Here, we have reviews of 10 of the most popular shampoos so you can learn more about the differences between them. We also included a buyer’s guide to help you make an educated decision.
A Quick Glance at the Winners of 2024
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Best Overall
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DermaBenSs Shampoo for Dogs, Cats & Horses |
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Check Price |
Best Value
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Mane ‘n Tail Pet Shampoo |
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Check Price |
Premium Choice
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TrizCHLOR 4 Shampoo for Dogs, Cats & Horses |
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Check Price |
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Farnam Vetrolin White ’N Brite Shampoo for Horses and Dogs |
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Check Price | |
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Fiebing’s Blue Frost Whitening Horse Shampoo |
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Check Price |
The 10 Best Horse Shampoos
1. DermaBenSs Shampoo for Dogs, Cats & Horses — Best Overall
DermaBenSs Shampoo for Dogs, Cats & Horses is the best overall horse shampoo. It comes in a 12-ounce bottle and uses a safe formula for cats, dogs, and horses, so you can use it on your other pets if you have any left over. It works well at getting rid of mud and odor, and it does not leave a sulfur odor behind like many other horse shampoos. It contains ceramides that will help moisturize and restore dead skin and comedolytic, which helps clear hair follicles.
Customers enjoy using this product and have very few complaints. The only problem seems to be that it can be difficult to rinse off and occasionally leaves behind a film.
2. Mane ‘n Tail Pet Shampoo — Best Value
Mane ‘n Tail Pet Shampoo is the best horse shampoo for the money. This brand comes in a 32-ounce bottle and has gentle ingredients. It’s non-toxic and safe to use on horses, cats, dogs, and even human hair. It creates a rich lather that you can work into the hair to remove dirt better. It’s pH balanced, so it won’t dry out the skin, and it doesn’t leave behind a bad odor.
The only problem with Mane’ n Tail was that even though the bottle is fairly large, you’ll likely end up using it quite quickly. It takes more than other brands to create a thick lather.
3. TrizCHLOR 4 Shampoo for Dogs, Cats & Horses — Premium Choice
TrizCHLOR 4 Shampoo for Dogs, Cats & Horses is a premium-choice shampoo because it works well and contains medicine to help soothe damaged and irritated skin. The water-based formula will not leave a residue behind, nor will it irritate cuts and scrapes. It’s antimicrobial so it can help reduce the risk of infections and is especially helpful for clearing up Staphylococcal infections. This brand is safe for dogs and cats, but you need to make sure you don’t get it in the animal’s eyes.
You can tell as soon as you apply it that TrizCHLOR 4 is a fantastic shampoo, especially if your horse has skin problems, but the tiny 8-ounce bottle will not get you too far. It also has a strong odor that some users might not like.
4. Farnam Vetrolin White ’N Brite Shampoo for Horses and Dogs
Farnam Vetrolin White ’N Brite Shampoo for Horses and Dogs comes in a large 32-ounce bottle and has a unique concentrated formula that will apparently enable you to wash up to 16 horses before requiring a refill. It thoroughly cleans the hair, especially the mane and tail, and brings out the natural highlights in dark-colored horses. The deep-cleaning formula penetrates the hair so it can moisturize the skin.
Farnam Vetrolin cleans well but doesn’t produce much lather, and it doesn’t seem to be as concentrated as claimed. You’d be quite lucky to reach 16 horses per bottle.
5. Fiebing’s Blue Frost Whitening Horse Shampoo
Fiebing’s Blue Frost Whitening Horse Shampoo, as the name suggests, has a formula that safely brightens the color of your white horse. The brightening agents help remove urine and grass stains and help remove the build-up of detanglers, insect repellents, and other air pollutants that might be in your horse’s hair, preventing them from achieving their brightest color. The formula is highly concentrated, and the 16-ounce bottle will go a long way. It contains aloe, so it will help moisturize the skin as it cleans.
Fiebing’s Blue Frost creates a strong odor and is primarily suited for white horses. While it is safe to use on other colors, you don’t get the whitening properties, which is partly the reason for the high cost.
6. EQyss Grooming Products Natural Botanical Color Intensifying Horse Shampoo
EQyss Grooming Products Natural Botanical Color Intensifying Horse Shampoo has a fresh-smelling tropical scent that is a nice departure from many other brands. It’s also available in multiple sizes, so you can get enough for one horse or an entire stable. The formula intensifies coat color so your horse will look better than ever, and it’s pH balanced so it won’t irritate or dry out the skin. It creates a thick lather that you can work into the hair, and it rinses away clean without leaving any residue behind.
EQyss is great to use, but it’s not as concentrated as some other brands, and it takes quite a bit of product to create a good lather. You may need to purchase additional bottles frequently.
7. Strawfield Pets Chlorhexidine Medicated Dog, Cat & Horse Shampoo
Strawfield Pets Chlorhexidine Medicated Dog, Cat & Horse Shampoo is a great choice if you have a horse suffering from itchy and irritated skin. This formula contains medication that will soothe the skin while moisturizing it. It can help relieve yeast infections, dermatitis, acne, and more, helping your horse feel better while looking cleaner. It’s also pain free and won’t sting scratches or cuts. It’s made in the U.S.A. and is also safe for dogs and cats.
