Trusted by Owners.
Reviewed by
Independent Veterinary Toxicologists.

Every Ironhide product is independently reviewed by equine toxicologists, because with horses, trust is earned.

Photo Credit: Kathryn & Tazmyn Nunn
Horse: Lotto

Trusted by Owners. Reviewed by Independent Veterinary Toxicologists.

Every Ironhide product is independently reviewed by equine toxicologists, because with horses, trust is earned.

Photo Credit: Kathryn & Tazmyn Nunn
Horse: Lotto

Why Safety Comes First

How we ensure the highest standard of equine care.

Meet The Experts

Nicola Robinson and Nicola Bates. The veterinary toxicologists who reviewed every formulation.

Safety for Your horse

What independent veterinary review actually means for your horse, without marketing language.

Independently Reviewed for Equine Safety

Equine grooming is built on trust, and trust deserves clarity.
We believe horse owners should be able to understand how products are assessed, why ingredients are chosen, and what safety considerations sit behind them. This page exists to explain the thinking, scrutiny, and expertise that shape our approach openly, carefully, and without marketing shortcuts.

Independently Reviewed for Equine Safety

Equine grooming is built on trust, and trust deserves clarity.
We believe horse owners should be able to understand how products are assessed, why ingredients are chosen, and what safety considerations sit behind them. This page exists to explain the thinking, scrutiny, and expertise that shape our approach openly, carefully, and without marketing shortcuts.

Where Equine Safety Begins.

Veterinary toxicologists represent the highest level of product safety assessment available. They are the specialists consulted by veterinary practices and owners when animals are exposed to potential toxins and their work is grounded in real cases, real outcomes and species-specific understanding. — rather than cosmetic assumptions or human-focused standards.

This approach sets Ironhide apart from much of the equine grooming industry. Rather than relying on reassurance through language alone, we involve independent experts and make the supporting documentation available. Product Information Files, stability data, toxicological assessments, and ingredient safety information are reviewed. — so safety is demonstrated, not implied.

Safety should not be something you are asked to trust blindly. It should be evidenced, and question. This level of transparency is not common in equine grooming, but it is the standard Ironhide is built on.

Veterinary toxicology review is not a surface-level check.

For Ironhide products, the review process includes full examination of Product Information Files (PIFs), formulation data, ingredient concentrations, stability testing, toxicological assessments, and supporting documentation such as Safety Data Sheets (SDS).

Rather than looking at components in isolation, the toxicologists assess how the finished formulation behaves in real-world equine use. This includes how a horse may come into contact with the product during grooming, movement, sweating, licking, and everyday environmental exposure.

They also consider concentration, frequency of use, and potential exposure scenarios — including accidental overdose or unintended contact with other animals.

Independent review is critical to credibility.

The veterinary toxicologists involved in reviewing Ironhide products are not paid to promote them, endorse them, or support marketing claims. Their role is to assess safety from a scientific standpoint, regardless of outcome.

Much like an independent jury reviewing evidence, they evaluate the information presented without allegiance to the brand itself. This separation ensures that conclusions are driven by evidence and expertise — not convenience or commercial interest.

For me, this independence is non-negotiable. Trust can only be earned when scrutiny is allowed to be genuine.

Meet the Independent Veterinary Toxicologists

Nicola Robinson

BSc MA VetMB MRCVS, 
VPIS Head of Service

Nicola studied zoology at Bristol university and veterinary science at Cambridge before working as a small animal and equine vet for 16 years in the UK and Australia.  In 2015 she joined the VPIS answering poisons enquiries from vets and in 2016 was promoted to head of service. She is passionate about raising awareness about toxins amongst owners and in 2017 launched Animal PoisonLine, the 24-hour advice line for owners run by the VPIS. She regularly lectures at veterinary conferences and veterinary schools and gives talks to owners and animal organisations. Nicola has also been a trustee at Marwell Zoo and chaired their ethics committee for 10 years.

Nicola Bates

BSc (Brunel), BSc (Open), MSc, MA, SRCS ,
VPIS Research Lead and Senior Information Scientist

Nicola qualified as a biologist from Brunel University and started work at Guy’s Poisons Unit handling emergency enquiries about poisoning in humans and animals. While working full time she also gained degrees in Earth Science, Human Evolution and Behaviour and the History of Science and Medicine. Nicola has worked at the VPIS since it launched in 1992. Nicola has written extensively on human and veterinary toxicology for over 35 years. Nicola is involved in training VPIS staff and veterinary professionals. She is currently the congress abstract editor for the European Association of Poisons Centres and Clinical Toxicologists (EAPCCT), a Registered Clinical Scientist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), an associate member of the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and has been involved in work for the World Health Organization on the treatment of lead poisoning (in people).

