It’s that time of year again when we reach for the horse shampoo and hose to wash away all the dead hair, stable stains and dried mud left over from the winter. For those of us who don’t have access to a warm shower facility and a solarium, our horses may be somewhat filthy by around about now.

There’s a huge variety of horse shampoos available to purchase to suit a variety of purposes. Perhaps you’re wanting to enhance the horse’s coat…there’s a shampoo for that or maybe your horse is a stain devel, there’s also a shampoo for that too.

Here we take a look at the four best horse shampoos available by looking at three main factors; effectiveness, cost and of course smell. All the shampoos here are available to buy on the internet or in stores. We have chosen to list prices from two of our affiliate partners who we know offer competitive prices and delivery costs; Amazon and Viovet. All prices were relevant at the time of publishing.

---

Shampoo we think you’ll love…

Looking for a little luxury when bathing your horse? If scents and bubbles are at the top of your shampoo ‘must do list’, on top of actually cleaning the horse of course, you’ll love our first product on the list.

Dermoline Insecticidal Horse Shampoo

A potent-smelling shampoo used for killing lice and repelling flies. Available in 200ml and 500ml bottles. Licensed medical product

Pros 

• Assists in the removal of lice infestation
• Good for helping to repel flies – short term
• Cleans brushes and other grooming equipment
• Sensitive to skin
• Leaves good shine

Cons

• Not tough enough for stubborn stains
• Potent smelling, we liked it but the horses weren’t so keen
• Didn’t lather much so needed to use slightly more than would have expected for more coverage

Overall recommendations; great for flies, lice and for a good clean. Wouldn’t recommend for mud monsters as something a little stronger with a stain-removing properties may be worth a go.

On research into horse shampoos, we were astounded by the different types of products available. Depending on use, each equestrian brand had its own range of products. Coat enhancers, deep conditioners, those suitable for white horses, those for flies, shampoo for super shine and so much more.

However, sometimes you just want a shampoo that does exactly what it says on the bottle, at a reasonable price. Spending a fortune on a coat-enhancing shampoo for the horse to simply be left out grazing, maybe a tad over top and makes no sense at all. With this in mind, we trialled old time fav and the very reasonably priced, Lincoln Horse Shampoo. Again Lincoln has an extensive range of shampoos, this one though simply ticks the two boxes; cost-effective and does what it says on the label. The horse was clean after use and the cost was at a minimum with plenty of product still left in the bottle…great!

Lincoln Horse Shampoo

A simple yet effective lightly medicated shampoo used on horses over many years for bathing and removing stable stains.

Pros 

• Great for regular use as cost-effective
• Cleans well
• Leaves a nice shine
• Lightly Fragranced

Cons

• It won’t enhance coat colours or transform your horse ready for HOYS, but then again it doesn’t claim to

Overall recommendations; If you are looking for a good quality shampoo you can use on a regular basis then this is ideal. Cost-effective so it won’t break the bank.

Now, if essential oils are your thing you’ll probably already know that horse shampoos are now available enriched with tea tree oil and also lavender, but when it comes to selecting the right shampoo, there are far too many to choose from. The benefits of lavender can include relief from stress and strain, cuts, burns, and bruises and don’t forget it can also improve sleep (though for the human we presume this one).

So we took a look at shampoos enriched with Lavender. Coming out in many cases as fairly cost-effective, there is availability from a select amount of brands. Equimins Lavender shampoo comes in a typical-sized 500ml bottle, however, it’s reported on the bottle to include fly-repelling properties too, so naturally, we took a look at how well this shampoo worked on a cremello that hates bathing…

Equimins Lavender Shampoo

Fortified with natural essential oil, Lavender, the shampoo offers relaxing scents and skin soothing properties. Also works as a natural fly repellent.

Pros 

• Fabulous smell, lingering for a while after shampoo
• Lathers into plenty of bubbles
• Expect super shine
• Cleaned stains easily

Cons(

• We naturally expected this to work well on a cremello’s coat with the colour being traditionally set to coat enhancing shampoos (purple/blue). Although it did just that, it didn’t state it on the bottle which may mean buyers will turn it away when looking for a product that works well on lighter coats
• It’s easy to pour in too much due to the amazing smell of this product, remember only a little is needed though. We wasted quite a bit on the first few uses.

Overall recommendations; Get ready for a sensory overload with this fabulous shampoo. It’s a real treat for both horse and rider, offering a relaxing aroma, plenty of bubbles and super shine …. spot on!