Good Hair Days Start Here
Optimize your grooming routine with advice from industry experts.
Optimize your grooming routine with advice from industry experts.
Behind every shiny horse is not only good nutrition, regular routine care, and hours of currying, but also most likely, a plethora of potions and products devoted to clean, polish and otherwise primp your ride. To help you optimize your grooming routine, we went directly to industry experts from well-known brands to tap into their insights from decades of developing effective equine grooming products. Here are their tips to choose the right products for the job and make the most of every spritz and sudsing.
PRODUCT PREREQUISITES
The overall health of the horse’s skin and coat is paramount to equine beauty, according to Sally Stith-Burdette, marketing director for Shapley’s Superior Equine Grooming Products.
“Healthy skin is going to produce good, healthy hair,” she says.
There are many products to choose from, and you should first consider that the products you’re grooming with are gentle, pH balanced, and made with quality ingredients, says Devon Katzev, president and product developer at Straight Arrow, makers of the Original Mane ’n Tail product line, as well as the Cowboy Magic and Exhibitor’s brands.
The way you use the products also makes a difference, but ultimately, he notes that you’ll have to judge for yourself based on what works best for your horse.
To get the most bang for your buck, it pays to take a moment to read directions on the bottle. It’s easy to overlook this step with familiar products like shampoo, but the manufacturer’s instructions are intended to maximize performance.
And spoiler alert: There’s no free pass from regular grooming. Even with the best products, good old-fashioned currying and “elbow grease” is still a big part of grooming success.
SHAMPOO SECRETS
Before you head to the wash rack, our experts explain why it’s important to make sure you have a shampoo that’s made specifically for horses and pH balanced for equine skin.
“A dog’s pH is different from a horse’s, which is different from people’s pH,” explains Stith-Burdette. “Horses actually have the most sensitive skin of all of them. When you use something that’s not made just for the horse, you run the risk of it being drying [to the skin and coat].”
While human shampoo is usually gentle enough to be safe for horses, it’s not really designed to effectively cleanse the dirt that horses get into, or their coarser hair and sensitive skin.
“Horses love to roll and get dirty, and equine shampoos in general are designed to clean and compensate for the extra dirt,” says Katzev. “Plus, conditioning for their extra-thick manes and tails is essential to keep them long and flowing.” For general cleaning, he says you’ll want a gentle pH-balanced formula and ingredients that clean and nourish.
One thing you want to avoid is harsh detergents, such as household cleaning items. Products made for laundry or dishes are going to be extremely drying to the horse’s skin, strip the natural oils from the coat, and leave the hair dull and brittle.
“If you wouldn’t use it on your own head, don’t use it on your horse,” says Stith-Burdette, warning that these household cleaning products can cause itching and create cracks in the skin, inviting bacteria and infection.
THE RIGHT PRODUCT FOR THE JOB
When selecting a shampoo for your horse, you’ll also want to choose the right one for the job. Equine shampoos may be formulated for routine cleaning and frequent use; contain medicated treatment for skin; or be made to enhance color or shine.
With skin problems, Katzev recommends consulting with your vet and doing your research to better understand what you are looking to treat, such as rain rot, girth itch, scratches, et cetera.
Getting the most out of the product depends on the type of shampoo you’re using, says Stith-Burdette. For best results, read the product directions—some shampoos are designed to be diluted, while others work best applied full-strength directly to the coat.
“Color enhancing shampoo [is used] full strength,” she says. “You can use a medicated shampoo, if you’re [treating] a problem like rain rot, at full strength and let it sit; if you’re just trying to prevent [a skin issue], then dilute it in a bucket of water. Same with everyday shampoo; you just add a little bit to the water.”
COMING CLEAN
Technique for bathing your horse matters, too. This includes a good sponge for thorough application and currying while the shampoo is on the horse, cleaning down to the skin and bringing all the dirt to the surface where it can be washed away. You’ll also want to rinse the shampoo thoroughly from your horse’s coat, as leftover suds may cause dry, itchy skin, dandruff or dullness.
When it comes to cleaning with any shampoo, having good water pressure always helps to get deep down into the coat to clean, according to Katzev. He also recommends good basic tools in your bath kit, such as a sponge and sweat scraper. Grooming gloves or a currycomb will also help with that deep clean.
After bathing your horse, Katzev suggests taking the time to inspect the results, noting that your horse may not be fully clean. Often, he says, dander and fine dirt under the coat are the culprits for a less than stellar shine. In addition to causing a dull appearance, that dirt and dander underneath the coat can irritate the skin if rubbed by a saddle, girth, or other tack, making cleanliness of more than superficial importance.
