Bottled Sunshine: Mane and Tail Serum

It's finally spring and we all know what that means, show season is around the corner!

As we enter into this magical time of year full of brimming expectations, lofty aspirations and chaos, it's a great time to look at our horse's care routines. If you spend any amount of time browsing the online forums and Facebook grooming groups, it wont take you long to find owners desperate for the answer to one fundamental question: what can you do to grow a better mane and tail.

Let's face it, as horse owners, we all dream of long, flowing manes and full, luscious tails on shiny magnificent steeds with slick, soft coats. Instead we get a mud monster covered in manure and grass stains you could signal the international space station with the dust clouds coming from their coat, who has half their mane eaten by their barn buddy and has rubbed out their tail.

So what do you do about that pesky, burning question that at some point will eat away at every horse-owner's soul and sanity? How do you grow a better mane and tail? Can you? The answers are numerous and some can be down right bizarre and range anywhere from a bank-breaking list of supplements, grooming supplies, daily routines and combinations of everything in between. Or, you have the totally opposite camp of don't ever touch it. Ever. So how do you know? and how do some of those owners do it?

This is an area I've been trying to understand for years now. Blue has always struggled to grow a nice mane and long tail. Neither have ever been thick or full, and quite often his pasture-mates will eat portions of his mane and part of his tail. Usually, just before a show. No matter what I try, there's never been anything to show for my efforts. So I've resigned myself to the fact that sometimes you just can't beat genetics and Blue was blessed with many things, but a long mane and tail just wasn't in his blue prints, and that's ok. Not every horse is capable of sporting those lovely locks and if yours can, I secretly envy you. If you're one of those that roaches those lovely locks, know my soul dies a little every time you break out the clippers. For the last three years I've come to terms with the genetic component of Blue's mane and tail growth and I've learned to protect it, which in turn allows it to grow uniform and nicely. It's slowly getting longer and fuller, but I don't entertain grand expectations. Well, that is until last week...

It all started when I had to order some supplies for work and one of the oils we're trying out came with a free sampling of a high-grade cold-pressed flaxseed oil. At first I was at a loss of what to do with it, as we can't use it at work, however; it didn't take me long to realize that it would be great to try for Blue's coat. The only problem was there really wasn't enough of the sample to feed that would really make a difference. Well, that got me thinking, could I use the flaxseed oil to make a coat conditioner or mane and tail serum? Off to Google I went on my lunch break, full of excitement at the possibility of a new DIY project. That excitement got shattered pretty quick, as there's actually no recipes with flaxseed inclusion outside of boiling the seeds into a gel and making them into a hair mask. But nothing with an oil inclusion. Well, why not make my own recipe then? Turns out it's not as easy as I thought it would be and after studying 38 recipes and studying the reason for each ingredient inclusion and comparing them to formulations that yielded results to those that didn't I was able to find some common ground and figured I had a pretty decent start to a formulation that may work. So off I went after work to the health food store, excited to make my concoction and give it a try, but it was closed. No biggie, I'd just go in the morning...well, they're no longer open on Saturday. So I waited until Monday, bought my supplies and a spray bottle and set off to make my test product, only I as I was making it, I was catching up with my mom and enjoying the conversation and never made it out to the barn. Tomorrow was another day, and you should always make time for those you love.

Tuesday ended up being super crazy at work with a bad accident and so that was a wash.

Wednesday was the day.

Wednesday was the day I was going to learn if I had developed a wonderful concoction or an oily disaster. My research showed that if mixed correctly, the ingredients would combine and homogenize to make a serum that the hair would absorb, leaving it silky and shiny and have the added bonus of being a detangler. Would it work? We were about to find out. I captured the fire breathing dragon...really not that hard as the poor buggar really is not adjusting well to time off due to this baby belly and crappy weather and desperately wants to be ridden and have a job, so he practically halters himself, and off we went to the barn. No bribes needed, although he does appreciate them. Not going to lie, it does make me feel special to see his head pop up as his eyes alight and he gives a deep nicker of greeting before he comes running to me. Melts my heart.

