Product Review: Absorbine CoolDown Herbal After-Workout Rinse

I have a particular horse. Pair that with the fact that I am only slightly particular myself when it comes to my horses care and you will often find me performing my 30-minute long pre-ride ritual and my one-hour long post ride ritual. I like things done a certain way and I like them to follow my schedule (yes, I know I am very Type A) but being a struggling adult amateur I know there aren’t always enough hours in the day for a full wash down after a ride. So when Absorbine gave me the opportunity to review its CoolDown Herbal After-Workout rinse, I was intrigued. Could this product cut my summer post ride routine in half?

What is it?

According to the product description: Cools and refreshes after workouts and on hot days. Made with 12 herbs and essential oils, it also conditions the skin and coat, helping to replace oils that may be lost due to sweating.

CoolDown comes in a 32 oz jug and you have two choices when applying: mix the concentration up in a bucket and sponge it over your horse or mix it up in a spray bottle and spray on. Since I was aiming to reduce the time I spend in my daily routine, I decided to first opt for the spray bottle. The concentration is very high, you only need 1 oz per gallon so this one jug can last you a lifetime.

My handy dandy CoolDown spray bottle- which I have now had to sharpie my name all over because everyone in the barn wants to steal my bottle and use it! Photo by Meagan DeLisle

I bought a plain spray bottle from the grocery store and the first time I mixed up the solution I immediately noticed the aroma: it smells so clean and fresh and natural — a definite plus in my books. I started using CoolDown in early spring when Joey wasn’t super sweaty post workout, so this option was fantastic. He was warm, but not warm enough to validate a full on hose off so it was simple and easy to grab my spray bottle and mist him with the rinse. After sitting for a few minutes, I did notice that Joey felt cooler to the touch in his warmer areas (especially where his five-point breastplate hits; that spot is always sweaty).

There were days, however, where I knew the spray bottle concoction wouldn’t work — like for instance when Missouri went from a high of 60 one day to 92 the next (Mother Nature in Missouri has bipolar weather disorder for sure). Normally on those days Joey gets a full bath A) because he is gross and sweaty and B) because I don’t like sweat to stay on him because it will bleach his coat. As we all know, the full bath routine can take up a huge chunk of time so I decided to give the sponge bath a try and found it was a great option as well.

Practical and Affordable

I am definitely going to start toting this stuff around horse shows, especially the one day horse shows that we haul in and out on the same day. We participate in a lot of the one day schooling shows in the summer and Joey not only has to compete in the muggy, Missouri heat but he also has to stand tied to a trailer after his ride. I can only imagine how miserable it has to be. Seeing as most of these barns do not have wash stalls available unless you stalled overnight, you can bet I will be toting a few extra buckets to the show to use this rinse on all of our horses.

I love to use CoolDown in a spray bottle after light workouts or hacking around the property. It is great when Joey is warm, but not drenched. When the horses are a little sweatier from heavier workouts, mixing CoolDown in a bucket and applying it with a sponge is also a great option! Photo by Meagan DeLisle

I just mixed up the appropriate amount of CoolDown in a big bucket, soaked a sponge, and washed Joey down. The best part about this rinse is that it does not have to be washed off, so even if you sponge it on it dries naturally and isn’t heavy like when you wash a horse with shampoo and don’t get all the suds out. It didn’t leave Joey greasy, but I imagine it could if you used too much rinse when mixing it up. I would love it, however, if the cap on the jug was a 1oz cup (like some medicines) so you didn’t have to measure on the go. That is the only real downside I can find.

Of course, this won’t replace my regular bathing routine as I like to really wash Joey out once a week, but it definitely is going to cut back on my daily care regime. CoolDown smells amazing and really does help cool the horse down after a ride on a warm day. If your horse is drenched with sweat and a bath is not an opportunity, the sponge bath works really well in lieu of shampoo and conditioner and if you need a quick spritz on the go try spraying them down from a spray bottle. At just over $20 a bottle, you can’t beat the price compared to the amount of usage you are going to get out of this solution. Plus you can pronounce ALL of the ingredients on the label (CoolDown is full of sweet goodies like Rosemary Oil, Lavender Oil, and Witch Hazel) so you know it is safe for you and your equine partner.

Even Joey (who thinks all things in spray bottles result in immediate torture) really likes the smell of CoolDown. Photo by Meagan DeLisle

In Summary

All in all, I give CoolDown a 4.8 out of 5 stars. This is a product I truly would buy again; it not only smells good but is a great source of aromatherapy for your horse, it is quick and easy to use, and the price is great compared to the cost of multiple bottles of shampoo and conditioners. I would love for Abosorbine to come out with a lid that helps you measure the right amount on the go, but that is my only fault so you can’t take too much away from a great product for something small like that. Learn more about CoolDown and find locations to purchase through Absorbine. I doubt you would be disappointed.