I used the cheapo shampoos like Suave and it made my horse itchy. Now using Corona works wonderfully, rinses clean clean. I used Orvus long ago, but then started to use the cheap human stuff (including conditioners) with not so good results. I do think the ph between human and horse is different, just like the dog shampoos are different also in their ph.
Vetrolin can make some horses get hives see it. Smells great, but use caution.
I use Eqyss shampoo because it doesn’t contain oils or silicones. A bottle will last me one summer of bathing 2 horses at least 6-8 times each.
I figure I’m not so cheap to pay $16 for one bottle to last both of my horses a season when I pay at least that much for a bottle of my shampoo that lasts less than that!
Oh, just a tip-no matter what kind of shampoo you use (horse or human) if you go to the local Sally’s beauty supply, you can get pump tops for the bottles-much easier to squirt out a bit onto your sponge/shampoo mitt/curry than have slippery hands and have to open the shampoo top and then tip the bottle. They’re like $1.25 and reusable too! They even have pumps for gallon bottles.
[QUOTE=2DogsFarm;6166301]
I use whatever human shampoo was a Fail for my hair.
But then, I rarely shampoo a horse unless it’s really warm out and we’re going somewhere special.
For you bluing users: be careful!
Especially if you have a gray or other light-colored horse.
A drop too much in the rinse and your horse will be pale blue for a loooooooong time :no:[/QUOTE]
Funny you should mention…
As a kid I had a light gray pony. I was taking him to do pony rides for our church’s Vacation Bible School program. Someone I knew told me about the bluing trick…but didn’t mention to my 9 year old self that you have to DILUTE IT.
Aaaaaand enter blue pony. I put it on him straight. He was blue until the seasons changed and he shed out. :-/
[QUOTE=TheJenners;6164338]
Getting something like Orvus, which is designed for livestock use (only, AFAK)[/QUOTE]
Uhm.
Orvus… is an industrial carpet cleaner.
It is made mainly from SLS (sodium lauryl sulphate) which is this cheap, tricky ingredient that shows up in all types of cleaning products like human shampoo, laundry product, body wash, etc because its inexpensive, lathers and cleans. I’ve also heard its a skin irritant and allergen. It’s like the high fructose corn syrup of the cleaning product world.
On looking it up, I found that SLS is also called called sodium dodecyl sulfate. It is also a biocide (this could be good), used for enemas, in toothpaste, it is non carcinogenic but is used as a ‘control’ in lab tests because it causes skin irritation within one hour of application.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_dodecyl_sulfate
That being said, many of the human shampoos have SLS or some variation of it as one of the top ingredients, tho if you look for it, some are now SLS free. I haven’t checked enough horse shampoo bottles to know, but I’d assume its the same.
Ivory soap for socks (Dawn if it’s my first sock scrub in awhile,) Vetrolin for bodies, and an aloe shampoo for the first few baths of spring and last few of fall for Mr. Hives In The Mud Every Year Like Clockwork. Dawn on Big Gross Gray Horse. Whatever’s in my linen closet for tail conditioner. I really liked Vetrolin on my own hair. 
Yes. Equine shampoos are PH Balanced to work with the horses skin.
I have heard that using human shampoo or conditioner can really dry out the coat and skin. Whether that is true or a myth I am not sure. To be on the safe side I only use equine shampoo on my horse and only use it when I absolutely have to. My favorites are EQyss Micro-Tek and Vetrolin shampoo. The Micro-Tek is good for when your horse has any type of skin condition and the Vetrolin shampoo is just a good overall shampoo and it smells really nice. I also use conditioner like a shampoo in between baths to keep his coat nice. I use Mane and Tail conditioner.
[QUOTE=CHT;6164296]
Human shampoos are made for a different PH level than equine ones, and can make the horse’s skin more at risk of getting a skin condition/infection.[/QUOTE]
Horses and humans have the same pH
ETA: I was wrong…!
I use the cheap VO5 shampoos and conditioners for dogs and horses. I look for the ones with jojoba oil added, not all of them have the oil. I have tried lots of other things, especially horse shampoos, but I end up going back to this. I get clean, shiny, soft hair and not dry skin.
[QUOTE=BarbB;6204780]
I use the cheap VO5 shampoos and conditioners for dogs and horses. I look for the ones with jojoba oil added, not all of them have the oil. I have tried lots of other things, especially horse shampoos, but I end up going back to this. I get clean, shiny, soft hair and not dry skin.[/QUOTE]
That’s because jojoba oil is the only oil (technically it’s a wax…) that so closely matches our own sebum. Jojoba is great stuff!
Our show horses look fabulous after their baths with Suave and attribute their shine and detangled tails to a product called “Pink” aerosol - the human hair product that is 1/3 the cost of Show Sheen. Expensive does not mean better, and what’s good for the human works fine for the horse in our barn!
According to The Horse, horse skin is pH 7.0 to 7.4
According to Wikipedia, human skin is about 5.4
I’m not the greatest scientist in the world, but I think this is a big difference. My vet says horse skin is a fairly complex ecosystem. I want to disrupt it as little as possible, so the couple times a year I bathe my horse with shampoo, I’m willing to pay extra.
[QUOTE=stryder;6206332]
According to The Horse, horse skin is pH 7.0 to 7.4
According to Wikipedia, human skin is about 5.4
I’m not the greatest scientist in the world, but I think this is a big difference. My vet says horse skin is a fairly complex ecosystem. I want to disrupt it as little as possible, so the couple times a year I bathe my horse with shampoo, I’m willing to pay extra.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I corrected my post ;).
I use bunch of different things depending on the horse. I can’t remember the brand but a Bay color enhancer for the mare-beast, or Gallop shampoo for her plus the Cowboy Magic Rosewater conditioner for her tail. I never condition the mane, makes it too slick for braiding.
