Horse maintenance can be a full-time job, especially if your horse often gets dirty and requires consistent cleaning. One of the most important tools for properly maintaining a horse is the proper shampoo. However, choosing the right brand can be challenging, and there are several different kinds, all claiming to be the best. We’ve chosen 10 of the most popular shampoos to review for you so you can learn a little more about the difference between them. We’ll tell you about the pros and cons we experienced with each and let you know how well they worked. We’ve also included a short buyer’s guide where we take a close look at these shampoos to see what makes one better than the next.
Keep reading while we look at ingredients, cost, volume, and more to help you make an educated decision.
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites
Image Product Details
Best Overall
DermaBenSs Horse Shampoo
Safe for dogs, cats, and horses
Moisturizes and restores dry skin
No odor
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Best Value
Mane ‘n Tail Pet Shampoo
Gentle and safe for all animals
pH-balanced
Rich lather
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Premium Choice
TrizCHLOR 4 Shampoo
Antimicrobial
Soothes the skin
Water-based formula
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Farnam Vetrolin White N’ Brite
Deep cleaning formula
Enhances highlights
Concentrated formula
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Fiebing’s Blue Frost Whitening Horse Shampoo
Formulated for white coats
Removes free radicals
Gentle formula
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The 10 Best Horse Shampoos – Reviews 2023
We enjoyed using DermaBenSs and have very few complaints after using it several times. The only problem we had was that it could be difficult to rinse off and occasionally leaves behind a film.
DermaBenSs Horse Shampoo is our pick as 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 pets if you have some leftover. We found that it worked very 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.
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Pros
12 ounces
Safe for dogs, cats, and horses
Moisturizes and restores dry skin
No odor
Cons
Hard to rinse clean
The only problem we had with Mane’ n Tail was that even though the bottle is fairly large, we ended up using it pretty quickly. It took a little more than other brands to create the thick lather.
12 ounces
Safe for dogs, cats, and horses
Moisturizes and restores dry skin
No odor
- 12 ounces
- Safe for dogs, cats, and horses
- Moisturizes and restores dry skin
- No odor
Hard to rinse clean
- Hard to rinse clean
Mane’ n Tail Pet Shampoo is our pick as the best horse shampoo for the money. This brand comes in a 32-ounce bottle and features 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 fur 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.
Pros
Gentle and safe for all animals
pH-balanced
Rich lather
32 ounces
Cons
Goes quickly
You can tell as soon as you apply it that TrizCHLOR 4 is a fantastic shampoo, especially if it has skin problems, but the tiny 8-ounce bottle will not get you too far. It also produces a strong odor that some users might not like.
Gentle and safe for all animals
pH-balanced
Rich lather
32 ounces
- Gentle and safe for all animals
- pH-balanced
- Rich lather
- 32 ounces
Goes quickly
- Goes quickly
TrizCHLOR 4 Shampoo is our 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. Like the other shampoos we’ve looked at already, his brand is safe for dogs and cats, but you need to make sure you don’t get it in the eyes.
Pros
Antimicrobial
Soothes the skin
Water-based formula
Won’t irritate
Also suitable for cats and dogs
Cons
8 ounces
Strong smell
- Farnam Vetrolin White N’ Brite Horse Shampoo
Check Latest Price HereFarnam Vetrolin White N’ Brite Horse Shampoo comes in a large 32-ounce bottle and features a unique concentrated formula that will allow you to wash up to 16 horses before requiring a refill. It cleans the fur, especially the mane and tail, and brings out the natural highlights in darker-colored horses. The deep cleaning formula penetrates the hair so it can moisturize the skin.
We liked the way Farnam Vetrolin cleaned our horses, but it doesn’t produce much lather, and we felt that it wasn’t as concentrated as they claim, and we weren’t able to reach 16 horses per bottle.
Antimicrobial
Soothes the skin
Water-based formula
Won’t irritate
Also suitable for cats and dogs
- Antimicrobial
- Soothes the skin
- Water-based formula
- Won’t irritate
- Also suitable for cats and dogs
8 ounces
Strong smell
- 8 ounces
- Strong smell
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Farnam Vetrolin White N’ Brite Horse Shampoo comes in a large 32-ounce bottle and features a unique concentrated formula that will allow you to wash up to 16 horses before requiring a refill. It cleans the fur, especially the mane and tail, and brings out the natural highlights in darker-colored horses. The deep cleaning formula penetrates the hair so it can moisturize the skin.