Now Blue is very much a grey horse and takes that identity to heart. He is a mud monster and loves to roll in the fresh spring grass, turning his coat lovely shades of reddish brown and green. Little does he know, the ricebran I feed him from my plant is excellent at warding off stains and giving him a nice, shiny coat. To my surprise he's already 90% shed out, wohoo! (He's looked like a wooly mammoth the last few weeks and I was thinking I was going to have to clip him for my maternity photos). I was also quite surprised to find that losing his winter coat had revealed that Blue wintered quite well and underneath all that fluff he was sporting some ripped and well-defined muscling. I had been worried he'd lose condition this winter not being in heavy training, but our in-hand and light work under saddle must've really done something because Blue is fit and ready for a knock-out season, only we won't be showing. Regardless, he took my breath away.

I wanted to accurately document my serum spray, so I brushed him out and took a few Day 1 photos. I did notice his coat is pretty slick and had a good deal of shine to it already, as well as his mane and tail. Thank you good hay and RiceBran.

Next, I did the thing he hates most in this life: I combed out his mane and tail.

I've learned over the years that Blue has sensitive skin, so I have to be careful when grooming him and be mindful of the tack I use. Big key for him is no metal shedding blades or curry combs. If you are mindful of that he's just fine. I'm ashamed to say that this took me quite a while to figure out, but life has been much simpler since this realization. Oh, but he loathes his mane being combed.

If you've ever tried to photograph a horse solo with no one around, you understand the pain of constantly moving and into everything subjects. You take what you can get and mine usually acts like he hasn't eaten in weeks and the head goes straight down for food (or the thought of food).

After many failed photos, I decided their had to be at least one or two I could use in this blog, so I wrangled Blue back to the cross-ties and brought out my bottle of sunshine (the serum is a really pretty bright yellow). And then I did the thing he hates second most in life: applied the spray to his mane. Now I was curious how this was going to go, as I don't have a lot of faith in spray bottles and their delivery methods. To my surprise, it sprayed nice and evenly over his mane. I made sure to apply some healthy spritzes to the base of his mane on each side before working the serum into his mane and skin. Despite his coat having a good shine, his skin was super dry, so the serum should be really good for this. He would not let me spray his forelock, so I applied a few spritzes of serum to my hand and worked it into his forelock. It did not take very long to see the detangling effects.

Applying this oil, it smells absolutely amazing. Even better is that each essential oil I selected for fragrance also has specific properties that are supposed to enhance the main base oils. Next I moved on to his tail, making sure it got a nice coating, however; as suspected, this was about the time the sprayer decided it just wasn't cut out for this. I did manage to get his tail coated before the sprayer bit the dust. From there, I started to massage the oils into the tailhead before breaking out the comb once again to work the serum through his tail. The detangling properties of this stuff... WOW! And What a shine it achieves!

Now I know what you're thinking, at this point I must be an oily mess, and you'd be in good company, because I was thinking that too. Only I wasn't! The other nifty thing about my formulation is that if mixed correctly, it will be absorbed by the hair and skin. Not going to lie, my hands felt amazing and were so very soft. I checked on his mane and sure enough, it was absorbed, so while shiny and soft, no oily residue....oh boy, that was exciting!

Next, I figured why not see what happens and apply it to his coat like Show Sheen. Stole a spray nozzle off another bottle and attempted to spritz his coat. I say attempted, because the spray nozzle was a complete failure and it put splotches of the oil on his coat. Nothing a brush cant fix, and most of it worked its way across his coat with the brush, although he maintained a few splotchy areas. I stepped back and marveled at my creation, which if I'm being honest, am pretty darn well pleased with.

Yes, with this I was most pleased. So what does the logical and sane part of my brain say? Put it to the test! Yes! Let's go turn Blue out in the arena and see what happens!

