The importance of the horse’s skin to his overall health is integral. It is after all, the largest organ the horse has and the first line of defence between your horse’s internal organs and the ever-changing environment around them.
Its main function is to protect internal organs from physical injury, invasion of insects, poisons and micro-organisms. In addition, the skin helps to regulate body temperature and prevents it from dehydrating.
Equine skin consists of two layers. The layer that we see is the Epidermis, a barrier of stratified (layered) squamous epithelial cells. Beneath that is the Dermis, a densely woven network of collagen, elastic and connective tissue where hair follicles originate. This structure is strengthened by the bottom Subcutaneous layer which sandwiches everything together.
Shampooing
Even with daily grooming, your horse still needs a good bath to get him really clean. It is not always ideal to clean a horse with a regular shampoo, as this will dry out the skin. The horse’s skin has a high acidic pH in the range of 6-7, so alkaline soap will denigrate the skin’s natural acidic protective layer.
Gallop Conditioning Shampoo is pH balanced yet mild enough for daily use. As the name suggests Gallop Conditioning Shampoo will gently clean the coat and nourish the hair and skin to prevent dryness and damage. Ideal for rinsing out sweat and dirt after riding, it has a very low foaming formula so is quick and easy to rinse out.
When a more intense clean is needed, Gallop Extra Strength Shampoo is great for really dirty, greasy and light coloured coats.
This extra thick, concentrated shampoo has double the level of active ingredients of its sister product, Gallop Conditioning Shampoo.