The Many Magical Uses of HSE Hot Oil (A.K.A. The Bottle I'd Grab in a Barn Fire)
If I could only keep one product in my grooming kit, it would be HSE Hot Oil. Not my favorite brush. Not my lucky hoof pick. The Hot Oil.
It's balanced to the pH of your horse's skin (not ours), and it does so much more than make a coat shiny. Here's every way I use it, with measurements so you don't have to guess.
1. Deep Conditioning (Especially Right After Clipping)
Freshly clipped horses can look a little... plucked. This treatment brings the skin and coat back to life.
Use this amount of Hot Oil, depending on the size of your horse:
- Pony: 100–150 ml (about 3.5–5 oz)
- 15–17 hands: 150–200 ml (about 5–7 oz)
- 17–19 hands: 200–250 ml (about 7–8.5 oz)
Add it to a bucket with about 5–6 liters (roughly 1.5 gallons) of warm water. The mix turns a milky white, which is exactly what you want. Then sponge or pour it over your horse from head to tail.
2. General Conditioning
Coat looking dull or dry? Big show coming up and you want your horse to glow? Do the same thing as the deep conditioning treatment, just with much less oil: 30–50 ml (about 1–1.5 oz) in your bucket of warm water.
3. Everyday Grooming Spray (My Favorite!)
This is how I use Hot Oil 99% of the time. Truly.
Add 50–75 ml (about 1.5–2.5 oz) of Hot Oil to a spray bottle and top it up with water. About a 1:10 ratio is a great place to start. Shake before each use and watch it turn that familiar milky white.
Spray it on, then brush or rub it into the coat with your hands. The natural moisturizing ingredients feed the skin and hair and help replace the natural oils your horse loses to blanketing, bathing, sweat, and weather.
If your horse was recently clipped or feels dry, make the mix a little stronger.
Pro tip: I love using an HSE Super Sprayer for this. It sprays a high volume with every squeeze, so your hand doesn't cramp before you reach the hindquarters, and the 750 ml (25 oz) bottle means fewer refills.
4. Before, After, or Instead Of Bathing
Here's something that surprised me: shampooing strips your horse's natural coat oils, and horses take much longer than we do to restore them. That's why I try not to shampoo too often. Hot Oil is my secret weapon.
Instead of shampoo: Dilute about 125 ml (½ cup) of Hot Oil in 5–6 liters (about 1.5 gallons) of water and sponge it on. Let the coat start to dry, then get your horse moving to warm up the skin. Before long, you'll see dirt rising to the surface of the hair, ready to hose, brush, or wipe away. You get a clean horse and you're adding good oils instead of stripping them. Win-win.
Before shampoo: Use the same method to lift dirt to the surface first, so bath time is faster and easier.
After shampoo: For a deep, glossy finish, use 125–250 ml (½–1 cup) in 5–6 liters of water for clipped coats. For longer coats, just a capful helps the hair lie flat and tames that "I rolled in a dryer" fluffy look.
Pro tip: Skip the sweat scraper and use an HSE CoolGroom instead. A scraper removes both the water and the oil, while the CoolGroom absorbs the water and leaves the oil in the coat, which is where your hard-earned dollars belong.
No need to rinse Hot Oil out like a conditioner. Leave it in so it can work its magic.
⚠️ Heads up: Your horse's coat will feel oily afterward. That's the point! And because Hot Oil contains no silicones, it won't make your saddle slide around like some coat sprays do. Nobody needs a surprise dismount.
5. Manes and Tails
I use the same everyday grooming spray mix as a detangler. It conditions and moisturizes the hair without coating it in silicone, which can lock in dirt and make hair harder to get clean.
For a really dry tail, mix Hot Oil and water 50:50. Dunk the tail in a bucket or spray it on, with no rinsing needed. I've also found it helps with dandruff and keeps hair looking healthier. Say goodbye to the tail-that-looks-like-a-broom era.
6. Blanket Rubs
Dealing with rub marks on the shoulders (or anywhere else)? Spray the area generously before blanketing. It helps keep rubs from getting worse and supports the hair as it grows back.
7. Show Day Makeup
Yes, really! If you've ever used a show makeup that stains everything it touches (including you) or is a mess to apply, you'll love this.
Depending on your horse's coloring and the look you want, use Hot Oil on its own or with chalk. It melts through the hair into the skin to highlight the eyes, muzzle, knees, and hocks. No sticky beading. No weird little balls sitting on the coat. Just a polished, natural-looking finish.
The Bottom Line
Conditioner, grooming spray, bath helper, detangler, rub soother, and show makeup, all in one bottle. If that's not the best-value product in your grooming kit, I don't know what is.
👉 Shop HSE Hot Oil, Super Sprayers, and CoolGroom Towel at Roxy & Bumble and see what all the shine is about!
