My Product Reviews. Reviews You Can Trust.

Some people really haven't liked my product reviews so far. Ironically enough, the first people to write me telling me how crappy of a job I've done with my review are so far, always product reps. Go figure, and I can understand it a bit. I mean, they do make money from selling these products and are usually always somewhat emotionally invested. So of course they take negative results personally.

However, what I don't like, and I don't consider professional at all, is them coming around and trying to tear down my tests. Look, if you can't take some criticism, maybe you shouldn't be going around being a representative of the product. And of course, to always follow them, are some buyers who are also emotionally and financially invested. I mean, some of these people have been using the products for years themselves and swear by it, but my results don't lie and they stand on their own.

I've majored in science and been writing scientific papers since high school, I understand the value in being non-biased. That is the type of review I will give, EVERY TIME. I am no one's spokes person. I do all of this on my own time, and usually with my own money. (Excluding free samples sent to me). I do these tests and reviews for my own sake. I only post the results online because I know that they could also help other people. Make no mistake though, I do these tests for myself, not to get buddy buddy with anyone. And I know that many of these reviews and tests are going to rub many people the wrong way, and try as they might to try and discredit my findings, my findings are true.

And I'll give some examples and I'll also talk about why I stand by my outcomes.

The SleekEZ

I wrote a review on the SleekEZ before I even got to use it, and I said as much. My first review was essentially a box opening review. Now on this item, I spent my own money to get it. So if anything, I had a monetary invested reason to find good things to say about it. However, that wouldn't help anyone. My first impression of the SleekEZ was underwhelmed. It didn't appear very professional to me, and I really wondered if I had just wasted $20. (You can read my two reviews here: I Bought A SleekEZ and SleekEZ Update )

The owner, or at least a rep messaged me on Facebook. We had been chatting a bit before that when I pointed out a spelling error on their paper they send with the SleekEZ, and she was actually really sweet and a joy to talk to. Of course though, my first review rubbed her a bit the wrong way. And I can't blame her, it was generally a negative review, my first impression of the product was not that great. She wrote me, and I didn't really read it. I hadn't given my full review after all. She however, remained rather professional and just kept her dislike for the review between us. She didn't go around trying to make me seem stupid or incompetent or trying to discredit what I had to say. If anything, she actually acknowledge the product's short comings. I enjoyed my interactions with her.

(Of course, I also had a buyer or two come and swear by it with the initial review release as well lol) In the end, I actually rather like the product. I hope it holds up, but I have already used the SleekEZ several times on my horses and have shown it to a couple friends.

Mane-ly Long

I haven't enjoyed my interactions with the Mane-ly Long rep at all (not the same person who sent me the samples). She's been rather down right nasty. She didn't like the criticism at all. I get she's invested in the product in more than one way, but that doesn't excuse any of her actions. Generally, she was just unprofessional.

(You can read the test review here: Mane-ly Long VS Mane N Tail )

Now I did my review/test of the product the way I did, with a brushed horse, because I don't see the removal of loose dirt that a brush or hose can get off as any sort of test for a shampoo. My horse WAS NOT clean at the beginning of that test. She hadn't had a bath since midsummer the year before, she had deep set in stains in her feathering, and she had deep set in dirt and dust that a brush wouldn't get out. She only appeared clean, because she was shinny, and she's only shinny because she's just that gosh darn healthy. A healthy horse = a shinny coat.

So the very first thing this rep said to me was "Saw your review... Sorry you did not use the system correctly..." I laughed when I saw that. I knew exactly how this was going to go. As I pointed out the flaws in her statements, she would soon resort to attempting to belittling me personally, and she did. I did use the system correctly. I read the back of the bottle, I did as it instructed. Ironically, while the wording is different between Mane-ly Long and Mane N Tail, the directions are essentially the same. She then went on to talk about how if I used the Polisher, ($14 for a 4oz bottle) that it would have been even better. And you know what, maybe it would have been. (I did have it after all) However, I didn't have a polisher for Mane N Tail (and they do have one). I only had shampoo and conditioner from the local Walmart. So to keep it perfectly fair, I couldn't use the Polisher. And the Polisher would not have made any difference in the stain removing ability. As she even said "It helps prevent dirt and stains". And what's to say that the Mane N Tail polisher wouldn't have made an equal difference?

(Elsa's after photos. Mane-ly Long on her right side (picture left) and Mane N Tail on her left side (picture right))

And then came the kicker!

"One more try it on white horses not dark that's where you will see a difference too Difficult to compare on darker..." Oh my gosh, I had to really wonder if she looked at my review at all! 1) Your horse does not have to be a white horse to test a cleaning product on.

2) My horse has WHITE feet. Even better, she has WHITE FEATHERING. For those of you who don't know, or aren't familiar with feather, let me explain. Feathering is the long hair on the bottoms of some horse's legs. It can come in any color a horse can come in. On my girl, she has white along the bottoms of all four legs. Long feather drags on the ground, so you can imagine that long white feather gets stains very easily. Easier than the legs of a clean legged horse (no long hair on the legs) and easier than the body of a white horse, because this white feathering is ALWAYS touching the ground.