Why Equine Safety Must Come First

When I began formulating what would eventually become Ironhide’s core, I was struck by how easily equine grooming products are taken at face value. Many rely on familiar or fashionable ingredients, presented with confident wording and attractive packaging. But familiarity is not the same as safety. And impressive terms like “EW1 ingredients” sound reassuring to the untrained eye but mean very little without context, testing or independent review behind them…

If you truly want to understand an equine grooming product, ask the brand for their paperwork, the toxicology reports, the stability data, the ingredient rationale, the formal safety assessments. Ask them why each ingredient is there, what exposure considerations were evaluated, and who exactly reviewed the formulation. The silence you receive will be more informative than any sentence on their labels.

While some brands outsource production to overseas mass-manufacturing facilities, removing themselves from the realities of how their products are made, Ironhide takes the opposite approach. I create small batches here in the UK fifteen bars at a time, ensuring that every detail is handled with intention. Every ingredient is measured by hand, every blend created under my own eyes, every bar cured and completed with the level of care that mass production can never offer. This is not simply manufacturing, It is craftsmanship shaped by responsibility.

But craftsmanship alone is not enough. It must be guided by expertise and in equine toxicology is something the industry has never fully embraced until now.

The Role of The Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS)

The Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS) is the UK’s only animal poison centre and provides 24 hour toxicology advice to veterinary professional across the UK and abroad. When a vet is faced with an animal who has ingested, inhaled, or come into contact with something potentially harmful, it is VPIS they call for immediate, expert guidance. They handle over 30,000 enquiries every year. VPIS maintains detailed case databases, researches patterns in animal exposure, and contributes to national and international toxicology knowledge. Their advice is grounded in evidence and real outcomes rather than theoretical assumptions. They are, put simply, the backbone of toxicology support for the veterinary profession, the people behind the scenes who help protect animals when minutes matter and certainty is needed. They also run Animal PoisonLine, a 24 hour triage line for owners which advises if a vet visit is required when their pet has been exposed to a potential toxin (consultation fee apply).

This is the level of expertise I wanted reviewing Ironhide’s formulations.
 Not guesswork. Not marketing logic. Not cosmetic assumptions.
 Real toxicologists who deal with real cases in real animals.

Melbec Microbiology - The Science That Holds Everything Together

While VPIS examines the safety of the ingredients in horses, Melbec Microbiology provides the structural science that turns a formula into a stable, reliable product. Their work follows the same rigorous standards used across the UK’s human cosmetic and personal care sector, ensuring that each formulation behaves predictably and safely throughout its entire lifespan.

Melbec conducts stability studies, toxicology assessments and compliance evaluations under UK GPSR guidelines. These assessments confirm that a product does not degrade, separate, spoil or shift in character over time. Their work ensures reliability from the first use to the last.

In many ways, Melbec acts as the architecture within every formulation, providing the technical foundation that supports everything built on top of it. And when their expertise is paired with VPIS, every product benefits from two distinct scientific disciplines working independently: one ensuring long-term structural safety, the other ensuring species-appropriate toxicology assessment.

It is a level of independent toxicology review we haven’t seen openly shared by other equine grooming brands. not because it is complicated, but because it requires commitment to transparency, patience and scientific accountability.

 Why Transparency Matters – And Why We Choose to Show Everything

In an industry where many brands hide behind marketing language, Ironhide takes a different path. We show our paperwork. We show our testing. We show our ingredients and the reasoning behind them. We show the evidence that supports each step and not because we must, but because trust should be earned, not requested.

We do not test on horses.
We rely on the people who protect horses – veterinary toxicologists.

This is the ethical, intelligent and responsible alternative. Their knowledge replaces assumptions, their science replaces guesswork, and their insight brings clarity to a space where too many brands rely on convenience over correctness.

What kind of foundation do you believe we are building?
And if you see the value in it, I would be honoured to have you stand with us, as we continue shaping something built on intention, honesty and care. A legacy doesn’t exist without the people who choose to support it. And your voice may become one of the most important parts of ours. 

 

You can join the Founding Herd and stand alongside us as we continue shaping Ironhide from the ground up. Or you can explore our core grooming system, designed with the same intention, transparency, and care that defines everything we do.

Independent support, if it’s ever needed.
As part of our commitment to responsible equine care, we clearly signpost independent expert support should it ever be needed.

This does not imply that Ironhide products are unsafe. It reflects the same precautionary approach used by veterinary professionals, ensuring horse owners know exactly where to turn in the unlikely event of excessive use or unexpected exposure.

True care means planning not just for everyday use, but for every possibility.

Where Equine Safety Begins.

