The Down ‘n Dirty of Grooming: Products I Love

Hey Guys! This blog post will be a series. The first two posts will highlight two companies I love for grooming Donny. The third will be a how-to guide to getting stubborn stains out of your horses coat!

So unless you’re color blind, 99% of my posts include my oversized dapple grey pony, Donovan. It was always my dream to one day own a grey, but I never thought about the extensive amount of elbow grease that would go into keeping him clean and stain-free! Not only that, he has three white legs and that skin is pretty sensitive, so the products I use need to be good enough to get the stains out but gentle enough so I don’t irritate his skin. (That is why you always see me schooling in polo wraps and not boots. Trust me, I’ve tried many different brands but he still always ended up tender & irritated due to them, no matter what type of footing we were on.)

So… to begin, I’ve fallen in love with a brand that I now love for grooming. Sport Horse Essentials, or SHE, was started by a lovely, amazing woman 100% dedicated to creating natural equestrian products. I was lucky enough to be able to ask her some questions regarding SHE and it’s mission – I hope you enjoy reading about it as much as I enjoyed learning! ​

Owner and founder Dianna started SHE about two years ago after she began using organic, all natural products for herself. (I mean, why shouldn’t we take care of our animals the same way we take care of ourselves?) She began diffusing essential oils and using them for different healing methods. The tipping point to starting SHE was on a hot summer day when she was spraying fly spray onto her horse – Dianna recalls thinking “Hmm, I’m probably giving myself and my horse cancer spraying these extremely toxic fly sprays that say on the warning label ‘harmful to humans and animals if absorbed through the skin’!” (Yeah, true story! Check your labels people!)

We can’t disagree with Diana’s thinking on “Why go natural?” “Natural products are WAY better for you because they come from Mother Nature and have many different healing properties! Most grooming products today are full of ingredients you can’t even pronounce because they are toxic chemicals that have terrible long term health effects including cancer. I don’t understand why people don’t choose to use the amazing healing properties that come from different plants instead of a chemist lab!”

So, where does Dianna get SHE ingredients from?

“We get only the highest and best quality ingredients from one of the best companies called New Directions. They have received numerous awards for their top quality in products. They are awesome!” (You can check out their website here.)

What are long term goals for SHE?

“I’m in this for the long haul! I LOVE making a product that actually works, and it’s so rewarding at the end of the day to see happy customers and shiny beautiful horses! All my customers are amazing. Most send in photos showing their love, I just eat it up it makes me so happy!”

& Dreams for SHE?​

“I want to be the next Show Sheen, but let’s see… I want to make everyone’s horses coats shiny, naturally, and get the word out about what toxic ingredients are really in their everyday grooming products – such as hair drying factors and long term health issues.”

Can we use SHE products on our puppers, too?

“Yes I use them on my dogs! I use the Coat Spray after a bath on my 90 lb Doberman and if he is being bothered by flies, I use the Fly Spray. The only thing is, I can’t claim that it’s 100% safe like I can with horses because there are a few essential oils that are toxic to dogs, such as tea tree and peppermint oil. However, it comes out in such small amounts that I don’t worry, because I don’t think it’s nearly as toxic as your normal every day over the counter dog sheen spray, shampoo or other grooming products.”

(ECE did some research and came to the conclusion: just don’t leave the bottles hanging around for your pup to get into – not that we think he/she would – we doubt it tastes that great! Topically the essential oils are okay to use on pups, but oral application is not. If you are concerned, check with your vet prior to using.)

After a bath, I used the coat spray on Donny’s mane, tail and coat. It REALLY makes detangling a breeze and smells great… suddenly the barn aisle was smelling like a luxurious spa! You can use it on both dry and wet coats which is great. SHE’s hoof oil isn’t runny or greasy and gives just the perfect amount of shine while conditioning. And the Fly Spray? It works! We’ve used it the past three days and the buggers have totally left us alone, which is VERY impressive for where we are this time of year!

Interested in trying SHE? Check out their website and Instagram @sporthorseessentials

Use the code ECE15 for 15% off your order placed within the next 48 hours!

​Happy (& healthy!) Grooming!

XO
Taylor