Posture Prep Cross Fiber Groomer Review

This post was unsolicited and uncompensated.

I think many of us horse people have seen this groomer tool before. They have been around for a while. But it wasn’t until recently that I figured out the mystery of what the groomer was actually supposed to do.

Maybe I’m the only one who missed the message about its unique properties? But in case I am not alone, I thought this post would be worth sharing.

Each groomer weighs about 5 ounces and is 12x8x2 in size. Manufactured in Taiwan, they feel like they are made of a rubber-type material. The tool is the invention of Dr. Pat Bona, an equine chiropractor.

I never bought one prior to 2023, because when I used them at other people’s barns, I never liked how they functioned. I thought they were terrible curry combs. They did a poor job of lifting the dirt out of horse coats. I quickly learned to avoid these “weird green curries” when I saw them in a grooming bucket.

Recently though, I ran across an online photo of the Posture Prep Cross Fiber Groomer Basic Instruction Guide. It was then that I realized that the Posture Prep Cross Fiber Groomer wasn’t a curry at all! Or really even a grooming tool despite its name.

As the instruction guide states “The Posture Prep Cross Fiber Grooming System is designed to improve posture, performance and health by optimizing the myofascial system of the horse.”

It is meant to be used with a back-and-forth movement that helps loosen the skin/muscle fascia. Not in a circular motion like a curry comb. Apparently, the idea is that when the horse’s fascia becomes tight or sticky, this causes a restriction in the muscles that can, in turn, affect overall well-being and performance.

Here is more on that idea from the instruction guide:

“It differs from traditional grooming as you will use a straight back-and-forth stroke across the muscle fibers. This enables the facia of the skin and of the muscles to freely glide across each other by minimizing restrictive adhesions and scar tissue. The grooming system improves circulation, range of motion, and lymphatic drainage.”

Ah, ha! Now I didn’t have to feel like such a simpleton for wondering how this thing was supposed to work like a curry. Because it wasn’t!

At this point, I was intrigued enough to research the price. I was pleased to see it was actually affordable. Even at today’s inflated 2023 prices. You can find them online at many equestrian retailers for about $10. But for $20 or so, you can purchase the groomer with a carrying case and the instruction guide.

There’s actually a lot of interesting information in the guide about using the groomer and how posture relates to horse health.

Although it is plastic, I also found the carrying case useful because you can keep the tool inside the case AND keep the basic instruction guide attached but separated by its own pocket. I like to keep those types of guides clean. Not just let them sit at the bottom of my grooming bin where the pages will get dirty and torn. I especially like the cover photo that clearly shows the angle of how the tool is supposed to be used over different body areas of the horse.

Before trying the tool out, I read the entire guide front to back and then went on the product website to watch several of their tutorial videos. It was helpful to me to see someone actually using the groomer as it was designed to be used.

So after taking photos of my purchase while everything was still in pristine condition, I then decided to try using the tool on my horse, Piper. I hung hay bags for the horses during their afternoon meal time and brought out my grooming bucket, including the new tool.

Piper usually enjoys a good curry, but I was curious to see how he would respond to the action of the groomer.

Within about ten seconds of my using it, Piper was clearly enamored. Even as I switched the angle of the groomer as I moved onto other body parts, he was still enjoying the feel and leaning into it.

Piper can be sensitive over certain parts of his body, but interestingly, he wasn’t with this tool. I did go with less pressure over his historically flinchy areas like his sides and upper back legs. He was good with that.

I will note that the instructions recommend loosening the fascia first at the hindquarters, not the neck, using the idea that a horse’s power in motion comes first from behind. I confess to forgetting that useful tidbit during this initial trial.

I think it is also important to note that Piper is not what I call a normally relaxed horse. He tends to be more on alert. He just always has a bit of an edge about him.

So considering all that, I was particularly pleased to see that Piper’s body posture became increasingly more round and relaxed as I went along. I also noticed that he was so into the feel of the groomer that he stopped eating, choosing instead to focus on the experience.

That relaxed body posture, head extended and down, is not something I see from him very often.

And by the way, one distinct advantage of grooming a horse loose as opposed to tied is that it allows me to see that sort of reaction more clearly.

I personally have found that the more the horse thinks he can move, the more I can truly discover what they think about things. I feel it also helps me to be more sensitive to their comfort level in using different tools. And I think that has the potential to help me develop a more positive relationship with a horse. It doesn’t work like magic. And I have had varying levels of success with it depending upon the individual horse, but I’ve learned a lot over the years from grooming a horse untied.

If you haven’t tried this before but are curious, I will point out that it helps to know the horse you are grooming. And you may want to start off with a halter and lead rope but have the lead rope simply draped over your arm, rather than have the horse completely at liberty. As with all things with horses, you need to keep the environment and safety in mind.

When I was done using the groomer with Piper on both sides, I stepped back to see what he would do. Piper stood there quietly for a minute or so. Perhaps still basking in the lingering relaxed feeling of the groomer before resuming his hay bag meal.

Then it was Shiloh’s turn. What would Shiloh think about this new-fangled tool? Well apparently, nothing at all! I am not sure he even noticed the difference from his regular curry combs and brushes. He acted no differently than he does when I use any other tool. Shiloh was happy to stand there for it and continue to eat his hay, but he was definitely not as impressed with the experience as Piper.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that the tool couldn’t have benefits for a horse like Shiloh. A horse who doesn’t appear to feel the difference.

Now I will say that I don’t have any training or background in massage or other types of bodywork. I confess I don’t have enough knowledge or feel to know if I in fact am helping loosen a horse’s fascia. Or even what tight versus loose fascia feel like. But I would think over time if I used the tool regularly as directed, I could assume it has positive benefits if I see a horse look better and move better. Even if the horse doesn’t oohh and aahh at the feel of the groomer like Piper did. At the product’s price point, I think buying one and using it regularly is definitely worth a shot.

When visiting the current product website at https://www.drpatbona.com, I noticed that they sell a groomer for dogs, another one for humans and some related products too. Look for a pop-up when you visit the website that will offer you 15% off your first order when you sign up for their email list. They also offer free shipping IF you place an order for $25 or more. I bought my groomer from a different retailer, but I thought I would point this information out for price-comparison purposes.

The Posture Prep Cross Fiber Grooming Tool originally had a different website. I noticed that the cardboard cover inside the carrying case, as well as the instruction guide I bought, included a reference to the old website with a special code to access the tutorials. But that old website simply directed me to the current website where no special access is required to see the video clips.

How about you? Have you ever seen these Posture Prep Cross Fiber Groomers? What do you think of them?