Pros
Deep cleaning formula
Enhances highlights
Moisturises skin
Concentrated formula
32 ounces
Cons
Doesn’t lather well
Used it quickly
- Fiebing’s Blue Frost Whitening Horse Shampoo
Check Latest Price on ChewyFiebing’s Blue Frost Whitening Horse Shampoo, as the name suggests, features 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 fur, preventing It from reaching its 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.
We didn’t like the strong odor that Fiebing’s Blue Frost created, and it’s primarily suited for white horses, and while it is safe to use on other colors, you don’t get the whitening properties is partly the reason for the higher cost.
Deep cleaning formula
Enhances highlights
Moisturises skin
Concentrated formula
32 ounces
- Deep cleaning formula
- Enhances highlights
- Moisturises skin
- Concentrated formula
- 32 ounces
Doesn’t lather well
Used it quickly
- Doesn’t lather well
- Used it quickly
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Fiebing’s Blue Frost Whitening Horse Shampoo, as the name suggests, features 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 fur, preventing It from reaching its 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.
Pros
Formulated for white coats
Removes free radicals
Gentle formula
Moisturizes the skin
Concentrated
16 ounces
Cons
Strong odor
Only for white horses
Not much lather
Nat as concentrated as it claims
We really liked using EQyss, and our only problem with it was that it’s not as concentrated as some of the other brands and takes quite a bit of product to create a good lather. We found ourselves purchasing additional bottles frequently.
Formulated for white coats
Removes free radicals
Gentle formula
Moisturizes the skin
Concentrated
16 ounces
- Formulated for white coats
- Removes free radicals
- Gentle formula
- Moisturizes the skin
- Concentrated
- 16 ounces
Strong odor
Only for white horses
Not much lather
Nat as concentrated as it claims
- Strong odor
- Only for white horses
- Not much lather
- Nat as concentrated as it claims
EQyss Grooming Products Natural Botanical 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 fur, and it rinses away clean without leaving any residue behind.
Pros
Multiple sizes
No residue
Intensifies coat color
pH-balanced
Thick lather
32 ounces
Cons
Goes fast
- Strawfield Pets Chlorhexidine Medicated Horse Shampoo
Check Latest Price on ChewyStrawfield Pets Chlorhexidine Medicated 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 USA and is also safe for dogs and cats.
Strawfield Pets Chlorhexidine Medicated Horse Shampoo is a strong contender if your horse is suffering from a skin disorder, but we found this brand is a pain to use for regular maintenance. It’s very thick and hard to apply to your horse 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, and it took us several attempts each time we used it. If your horse is anxious to get on with it, it can be challenging to get the horse completely rinsed.
Multiple sizes
No residue
Intensifies coat color
pH-balanced
Thick lather
32 ounces
- Multiple sizes
- No residue
- Intensifies coat color
- pH-balanced
- Thick lather
- 32 ounces
Goes fast
- Goes fast
Strawfield Pets Chlorhexidine Medicated 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 USA and is also safe for dogs and cats.
Pros
Medicated
Soothes the skin
No sting formula
16 ounces
Cons
Hard to lather
Hard to rinse off
What we didn’t like about Vetericyn is that since it comes out of the can as a foam, you can use it up very quickly, and we used an entire can before we learned how to manage it better, but it still goes rather quickly and can get expensive if you need to wash several horses. We also didn’t feel our horse was much cleaner after using it and were more impressed with other brands.
Medicated
Soothes the skin
No sting formula
16 ounces
- Medicated
- Soothes the skin
- No sting formula
- 16 ounces
Hard to lather
Hard to rinse off
- Hard to lather
- Hard to rinse off
Vetericyn FoamCare Medicated Horse Shampoo is a unique brand that comes with an easy-to-use spray applicator that takes all of the work out of creating a lather. It comes out as foam, so you can instantly work it into the fur 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.
Pros
Provides relief from fungal disorders
Soothes the skin
Easy to use applicator
Also safe for dogs and cats
32 ounces
Cons
It doesn’t last long
It doesn’t clean well
- E3 Elite Antibacterial/Antifungal Shampoo
Check Latest Price HereE3 Elite Antibacterial/Antifungal Shampoo, as the name suggests, contains ingredients that can help destroy the mold as well as bacteria living on the skin of your horses. 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 we had with E3 Elite is that it contains triclosan, which some studies have shown to cause the thyroid gland to malfunction. We also didn’t like the smell of this brand.
