Product Review: 5 Must-Haves In Your Grooming Tote

I’m always on the hunt to add new products to my grooming arsenal. Anything that reliably works, helps my horse in some way and doesn’t break the bank usually gets my seal of approval.

Here’s a list of products I’ve tried in the last year that have become staples in my grooming routine.

Healthy HorseCare Horse Moisturizer Concentrate

It all started with some flaky skin on my horse’s underbelly. The dry skin spread, stretching over where my girth sat, and soon the hair in that area began to fall out. I was concerned, of course, about my horse’s patchy, flaky skin. After ruling out rubbing or a reaction from my girth, I started my search for the right product to ease his skin troubles.

A friend of mind recommended a moisturizer concentrate after some fungal treatment products only dried out his skin further: Healthy HorseCare Horse Moisturizer or “the pink stuff” as I started calling it. A little bit of this pink concentrate goes a long way with some water (one part concentrate to eight parts water) in a spray bottle. It replenishes hair with therapeutic lanolin oil. It treats dry skin and dandruff immediately, and provides relief from itching and rubs, too. It’s safe to spray directly onto the coat, mane or tail, while wet, dry or dirty. 

I noticed results in just a few days. The flaky skin quickly went away, and soon the hair began to grow back. Now Healthy HorseCare Horse Moisturizer is a staple in my grooming box. I use it on my horse’s tail in the dry months, and anytime dandruff reappears on his coat. It smells great, and easily lifts off dust for a finishing show spray too.

Overall rating: 4.8/5 | Quality: 4.8/5 | Price point: 4.9/5

Equiderma Thrush & White Line

 My horse has experienced more hoof-related problems this year than in any of the six years I’ve owned him. He’s got Thoroughbred feet, so they’ve always been something I’ve had to manage. But in the last year, he’s gone from being barefoot (for years) to shod, and recovering from one nasty abscess to constantly battling one fungal infection after another.

Living in Florida, I’m no newbie to maintaining horses in wet and muddy conditions. I’ve been a die-hard user of some well-known topical hoof products for years… until my new farrier told me to mix it up. His advice was not to stick to one topical treatment for too long. His logic seemed interesting to me, and so, I began to expand my collection of thrush-related products.

I was already a fan of Equiderma’s skin products, from the lotion to shampoos and pastes, but picked up their thrush & white line formula to add to my arsenal. And wow – I’m glad I did. Made of mineral oil, chlorhexidine, neem oil and some lavender essential oil, the Equiderma product isn’t quite as harsh as some other chemicals, but attacks the infection right away. What I liked most about it is that it’s designed to be scrubbed into the frog and hoof cracks with a brush. It felt like I could really get it into the areas that needed the most attention that way, instead of dripping some product on or stuffing it in with a cotton ball. I noticed a difference in my horse’s thrush in a matter of days.

So now I’m torn – maybe I won’t be taking my farrier’s advice to mix it up. This Equiderma thrush & white formula is just that good. 

Overall rating: 4.7/5 | Quality: 4.8/5 | Price point: 4/5

HandsOn Gloves 

Turnout – or the overall look of the horse and rider – is a huge part of the routine at the Olympic Games. From coat condition to braiding, grooms spend hours preparing the horses to look their best for their performances in the ring. But grooming isn’t all about the looks – it’s an essential horse health and care routine to keep equine athletes looking and feeling their best. One of my favorite tools I keep in my grooming arsenal are a pair of HandsOn Gloves.

These gloves are the ultimate shedding/bathing/grooming tool all wrapped into one. If you’ve ever had to remove caked, dried mud off a naughty gelding’s rump and legs you know – there’s no better product on the market to cut through tough horse grooming jobs. A good currying is essential to maintaining proper skin health in horses. The friction between the bristles of a HandsOn glove helps to stimulate the oils of the skin as it removes and loosens dirt and dead hair, providing a healthier, shinier coat to grow. Currying also stimulates blood circulation.

The gloves offer different sized bristles – with larger, rounder ones on the palm and thinner ones on the fingers. It’s a great tool to remove fungus and gunk off the skin, but also to provide your athletic partner with a well-deserved massage after or before a ride. The wider bristles on the palm are great for pressure release and soothing sore muscles.

HandsOn Gloves can be used dry or wet. They’re easy to clean after use and fold and fit easily into any grooming tote or tack box. I keep a pair at the barn and a pair at home, because my dogs can’t get enough of their bath time massages, too. These gloves are built to last – one pair has lasted me years and still up for the toughest of grooming jobs. Consider investing in your own pair at hansongloves.com and feel like you can groom like an Olympian.

ExcelShine Hoof Oil 

Living and riding year-round in Florida, I’ll admit I’m not an avid user of hoof oil or conditioner. Florida is generally in a perpetual state of “rainy season,” so there’s enough moisture in the ground to help keep my horse’s hooves conditioned (almost too much so). But I was lucky to give the Excel Supplements brand of hoof oil a try recently, and I’m glad I did. 

The timing couldn’t have been better. My Thoroughbred is back in work after battling an unruly abscess and deep thrush. He’s also now shod for the first time since his racing days years ago. That means his feet have undergone some significant changes in recent weeks. ExcelShine hoof oil adds an extra layer of protection to his hooves as they heal and adjust to being in shoes.

ExcelShine is made from Excel Supplements’ exclusive blend of of camelina oil, and helps keep hooves from cracking and becoming too dry. The hoof oil also works to seal out excess moisture and aids in thrush prevention. What I liked most about it is the oil isn’t excessive – it didn’t leave behind any build up after daily use and was easy to apply to the whole foot – including the coronet band, sole and frog. 

The oil is made entirely of all-natural ingredients. Because of this, it’s great for everyday use. I’ve noticed a difference in my horse’s hooves already. They’re not too soft, but not too hard either, and the oil is helping keep the his once-damaged frog quite healthy. Priced at $18.99, it’s an easy staple to have in your grooming tote. 
 

Overall rating: 4.8/5 | Quality: 4.8/5 | Price point: 4.9/5

Kinetic Vet EquiShield AO Shampoo

Buying shampoo and other grooming products marketed to horses or even dogs can sometimes feel like a racket. Just because it’s for a horse, somehow some brands think that’s worth tacking on another $8 or so to the price. –Cue eye roll here– So it can hard to find something like a quality shampoo or conditioner for my coppery chestnut gelding that’s also affordable. I gave Kinetic Vet’s EquiShield AO Shampoo a try recently, and it hit all the marks. I’m never going back to anything else. 

Kinetic Vet was founded by two veterinarians and what makes their products different is that each one is grounded in real science and research. There’s a whole section of the company’s website dedicated to the clinical research on their slew of grooming, skin care and other products.

When I gave the shampoo a try for the first time, I was immediately struck by how good it smells. No joke – I wish my laundry detergent smelled like this. The lavender scent is fabulous, and it lasts quite a while after a routine bath. The AO shampoo is designed for animals with dry skin, which is perfect for my gelding in the summertime. He has a typical thin Thoroughbred coat, which dries out quickly with the mix of sun and sand in his pasture. The aloe and oatmeal shampoo cleans and soothes the skin without removing natural skin oils and gentle enough for routine use. After every bath, my horse shines like a copper penny. The AO shampoo is now my go-to before each and every horse show.

I was so impressed by this shampoo that I decided to give it a try on my dogs too. Their coats feel soft for what seems like weeks after a bath with the AO shampoo, and again, I can’t get enough of that lavender smell. Kinetic Vet was worth the try and is now a staple in my grooming tote. 
 

Overall rating: 4.7/5 | Quality: 4.8/5 | Price point: 4.5/5