Horse Friendly Formula

Written by the NAT LAB team — horsewomen and formulators who built Horse Friendly Formula from the ground up. This article draws on published veterinary dermatology research and verified product ingredient lists (INCI).

What you'll learn from this article:

• Why a horse's skin and respiratory system react differently to grooming products than human skin does
• Five specific ingredient types commonly found in mass-market equine products and what the research says about them
• How eleven popular brands — Leovet, Effol, Doctor Horse, Carr & Day & Martin, Over Horse, Mane 'n Tail, Cavalor, NAF, Black Horse, Hoofgold, and Bense & Eicke — formulate their key products
• What the Horse Friendly Formula standard means in practice

Key products reviewed: Power Shampoo Dark, Power Shampoo for Bright Horses, Schimmel Shampoo (White Horse Shampoo)

Leovet is one of the most widely distributed equine care brands in Europe. Their Power Shampoo range — which covers dark horses, bright horses, and grey horses separately — is formulated around the same core surfactant base across multiple lines.

Confirmed ingredients in the Power Shampoo range (INCI):

• Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) — primary surfactant in multiple shampoo variants
• Methylchloroisothiazolinone (CMIT) + Methylisothiazolinone (MIT) — the preservative combination the European SCCS has restricted in human leave-on products and limited in rinse-off products due to sensitization risk
• Propylene Glycol — penetration enhancer and humectant, found alongside the above surfactants and preservatives
• Benzophenone-4 — a UV filter with endocrine disruption classification under several regulatory assessments
• Cocamide DEA — a surfactant booster that can form nitrosamines under certain conditions; California Prop 65 listed as a possible carcinogen
• Parfum — undisclosed fragrance blend

This combination — SLES as the primary cleanser, MIT/CMIT as the preservation system, propylene glycol as a penetration enhancer, and undisclosed Parfum — represents a conventional industrial formulation approach where cost efficiency and shelf stability take priority over ingredient selection based on equine skin biology.

Bottom line: Leovet products are widely available and marketed with claims about natural botanical additions (walnuts, chamomile, etc.). The botanical names on the front label do not change what's in the INCI list on the back. The preservative system alone — CMIT/MIT — would not be permitted in a human leave-on product under current EU cosmetics regulation.

Key products reviewed: SuperStar-Shine Spray, Effol Horse Ointment, fragrance-scented care range

Effol positions itself as a premium equine care brand and is frequently recommended for sensitive horses. A closer look at their formulations reveals a different picture.

Confirmed ingredients in Effol SuperStar-Shine Spray:

• Silicon emulsions (non-ionic emulsion of highly-viscous polymethylsiloxane) — confirmed as the core active ingredient. Authorized UK retailer Hyperdrug's product page explicitly states: "Contains: Silicon emulsions." Used for shine and detangling, with the film-forming drawbacks described above.
• 1,2-Benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one (BIT) and 2-Methyl-2H-isothiazol-3-one (MIT) — isothiazolinone preservatives confirmed in the SuperStar-Shine formulation from Effol's official "Contains" declarations (Effol publishes constituent disclosures rather than full INCI lists on product pages). Same preservative class as the CMIT/MIT flagged in Leovet products.
• Fragrance (Parfum) — synthetic fragrance compounds confirmed in product labeling data; the Lavender-scented variant carries an explicit lavender fragrance designation

Effol's claim to use "high quality, natural ingredients" is common brand language in the equine care category. It doesn't change the presence of isothiazolinone preservatives or silicone emulsions in their formulations. Both are synthetic, and both appear in products marketed toward sensitive horses.

Bottom line: Effol's "dermatologically tested" claim is a process claim, not an ingredient claim. A product can be dermatologically tested and still contain isothiazolinone preservatives. For horses with known respiratory issues or coat sensitivity, the combination of silicone film-formers and isothiazolinone preservatives in their flagship spray deserves scrutiny.

Key products reviewed: Canter Mane & Tail Conditioner Spray

Carr & Day & Martin holds the title of the world's oldest horse care brand — a heritage that carries real credibility in the equestrian world. The Canter Mane & Tail Conditioner Spray is one of their most widely used products.