For the ApHC gelding, if I am not doing a serious, going to a show clean, I’ll just bathe him in whatever I use on the mare. If I want a serious clean because he has a lot of white (Blanket app) I will use a trick I used on my white ApHC filly years ago. I put clothes washing for whites detergent in a bucket with water, mix, sponge on him, let it sit for five or so minutes then rinse clean. Makes the white’s SUPER white. I also always pack the Cowboy magic greenspot remover for touch-ups on both horses, the mare has white/ermine back feet.
I will also spray on their tails some Equyss Avacado mist conditioner to strengthen against breakage.
If I’m showing I will spray on a equyss or cowboy magic body shine AFTER I’ve saddled the horse. I think everyone has probably done the spray on showsheen then tried to saddle their horse.
[QUOTE=hundredacres;6207333]
Yeah, I corrected my post ;).[/QUOTE]
Wasn’t pointing at you, hundredacres.
At the risk of sounding snarky, I think people are missing a larger point, so here it is:
Feel free to use floor cleaner, dish soap, whatever on your horse. Be prepared to wash often because the oils are stripped, and treat the funky skin condition because the skin eco-system has been disrupted. Personally, I’d rather my mostly white paint mare keep her teflon coating that sheds manure stains and mud as soon as they’re dry, and never has funky skin even here in in moss-land.
Of course if you’re showing that’s a whole different deal.
Regarding dry skin - it’s very likely to happen at least in some parts of the horse if you’re washing without adding a spray on coat conditioner afterward. Mine used to get it on the top of their hips. Where it’s hard for me to reach, go figure! But if you ARE using human shampoo, and you use a coat conditioner afterward, you are more likely to prevent those issues. I used to use Healthy Hair Care religiously until I read about Wahna Win, which I just started trying out.
Show Sheen is NOT a coat conditioner - it will keep your horse’s coat clean, but the alcohol in it will dry the coat out. It’s great for white socks, faces, etc, but not for the entire body if you are at risk for dry skin.
Quote:
Originally Posted by naters
I disagree on that actually… My dog, horse, and I use the same stuff
I use Suave daily shampoo, same as Janet, and he looks great. Skin is in great shape too.
I like the Dove nourishing oils conditioner for his tail though!
It’s true. Dog skin pH is roughly 7.4, human is roughly 5.2, and horses are in the 4.5-6 range according to my pharmacology final today in vet school. Horses are close-ish enough to humans that it most likely won’t cause a problem but it can cause significant issues in dogs to use a human shampoo. Best bet for canines is to use the gentlest, canine pH specific shampoo you can find. You should see the dermatological conditions that can crop up…not a pretty sight and very painful for the dogs!
I don’t believe this at all. That the pH of the shampoo affects anything. The detergents will remove/ kill anything on the skin, and then you rinse it all away and it’s gone and the skin returns to how it was. Generally detergents/ soaps have alkaline pH (7.5 to 9.5).
Practically all shampoos contain the same active ingredients: Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate. All the “other” ingredients are just color, scent, “volumizing” etc.; these are the ones that actually do the cleaning.
Human “no tears” shampoos for babies are often adjusted to pH 7.0 so they don’t sting the eyes. Shampoos described as “mild” usually also have the pH adjusted towards 7.0 and/or have diluted out the active ingredients more than usual.
Not to mention that many people wash dogs in human shampoo all the time and don’t get any “dermatological conditions”.
[QUOTE=WorthTheWait95;6166446]
It’s true. Dog skin pH is roughly 7.4, human is roughly 5.2, and horses are in the 4.5-6 range according to my pharmacology final today in vet school. Horses are close-ish enough to humans that it most likely won’t cause a problem but it can cause significant issues in dogs to use a human shampoo. Best bet for canines is to use the gentlest, canine pH specific shampoo you can find. You should see the dermatological conditions that can crop up…not a pretty sight and very painful for the dogs![/QUOTE]
Yes but the point is it doesn’t matter what you put on it. Water is ~7, does that mean one shouldn’t put water on horses? Back at camp we used the strips and tested various human and horse shampoos. They ALL were all over the place. So I just use what ever seems to work well and is cheap. My dogs (JRTs mostly) do really well with human shampoo.
Learning how to bath my horse.
[QUOTE=yellowbritches;6164494]
Honestly, I think you over pay when you buy horse specific stuff. And I’m not sure it really does anything that great. And I HATE Orvus. I can never get it to rinse away well…and I don’t believe it is designed for livestock. Isn’t it actually meant for carpets?
My go-to is Ivory or Dawn. Cheap, gentle, readily available, does an awesome job, takes practically nothing to get a good bucket going, and rinses away easily. I have used it extensively on two very sensitive skinned horses with no ill effects, and I know it is gentle because MY hands don’t suffer when I give baths (Mane and Tail trash my hands and we won’t even talk about Orvus!). And it is so multi-functional…clean elastic on tack, clean buckets, clean brushes, wash the dog (Dawn repels fleas). Love it :yes:
I do like Pert Plus (or store brand) for tails. The only horse specific shampoo I use is Quick Silver…and almost don’t need that because Ivory and Dawn do a pretty stellar job on whites. Baby shampoo is nice for a fussy headed horse.
I got pulled into marketing and bought a bottle of Quick Black shortly after I bought my almost black horse. Silly. I think that was the last bottle of horsey shampoos I’ve bought, actually (unless you count medicated shampoos).[/QUOTE]
So, this may be a silly question but the Dawn and Ivory you use, are they the dish washing detergents or an actual shampoo product. I think I’d like to give this a try but want to be sure I’m using the right thing.
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