Review: Derby Deluxe Grooming Kit

I purchased the Derby Deluxe Grooming Kit from Amazon.com for $19.95.
It comes with:
      1 Coarse brush (with handle)
      1 Soft brush
      1 small mane comb
      1 Large toothed tail comb
      1 Rubber curry
      1 Large body sponge
      1 squeegee
      1 hoof pick with hoof brush
and a Plastic zip-up carrying bag with handle.

 

I purchased this set in mid 2015. It comes in multiple colors. It's not the highest quality grooming kit on the market but you get a variety of supplies for a great price. The brushes and the squeegee are the best items in this kit, in my opinion.

 

My sponge didn't survive more than 3 washes. But it was a fun addition to the bath routine while it lasted.

 

The brushes are nice, smooth wooden handles. Nice quality bristles. I haven't had a problem with any of the bristles falling out at this point, (2 years of use so far!).

 

I'm not a huge fan of the plastic style hoof picks in general, but I haven't broken this one yet, much to my surprise. I use the brush portion of the hoof pick to apply hoof oil to the horses feet on occasion, it works great for that.

 

The rubber curry is made of a softer rubber, which makes it great for after exercise rub downs.

 

I have washed my grooming supplies with the sprayer on my garden hose a few times, to get the excess dirt and grime off. They survived that very well. Everything is still very green and working quite well.

 

The plastic carrying bag is not very durable and get dirty easily, but it works. I used mine until I felt the need to upgrade to something more barn friendly. I have one of those plastic grooming totes now, which works much better to carry supplies in.

 

This kit would be great for kids. It would also make a nice gift. Or if you need an easy travel set or something to keep as a back up in the trailer. While these items are not child-sized, I will note a man may have trouble getting his hand under the straps of the curry comb or coarse brush.

 

 With that said, this kit has lasted through many daily groomings, abuse, baths, hungry grumpy horses, and being bumped around the bed of a truck for 2 years and are still in great condition.

 

Summary:

 

Pros	Cons
Budget friendly	Likely not satisfactory for high level riders/show horses.
Colorful, matching items. Multiple colors available.	Not well sized for large hands
Variety of grooming supplies included in kit.	Carrying bag is poor quality
Perfect for travel or daily use.

★★★☆☆

3/5 stars.