Beauty products that can go straight from shower to stable, Mane ‘N Tail Shampoo and Conditioner are true horse-to-human crossovers. Manufactured by Straight Arrow Products, a family-owned company which originally “honed its roots” on the equine side, a remarkable – and unplanned – shift to the personal-care industry took place thanks to early grassroots buzz.

Company CEO Devon B. Katzev literally grew up in the company. Nearly 50 years ago in rural New Jersey his parents, Bonnie and Phil, Arabian horse breeders and competitors, sought a gentler alternative to the harsh detergents most people used on their horses. They created a conditioner using proteins, coconut and vegetable oils. With interest growing in the formula that made the Katzev horses’ manes and tails long and luxurious, the family began making the Original Mane ‘n Tail Conditioner in their kitchen and selling it from the back of a pickup truck. Soon after came the Original Mane ‘n Tail Shampoo.

Then, in the mid-1980s and 1990s, something interesting happened. Equestrians had started using the shampoo and conditioner on their own hair and when word of this rapidly spread, Straight Arrow entered the personal care market in a big way. Today, its products are sold in more than 175,000 locations in North America and internationally, including select tack stores in Canada.

The Mane ‘n Tail animal line now also consists of a wide range of grooming and finishing products. Responding to requests for a product that would offer a high-gloss shine without requiring the extra step of a finishing product, Straight Arrow recently launched what it calls its “Boss of Gloss.” The Mane ‘n Tail Ultimate Gloss Shampoo and Conditioner can be used for a performance shine or to help repel everyday dust and dirt. The shampoo is a deep-conditioning, pH-balanced formula that doesn’t dry out skin and leaves the coat, mane and tail soft and with a reflective shine. And it won’t cause saddle slippage! The conditioner moisturizes, builds volume and restores strength to the mane and tail while sorting out tough tangles. It can be used as a leave-in or rinse-out treatment – perfect for the busy show season!

For more information on Mane ‘n Tail’s personal-care products, go to manentail.com and for the equine/animal line, manentailequine.com.

Also, check out their Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube and Instagram pages.