Veterinary toxicologists represent the highest level of product safety assessment available. They are the specialists consulted by veterinary practices and owners when animals are exposed to potential toxins and their work is grounded in real cases, real outcomes and species-specific understanding. — rather than cosmetic assumptions or human-focused standards.

This approach sets Ironhide apart from much of the equine grooming industry. Rather than relying on reassurance through language alone, we involve independent experts and make the supporting documentation available. Product Information Files, stability data, toxicological assessments, and ingredient safety information are reviewed. — so safety is demonstrated, not implied.

Safety should not be something you are asked to trust blindly. It should be evidenced, and question. This level of transparency is not common in equine grooming, but it is the standard Ironhide is built on.

Veterinary toxicology review is not a surface-level check.

For Ironhide products, the review process includes full examination of Product Information Files (PIFs), formulation data, ingredient concentrations, stability testing, toxicological assessments, and supporting documentation such as Safety Data Sheets (SDS).

Rather than looking at components in isolation, the toxicologists assess how the finished formulation behaves in real-world equine use. This includes how a horse may come into contact with the product during grooming, movement, sweating, licking, and everyday environmental exposure.

They also consider concentration, frequency of use, and potential exposure scenarios — including accidental overdose or unintended contact with other animals.

Independent review is critical to credibility.

The veterinary toxicologists involved in reviewing Ironhide products are not paid to promote them, endorse them, or support marketing claims. Their role is to assess safety from a scientific standpoint, regardless of outcome.

Much like an independent jury reviewing evidence, they evaluate the information presented without allegiance to the brand itself. This separation ensures that conclusions are driven by evidence and expertise — not convenience or commercial interest.

For me, this independence is non-negotiable. Trust can only be earned when scrutiny is allowed to be genuine.

Meet the Independent Veterinary Toxicologists

Nicola Robinson

BSc MA VetMB MRCVS, 
VPIS Head of Service

Nicola studied zoology at Bristol university and veterinary science at Cambridge before working as a small animal and equine vet for 16 years in the UK and Australia.  In 2015 she joined the VPIS answering poisons enquiries from vets and in 2016 was promoted to head of service. She is passionate about raising awareness about toxins amongst owners and in 2017 launched Animal PoisonLine, the 24-hour advice line for owners run by the VPIS. She regularly lectures at veterinary conferences and veterinary schools and gives talks to owners and animal organisations. Nicola has also been a trustee at Marwell Zoo and chaired their ethics committee for 10 years.

Nicola Bates

BSc (Brunel), BSc (Open), MSc, MA, SRCS ,
VPIS Research Lead and Senior Information Scientist

Nicola qualified as a biologist from Brunel University and started work at Guy’s Poisons Unit handling emergency enquiries about poisoning in humans and animals. While working full time she also gained degrees in Earth Science, Human Evolution and Behaviour and the History of Science and Medicine. Nicola has worked at the VPIS since it launched in 1992. Nicola has written extensively on human and veterinary toxicology for over 35 years. Nicola is involved in training VPIS staff and veterinary professionals. She is currently the congress abstract editor for the European Association of Poisons Centres and Clinical Toxicologists (EAPCCT), a Registered Clinical Scientist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), an associate member of the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and has been involved in work for the World Health Organization on the treatment of lead poisoning (in people).

Why Equine Safety Must Come First

When I began formulating what would eventually become Ironhide’s core, I was struck by how easily equine grooming products are taken at face value. Many rely on familiar or fashionable ingredients, presented with confident wording and attractive packaging. But familiarity is not the same as safety. And impressive terms like “EW1 ingredients” sound reassuring to the untrained eye but mean very little without context, testing or independent review behind them…

If you truly want to understand an equine grooming product, ask the brand for their paperwork, the toxicology reports, the stability data, the ingredient rationale, the formal safety assessments. Ask them why each ingredient is there, what exposure considerations were evaluated, and who exactly reviewed the formulation. The silence you receive will be more informative than any sentence on their labels.

While some brands outsource production to overseas mass-manufacturing facilities, removing themselves from the realities of how their products are made, Ironhide takes the opposite approach. I create small batches here in the UK fifteen bars at a time, ensuring that every detail is handled with intention. Every ingredient is measured by hand, every blend created under my own eyes, every bar cured and completed with the level of care that mass production can never offer. This is not simply manufacturing, It is craftsmanship shaped by responsibility.

But craftsmanship alone is not enough. It must be guided by expertise and in equine toxicology is something the industry has never fully embraced until now.