Confirmed formulation approach:

• Silicone as the primary conditioning agent — the detangling and conditioning effect in Canter is delivered via silicone, confirmed across multiple product descriptions and retailer listings. The spray's performance characteristics (smooth finish, tangle release, long-lasting coat effect) are all consistent with silicone film-former delivery.
• Synthetic fragrance — the citronella-scented version contains synthetic fragrance compounds; the standard variant also lists fragrance components

Carr Day Martin's formulation approach reflects mainstream equine care industry standards: silicone for instant cosmetic effect, fragrance for sensory appeal. For horses groomed in enclosed spaces or those with skin or coat conditions, the silicone accumulation over repeated use is worth factoring into the product selection.

Bottom line: The Canter range produces consistent results and has earned its reputation among equestrians. The primary formulation mechanism — silicone — delivers those results at the cost of long-term coat and skin health if used as the main conditioning approach. Not a crisis product, but not one built around equine skin biology either.

Key products reviewed: Czysty Koń (Clean Horse) Shampoo, Grzywa i Ogon (Mane & Tail) Spray

Doctor Horse positions itself differently from the other brands on this list. Their marketing language emphasizes vegan formulation, 90% natural-origin ingredients, and the absence of synthetic dyes and "aggressive cleaning substances." This positioning is largely accurate for their shampoo range — the Czysty Koń shampoo uses mild detergent blends rather than SLS and avoids the harshest preservative systems.

The issue appears in their Mane & Tail Spray — the product category where the most potentially irritating ingredients tend to concentrate.

Confirmed ingredients in the Mane & Tail Spray (Grzywa i Ogon):

• Aqueous silicone emulsion (wodna emulsja silikonowa) — listed as an ingredient in the spray despite the brand's broader "natural" positioning. The same film-forming silicone mechanism applies regardless of whether it's water-based.
• Fragrance oil (olejek zapachowy) — synthetic fragrance compound confirmed across multiple Doctor Horse products, including the mane/tail spray applied close to the horse's face

The shampoo versus spray discrepancy is common in the equine care industry: brands adopt cleaner standards for wash-off products where consumer scrutiny is higher, while leave-on products like sprays and conditioners — which have greater cumulative skin and respiratory exposure — continue to use conventional synthetic ingredients.

Bottom line: Doctor Horse has made genuine progress toward cleaner formulations compared to the mass-market defaults. But "90% natural-origin" still leaves room for silicone emulsions and synthetic fragrance in the product applied closest to the horse's airways. The standard isn't consistent across the full product range.

Key products reviewed: Szampon Dla Leniwych (foam shampoo), Shine Up conditioning spray

Over Horse is a Polish equine care brand with solid distribution in European equestrian retail. Their current product range publishes full INCI lists on their official website — a meaningful transparency standard that several larger brands on this list do not meet.

Confirmed INCI from over-horse.com:

• Szampon Dla Leniwych (Lazy Horse Foam Shampoo) — surfactant system: Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Sodium Methyl Oleoyl Taurate, Lauryl Glucoside, Coco-Glucoside. No SLES. Preservation system: Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate — a mild, modern preservative blend with significantly lower sensitization risk than MIT/CMIT. No isothiazolinones. Contains Parfum (undisclosed fragrance blend) alongside Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, and Allantoin as conditioning actives.
• Shine Up 700ml (conditioning spray) — oil-based formula: Isopropyl Myristate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Diethylhexyl Carbonate, Tocopheryl Acetate. No silicones, no MIT/CMIT, no SLES. Contains Parfum with three individually disclosed EU fragrance allergens: Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, and Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone — all required to be declared under EU Cosmetics Regulation due to confirmed sensitization potential.

The surfactant and preservation choices in Over Horse's current shampoo are notably cleaner than most brands on this list. Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate and Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate are mild surfactant alternatives with lower irritation potential than SLES; the preservation system avoids isothiazolinones entirely.

The primary concern is the leave-on Shine Up spray, where three confirmed EU fragrance allergens appear in a product applied to the mane, tail, and coat. These are mandatory declarations — their presence is confirmed at concentrations above disclosure thresholds. For horses with fragrance sensitivity or respiratory conditions, multiple disclosed allergens in a leave-on product are a relevant formulation consideration.

Bottom line: Over Horse's current shampoo formulation is among the cleaner options in this comparison — mild surfactants, no MIT/CMIT, ingredient transparency on the official website. The concern concentrates in the Shine Up spray, where three confirmed EU fragrance allergens appear in a leave-on product. The overall formulation approach is more considered than the brand's positioning might suggest.

