Product Review: Oster Equine Care Series Mane and Tail Brush

The Oster Equine Care Series Mane and Tail Brush is a pin brush designed to remove tangles without breaking hair. It features ball-tipped pins and an ergonomic grip, and comes in blue and pink.

Photo by Erin Koski

Yes, this is a horse brush. In fact, I originally bought it for my horse. Let me tell you, horse hair is very tough. Prior to purchasing this Oster mane and tail brush, I went through an incredible number of pin brushes that were supposedly intended for horses. They all fell apart in the same way, first they started losing pins and then the whole soft bit the pins were embedded in ripped off.

I had the same issue with my dog brushes. Brisbane prefers to be brushed with a pin brush, but the ones I had just didn't last very long. Briz doesn't even need that much brushing, the brushes were just flimsy.

Since this brush held up so magnificently to my horse's tail hair, I brought it home to use on my dog. Sure enough, it does the trick. Keep in mind, the pins are widely spaced so it's more for detangling long hair than removing shed fur. There's no padding either, so it needs to be used very gently.

Pros: Basically indestructible. The only thing that will damage it is years of thick, heavy horse hair. Ridiculously comfortable to hold. Round shape means it can be used in any directions.

Cons: No padding means a lot of care must be taken to keep grooming comfortable. Widely spaced teeth mean it doesn't do a great job of pulling out dead undercoat, so it's not the only brush you'll need.

Bottom Line: I mostly use this for Brisbane's magnificent spaniel tail.