With the hope that there will be an actual show season this year, I have been thinking and looking forward to washing my winter yeti of a horse in the summer and I think it’s time to ask about the soap I use. The typical Mane & Tail shampoo and sometimes their conditioner. Does anyone else have horses that shed after bathes? It can be middle of summer and the day after I bathe my horse he just randomly sheds a layer, which can be quite frustrating as the day after is usually the day I plan to show. It’s not a thick layer, but just enough to make my white show pads not perfectly clean as they were. It only happens after I bathe him. I’ve tried one other shampoo but it has the same effect. My friend got me a bottle of the new Mane & Tail glossy stuff and have yet to try it you know, since it’s winter and -26 degrees out (gotta love MN). I’m hoping maybe since the gloss stuff is supposed to be a bit more skin friendly there will be a difference but has this happened to anyone else? What causes this? It’s just a simple soap? Are there other soaps that you recommend (please nothing more expensive than the M&T, that’s all I can get rn)?
I don’t have a soap recommendation, but maybe wash more often or plan to wash twice before the show? I believe shedding hair is stimulated by the action of the bath and probably won’t release right away no matter what. Two baths might just do the trick though.
Pretty sure it’s not the shampoo. When bathing, I use a plastic curry thing that attaches to the hose so I can really get maresie clean to the skin. A thorough grooming when dry (with clean brushes!) gets rid of any loosened hair.
I’ve experienced this during bathing and it just made me change my routine. I usually take to one of those EquiGroomers beforehand. The blade helps shed the undercoat prior to your bath and the bath will simply loosen up the remaining hairs. Give a nice curry once they’re dry and you should be left with a not-so-sheddy coat. 
Hope this helps!
I agree, it’s the action of washing/currying that makes the hair fall out the next day. That’s why two baths that week before the show might be helpful. Or like above, she’d and curry first, then bathe.
It’s probably not shedding, but breaking and falling out due to agitation and surfactants in soaps.
Try pure Castile soap, and bathe with a sponge and your hands. Not a curry. Castile soap has been a godsend for my filly who has had skin issues for years.
Also if you’re not already, try grooming your horse daily for at least a week before bathing and then for another week after bathing. I groom my horses 3-5 days a week, and spend lots of time doing it. I don’t bathe nearly as often because they are cleaner by consistent grooming. It stimulates natural oil production and hair growth.
Agreed with previous comments - simple shedding after a bath is common and not related to soap. I always assumed it is a combo of skin stimulation from scrubbing and fluffiness from removing grease and dirt.
I take advantage of it - I use the rubber curry before and during a bath and then do a regular grooming (including rubber curry) after they dry to bring the shine up. You’ll tell on yourself if you only bathed the top layer of hair! Otherwise the curry right after they dry should get that loose hair gone before you tack up at the show.
Is there any chance you’re experiencing a bit of a perceptive bias too? If your white show pads are immaculately clean, you’ll notice any hairs on them. If you’re less particular about how clean your daily pads are, perhaps the same daily deposits of hair aren’t as noticeable?
Either way, I’m dreaming of giving my grimy winter boy a bath right now!
Animals are always shedding, so bathing makes the loose/loosening hair fall out faster. That’s a main reason some people bathe dogs and horses in the spring - to speed up the process. But it’s not like they only shed during the spring, as anyone who has a dog knows. Dogs (and all other animals) shed continuously, in addition to seasonal changes.
The best solution would be to bathe more regularly, and/or, as said above - twice during the week of a show.
Nothing to do with shampoo unless it’s coming out in chunks and your pony is allergic.
All of mine lightly shed after a bath despite regular currying and vigorously bathing.
I spray with healthy hair on the body while they’re still wet, spray show sheen on large white legs or markings as it helps repel stains and put cowboy magic in manes and tails.
Then after they’ve dried, they get lightly curried again to get rid of any loose hair followed by briskly brushed with a dandy brush.
Works great and leaves them shiny with no hair flying around.
After saying all that, I’ll say, I HIGHLY recommend the Ultimate Gloss Shampoo.
I have a customer who works for Mane and Tail/Cowboy Magic and I wasn’t ever really a fan of the Mane and Tail Shampoo until the ultimate gloss. I love love that stuff! They’re so so shiny afterwards and the conditioner is amazing!