Key products reviewed: Original Formula Shampoo, Herbal Gro Shampoo

Mane 'n Tail is arguably the most globally recognized horse care brand — used by both horses and humans, which is precisely the problem. The product was never specifically formulated for equine skin biology; it was formulated as a general-purpose shampoo and crossover marketed into both segments.

Confirmed ingredients in Mane 'n Tail Original Formula Shampoo (full INCI):

• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) — the harshest of the common sulfate surfactants, listed as the second ingredient after water. SLS has a significantly stronger stripping effect on skin lipids than SLES and has a lower threshold for irritation in sensitive individuals.
• Methylchloroisothiazolinone (CMIT) + Methylisothiazolinone (MIT) — the same sensitizing preservative combination found in Leovet, present at an undefined concentration
• Propylene Glycol — penetration enhancer alongside SLS and MIT/CMIT
• Parfum — synthetic fragrance blend, with confirmed presence of Butylphenyl Methylpropional (Lilial) and Hexyl Cinnamal, both classified as fragrance allergens under EU cosmetics regulation
• Glycol Distearate — used to create a pearlescent visual effect; no functional benefit for equine coat health

The Herbal Gro variant compounds this with both Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate simultaneously, plus a silicone derivative (Bisamino PEG/PPG-41/3 Aminoethyl PG-Propyl Dimethicone) marketed as conditioning.

Bottom line: Mane 'n Tail's dual human/horse marketing should be read as a warning rather than a benefit. Human hair products are formulated for human scalp pH and biology. Neither SLS nor MIT/CMIT would be appropriate in a leave-on product under current EU human cosmetics regulation. The fact that they appear here in a product applied to one of the most chemically sensitive animals in common equestrian use is a meaningful formulation concern.

Key products reviewed: Star Shine Mane & Tail Spray, Equi Wash, Refresh Wash

Cavalor is primarily a sports nutrition and supplement brand that has extended into horse care products. Their product philosophy is notably transparent: the company openly states on their website that "while Cavalor is often inspired by nature, we do not always choose the natural path — quality and effectiveness remain essential."

That honesty extends to their flagship grooming product, Star Shine Mane & Tail Spray.

Confirmed formulation in Star Shine (Cavalor's own statement):

• Dimethicone — Cavalor confirms the use of "high-quality silicone oil" in Star Shine and explicitly defends it: "an effective detangler simply cannot do without" silicone. This is a notable admission. It confirms that the product's detangling and shine effect is silicone-delivered, not a result of any restorative or bioactive ingredient.

Their wash products (Equi Wash, Refresh Wash) are formulated with Provitamin B5 and glycerin, which are legitimate conditioning ingredients. Their approach to wash products is meaningfully gentler than their finishing spray approach.

The concern is in how Star Shine is positioned: it's marketed as a premium grooming product, but the active mechanism is film-forming silicone. Used as a primary conditioning treatment — as most owners use detangling sprays — it creates the progressive buildup and brittleness cycle described earlier.

Bottom line: Cavalor deserves credit for transparency about what's in their products. Dimethicone in a spray-on detangler is industry standard. The question for horse owners is whether "industry standard" and "appropriate for regular long-term use on equine coat and skin" are the same thing — and veterinary dermatology increasingly suggests they are not.

Key products reviewed: Silky Mane & Tail D-Tangler

NAF (Natural Animal Feeds) is a well-established UK equestrian brand with a broad product range spanning supplements, respiratory support, and grooming. Their grooming products publish ingredient information on their official website (nafequine.com).

Confirmed INCI from nafequine.com — Silky Mane & Tail D-Tangler:

• Rosemary Oil, Lavender Oil — botanical base; no synthetic silicones confirmed in this product. The detangling mechanism is oil-based rather than silicone-based, which avoids the buildup and brittleness cycle associated with silicone leave-on products.
• 5-chloro-2-methyl-2H-isothiazol-3-one and 2-methyl-2H-isothiazol-3-one (MIT/CMIT) — the isothiazolinone preservative combination that appears across Leovet, Effol, and Mane 'n Tail. NAF explicitly flags this on the product page with a declared allergy warning: "May produce an allergic reaction." This is the required regulatory disclosure — and a signal worth noting.

