Love 'em or hate 'em, white horses are eye-catching.

Talk with any owner of a white or gray horse—or even one with just a lot of chrome—and you'll quickly learn that they're obsessed with finding good stain removers. It's seems like the DNA that causes a horse to have white hair also makes the horse seek out whatever mud or manure is in the vicinity. And, when it comes to stains, manure and urine are generally the most challenging. Old-time stain-removing tricks include using bluing, vinegar, witch hazel, alcohol, liniments and even glycerine on the soiled areas. Today, however, there are a number of commercial products that keep the horse's skin and hair in mind, using a gentler formula with skin conditioners, aloe, vitamins and moisturizing ingredients.

Stains

When it comes to whitening and stain removal, the gold standard is bluing. However, it comes at a cost. Bluing can be drying to the skin and hair, sometimes causing skin irritation. Most equine products that utilize bluing will also include aloe or vitamin E to put moisture back into the coat and counteract the dryness of the bluing. Beware, too, that if you overdo it with bluing, you may end up with bluish-purple hair.

Modern science has brought us other whitening ingredients, like stain-lifting enzymes, herbal stain dissolvers, bleaches and oxygen-based products, such as the Wow! Whitener spray. Some of the oxygen-based cleaners utilize a form of peroxide, which can be drying to the horse's hair.

For sensitive-skinned horses, both Lucky Braids Shampoo and Absorbine's Special Care Ultra Gentle work well and don't irritate the skin. Use Lucky Braids Whitener for spot treatments on these horses.

Note: A lot of horse owners like to use human shampoos and dishwashing liquids to bathe their horses. Most horses survive this just fine, but a real horse shampoo will improve your horse's coat condition and provide him with healthier skin. Equine products are not that expensive to use, and they are formulated for a horse's natural skin pH and to enhance the coat. We think you'll find a shinier, sleeker coat.

The Lucky Braids system was tops for bathing and stain removing.

Our Trial

We gathered a group of shampoos and sprays that were intended to lift stains easily from our horses' coats and whiten white coats. We used the products on a variety of horses, from gray to white to darker horses with white markings. If the shampoo was not meant to be explicitly whitening, we also tested it on horses of a variety of colors to judge its overall stain-lifting ability.

We followed all manufacturer label directions for at least one of the washes. We also did two additional washes—one giving the products even longer to sit on set-in stains than recommended and one quick wash where the product was scrubbed in and immediately rinsed out.

Bottom Line

Our top choice is the Lucky Braids Shampoo from Top Turnout Inc. It produced great lather, mild scent, and we found it solved many skin problems. Mild fungus, itchy skin, stains, and dry skin all improved when we used this shampoo.

Consider This

• Bluing can be drying to the horse's skin and turn him a bluish purple.

• Equine shampoos are formulated for a horse's natural pH.

• A gentle shampoo is the best for daily baths.

Ruthann Smith has spent a lifetime studying sound horsemanship- both as a groom for top international horses and as a renowned braider. Quietly twisting manes atop a ladder, she watched and learned in some of the best stables in the world.

As her passion for great grooming grew, Ruthann became focused on researching, collecting and sharing the best practices of the world’s keenest horsemen. Ultimately, Ruthann used her vast experience to develop exceptional equine grooming products to help raise the bar of horsemanship.

The knowledge she dispenses and the products Ruthann developed solve age-old grooming issues. Making quality horse care easier, they have received the highest honors in the equine industry*. Her Lucky Braids for Top Turnout coat care and braiding products are the best, most versatile, cost-effective and easiest solutions available on the market today.

Now Ruthann offers her LOVE, LOVE Guarantee. If not totally thrilled with a product she developed, Ruthann will refund you in full, regardless of where you purchased it.

It’s her life’s mission to empower horses by educating, motivating and equipping their people to be true horsemen. You can access Ruthann’s tips at: The Grooming Resource on LuckyBraids.com, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and her Horsemanship Clinics.

*After testing 350 products, Lucky Braids All-In-One Horse Shampoo was named product of the year by Horse Journal, the “Consumer Reports” of the industry. They also named Lucky Braids Shampoo and Top Pick for greys and whites. Lucky Braids specialized braiding yarn also got stellar reviews.