. It also gives you a slow, calm moment to notice how the horse reacts to touch, which can reveal a sore spot before you ride.
Example
Use the body brush gently on sensitive areas.
Try this
Use long, smooth strokes in the direction of the hair. After every few strokes, draw the brush across a curry comb held in your other hand to clean the bristles.
Common mistake
Skipping straight to the soft brush on a muddy horse just spreads the dirt around. Curry and dandy brush first, then finish with the body brush.