About 18 months ago I was on the hunt for a shampoo to help with a couple of issues I had with my two horses. My 17-year-old Hanoverian mare, Wish, gets very irritated skin during the warmer weather and becomes quite itchy. Jester, my 26-year-old Irish Sports Horse, gets flaky skin on his legs as he changes coats from winter to summer.
First impressions
It was during my search that I came across Goodbye Flys Organic Horse Shampoo. I was immediately interested because it’s organic and contains no nasty chemical ingredients. After reading a little more about the product, I was keen to see how well this shampoo would perform as it claims to help with both skin issues my horses were experiencing, as well as protecting them from fly attacks.
Before: Wish has grubby and dull ‘white’ legs
This organic shampoo is a good consistency and has a pleasant fresh smell. You don’t need a lot of it to create a good lather and once massaged into the coat you can see dirt and muck coming to the surface. I found it easy to rinse out and once the coat was dry it was soft to the touch and really shiny.
Testing
1 Less flaky skin
It did a good job with flaky skin. After a couple of washes about a week apart, there are fewer flakes and Jester’s legs are generally less scurfy and look healthier.
2 Reduced itching
Initial results with Wish’s itchy skin were positive: she was a lot happier and less itchy after the first time I bathed her in this shampoo. Its effect lasted for a few days.
After: Wish’s super white legs after one wash with Goodbye Flys Organic Shampoo
3 Making legs white again
I also tried this shampoo on Wish’s white legs, which always seem to be beige in colour despite regular grooming. The result when washing sad legs using this shampoo were great. After just one wash, all the stains and dirt had gone leaving bright white legs.
With other shampoos, even those that are specifically aimed at grey horses, I would normally need to wash her legs twice to get them gleaming, but this wasn’t the case with Goodbye Flys Organic Horse Shampoo. With minimal effort, her legs are clean and natural looking: simply massage the shampoo in and then rinse the muck away.
The verdict
All in all I am impressed with this shampoo. I like that it’s organic and it does a very good job at cleaning your horse’s coat to leave it looking healthy and with a natural shine, plus it’s proved effective on flaky skin.
I can’t honestly say that I noticed my horses were less bothered by flies after they were bathed in this shampoo, but overall I recommend it.
It costs a little more than some other shampoos, but it does last and a little goes a long way — plus, it really does work!
RRP £28.99* for 1 litre
Buy at goodbyeflys.com
*price correct at time of publishing
