Don’t you just love grooming winter coats? Or even better, when those April showers bring May flowers…and a whole lot of mud? I don’t know about you guys but I LOVE grooming. If I’m being completely honest, I’m also OCD about having a clean horse.
I know, why bother making sure Fiona is spotless when she lives in a field 24/7 and thinks rolling in the dirt is her full-time job?
Well, there’s just something so satisfying about a clean and shiny horse. Not to mention it’s a great bonding activity and your ring turn out will always look impeccable.
Grooming doesn’t have to be long and tedious, the products you use can make your job easier. My all time favorite grooming products are from Mane-ly Long Hair. I use their Hydrate 24 and Polisher in Fiona’s grooming routine every single day. I also use their system in my own hair routine which I’ll explain later.
I’m just going to put this disclaimer here. I’m a huge advocate for things I believe in. It’s not in me to be that phony person on the internet trying to push the one thing after the other without believing in it myself. So I want you to know, if I’m recommending something, it means I use it myself and truly think others can benefit from it like I have.
If this is your first time hearing about Mane-ly Long Hair or even if you’ve heard of it but aren’t completely sure how it all works, don’t worry I got you.
The Mane-ly Long Hair system as a whole consists of a shampoo, conditioner, and polisher. All of these items come bottled in highly concentrated forms so they last longer than your typical shampoo, conditioner, and polisher. Basically, a little goes a long way. Now, you’ll also see the terms Hydrate 24 (H-24), Shock Treatment, Hydrasol, and Stain Free System throughout their website. Hang with me, I’ll explain it all.
Let’s break it down by product…
Restore Shampoo
The ultimate shampoo for cleaning and keeping stains at bay, restoring essential oils, and shining and brightening up that natural coat. This is a gentle, deep cleaning formula without the harsh chemicals. All you gray and paint owners out there, the Restore Shampoo will REPLACE your whitening shampoo when used with the Hydrate 24 and Shock Systems (explained below).
Conditioner
Add this conditioner into your wash routine and you will not only see a difference in your horse’s coat but you will feel it too. Mane-ly Conditioner hydrates, repairs, detangles, and soothes with its – again – gentle formula. You’ll see it’s full effect used in conjunction with the Restore Shampoo. This conditioner is also a key player in the Hydrate 24 and Shock Systems.
Polisher
Mane-ly Polisher puts every detangler I’ve ever used to shame and I don’t say that lightly. Seriously, I use it every time I wash my hair. It keeps my hair soft and tangle free and it’s also a great heat protectant. I wish I had this stuff when I was a little girl because having my mom brush my hair wasn’t something either of us looked forward to.
I apply Polisher to Fiona’s mane and tail weekly. If I could somehow let you feel how SOFT her mane and tail are through this screen I would because I know it would convince you on the spot. But since I can’t you’re just going to have to take my word for it. The Polisher is a non-greasy, non-sticky formula. After applying it to manes and tails, it doesn’t leave ANY residue on your hands. This stuff also works magic when removing burrs from a forelock. Proven and tested by Fiona herself.
Here’s where it gets even more exciting…
Hydrate 24
Hydrate 24 (H-24) does practically a million things. It helps prevent and alleviate itchy skin, rain rot, and moisturizes dry and damaged hair. My all time favorite part is that it helps keep dirt from seeping all the way down beneath the coat so currying and flicking that dirt away is a breeze.
Hydrate 24 makes grooming those fluffy winter coats so much easier by helping remove all that dust. You know what I’m talking about right? Like when you go to give your horse a pat and that lovely puff of dust levitates off their body?
Hydrate 24 is made by diluting the Conditioner. In order to use the H-24 system you’ll need the Hydrate 24 specific bottles because the correct mixing proportions are labeled directly on them. A more detailed brochure comes with your H-24 bottles explaining the mixing instructions and it’s essential to follow them to ensure the final product isn’t thick or watery. When you make your mixture, be sure you’re using HOT water. Hot water makes the process so much easier and eliminates clumping of the conditioner!
Hydrasol Bottle. This little guy is so cool. To use the hydrasol bottle you’ll fill the bottle halfway with the Hydrate 24 mixture and top it off with hot water, then shake. This is an even further diluted version of Hydrate 24 and is awesome for spraying directly all over your horse’s body.
Here’s a few different ways I apply Hydrate 24…
- After currying and using a flick brush, spray H-24 onto the Mane-ly Hydrate 24 Applicator brush and brush as usual.
- Spray directly onto your horse after bathing then buff out.
- Spray into mane and tail on days I don’t use Polisher. This helps keep Fiona’s mane and tail soft and tangle free.
Gone are the days of buying coat sprays every month because one bottle of conditioner will give you MANY bottles of Hydrate 24. For reference my last Condtioner and Polisher restock was in November 2020. Since then, I used about half of the conditioner (with daily Hydrate 24 use) and only a third of the polisher (used weekly or twice a week). Since these are all concentrated products they will last you so much longer than traditional products!
Shock Treatment
If your horse is gray, paint, has lots of chrome, or white socks get ready to kiss whitening shampoos goodbye. The Shock Treatment not only has all the great benefits of the Polisher and Conditioner, but when combined together it can lift even the deepest stains and prevent yellowing. To create the Shock Treatment, pour equal parts Polisher and Conditioner in the palm of your hands, mix together, apply to areas in need – manes, tails, forelocks, feathers (not their body) – and leave in. Remember all of these products are in concentrated forms so a little goes a long way. When in doubt start with a smaller amount, more can always be added.
On any given day my Mane-ly Long Hair grooming routine looks like this…
- Curry
- Flick loose dirt and hair away (blue Mane-ly brush)
- Spray Hydrate 24 on a brush and brush down Fiona’s entire body (H-24 applicator brush works best! This is the natural colored bristle brush.)
- Apply Polisher or Hydrate 24 to mane and tail as needed (Polisher 1-2x/week & Hydrate 24 the other days)
- Finish with the Manely Buffer Brush for a final touch of shine
Step 1: Curry 
Step 2: Flick Brush 
Step 3: Hydrate 24 
Step 4: Polisher 
Step 5: Buff
I really can’t speak enough great things about Mane-ly Long Hair products. They. Just. Work.
If you want to give them a try and see for yourself the shine and benefits they’ll bring to your horse’s coat you can use the code ‘SHAMELESS‘ for 10% off your first order.
One thought on “Shine Without The Suds”