This Strawfield shampoo is a strong contender if your horse is suffering from a skin disorder, but this brand can be annoying to use for regular maintenance. It’s thick and hard to apply and work into a lather, which often uses more than you need. Once you get it lathered up, it’s too thick to rinse off cleanly. If your horse is anxious to finish the bath, it can be challenging to get them completely rinsed.
8. Vetericyn FoamCare Equine Medicated Shampoo
Vetericyn FoamCare Equine Medicated Shampoo is a unique brand that comes with an easy-to-use spray applicator that takes all the work out of creating a lather. It comes out as foam, so you can instantly work it into the hair to remove dirt and soothe the skin. It’s medicated to provide relief from fungal disorders like ringworm, yeast, and rain rot. It comes in a 32-ounce container and is also safe to use on dogs and cats.
Since Vetericyn comes out of the can as a foam, you can use it up quickly if you’re not careful, which can get expensive if you need to wash several horses.
9. E3 Elite Grooming Products Shampoo for Pets
E3 Elite Grooming Products Shampoo for Pets, despite the name, is formulated specifically for horses and contains ingredients that can help destroy the mold and bacteria living on their skin. Bacteria and mold can cause inflamed, itchy, and painful skin, and this shampoo also contains vitamins that can soothe the skin to provide your horse relief. It comes in a 32-ounce bottle that is enough to wash several horses.
The biggest problem with E3 Elite is that it contains triclosan, which some studies have shown to cause the thyroid gland to malfunction. It also has a strong smell.
10. Farnam Horse Health 2-in-1 Shampoo and Conditioner
Farnam Horse Health 2-in-1 Shampoo and Conditioner will leave your horse’s hair shiny and soft. It’s pH balanced, so it won’t irritate your horse’s skin, and it comes in a gallon container that should be enough for up to 15 washes. It doesn’t leave behind a bad smell and isn’t hard to rinse away.
Unfortunately, the Horse Health bottle may make a mess wherever it is stored. Also, while it does leave the hair feeling softer, it doesn’t create much lather and may not work well to remove dirt and urine stains.
Buyer’s Guide
Let’s look at a few things that you should consider before purchasing a horse shampoo.
Medication
While it might not be the first thing that you might look for when choosing a horse shampoo, it’s a good place to start. If your horse is suffering from itchy skin due to an allergic reaction, flea or fly bites, ringworm, yeast, or other causes, a medicated shampoo can help ease the clinical signs to provide your horse with relief. However, you might need to reapply a shampoo several times in a short time to clear up the problem, which can be quite expensive. It might be tempting to purchase a medicated shampoo as a preventative measure, which is fine if you have the budget, but it is unnecessary if your horse shows no signs of a skin disorder. A less-expensive standard shampoo is a perfect choice for horses with healthy skin.
Size
Many shampoos are highly concentrated, and others might be weak, requiring more product to create a good lather that you can use. We recommend reading the package closely to get an idea of how many horses you can wash per bottle.
Moisturizers
Even if your horse’s skin is healthy, frequent baths can dry it out, causing dandruff and itching. We recommend using a shampoo that contains moisturizers that can help lock in moisture to reduce the risk of a flare-up.
Scent
Scent can go either way with horse shampoos. Either they smell great or terrible or have no scent at all. If you plan on using these products on your dog or cat, you probably want one that smells good. It doesn’t seem to matter as much for horses, though you might have a preference.
Lather
Many horse shampoos don’t make a good lather that you can work into the hair to lift dirt. It’s also helpful for knowing what areas you missed. We recommend using a shampoo that creates a good lather.
Residue
One thing that you will want to check for when selecting a horse shampoo is that it rinses away completely. Some brands cling tight and leave a residue behind, which can cause the hair to attract dirt. It can also make the horse feel sticky or oily.
Conclusion
When choosing your next horse shampoo among these reviews, we recommend a brand that doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals. Our top choice, DermaBenSs Shampoo for Horses, is a perfect example. It’s a concentrated formula that cleans quite well and will leave your horse noticeably shinier with a manageable mane and tail. It also moisturizes the skin and has no odor.
Mane ‘n Tail Pet Shampoo is another smart choice and is a great value. This brand is extremely popular, so you can find it in many pet stores. It’s pH balanced and creates a thick lather that you can work into the hair to produce a shiny coat. It works just as well as our top pick, but you might easily go through a large amount of it quite quickly.
If your horse is showing signs of a skin infection, we recommend our premium choice. TrizCHLOR 4 Shampoo has antimicrobial ingredients and will help soothe the skin to help your horse feel better.
Related reads:
- 5 Best Horse Liniments – Reviews & Top Picks
- 7 Best Whitening Shampoos for Horses – Reviews & Top Picks
- 7 Best Horse Brushes – Reviews & Top Picks
Featured Image Credit: christels, pixabay