To check that your horse is truly clean, Katzev advises running your hand backwards
against the coat randomly in different areas on the horse to see if dander still exists underneath the hair.
“If you still see dirt or dander, you didn’t wash [the horse] thoroughly,” he says. “In that case, you may need more of the shampoo applied directly to get better concentration of the product to clean instead of diluting it in a bucket. Plus, some good water pressure also helps for rinsing.”
If you groom and wash your horse regularly, Katzev notes that you will not need to use as much shampoo. However, he says the important thing is to try to keep your horse comfortable, because dirty skin can get itchy and dry.
Again, he says it may take some trial and error to see what works best for you and your horse, but the results should speak for themselves.
“If your true desire is shine for the coat, then [it] will obviously show on the final finish,” says Katzev.
CONDITION
Conditioners add essential moisture to soothe and nourish skin, strengthen hair, and add smoothness and shine. You can use a rinse-out product while bathing your horse, and there are also leave-in products to provide additional conditioning, including sprays and grooming oil.
If you’re not familiar with grooming oil, choose a product made for horses. After bathing, add a dollop to a bucket of rinse water, sponge it all over, then body scrape the horse. Or just pour some on a rag and run it over the horse after your everyday grooming routine, says Stith-Burdette.
It might feel like an extra step to add a conditioner, but when you consider the damaging environment that a horse’s hair and coat endure, from the sun and harsh weather to dirt, sand and sweat—plus frequent bathing that can strip the oils from the skin and coat—the extra moisture is beneficial.
“Conditioners are very important for hair care because they help strengthen and nourish hair with proteins and essential oils, allowing for healthier hair growth,” says Katzev. “If your goal is fuller, thicker, longer manes and tails, then conditioning is a must.”
DETANGLING MANES AND TAILS
Detanglers work by creating a friction-free slip that helps reduce tangles and knots. They also add conditioners to strengthen hair, prevent damage and make manes and tails more manageable. In the quest for a long, flowing mane and tail, a good detangling product is a go-to.
When it comes to spray detanglers versus serum detanglers, which should you use?
“Both types of products approach the same problem in a different way,” says Katzev. “Spray detanglers are usually water-based emulsions designed to spread out quickly over hair without necessarily having to use your hands. For quick touch-ups and daily maintenance, this application will speed up [your grooming], plus it lasts for days and will be more economical.”
Stith-Burdette notes that it’s important to give the product time to work before you start brushing or combing the hair.
“If you’re using it to detangle a tail, just spray the tail really well,” she says. “Let it sit for a few minutes, then start brushing from the bottom of the tail up. Give it a minute to start unraveling a little bit so you’re not ripping out a lot of hair.”
Serum or gel detanglers are more concentrated and are applied by hand to the mane and tail.
“Serums can be helpful in heavily knotted hair when your concern is to work it out by hand and detangle carefully to prevent any excess tearing of the hair,” says Katzev. “They also have a thickening and smoothing effect, plus [make] a great overall appearance and shine.”
To apply, Katzev recommends pouring the serum into your hands first and working through the hair.
TIME TO SHINE
Silicone-based coat polish and shine sprays will give your horse an extra glow and help repel dust and dirt to cut down your grooming time. The silicone coats the hair shaft, making it more difficult for stains to set and preventing mud from clinging to the coat.
“These products can be used daily, but their effectiveness also relies on clean hair, so washing is important,” says Katzev.
These sprays do double duty to detangle manes and tails, and as an added bonus, are also good at preventing blanket rubs, allowing the blanket to slide over the coat without friction.
Coat polish spray can be applied after bathing while the horse is wet (after removing excess water). To apply to a dry coat, groom your horse thoroughly first to remove dust and dirt. Spray evenly, let it dry for a few minutes, and then buff to a shine with a towel or brush.
These products are slick, so be careful to avoid the saddle and girth area. You’ll also want to skip manes or tails that will be braided soon, since the hair needs to be a little grippy.
Oil-based finishing sprays offer a highly reflective shine for the show ring, but they aren’t designed for everyday use. The oil attracts dust, so these products are best reserved for right before going into the ring.
While elbow grease is the tried-and-true path to a shiny coat, busy equestrians often fall short on time to devote to currying and brushing.
“We’re all in a hurry, it seems,” says Stith-Burdette. “We try to give you tools to use, and make sure that they will not hurt the horse over time by drying out their skin or damaging their hair.”
Ultimately, Katzev believes the way we perceive grooming is important—to value the process and not see it as a chore. Instead, he says, think of grooming as quality time to spend with your horse, and enjoy it.
“Take the time if you can with your equine friend and enjoy—that’s why you are both together,” he says.