08/31/2026
Most horse owners would never knowingly harm their horses. But the products lining most barn shelves may be doing exactly that.
The shampoos used to bathe horses are overwhelmingly built on sodium lauryl sulfate — the same harsh detergent increasingly being removed from premium human skincare for its role in stripping natural oils, disrupting the skin barrier, and causing sensitization with repeated use. Horses have thinner, more permeable skin than humans. The impact is greater, not less.
The conditioners used on tack — saddles, bridles, reins — tell a similar story. Petroleum distillates and silicone polymers dominate the category. They deliver a short-term visual result while slowly drying leather from within, blocking it from absorbing real nourishment, and accelerating the cracking and brittleness that owners blame on age or weather.
Nature offers a different answer. Carnauba wax. Beeswax. Botanical oils. Jojoba. Ingredients that have protected leather and nourished skin for centuries — without the chemical residue, without the VOCs, without the barrier disruption.
The equine world deserves the same ingredient transparency that consumers now expect from their food, their skincare, and their pet care. It starts with reading the label.
—Laura Robinson, Founder, Equine Skys
🔗 Learn more: www.equinskys.com