Yes, that arena, the one full of sand. If it truly absorbs the sand wont stick!

Mistakes were made, I did not give his body time to absorb the oil completely.

This horse is a ham and was really enjoying this roll. Also, I was really hoping he'd jump up and go tearing across the back rail because that sky was absolutely stunning. But alas, he did not.

The most action I could muster up out of him, but it was a purdy trot!, You can clearly see where the sprayer splotched him...BUT no sand in his mane and tail! Despite my impatience, I would say this is largely successful. Will it encourage hair growth? We'll see. Takeaway/anything I would change: the oil is definitely the consistency of a serum, so it is too thick for a spray nozzle. I diluted it with another cup of water to see if that will help the application. I may need to add more. It will be a process to perfect the consistency, but the concentrated base is solid for what I expected of it. Also allow the horse to dry before allowing to roll in the sand....

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Don't you just love those recipes where you get an entire life story before you get to what you really wanted, the recipe? So do I, but here we are. lol. Or, if you're like most people (including me), maybe you just skimmed to this section as it's what you wanted. I like that. You know what you want and go straight for it...but maybe I put important information in the blog above....ah, now there's doubt. You're welcome ;)

Bottled Sunshine Mane and Tail Serum: Update: In light of recent results and other feedback, I have decided to pursue a provisional patent to make this available for sale and as part of the process, I was advised to remove the actual recipe component from here. I'm very excited for this next step and apologize for the reduction of content from the recipe.

You will need a fairly good sized spray bottle for this. I experimented with a BPA-free plastic one, although typically when I use raw essential oils I choose glass, as the oil can degrade the plastic over time.

1) Cold-pressed castor oil

Note: Originally, I was after black castor oil, but I did not have any available at my health food store. I do not find much difference, and the coloration is pleasant with this one.

2) Cold-pressed Flaxseed oil

3) Liquid coconut oil

Note: the liquid coconut is pretty important. If you glob in a couple ounces of cooking coconut oil, it will not mix into the other oils, at least not easily.

4) Add water till almost at the top of your bottle.

5) Add the essential oils:

Lavender: 55-60 drops, Rosemary: 55-60 drops, Cypress: 25-28 drops. You can vary the amount until you find your desired preference of fragrance.

Note: The essential oils are not necessary, however; they do serve more of a purpose than just fragrance. Once you gently invert the oils to mix, you get this very pretty yellow color, hence why I'm calling it Bottled Sunshine.

The water may settle out over time, so just give it a few gentle inversions to resuspend. Apply to the mane and tail 2-3 times per week, ensuring to massage into the base of the mane and the tailhead. After a few minutes it will absorb into the hair and skin, leaving a healthy shine and soft feel. Rather Simple, if I do say so myself. Materials cost $64. But some of that is the essential oils that you can continue to use, as well as the fancy spray bottle I chose to buy. I'd say the actual oils that are the base were less than half of that cost. Also do note this is very much the consistency of a serum and is heavily concentrated. I would recommend diluting it down, as it will clog the sprayer. I'm still experimenting with this and will provide an update once I figure it out. The concentrate comes out to $2.02 per oz. Once I figure out the correct ratio of water dilution, It could be as low as $0.27-0.36 per oz. I'll just have to see.

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Why the Ingredients?

When looking at different recipes for mane and tail conditioning and growth, there are many variations, but at the heart of the successful ones were a few key ingredients. I selected for those with one exception, I wanted to use the flaxseed oil.

Disclaimer: This is my personal blend I created specifically for my horse and what I think will serve the best purposes for him. I am not a cosmetologist or specialist in this area and if you choose to make and use the recipe, it is at your own discretion. This is also my own personal recipe I developed, so if you use it and have success, I will be very happy, but do not steal it and claim it as your own. Bad juju will plague you for intellectual theft. It did not exist in this world until April 25, 2022.

