Meet Spölur: the horse with whom it all began

Spölur is an Icelandic horse that suffered a lot from summer eczema. Rita Sophie Groenendaal, together with her team, took action and found a solution.

Rita Sophie has two Icelandic horses of her own and when stable mate Josien tells about Spölur's eczema, Rita Sophie contacts her team. How is it possible that there is not yet a good treatment for summer eczema? Rita Sophie has enjoyed working in her own company in the animal feed sector for 25 years. She develops feed products that improve the health and welfare of farm animals. With this knowledge and experience, the step to equine health products was a dream come true. Together with a team of experts, she founded Greenvalley Health Products.

Making a difference

The team arrived at a prototype product based on literature and laboratory research. This product is so promising that Greenvalley Health Products starts testing it on horses in March 2020. First of all with Spölur, of course! The treatment works as expected: the itching disappears and small wounds even recover within 8 hours. Even without a blanket the result holds up (see also Josien's story). Therefore, the test is extended to 60 horses in the following months. With a success rate of 85%, it is clear that the product makes a difference. The team decides to bring the product to the market in 2021. That way, the treatment can make many more horses healthy and happy!