What products to avoid..

What are some products that dry out hair over time and generally create an unhealthy coat?

For example, I was brushing out a friend of mine's tail and another girl said "Just pour some detangler on, it keeps the tail so nice and tangle free! I was worried it would dry out the tail and make it weaker/thinner.

Does show sheen dry out the hair also? Thanks, AJ

I avoid any thing with silocones, dyes ,alcohol ,and etc . Because they dry out hair . So avoid Mane & Tail , Show Sheen ,and Cowboy Magic .

I go for All Natural products . Much better IMO . Plus I have sensitive skin and I have a Pinto Pony has sensitive skin also . I like Espana SILK and EcoLicious Equestian .

I'm not a huge fan of spray on detangler, I think it does dry out the hair and cause it to be more prone to breaking. Plus, it's extremly slippery if it gets anywhere under your tack, so avoid saddle areas.

If I have a really tough tangle, I'll just put a little baby oil on it and pick it out. I'll even put just a tiny bit of baby oil in my hands and thoroughly work it into their manes and tails. But you have to go light with the oil, otherwise it's a greasy mess! I've even heard cocoanut oil is awesome too.

Silicone based products such as showsheen do make a horse's coat shiny but only when used once in a while, like after you bathe for a show. Guess that's probably why it's named that, lol! For everyday grooming, I don't really see much of a need to use any products unless you are prepping for a show, save your money.
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Okay! Everyone at the barn except for me and the owner of the horse I was brushing is under the assumption that it actually helps the hair. Ugh.

Well what silicone does (even in human hair products) is coat the hair follicles, it fill in the breaks & little microscopic one way scales on the hair and makes it smooth & shiny. HOWEVER, continued use makes it brittle from the silicone build up and subject to breakage. Also silicone lasts awhile on the hair unless you use harsh phosphates to remove it, the built up silicone thens begins to dull the hair. So once in awhile is fine, as it is going to wear off with sweat, brushing, rubbing, but regular use will continue to cause build up and be dull & brittle.
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Awesome facts/info everyone! Looking forward to hearing more opinions on this!

Are there any other homemade things/healthier options to show sheen?

I love Cowboy Magic detangler. It doesn't have precisely silicone in it (it does have another "-cone" in it though) and I find that for use <once a week it's fine. I only use it in Lacey's tail though, I find it kind of oils up her forelock/mane too much for my liking.

For her mane and forelock, my favorites are "Bee Nice" children's detangler from Great Clips or Dove conditioner for dry hair (one big blob of conditioner+spray bottle filled with water, shaken well). They work about the same and the conditioner option is much cheaper so I'm currently going with that.


Basically when you're choosing a haircare product for your horse, check the ingredients for silicone and/or "-cone". Any ingredients that end with "-cone" mean they are a silicone product. They may not be as bad as silicone itself but they shouldn't be regularly used. Anything "-cone" free is probably pretty safe for regular extended use.

However, of course, the best all time "product" is simply leaving the mane/tail alone. I only brush my girl's manes+tails about once a week, at most. As their manes get longer, I braid them up and during the winter, I braid and bag tails. That way, I can resist "messing" a bit more because they aren't getting visually dirty, you know? No "I must brush that tangle out!" or "ewwww! Dirt clod! Must remove."

I also am a huge, huge fan of Ecolicious Equestrian products. They're really fabulous and they work so well!

Never Ever use Pyranha Wipe and Spray Fly Spray!!!
I know it's not a grooming product, but sort of...

I got a bottle, both my mare and my pony broke out in massive welts where I sprayed them (you could see the line of the spraying) it got all blistered and they were SO miserably itchy. All I did was spray it on and a day later both my horses were a mess. I was furious!! I read the reviews and a number of other people had the same issue. Avoid this product!