08/13/2025
🚨 What’s Really Absorbing Into Your Horse’s Body?
Topical products don’t just sit on the skin. Many ingredients — especially those in some poultices, liniments, shampoos, conditioners, coat shiners, detanglers, fly sprays, and anti-bacterial products — can pe*****te the skin barrier, enter deeper tissues, and even reach the bloodstream. Over time, this can influence recovery, performance, and long-term health.
🔥 Inflammation & Recovery
Inflammation is the body’s protective response to injury, infection, or irritation.
Acute inflammation (first 48–72 hours) is beneficial — it brings immune cells, nutrients, and repair signals to the injury site.
Chronic inflammation is harmful — it prolongs swelling, damages tissues, and drains energy that should be used for performance and recovery.
Chemical interference:
Certain preservatives and synthetic additives trigger unnecessary inflammation (e.g., skin irritation and contact dermatitis), which can cause discomfort and stress.
Others suppress normal inflammatory responses, slowing down tissue repair and making injuries more prone to recurrence.
💥 Examples: Phenoxyethanol, benzalkonium chloride, synthetic fragrances
📚 Medzhitov, 2008 — improper resolution of inflammation leads to tissue damage.
💧 Skin & Soft Tissue Absorption
The skin is not an impenetrable shield — especially in horses with short hair, clipped legs, or thin skin in areas like the pastern.
How chemicals get in:
Alcohols dissolve the skin’s natural lipid barrier, creating gaps for other chemicals to pass through.
Small, fat-loving molecules (lipophilic) such as synthetic coolants slip through skin layers quickly — absorption increases when the area is warm, moist, or under a wrap.
Once these chemicals enter the dermis, they can migrate into muscle fibers, tendons, ligaments, and connective tissues, where they may cause irritation or low-grade inflammation.
💥 Examples: Ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, methyl diisopropyl propionamide, menthol
📚 Monteiro-Riviere et al., 2011 — equine skin can absorb small molecules into the bloodstream.
🩸 Bloodstream Exposure
Once chemicals pass through the dermis, they can enter tiny capillaries and move into the bloodstream — circulating throughout the horse’s body.
Risks of repeated exposure:
Bioaccumulation: Low doses over time can build up in organs or fat tissue.
Systemic effects: Chemicals can influence body systems far from the application site, including the liver, kidneys, nervous system, and endocrine system.
💥 Examples: high-dose salicylates (wintergreen oil), Menthol (high concentrations) – accumulates in fatty tissue; potential skin and nerve irritation with chronic exposure, Phthalates – from synthetic fragrances or plastics; endocrine disruption, reproductive effects.
📚 Monteiro-Riviere et al., 2011, Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics — demonstrated that lipophilic molecules can be absorbed through equine skin and may distribute into fat and organ tissues over time.
🧬 Hormone Disruption
The body’s hormones act like keys, binding to hormone receptors — the “locks” — to trigger essential processes like muscle recovery, metabolism, reproduction, and bone maintenance.
Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that interfere with this system:
Mimicking hormones: Fooling receptors into activating at the wrong time.
Blocking hormones: Preventing the correct signal from being received.
Altering hormone levels: Changing production, breakdown, or transport.
Why this matters for performance:
Can slow recovery and reduce muscle development.
May disrupt reproductive cycles in mares and stallions.
Can alter metabolism, affecting stamina and energy use.
💥 Examples: Parabens (methyl-, propyl-, butyl-), benzophenones, phthalates
📚 Karpuzoglu et al., 2013 — parabens mimic estrogen and disrupt hormone balance.
🌿 The Rodeo Road Essentials Difference:
No harsh preservatives, hormone disruptors, or competition-risk ingredients.
Breathable, alcohol-conscious formulas that protect the skin barrier.
Cooling and anti-inflammatory support from safe, botanical sources — never synthetic numbness.
Gentle by Nature. Powerful in Performance.
A few reasons we encourage label reading, and knowing what you are putting in and on your horse.
Another reason you see us aligning with ActivateQi
Pure form, pure recovery.
We don't just say this to persuade you, we post knowledge that we have learned the hard way, and suffered consequences from.
Shop yours today- www.rodeoroadessentials
