California Riding Magazine • March, 2010

Equilite Products
Natural grooming products enable
Arabians to stay “dressed to the nines.”

by L.A. Pomeroy for Equlite, Inc.

Over thousands of years, selective breeding of the Arabian has created a hardy athlete in the face of harsh physical and environmental conditions. In competition, its thin skin and light muscling help heat and lactic acid dissipate more rapidly than in breeds with thicker skins. So choosing grooming products that keep an Arabian comfortable in the skin they’re in is important towards overall good health, as well as winning form.

Just ask Shelley Van den Neste, of Sunrise Farms Sport Horses, Inc. in Newberry, FL, whose Arabians regularly shine in breed and Open dressage classes through Intermediare I. Van den Neste’s accomplishments include USDF bronze and silver medals, and since 1991, she has shown Arabians whose gleaming coats and healthy manes and tails have consistently been complimented for looking “dressed to the nines.”

“People say that sending a horse to me is like sending them to Vidal Sassoon,” the trainer laughs, referring to the hairdresser whose styles were entirely lacquer-free, relying on the natural shine of the hair for dramatic effect.

The comparison is a fair one. Van den Neste believes in getting hair to glow as naturally as possible.

“Here in Florida, because of humidity, Arabian skin is prone to fungus. We have to wash horses a lot. We also have to deal with red clay, which stains coats and tails, and the bleaching effects of the sun. Finding a shampoo that will not dry out the skin, and is safe for color-treated manes or tails, isn’t easy.”

Finding an SLS-free shampoo is especially difficult. SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) is a caustic detergent commonly used in laboratory testing because it can penetrate the skin barrier, enhance allergic responses to toxins, damage or alter skin cells (to increase irritant reactions like eczema/seborrhea, hair loss, and dermatitis), and corrodes hair follicles, impairing hair growth. Also known as sodium dodecyl (SDS), or sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), SLS is found in nearly every shampoo and soap on the market.

With fine-skinned Arabian horses, minimizing the daily use of caustic, harsh chemicals can protect against dryness and irritation, and stimulate hair re-growth. Show horses that are regularly clipped and blanketed may get bare patches on their shoulders and chests from blanket rubs. Avoiding the hair follicle-destroying effects of SLS by using a natural, vegetable-based shampoo, Van den Neste learned, “Helped hair grow back in its original color, instead of ‘white lines’.”

Shelley Van den Neste with her Arabians.

Feeling Good

Preventing back and muscle soreness in show horses is equally important, especially if an arsenal of custom-fit saddles is not an option.

Because soft tissue injuries, cramping or inflammation from over-exertion and lactic acid build-up (lactic acidosis), can happen to horses even in peak condition, Van den Neste massaged an all-natural liniment, Equilite Sore No-More®, into her horses’ backs and shoulders to warm up their muscles before every work-out.

After riding, she used the same cooling liniment as a bath brace to further discourage inflammation and soreness. Herbs that can naturally address these problems and are safe enough to apply daily in a topical liniment include arnica (for strains and sore muscles); lobelia (to ease muscle cramps); and anti-bacterial rosemary and lavendar (which enhance circulation and ease tight muscles).

Van den Neste thought she was on to a great idea when she began combining her liniment with shampoo to keep her horses clean and sore-free, until a client suggested a a product, coincidentally, by the same company: Equilite’s Sore No-More Massage Shampoo®.
“It was like two products in one. It was great!” Van den Neste says, “I could use it over and over without drying out their coats, it was so nourishing that I didn’t need a conditioner, and it was SLS-free, which was great for encouraging hair growth.”

“It takes a team to make a champion,” says the Arabian trainer, whose equine stars include the 18 year-old gelding, Aragorn Strikes, who was Prix St. Georges and Fourth Level champion at the 2009 Region 12 Arabian and Half Arabian Championships.

Working with a team of natural, chemical-free ingredients, Arabians can shine wherever they go in the pasture or the show ring.

To learn more about Equilite and its all-natural, arnica-based products including Sore No-More® Liniment, Massage Shampoo and Sports Salve, visit www.equilite.com, www.sorenomore.com, or join Equilite, Inc. on Facebook.