The botanical carrier base is a genuinely natural formulation approach. The issue is the preservation system: MIT/CMIT in a leave-on product applied to the mane and tail is the same concern flagged repeatedly across this comparison. NAF's own allergy declaration confirms the preservative's sensitization potential is real enough to require disclosure.

The "Natural" in NAF's name reflects their supplement and feed philosophy accurately. It does not describe the preservation chemistry in this grooming product.

Bottom line: NAF's Silky D-Tangler has a cleaner base than most competing products — no silicones, botanical carriers, no sulfate surfactants. The confirmed MIT/CMIT preservation system is the formulation concern, particularly in a leave-on product and given NAF's own allergy declaration on the label. For horses with known skin sensitivity, that declaration is worth taking at face value.

Key products reviewed: Pure Shower (conditioning shampoo)

Black Horse is a Polish equestrian care brand founded in 2010 with a positioning centered on accessible prices and effective coat care. Their product pages publish ingredient lists under "składniki," making full INCI verification possible from the official brand website (black-horse.com.pl).

Confirmed INCI from black-horse.com.pl — Pure Shower conditioning shampoo:

Aqua, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Glycerine, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerine, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Polyquaternium-7, Aloe Vera Extract, Sodium Chloride, Cocamide DEA, Methylchloroisothiazolinone (and) Methylisothiazolinone, D-Panthenol, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Citric Acid, CI 42090

• Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) — primary surfactant; the same stripping sulfate found in Leovet's Power Shampoo range
• Methylchloroisothiazolinone (CMIT) + Methylisothiazolinone (MIT) — the sensitizing preservative combination restricted in human leave-on cosmetics under EU regulation; confirmed here in the wash-off shampoo formula
• Cocamide DEA — surfactant booster classified as a possible carcinogen under California Prop 65; the same ingredient flagged in the Leovet analysis
• PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate — PEG-based emulsifier; PEG compounds can carry 1,4-dioxane as a manufacturing contaminant
• CI 42090 — synthetic blue colorant with no functional benefit in a horse shampoo
• Aloe Vera Extract, D-Panthenol, Tea Tree Leaf Oil — botanical additions that do not offset the primary concern ingredients

The combination of SLES + MIT/CMIT + Cocamide DEA places this formulation in the same high-concern category as Leovet's Power Shampoo range. Three independently flagged ingredient concerns appear in a single product, all confirmed from the official brand website.

Bottom line: Black Horse's Pure Shower shampoo combines SLES as the primary cleanser, MIT/CMIT as the preservation system, and Cocamide DEA as a surfactant booster — a formulation profile that does not differ meaningfully from conventional mass-market products criticized elsewhere in this comparison. The botanical additions (aloe vera, tea tree, panthenol) are present but do not change the risk profile of the core surfactant and preservation system.

Key products reviewed: WOOW Show Shine Spray

Hoofgold is a specialist German brand focused primarily on hoof health — thrush treatment, horn conditioning, and structural hoof care. Their product range overlaps directly with NAT LAB's, which also includes hoof care products in the Horse Friendly Formula lineup. Hoofgold publishes ingredient information on their official website (hoofgold.com), including for their grooming crossover product, the WOOW Show Shine Spray.

Confirmed ingredients from hoofgold.com — WOOW Show Shine Spray:

• Methylparaben + Ethylparaben — paraben-based preservation system. Parabens are under active regulatory scrutiny in the EU due to endocrine disruption classification for several chain variants. While less acutely sensitizing than MIT/CMIT, they are increasingly restricted in human cosmetics and represent an older preservation approach relative to newer low-sensitization alternatives.
• Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) — PEG-based ingredient; can carry 1,4-dioxane as a manufacturing contaminant; also functions as a penetration enhancer alongside other ingredients
• Benzyl Alcohol — mild preservative and solvent; generally well-tolerated but listed as a potential allergen at higher concentrations under EU Cosmetics Regulation
• d-Limonene — a naturally occurring aromatic compound classified as a disclosed EU fragrance allergen. Its presence must be individually declared due to confirmed sensitization potential. In a leave-on spray, contact exposure is continuous. d-Limonene is derived from citrus but its allergen classification applies regardless of origin.