Provides relief from fungal disorders
Soothes the skin
Easy to use applicator
Also safe for dogs and cats
32 ounces
- Provides relief from fungal disorders
- Soothes the skin
- Easy to use applicator
- Also safe for dogs and cats
- 32 ounces
It doesn’t last long
It doesn’t clean well
- It doesn’t last long
- It doesn’t clean well
E3 Elite Antibacterial/Antifungal Shampoo, as the name suggests, contains ingredients that can help destroy the mold as well as bacteria living on the skin of your horses. 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.
Pros
Antibacterial and antifungal
Fortified with vitamins
Aids in healing
32 ounces
Cons
Contains triclosan
Smells bad
- Horse Health 2-in-1 Shampoo
Check Latest Price HereHorse Health 2-in-1 Shampoo is a shampoo plus conditioner that 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. We also appreciated that it doesn’t leave behind a bad smell, and it wasn’t hard to rinse away.
Unfortunately, while we were using Horse Health, the bottle continuously made a mess where we had it stored. While it did leave the fur feeling softer, it didn’t create much lather and didn’t seem to work well to remove dirt and urine stains.
Antibacterial and antifungal
Fortified with vitamins
Aids in healing
32 ounces
- Antibacterial and antifungal
- Fortified with vitamins
- Aids in healing
- 32 ounces
Contains triclosan
Smells bad
- Contains triclosan
- Smells bad
Horse Health 2-in-1 Shampoo is a shampoo plus conditioner that 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. We also appreciated that it doesn’t leave behind a bad smell, and it wasn’t hard to rinse away.
Pros
Shampoo plus conditioner
1 gallon
pH-balanced
Non-scented
Cons
Leaky bottle
Weak formula
No lather
Buyer’s Guide
Let’s look at a few things you should consider before purchasing a horse shampoo.
Shampoo plus conditioner
1 gallon
pH-balanced
Non-scented
- Shampoo plus conditioner
- 1 gallon
- pH-balanced
- Non-scented
Leaky bottle
Weak formula
No lather
- Leaky bottle
- Weak formula
- No lather
Medication
While it might not be the first thing 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 symptoms to provide your horse with relief. You might need to reapply for this shampoo several times in a short time to clear up the problem, and they 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 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
It can be tempting to choose your horse shampoo based on the bottle’s size, but 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 over the package closely to get an idea of how many horses you can wash per bottle. We tried to list the bottle size in our reviews and which brands ran out quickly.
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. We tried to mention which brands contain moisturizers in our reviews.
Scent
Scent can go either way with horse shampoos. Either they smell great, smell 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, but we mentioned any brands that were especially pleasing or terrible in our reviews.
Lather
For some reason, many horse shampoos don’t make a good lather that you can work into the fur to lift dirt. It’s also helpful for knowing what areas you missed. We recommend using a shampoo that creates a lather, and we tried to mention those that didn’t in our reviews.
Residue
One more thing 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 fur to attract dirt. It can also make the horse feel sticky or oily. Most of the brands on our list rinsed easily, and we mentioned the ones that didn’t.
Conclusion
When choosing your next horse shampoo, we recommend a brand that doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals. Our top choice, DermaBenSs Horse Shampoo, 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 moisturizes the skin and has no odor. Mane ‘n Tail Pet Shampoo is another smart choice and is our best 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 fur to produce a shiny coat. It works just as well as our top pick, but you go through a lot of it, and it may not be a great choice if you have several horses. If your horse is showing signs of a skin infection, we recommend you go with our premium choice. TrizCHLOR 4 Shampoo has antimicrobial ingredients and will help soothe the skin to help your horse feel better.
We hope you have enjoyed reading over these reviews and found a few brands you’d like to try out. If we helped make your search a little easier, please share this guide to the best horse shampoo on Facebook and Twitter.
Looking for more horse care items? Take a look at:
- 5 Best Horse Liniments in 2021 – Reviews & Top Picks
- 7 Best Whitening Shampoos for Horses 2021 – Reviews & Top Picks
- 7 Best Horse Brushes 2021- Reviews & Top Picks
Featured Image Credit By: christels, pixabay