Elsa being a Black horse with White feathering actually makes her uniquely suited to be a horse to test bathing products on. No horse shines quite like a clean black horse. (certainly not white!) And her white feathering, which has deep set in stains I've yet been able to remove, provide the ultimate test for cleaning ability. All of her thick long hair also provides a good test on the products' abilities make it softer, stronger, and easier to brush through.

The fact of the matter was, there was NO difference in my test between Mane-ly Long's and Mane N Tail's cleaning abilities. The only differences were the size of the bottles and the price. I was remaining perfectly civil with this woman, right up until about here: "I never said you don't know how to bathe a horse, I am saying take truly stained dirty light colored horses for more validity before writing a blog that has poor facts ... That's all I am saying!" Not exactly a great representative for the company if you ask me. I hope they don't talk to everyone like that. Their company may not last much longer if they do!

After that, she decided to take this "disagreement" more public by going around to some of the places I posted the results of my test and trying to discredit them with the same foolish nonsense she's tried saying to me in private messages. Of course there were still some people who have been using the product for a couple years who echoed much of what she had to say (and she was always quick to prop them up and try and belittle my findings even more), but they aren't the ones I'm writing these blog posts for.

Generally though, everyone but her and a follower or two were very happy with the findings and grateful. Those are the people I write these reviews for.

So why do I choose to pair these big name, expensive shampoos up against Mane N Tail?

Well that's simple really. Because I've been using it for over a decade on my dogs. That, and it's very cheap. Only about $5 for a 32oz bottle. What can I say? I'm a frugal type of person. I search for the best deals I can get. And that's exactly what I'm trying to help other people do.

Mane N Tail found its way into my bathroom around 12 years ago when my stepdad moved in with a dog. I'm not sure why he ever decided to use it, but it's always worked fabulously for us. And why change what works? "If it's not broke, don't fix it." When I got a horse, it was sort of a no brainer to transfer its use over onto them. It was after all, originally made for horses.

What some of the nay-sayers will try and say is that Mane N Tail is harsh. It makes the hair dry and brittle. I have no idea where that thought comes from. It has always not only made my dog's colors pop, but it has always always made them SUPER soft. In fact, I usually wash my dogs with dawn dish soap first, for any fleas, and then again with Mane N Tail shampoo just because of how amazing it makes my dogs look a feel. (I swear I'm not paid by nor a spokes person for Mane N Tail! lol)

So why have I started testing other products? Well because I'm just really getting into horses. In the coming years I'll be breeding, showing, selling, and working horses. It's better now to figure a couple things out. What is the minimum I can get away with to save money (like with vitamin C. Your body only needs so much, any extra is simply peed out. No point in drinking a bunch of orange juice when one glass gives you all you need and any more is simply a waste of resources and money!). What is most effective. And what is going to save me time.

These other products such as Mane-ly Long and Equifuse, and others, are all highly esteemed by many horse owners. They're also MUCH more expensive than Mane N Tail. I'm talking anywhere from $12-$20 a bottle for only 12oz. Well, if they're better at getting out stains and dirt, and really make my horse look like a million bucks, then surely they are worth the money. But the thing is, all the photos and videos are always mud or dirt encrusted horses to clean ones. It began to dawn on me that the entire wow factor was nothing more than a dirty to clean horse. I began to wonder if these expensive products ($50+ for a full product line) were really much, if any better, than my tried and true (and cheap) Mane N Tail. So I decided to start these tests. After all, if I was going to be paying so much more, for so much less product, it had better make a BIG difference in my horse's appearance.

When Mane-ly Long didn't produce a sparkling horse any different from Mane N Tail, the rep tried to say that this was a product that was more for long term. It made hair soft, and more resistant to stains, making stains wash out easier in later washes. But let's face is, these are supposed to be show bathing products. Where I pull my horse from the field, wash it, and take it to a show. I don't have the time or resources to bath a horse 10 times before a show. For now, until I find a product that truly makes a difference. I will be sticking with, and standing by Mane N Tail. It is cheap and comes in larger volumes. Beyond that, it works just as good as the other stuff, it makes the colors pop and makes the hair feel very soft. This may make me a couple enemies by being a whistle blower, but as I've said before they're not the ones I take the time to write these reviews for.

Moral Of The Story

Not everyone is going to agree with me. And know what? That's just fine. Things do vary from place to place. Different dirts stain differently, and even different waters can clean differently. Maybe Mane N Tail doesn't work for them. Having moved half way across the country (From NC to MO) and not finding any difference in cleaning abilities, I'm not sold on it, but I can't speak for everyone. All I can say, is that you can ALWAYS trust me for an unbiased test and review. No matter the attacks I come under, I will say my findings, stick by them, and put them out there without any filters. THAT you can trust.