Whitening Shampoo for Grey and White Horses
Grey and white coats show every stain going — grass, manure, yellowing at the tail and hocks, all of it. A whitening shampoo for horses is built to lift that discolouration and bring the coat back to a clean, bright white. Ferro's Reluminate Shampoo gets there with chamomile flower water and aloe, not harsh bleach. Keep reading for an honest note on 'purple' shampoos.
Why Grey Coats Turn Yellow
White hair carries no pigment to hide anything, so sweat, urine, grass and dust all show up as yellow or green staining — usually worst on the tail, the hocks, and wherever the horse likes to lie down. A whitening shampoo works by cleaning deep into the hair shaft and optically brightening it, so the coat reads white again instead of dingy.
Getting a Grey Coat Properly Clean
- Wet the coat fully and work Reluminate into a lather, section by section.
- Let the lather sit on the worst-stained spots — tail, hocks, legs — for a few minutes so it can lift the stain out.
- Rinse thoroughly, and repeat on stubborn spots rather than scrubbing harder.
- Finish with a leave-in like Release so the newly clean tail doesn't tangle right back up.
Recommended products
Frequently asked questions
Is Reluminate a purple shampoo?
No, it isn't. It's a brightening and clarifying shampoo built on chamomile and aloe that lifts yellowing and stains by cleaning the hair. Purple (violet-pigment) shampoos work differently — they deposit colour to counter brass. Reluminate cleans the stain out instead of tinting over it.
Will it damage or dry out the coat?
It's formulated to brighten without any harsh bleach, and the aloe helps offset dryness. That said, treat it like any deep-cleaning wash: not an every-day shampoo. Save it for when the coat actually needs brightening, and use a gentler everyday wash in between.
How do I keep a grey tail white between baths?
Rinse off urine and manure promptly, bag or tie the tail up when stabled if staining is a real problem, and lean on a leave-in detangler so you're not stripping the tail with constant washing.
Can I use it on a coloured or bay horse?
Yes. It's a clarifying shampoo, so it deep-cleans any coat and lifts dullness. The whitening effect just shows up most on greys and whites. It won't lighten or bleach a dark coat's natural colour.