Shampoos
A decent whitening shampoo is an essential piece of kit for any owner whose horse has even a speck of white on him – how is it that even the smallest patch attracts the worst stains, regardless of where on his body it’s placed? We’ve done the hard work for you so you can be confident in your shampoo choice. Read on for our verdict.
The products
Leovet Shiny White Stain Eraser
Includes natural protein from the African moringa tree to prevent new stains forming.
£2.19 per 100ml
Features:
- Apply diluted
- Apply neat
Lovely smell. Worked well on shorter hair, easy to rinse and was impressive on yellow stains. Bottle is easy to grip, although it wasn’t clear how much to use. The difference in the coat was amazing after just one wash.
Shapley’s Equitone
Rejuvenates, whitens and enhances, and enriches the coat colour.
£2.18 per 100ml
Features:
- Apply neat
- Refills available
Pleasant smelling shampoo with a great whitening effect that removed stains and brightened the coat, even when used sparingly. Cap is simple to use and, although large, the bottle is easy to grip even when wet. Works into the coat and rinses well.
Wildwash Equine Whitening
Contains natural blue pigment from the chamomile flower with lavender and ylang ylang.Â
From £1.40 per 100ml
Features:
- Apply diluted
- Refills available
- Other coloured shampoos available
Smells wonderful, lifts stains and whitens the coat easily and effectively. Produced a decent lather that rinsed away quickly and we love that the ingredients are all natural. Easy-to-use pump bottle helped to reduce waste.
Cavalor Bianco
Mild with a concentrated formula. Removes stains without irritation.
£4.50 per 100ml
Features:
- Apply diluted
- Apply neat
Smells like coconut and whitens well, even when used sparingly. Lifts grime and rinses out of the coat easily. The bottle is sturdy and user-friendly, making it perfect for a quick bath, and the product is clear, so you don’t need to worry about stained hands.
Le Mieux Brite Whites
Leaves the coat shiny and soft and snow white. Apply neat to stains or diluted.Â
From £1.13 per 100ml
Features:Â
- Apply diluted
- Apply neat
- Refills available
Wasn’t strongly fragranced. Brightened whites and lifted grease, removing stains effectively when used liberally. The shampoo had a thick consistency that tended to slide off the hair, which made it easier to use when diluted with warm water.Â
Hawkins Organic Blanc Canvas
pH-balanced with only natural ingredients to gently remove stains.Â
From £1.10 per 100ml
Features:
- Apply diluted
- Apply neat
- Refills available
Mild and fresh-smelling. Gave better results when applied to the coat directly and, when used in this way, it worked well at lifting stains and whitening hairs. Gentle but effective, the shampoo was able to be used on horses with sensitive skin, too.
Decathlon Anti-stain
Designed for use in light coats and tails. Leaves a great shine to your grey.Â
£1 per 100ml
Features:
- Apply Neat
Pleasant, fruity scent and a little went a long way. Took quite a lot of rinsing, but lifted grease and dirt effectively in a single use. Flip cap is easy to use. Not the best for targeted stain removal but gave the coat a really thorough clean nonetheless.
Animal Health Company Grooms Choice Super White
Super-concentrated formula for a bright, brilliantly white finish. Contains coconut oil.
From 57p per 100ml
Features:Â
- Apply diluted
- Refills available
- Other coloured shampoos available
Coconut-smelling product that lathered and rinsed well. Left coats sparkling clean, removing grease and stains quickly and effectively. Runny product came out fast and could lead to wastage, but it’s amazing value.
Horse Sense White Knight
An emolient-rich, moisturising, concentrated formula that deodorises and helps improve coat health.Â
From 83p per 100ml
Features:
- Apply diluted
- Other coloured shampoos available
Appealing smell, though the large bottle is a little awkward to handle. The shampoo itself is very effective, removed stains easily and brightened the coat. Once dry, hair was soft, fluffy and smelled great. Lathers and rinses out well.
Equimins Blue
A rich shampoo with conditioner. Enhances any coat colour, including greys.
From 80p per 100ml
Features:
- Apply diluted
- Other coloured shampoos available
Lovely smell. Thick consistency that was hard to work into the coat, but you didn’t need to use much to get fantastic results. Brightened and whitened fairly well for a budget price and the bottle is very sturdy, standing up well to yard life.
Wahl Diamond White
Contains extracts of cucumber, passion flower, lemon and lime.
From 50p per 100ml
Features:
- Apply diluted
- Apply neat
- Other coloured shampoos available
- Refills available
Smelt lovely with a thick consistency. Stripped grease and brightened whites well but needed to be applied neat and massaged thoroughly into the tail for best results. Flip lid ensures minimal waste. Highly concentrated formula meant one bottle lasted well.Â
Gold Label Lightener For Greys
Concentrated formula designed to heighten the colour intensity of the coat.
From 27p per 100ml
Features:
- Apply diluted
- Apply Neat
- Refills available
Fantastically budget-friendly with a neutral smell. Lathered up and whitened well enough, but would need several washes to attack ground-in, stubborn yellow stains. A little goes a long way and packaging is sturdy so stood up well to life on the yard.
HyShine Magic Dazzle whitening shampoo
Fast-acting with avocado, lavender and wheat germ extract to protect the coat.
From 76p per 100ml
Features:
- Apply diluted
- Refills available
Pleasant-smelling. It lifted stains well and left the coat brilliantly white, but was a little sticky and difficult to wash out of feathers. Cap worked well, but the bottle was slippery to hold. Best used diluted with water, but left whites bright and clean.
Vetrolin White ‘n brite shampoo
Super-concentrated formula that contains coconut oil for effective brightening ability.
£3.07 per 100ml
Features:Â
Apply diluted
Minimal product achieved impressive results – the shampoo stripped away grease and brightened the coat. It has a strong, vibrant colour that doesn’t need to be used in large amounts or left on for long. Bottle design makes it easy to use sparingly.
Cowboy Magic Shine in Yellowout
Leaves the coat silky, shiny and smelling good. Gives hair of all colours a bright sheen.Â
From £2.00 per 100mlÂ
Features:
- Apply neat
Pleasant smell. Only needed a tiny amount to remove yellow stains and grease, and the coat was left bright and silky when dry. Handy bottle meant there was no waste. Excellent quality that’s well worth the price.
NAF Show Off shampoo
Cleans deep into the coat for a stunning shine. Simply add to water and lather up.Â
From £1.50 per 100ml
Features:
- Apply diluted
- Refills available
- Other coloured shampoos available
Smelled fantastic, could’ve mistaken it for a human shampoo. When used generously it produced a great stain-removing effect and left horses smelling wonderful. Could stain hands if not washed off quickly, but rinsed and whitened coat well.
Nettex Whitening shampoo
Designed to be used diluted or neat, this cost-effective formula is kind to skin.
From £2.17 per 100ml
Features:
- Apply diluted
- Apply neat
Unscented. An extremely effective product that produced dazzling results despite a longer rinsing time. The screw-cap lid isn’t the easiest to use and could lead to wastage, but the bottle is very robust so perfect to have around the yard.