Why pH Balance Matters: The Truth About Horse Shampoos

Healthy Coat = Healthy Skin

Your horse’s coat might look clean and shiny after a wash, but what’s happening to the skin underneath?
The truth is, many shampoos are too harsh, too alkaline, and too damaging for equine skin... even the ones marketed as “natural.”

Your horse’s skin is their biggest organ and understanding its pH balance is the first step to keeping it healthy. 

Pictured below: Post Hairy Pony Natural Shampoo...real shine ✨

What is 'pH' and why does is matter?

  • pH measures acidity or alkalinity on a scale from 0 (acidic) to 14 (alkaline).

  • Skin, whether human or horse, has its own protective barrier — often called the acid mantle.

  • If the pH is thrown off, the barrier weakens, leading to dryness, irritation, and increased risk of infection.

Think of pH as a bodyguard for the skin, when it's balanced your horse's coat is soft, hydrated, healthy and happy!

Horse Skin vs. Human Skin:

What works for you isn’t automatically right for your horse — and what works on dishes definitely isn’t.

What's in our shampoo?

Our Natural Horse Shampoo is formulated at pH 7–7.5, sitting comfortably in the neutral range. This means:

  • Gentle on sensitive equine skin

  • Protects the natural skin barrier

  • Cleans effectively without stripping oils

  • Helps maintain lasting moisture and natural shine

Compare this to many mainstream “horse shampoos,” which sit closer to a pH of 8.5–9.5, behaving more like detergents than skincare.

The Problem With Using the Wrong Products 🚫

Using dish detergents, cheap human shampoos, or harsh horse shampoos can:

  • Disrupt the skin’s natural balance

  • Cause dryness, itching, and flakiness

  • Leave coats dull, brittle, and lacking natural oils

  • Increase risk of skin sensitivity and infections

A quick, glossy shine isn’t worth long-term skin damage and quite often leaves the coat in worse order than before shampooing. 

Be Picky About What You Wash With ✨

Your horse’s skin is their first line of defence and their largest organ.
If you wouldn’t use dish detergent or a harsh, alkaline wash on your own skin, why would you on theirs?

A healthy coat starts with healthy skin.
Choose a shampoo that works with your horse’s body — not against it.

Shop the Hairy Pony Natural Shampoo now → https://www.hairypony.com.au/products/natural-horse-shampoo-kakadu-plum

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