Redefining Natural Equine Products with The Gilded Paddock

The Gilded Paddock: A Natural Approach to Equine Grooming

There are “natural” equine grooming products, and then there are the truly natural ones, produced with zero harmful ingredients. The Gilded Paddock boasts the latter, and founder Annie Kurz-Haugland was inspired to start her company when she couldn’t find non-toxic products on the market for her own sensitive-skinned horse.

But before she founded The Gilded Paddock, she was just a horse-crazy kid like so many of us.

“Ever since I can remember, I have loved horses. As a little person, I knew there was something magical about them,” Kurz-Haugland tells The Plaid Horse. “I feel fortunate that my dad gave in to my pestering and finally let me take horseback riding lessons at Ben Martin Stables in Moorpark, CA.”

Eventually, she also convinced her dad to buy a cute, petite mare named Sundance.

“However, my horse journey shifted a bit. Due to a riding accident with Sundance, my dad decided horseback riding was not safe for his little girl,” Kurz-Haugland recalls.

Decades later though, she found her way back: “Now, my life is all about my horses—I have two beautiful and very different geldings. I have a retired Quarter Horse named Fella and a Dutch Warmblood named Kingsley.”

The Pursuit of Truly Natural Grooming Products

When Kurz-Haugland started researching the ingredients in the products she was using on her own horses, she was surprised to find there are no FDA regulations on pet grooming supplies.

“The labels did not have to include the full ingredient list, and they could even label the product as natural when they had synthetic or toxic chemical ingredients. I was on a mission after realizing that.”

Her own horse, Fella, has very sensitive skin. This became another driving force for her to find an alternative to the existing topical horse products on the market.

“There were a number of products that affected his skin, so I started to research how to make natural versions of these for him myself. Part of my research included finding reference guides on essential oils, and one was created by a DVM that uses them in her practice. I also signed up to take formulation classes from an accredited school around that time,” says Kurz-Haugland.

Founding a Brand

The Gilded Paddock was later born out of this passion to create alternative grooming products for not only her horses, but for other horse owners as well.

“The beginning of my formulation journey for natural products came about in late 2022. The idea for the name actually came from a vintage horse picture I had, titled ‘In The Paddock.’ I knew I wanted the product line to be crafted with the same care and rigor of human hair care products, which is why I went to a formulators school to learn about the structure of the hair, safety in product preservation, and to learn about organic and natural hair care formulation overall.”

But she didn’t just want these products to be safe and all natural; she wanted them to smell great, too.

“Think barn meets spa. I crafted each product to have the most amazing scent profile. The power of scent has always been a thing for me because it sparks my memories and I wanted that for my time with my horses.”

The first Gilded Paddock products she created were the Healing Salve, the Equestrian AirVest & Helmet Cleaner, the Sheath Cleaner, and a Waterless Shampoo & Green Spot Remover which all launched at the end of August 2023.

“Fella gets belly dermatitis from the flies and gnats, and the weather also makes it very dry. I tried so many other things, but they were all petroleum based and never really ‘healed’ his skin. I used natural butters, plant oils, included Sea Buckthorn Extract, and essential oils that are known for their healing properties. The Healing Salve ended up working better than any of the other chemical-based salves I had tried.”

Since its beginning, The Gilded Paddock has partnered with several retailers that now carry the product line such as Mary’s Tack & Feed, Calabasas Saddlery, Valencia Saddlery, The Equestrian Apothecary Boutique x Le Visage Spa, DaMoor’s Tack & Feed, and Horseplay Bend.

While The Gilded Paddock is still considered a small business, they have big goals and plans for the future.

“Since our launch late last year, we have signed on five brand ambassadors and are currently in discussion with a few more. One of our Brand Ambassadors, Jennifer Vancheri Porter of JJ Sporthorses USA, runs a very successful show barn and is the reason we have extended our refill program to include bulk refill options,” says Kurz-Haugland. We hope other trainers or large barn programs will also benefit from a similar program since they can buy at bulk prices and it’s great for our environment because they’re not using a ton of single use plastic bottles!”

Being eco-conscious from the inception of the brand was important to Kurz-Haugland.

“Integrating refill options, including bulk refills, and ensuring ingredients are biodegradable, sustainable, and ethically sourced were all integral to The Gilded Paddock ethos,” she adds.

A Line of Natural Products with No Hidden Ingredients

“I wanted to provide complete transparency and honesty,” says Kurz-Haugland of her own brand. “I have a strict ‘NO List’ of ingredients that will never be in our products, and I openly share details of the ingredients I use and why.”

On the strict “no” list for her products are ingredients like PEG’s, sulfates, parabens, silicone, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, artificial colors, formaldehyde, and anything Petroleum-based.

“Some natural products use quite a bit of plant oil and almost all other detanglers use silicones. However, both ingredients can build up on the hair cuticle and weigh it down. In the case of silicones, they will even make the hair brittle with repeated use and can cause breakage. I chose to use a synergistic blend of 100% natural silicone alternatives (reserved for human hair care products), along with humectants and botanical extracts. All of which will absorb into the hair cuticle to smooth and add shine. With repeated use, the hair is moisturized and repaired.”

Kurz-Haugland recently launched the UNTANGLED Mane & Tail Treatment System, which has very little plant oil, and impressively, no silicone. Every hair structure is different, such as thin, thick coarse, wavy, or dry. These hair types, combined with environmental factors, all impact a horse’s mane and tail. This means that no single product is the solution, and instead, a system tailored to the unique needs of each horse is more beneficial.

“I am most proud of the UNTANGLED Product Line. It’s a Mane and Tail Treatment System developed and formulated to handle the varying needs of each horse. Not every horse has the same hair structure—similar to human hair care, and it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to caring for their tails, manes, forelocks and coat. They have different hair types and living environments—some are in stalls with shavings, others are in dirt paddocks or in pasture. I struggled to find products to address the needs of my horses, and finding anything without silicone was almost impossible,” she says.

The innovative, non-toxic, and nature-derived ingredients used in The Gilded Paddock products are sourced from reputable companies she works closely with.

“I make sure the ingredients are certified by known safety organizations such as COSMOS, Ecocert, NATRUE, USDA BioPreferred, CleanGredients.”

In addition to its current equine product line, a new line for equestrians is also coming soon.

“We are getting ready to launch a Restore & Recover 100% Natural product line just for us riders that includes things like a vegan lip balm, lip buff, a restorative muscle cream and a silicone free hair oil,” Kurz-Haugland says. “I wanted the brand to be a boutique offering with the very best horse care products made with the same quality as human hair care products. But I also want to offer unique creations for the rider in beautiful packaging that could go from car, to purse, to tack trunk. As a rider myself, there are certain things I like to have, so creating them for myself prompted me to want to launch them for my customers as well.”

To learn more about The Gilded Paddock, visit www.thegildedpaddock.com.