For several months, many American stars have been using horse shampoos. Indeed, these shampoos would be, according to them, particularly good for dry hair. It is true that the manes that make up the horse’s mane often have this characteristic. Whether it is to maintain your horse or simply to look after its aesthetics, you may have already used a shampoo for your horse. This market has been growing steadily for several years now. But which shampoo should you use for your horse?
Preparing your horse before shampooing
Before showering your horse, there are a few essential rules to follow for your horse’s health and your own safety. First, make sure that it is indeed warm enough to fully wet your horse. This is essential because even with a solarium or an effective drying blanket, the risk of getting sick – becomes extremely high for him.
Secondly, since your horse will be in contact with water for a long time, it is better to grease his feet before showering him. This will protect the hooves from too much humidity in which they will stagnate, and thus avoid a lot of problems such as “ants” and “soft feet”.
Finally, even if the washing of the horse is often done in summer, in a period accompanied by strong heat, keep an outfit which allows you to ensure a maximum of safety. More clearly, do not wear flip-flops and a bathing suit to wash your horse, simply for safety reasons. It hurts enough to have your foot stepped on with boots on, you can lose your toes if your pony steps on them while they are bare.
Also, if your horse suffers from a transmissible pathology or if he is undergoing a treatment that is contraindicated for other horses, make sure you isolate him when you shower him and clean and disinfect the shower area afterwards. Don’t forget also everything your horse, its hair and its manes could have been in contact with.
Which shampoo to choose for your horse?
Like all equestrian products, the range of care products has continued to expand over time. It is now difficult to find one’s way among all the shampoos existing on the market. So, we will try to guide you and advise you in this quest. But be careful, these advice are simply given as an indication and written to inform you, obviously we do not guarantee the effectiveness of the products on your horse.
Moreover, if your horse is allergic to one or more components regularly found in care products, do not hesitate to seek professional advice and/or contact the manufacturer of the product directly before using it.
The price of horse shampoos
First, financially, it is important to know that horse shampoos are often more expensive than classic shampoos, around 10€ for a 500 ml bottle minimum. Prices obviously vary according to the brand and sometimes even according to the geographical area but count on around 2€ for a bottle of shampoo called “first price” in a store.
The composition of horse shampoos
Concerning the composition, it is a very current subject, and it is normal, now we can, and we have the right to know what is in the products we consume. So, you can if you wish would consult the exact composition of the product you are going to buy. If the composition is not indicated on the product or on the online description, we advise you to find out more about the product before buying it.
We also invite you to find out about the ingredients used in the shampoo you want, as the use of many ingredients is controversial nowadays, such as parabens and silicone.
Another point of vigilance, if you and your horse are competing, make sure that your shampoo does not contain any doping substance that could disqualify you if it is detected during a veterinary control. The list of substances, established and updated each year by the French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD), is available for download on the FFE (French Equestrian Federation) website.
Choosing a specialized shampoo
Some shampoos have special characteristics of various kinds, in addition to washing your horse. The idea is to combine washing your horse with one or more additional “treatments”.
- Anti-insects: many brands have been launched in this sector, the most famous being Emouchine, but now you can find many brands of anti-flies and parasites shampoos, natural, concentrated, and with a strong smell too. Do not hesitate to smell it before buying it because some, although effective, are difficult to bear daily.
- Special coat color: for a while now, special shampoos for gray coats have been appearing, but the Carr & Day & Martin brand has taken the concept a step further with its Gallop Colour range, specifically designed for all coats (black, gray, bay, chestnut).
- Anti-itching / sensitive skin: usually enriched with essential oils, these shampoos are specially designed to preserve your horse’s skin with a softer action when washing. Also recommended for horses suffering from or frequently subject to summer dermatitis.
- “Reinforced action”: this is not really a specific treatment, but you can find on the market “more concentrated” shampoos made especially for very dirty horses. We have never tested their efficiency compared to a classic formula.
- Anti-dandruff: the French brand Viscositol, for example, offers an anti-dandruff shampoo for horses – to eliminate and prevent the formation of dandruff in horses.
Finally, even if they are not real shampoos, we must also mention the existence of the following care products, complementary to washing, if you want to be worthy of an international groom:
- Dry shampoo: it’s the same principle as in humans, just apply the product on the hair, let it sit for a while and then brush the area, all without water. Practical when you can’t wash your horse because of the weather or because you don’t have a shower.
- Spray and sanding stone: particularly useful, especially for light coats and horses with barnacles; indeed, who has never found himself in a competition with a stain on his beautiful horse less than 10 minutes after his passage? These tools are to be used in case of emergency. Apply and rub vigorously to make the stain disappear.
- Shine spray: to be used after washing or even in addition to daily grooming, the product allows to soften and shine the coat of your horse. There are even products with special fragrances.
Which brands of shampoo should I choose for my horse?
These brands of products are cited according to their reputation, we leave it to you to test them.
- Equibao: reference brand for the natural aspect of its products.
- Gallop by Carr & Day & Martin: the packaging of the bottles and the idea of a special shampoo for dresses like the shampoos for women designed for blondes, brunettes, colored hair, etc…
- Mane’n tail: it is one of the most famous brands, especially since several stars have praised the effectiveness of their products on their hair. However, the composition remains contested due to the presence of silicone.
- Emouchine: it remains one of the reference brands as anti-insect product, although it has expanded its range since then, and their shampoo is no exception.
One last thing, even if it’s rare, if your horse doesn’t like water or is afraid of it, there’s no need to force him to shower. It is better to try to get him used to the sensation of water on him and to the noise of the jet, you must get him used little by little so that he understands that it is safe and even pleasant. If unfortunately, this doesn’t work, you can always simply wash him with a bucket and a sponge, it takes longer but he will be clean, and it will be less traumatic for him.
Make your own horse shampoo
As you know, the return to natural treatment methods and home-made products is becoming more popular among a large number of horsemen. Many refuse to use chemical solutions, others wish to avoid putting their animal in contact with potentially dangerous substances and, finally, some prefer to prepare their own shampoos to save money. No matter what your profile is, we are going to present you several methods to make your own shampoo for your horse.
Soaps
An effective and simple method is to use soap, like Marseille soap or black soap, to wash your horse. However, this method is not without risk, because most of the soaps available on the market contain sodium or potassium hydroxide. The soap will therefore tend to irritate the horse over the long term and this process is not recommended for an atopic horse. The font has changed (smaller)
Flaxseed
In cases where soap is not recommended, it is also possible to use the virtues of flaxseed mixed with water. To do this you just need to put 50 grams of flaxseed in 500 ml of water and boil it.