Castor Oil - Rich in protein, antioxidants, nutrients and fatty acids, castor oil can be beneficial to skin, scalp and hair. This oil also acts as a humectant and can help draw moisture into the skin, as well as having anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. It is false to think that castor oil is going to generate hair growth, as there's not really a lot of scientific studies to support that claim, rather I chose this as my main oil due to the fact that it's inclusion helps promote circulation which overall will improve the likelihood of healthy hair growth. The added benefits listed above make this a pretty standard main ingredient in most formulations.

Flaxseed Oil - Despite Castor oil holding the bulk of the volume as a single oil in this recipe, don't underestimate the importance of the flaxseed oil. This oil is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and when applied topically to the hair and skin it can help prevent dry skin and promote hair growth. It is also another oil that has anti-inflammatory properties and can help to alleviate sore muscles. There's a slew of benefits to adding it into the diet, but that's not the focus here, we're looking at topical application only. When applied to the skin, it can help alleviate irritation and lock in moisture. The lignin in the oil can help overall hair appearance and can brighten hair while protecting the skin and hair from sun damage. Large amounts of vitamin E in flaxseed oil help fight breakage and promote overall hair strength. By massaging into the skin at the base of the mane and the tailhead, you can encourage circulation in these areas, and your horse is going to really enjoy that massage. Honestly, flaxseed is amazing and it's a wonder it's not included in more. This oil is the star of our show.

Coconut Oil - Great for the scalp in preventing dryness and dandruff, coconut oil is also a great moisturizer. This oil is also easily absorbed into hair and skin, so it's often a favorite choice as a carrier oil. Due to its ease of absorption, it is great at repairing damaged and dry hair. I'm taking advantage of these properties and utilizing this ingredient as a natural moisturizer in my formulation.

You could use Argon oil instead of the coconut oil, however; this ingredient is extremely expensive and the quality is not always there, so you really need to do your research prior to buying argon oil. I find coconut works just as nice in most applications.

Lavender - Not only does this oil smell fantastic and have some calming properties, but it is also great at promoting hair growth. It serves as a stimulant to the hair follicles, encouraging faster and thicker hair growth, especially when massaged into the skin (that little massage detail in the blog makes more sense now. lol). Lavender is also antimicrobial and can prevent itchiness and dandruff, as well as reduce inflammation.

Rosemary - Rosemary is another one of those herbs that has amazing benefits in the diet, but also has some pretty amazing benefits when applied to the hair. Rosemary oil is anti-inflammatory, promotes nerve growth and improves circulation. These properties help prevent the hair follicles from dying off, leading to hair loss. There's also evidence that rosemary can help protect against premature greying. This is also another one that helps prevent itchy scalp and skin. If you absolutely hate the smell of rosemary, you can sub peppermint oil, but you may want to back off on the quantity of drops, as it can burn. I generally avoid peppermint essential oil unless it's going to be heavily diluted (like a bath bomb). I enjoy its properties, but my sensitive skin does not tolerate it well in skincare products.

Cypress - Fairly common in hair care products, this essential oil does occasionally get overlooked although it has some amazing properties. Cypress oil can help increase blood circulation and improve capillary health, two factors that are vital for healthy an strong hair growth. This oil will also help fight oily skin and balances the secretions of the scalp to encourage new and healthy hair growth.

Water - Simply acting as a dilution and flow agent for my serum.

If you can tell, there's a common theme in my formulation ingredients: promoting circulation and healthy skin. I'm not trying to find a magic bullet for creating longer manes and tails, that would be awesome, but not the overall intent. I want to see if I can create a product that encourages hair and skin health so that natural growth is a byproduct. My theory is that by promoting circulation in the skin around the hair follicles, you will create an environment that is going to promote hair growth. If you can also cut down on the skin irritation and dryness, the horse will be less likely to rub out portions of the mane and tail. We're also feeding the skin and hair with a boost of nutrients and essential fatty acids at the same time. It will be interesting to see what we get. I'm excited to document the results over the next few months.