No silicones and no MIT/CMIT are confirmed in the WOOW formulation. The WOOW spray carries an ADMR certification — a doping-free seal with direct relevance for competition horses, which is a meaningful product attribute. For hoof care specifically, Hoofgold's therapeutic range (HCE Hoof Cleaner, Hoof Balm Special, BlueStuff) is formulated for clinical function and should be evaluated on its own terms.

Bottom line: Hoofgold's WOOW spray avoids the most acute concerns — no silicones, no MIT/CMIT — but uses a paraben preservation system and a declared EU fragrance allergen (d-Limonene) in a leave-on product. For competition horses, the ADMR doping-free certification is a genuine differentiator. For horses with fragrance sensitivity, the disclosed d-Limonene in a leave-on application is worth factoring into product selection.

Key products reviewed: Horse Shampoo, Hoof Care range, Anti-Itch Spray

Bense & Eicke is a German equestrian care brand with a heritage dating back to 1887. Their product range is not internally uniform — different product lines use substantially different formulation approaches, and the differences matter.

Confirmed ingredients (INCI sourced from bense-eicke.de official product pages):

• Derma Shampoo — Full INCI confirmed on bense-eicke.de: Aqua, Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Coco Glucoside, Sodium Chloride, Panthenol, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil (tea tree), Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, plus natural terpene components (Alpha-Terpinene, Pinene, Terpineol, Terpinolene). The Derma Shampoo does use SLES as its primary surfactant. However, unlike most brands here, the preservation system uses Sodium Benzoate — a significantly milder preservative than MIT/CMIT — and there are no synthetic fragrance compounds.
• Anti-Itch Spray — Full INCI confirmed on bense-eicke.de: Lebermoos (liverwort extract), Salz aus dem Totem Meer (Dead Sea salt), Aloe Vera, Teebaumöl (tea tree oil), Lavendelöl (lavender oil), Pelargonium graveolens extract. This is a genuinely natural formulation with no synthetic surfactants, no synthetic preservatives, and no Parfum.

The split between these two products illustrates a common pattern: specialist therapeutic products within a brand's range are often more carefully formulated than everyday care products. The Anti-Itch is clean by any reasonable standard. The Derma Shampoo shares the SLES-based surfactant approach of conventional brands — partially offset by the absence of isothiazolinone preservatives, which is a meaningful difference.

Bottom line: Bense & Eicke's Anti-Itch spray is among the cleanest formulations on this entire list. Their Derma Shampoo uses SLES, but avoids the MIT/CMIT preservative system that makes other brands more concerning. The brand is worth evaluating on a product-by-product basis rather than as a single entity.

Horse Friendly Formula is NAT LAB's formulation standard — a set of positive and negative criteria applied to every product in the range before it goes into production. It started from a simple question: if the ingredients in most horse care products wouldn't be approved for use in human leave-on skincare, why are they being applied to horses?

What HFF excludes — and why:

• No SLS or harsh detergent systems — wash products clean without stripping the skin's natural lipid barrier
• No silicones — no hair-weighing film-formers that create cosmetic improvement at the cost of long-term coat and skin health
• No parabens or isothiazolinone preservatives — the preservation systems used in NAT LAB products are selected specifically for low sensitization risk
• No intense synthetic fragrances — products are either fragrance-free or use low-level, tested botanical aromatic compounds, with horse olfactory sensitivity as a design constraint, not an afterthought
• No artificial colorants — color additives have no functional role in equine skincare; they exist for consumer appeal and introduce unnecessary chemical load
• No unnecessary technological fillers — ingredients earn their place in the formula or they're not in it

What HFF uses instead:

• Bioactive collagen — not decorative collagen, but functionally active collagen selected for its role in supporting skin barrier integrity and structural tissue repair
• Peptides — short-chain amino acid sequences with documented effects on skin cell communication and regeneration
• Botanical extracts — plant-derived active ingredients chosen for specific documented soothing, regenerative, or barrier-supporting functions

The range currently includes the EQUI REPAIR Healing Ointment for skin repair, the EQUI REPAIR Mane & Tail Spray for daily coat and mane care, and the EQUI REPAIR Hoof Balm for hoof conditioning — each formulated to the same HFF standard.

The underlying logic: Responsible care is preventive. Many skin reactions, coat deterioration issues, and grooming-related sensitivities are not inevitable — they're the result of repeated exposure to ingredients that were never designed with equine biology in mind. HFF is built around the idea that what you leave out of a formula matters just as much as what you put in.