The Role of The Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS)

The Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS) is the UK’s only animal poison centre and provides 24 hour toxicology advice to veterinary professional across the UK and abroad. When a vet is faced with an animal who has ingested, inhaled, or come into contact with something potentially harmful, it is VPIS they call for immediate, expert guidance. They handle over 30,000 enquiries every year. VPIS maintains detailed case databases, researches patterns in animal exposure, and contributes to national and international toxicology knowledge. Their advice is grounded in evidence and real outcomes rather than theoretical assumptions. They are, put simply, the backbone of toxicology support for the veterinary profession, the people behind the scenes who help protect animals when minutes matter and certainty is needed. They also run Animal PoisonLine, a 24 hour triage line for owners which advises if a vet visit is required when their pet has been exposed to a potential toxin (consultation fee apply).

This is the level of expertise I wanted reviewing Ironhide’s formulations.
 Not guesswork. Not marketing logic. Not cosmetic assumptions.
 Real toxicologists who deal with real cases in real animals.

Melbec Microbiology - The Science That Holds Everything Together

While VPIS examines the safety of the ingredients in horses, Melbec Microbiology provides the structural science that turns a formula into a stable, reliable product. Their work follows the same rigorous standards used across the UK’s human cosmetic and personal care sector, ensuring that each formulation behaves predictably and safely throughout its entire lifespan.

Melbec conducts stability studies, toxicology assessments and compliance evaluations under UK GPSR guidelines. These assessments confirm that a product does not degrade, separate, spoil or shift in character over time. Their work ensures reliability from the first use to the last.

In many ways, Melbec acts as the architecture within every formulation, providing the technical foundation that supports everything built on top of it. And when their expertise is paired with VPIS, every product benefits from two distinct scientific disciplines working independently: one ensuring long-term structural safety, the other ensuring species-appropriate toxicology assessment.

It is a level of independent toxicology review we haven’t seen openly shared by other equine grooming brands. not because it is complicated, but because it requires commitment to transparency, patience and scientific accountability.

 Why Transparency Matters – And Why We Choose to Show Everything

In an industry where many brands hide behind marketing language, Ironhide takes a different path. We show our paperwork. We show our testing. We show our ingredients and the reasoning behind them. We show the evidence that supports each step and not because we must, but because trust should be earned, not requested.

We do not test on horses.
We rely on the people who protect horses – veterinary toxicologists.

This is the ethical, intelligent and responsible alternative. Their knowledge replaces assumptions, their science replaces guesswork, and their insight brings clarity to a space where too many brands rely on convenience over correctness.

What kind of foundation do you believe we are building?
And if you see the value in it, I would be honoured to have you stand with us, as we continue shaping something built on intention, honesty and care. A legacy doesn’t exist without the people who choose to support it. And your voice may become one of the most important parts of ours. 

 

You can join the Founding Herd and stand alongside us as we continue shaping Ironhide from the ground up. Or you can explore our core grooming system, designed with the same intention, transparency, and care that defines everything we do.

Independent support, if it’s ever needed.
As part of our commitment to responsible equine care, we clearly signpost independent expert support should it ever be needed.

This does not imply that Ironhide products are unsafe. It reflects the same precautionary approach used by veterinary professionals, ensuring horse owners know exactly where to turn in the unlikely event of excessive use or unexpected exposure.

True care means planning not just for everyday use, but for every possibility.

Independently Reviewed by Veterinary Toxicologists

Each formulation and product is reviewed by independent veterinary toxicologists to help minimise risks and support responsible equine care.

Made In the UK

Designed and produced in the UK in small, controlled batches to maintain quality, consistency, and oversight.

Full Ingredient Traceability

Every ingredient is fully traceable, documented, and disclosed — so you always know exactly what touches your horse’s skin.

Cruelty-Free

We do not test our products and ingredients on animals at any stage. 

Premium Natural Ingredients

Formulated with carefully selected, high-quality ingredients. Tested with care, without compromise.
Because why should your horse deserve any less?

Independently Reviewed by Veterinary Toxicologists

Each formulation and product is reviewed by independent veterinary toxicologists to help minimise risks and support responsible equine care.

Made In the UK

Designed and produced in the UK in small, controlled batches to maintain quality, consistency, and oversight.

Full Ingredient Traceability

Every ingredient is fully traceable, documented, and disclosed — so you always know exactly what touches your horse’s skin.

Cruelty-Free

We do not test our products and ingredients on animals at any stage. 

Premium Natural Ingredients

Formulated with carefully selected, high-quality ingredients. Tested with care, without compromise.
Because why should your horse deserve any less?

Disclaimer:
Ironhide Equine products are formulated to support daily grooming, coat maintenance, and comfort. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any medical condition or skin disorder. For any concerns regarding skin health, discomfort, or infection, please consult a qualified veterinarian before use.