As spring is upon us, we are so happy to have winter finally over. The grass is starting to turn green, we are finally getting longer, warmer days, and getting to spend more time with our equine friends. As this happens our horses start shedding in anticipation of a nice summer. While this can be a messy time as a horse owner with hair sticking to everything, it is also a wonderful time to see the new shiny, sleek summer coat emerging from under the thick, wooly winter coat.
Each horse sheds at a different schedule and pattern, however the increase in daylight is the number one signal for a horse to start shedding its winter coat. Age, health status, and other factors such as Cushing’s Disease are factors in how a horse sheds. Blanketing your horse through the winter can help to keep the coat shorter and therefore they have less hair to shed in the spring. Also, if you are blanketing your horse and have them stalled, artificial light can speed up the shedding process. Providing 16 hours of light a day encourages shedding, and it typically takes around two months for light to affect the shedding process.
However, if blanketing and artificial lights aren’t options for you, rigorous grooming is your best bet to help speed up your horse’s shedding process. Extra time spent grooming helps to loosen dead hair and helps to release the natural skin oils for the shiny summer coat underneath. Use an array of grooming tools to target different layers of the coat. A shedding blade helps to remove the dead hair follicles, while a rubber curry or grooming gloves can help remove mud and then scrub down deeper to promote the release of skin oils. While grooming your horse, be aware of skin conditions that may occur, such as rain rot or scratches, so you can treat the issues if they are noticed. If it is warm enough, a bath can really help to loosen winter hair. As well as rolling in sand can help to provide a good itch factor that releases a lot of hair.
In addition to good grooming, ensure that your horse’s skin and coat health are supported with a great hair and coat supplement, such as Hoof and Hair Guard. These supplements will help to moisturize the skin and promote the natural skin oils to help shine up the new coat and encourage normal shedding. A healthy hair shaft is coated in cuticle cells that contain fat which helps to retain moisture. These cells lay fat and reflect light, making for a shiny coat. However, if the hair shafts are damaged, they lose moisture and don’t reflect light as well. Pores in the skin also release an oily substance, sebum, that helps maintain shine. Diets that aren’t adequate in fat can result in a dry hair coat that is more susceptible to damage and has a dull appearance.
Protein and amino acids are also important nutrients for coat health. The hair shaft is made up of primarily protein keratin. Diets that lack essential amino acids can result in reduced hair growth, which slows the shedding process. Amino acids provided in Hoof and Hair Guard provide these essential components to help aid in new hair growth and shedding of old, dead hair. Providing a vitamin-mineral supplement, such as Horse Guard, also helps ensure their vitamin A, copper, and zinc requirements are being met. These vitamins and minerals are crucial to coat health. Vitamin A plays a key role in skin health. Copper and zinc also support coat color. Horse Guard will help ensure these needs are being met and help your horse to have a shiny coat.
So, as you work on getting your horse’s shiny new summer coat to show through remember these important steps. Nutrition is key to a healthy coat, along with good grooming practices to aid your horse in losing the fluffy winter coat. A well-rounded diet that provides adequate levels of protein and key skin and coat vitamins and minerals will help to rid the coat of the old and bring in the new hair. As the days lengthen and the weather warms your horse’s glorious coat will shine through. Enjoy riding your shiny horse this summer.
