Spölur: the horse with whom it all began

Spölur suffered greatly from summer eczema. He rubbed his mane and tail raw and had wounds all over his body. Rita-Sophie Groenendaal found a solution.

Stable mate Josien talks about the skin problems of her horse Spölur. "How is it possible that there is still no effective treatment for summer eczema?" Rita-Sophie wonders. Rita-Sophie has been in the animal feed business for 25 years. She develops feed additives that improve the health and well-being of farm animals. With this knowledge and experience, the step to health products for horses was an easy one. Together with veterinarian Henk van Faassen and animal physiologist Ingrid Faber, she founded Greenvalley Health Products.

 

Making a difference

Based on literature and laboratory research, the team has developed a prototype product. This product is promising and will be tested on horses starting in March 2020. First, of course, on Spölur. The treatment works as expected: the itching disappears and small wounds heal within eight hours. Even without a protective blanket, the results are sustained (see also Josien's story). That is why the test is expanded to sixty horses in the following months. With a success rate of 85%, it is clear that the product makes a difference. The team decides to launch the product in 2021. This will make the treatment available to all horses.