NAF Show Off Shampoo
With the latter half of the show season proving as busy as ever, I was looking forward to trying the NAF Show Off shampoo to give my grey Connemara pony, Yogi, a full pre-competition bath. I was preparing Yogi for the National Pony Society (NPS) summer championships and ahead of the show he was given a few days of downtime in the field, so the shampoo would be put to rigorous testing as there was plenty of mud and stubborn dirt in his coat. As I’d been away with work for a few days, too, I hadn’t been able to keep on top of his stains as much as I would have liked.
Yogi pre-bath
NAF has a strong reputation, so I had high expectations when trying the Show Off shampoo, even though the manufacturers say that this is not necessarily just for greys, but is also for darker coloured horses and ponies.
NAF markets it as a shine-boosting shampoo – the description says: “To make your show horse showier, your black horse blacker, your white horse whiter and all others in between simply more dazzling, just add Show Off to your water and work up the suds.”
The price of £9.45 for a 500ml bottle was very reasonable, as most show shampoos, especially those specifically for grey and coloured horses, are usually priced in excess of £15, sometimes even more. It was good to know that I wasn’t being charged extra for owning a light-coloured horse! You can also buy a 2L bottle (RRP £31.50), which I would definitely recommend if you intend to be bathing regularly; this might even last you a whole competition season if you’re lucky.
The 500ml bottle and its no-spill lid would mean this shampoo would be handy to pop into the lorry to take to shows in case you needed to conduct a quick wash ahead of your class.
The handy push-up cap prevented leaks and spillages
This shampoo wasn’t as ‘blue’ as other products marketed for greys, so I did wonder if the stain removing power would be as strong as other whitening shampoos. What I liked about the bottle was the handy push-up cap, which was effective for a few reasons; not only did it prevent leaks and spillages, but it ensured that I didn’t pour too much shampoo into the bucket and potentially waste any product.
The soap smelled lovely
I began the washing process by spraying Yogi down with a cold hose as it was a warm day. Then, I added a generous amount of shampoo to a bucket and filled it with warm water. I was impressed with how much soap was produced, and the solution also smelled lovely; it was pleasant and clean smelling, but not overly chemical.
There was enough lather produced to remove dirt from the coat
I worked the bucket of shampoo over his coat and one bucket was enough to cover his whole body. I then applied some more shampoo to a damp sponge to work more thoroughly over his ‘problem’ areas, including his hind and fore legs, and under his belly.
The shampoo got really soapy on his coat and I could see the mud visibly lifting. It is a deep cleaning shampoo which really helps remove dirt and mud, while conditioning the coat.
Yogi mid-bath once he had been shampooed
The shampoo did not remove the stubborn yellow stains as much as some other shampoos that are more blue in colour. However, if I used this shampoo regularly to keep on top of stains — an essential routine if you own a grey or coloured competition horse — then the tinges might fade more. It definitely added a brilliant shine to the coat and when Yogi had dried off his hair felt silky, conditioned and healthy.
Yogi after his bath in the NAF Show Off Shampoo
When I got him into the sunshine at the show, he gleamed and looked very smart in the ring. It also didn’t leave a slippery residue on his coat that can make a horse look dirty and also aid unwanted rubbing on the girth area.
I would predict this shampoo would last between three to six washes depending on what colour your horse is; if you owned a black or a bay horse you would need to use a lot less product to get the results.
Verdict
A brilliant, cost effective shampoo which not only removes dirt and adds shine to the coat, but smells delightful and is safe enough for regular use. I would love to try this on a darker coloured animal ahead of a show.
In the UK? View now at amazon.co.uk, viovet.co.uk, equus.co.uk, rideawaystore.com, gooutdoors.co.uk or sportsdirect.com
In the US? View now at amazon.com or us.sportsdirect.com
Who tested this shampoo?
Alex Robinson joined H&H in January 2018 as showing editor and features assistant. She graduated from University of Leeds in 2016 and has freelanced for specialist equestrian magazines, including The Native Pony Magazine and has contributed to the National Pony Society annual journal for the past few years.
Born and raised in the Lake District, Alex has grown up on the show scene. She has qualified and competed ponies at the Royal International, Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) and Olympia and has extensive knowledge of current issues in the showing world and the horses, ponies and riders who compete. She has a rare insight into the sector that comes with riding amongst the best at top level. She has produced a variety of rides to the highest level and has a passion for bringing on youngsters through the ranks. She has several ponies, mainly natives of all types, on the yard and rides most days each week before work.
At H&H Alex is responsible for the all aspects of showing coverage and is continuing to cement its place as the leading publication for both reports and current showing news. When not writing, she will be found competing her own ponies on the county show circuit.
Find out more about how Horse & Hound tests products
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