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You might not give it much thought during your daily grooming routine, but a horse’s coat is a valuable indicator of overall health and well-being. Paying close attention to its appearance, texture, and behavior is essential.
Understanding a horse's coat can be a bit of a science. This is true whether it's clipped or not, standing with or without a blanket, and whether you're a competitive rider or a hobby rider. First and foremost, shedding is a resource-intensive process for most horses, and therefore there are many things you as a horse owner can do to facilitate the process. Here you get the necessary overview of the things worth knowing about a horse's coat.
READ ALSO: Does your horse lack energy during coat change?
A horse's coat is composed of the structural protein keratin. Each individual hair consists of no less than three parts: the medulla, cortex, and cuticle.
Innermost layer: The medulla is the innermost layer and consists of a mass of closely packed cells.
Second layer: The cortex consists of 85% keratin and, importantly, water, fat, minerals, and melanin (pigment), which contribute to the hair's consistency, color, and strength.
Third layer: The cuticle is the outermost, third layer and is completely colorless and thin. It is better at protecting the second layer of coat, and therefore plays a role in the hair's quality and appearance.
Hair root: Just below the skin's surface is the hair root, which is enclosed in the hair follicle. At the bottom of the hair follicle is the dermal papilla, which is embedded directly in the bloodstream. This helps to ensure that the important nutrients are transferred from the blood to the hair itself.
Horses undergo a natural shedding process twice a year to adapt to changing seasons. This cycle allows them to maintain a suitable body temperature. The timing of the change of coat in the fall is influenced by daylight hours but typically occurs between August and November. During this period, horses grow a thicker winter coat for insulation. The change of coat in the spring, when the horse sheds its winter coat, usually takes place from January to May.
During the autumn, your horse will naturally shed its old coat to grow a new, thicker, and longer winter coat. As the new hair grows, it can sometimes bring dead skin cells with it, so don't be surprised to find dandruff in your horse's coat. Also, it's normal for your horse's coat to become a bit greasy during this time. This is because the new hair contains natural oils that help to repel water.
Studies have shown that a horse's coat shedding typically begins approximately 5-8 weeks after the summer solstice around June 21st and similarly 5-8 weeks after the winter solstice on December 21st.
Many horses experience behavioral changes during a coat change. They might appear tired, lethargic, and disinterested, but this is often simply due to an increased need for nutrients as the coat change is a very demanding process. Consequently, horse owners should pay close attention to their horse's diet during this time.
You might think a horse sheds because of the weather, but it’s actually all about the light! The amount of daylight each day changes a horse’s hormones. When there’s less light, a hormone called melatonin (the "darkness hormone") goes up, making the horse grow a thicker coat. But when there’s more light, another hormone called prolactin takes over and tells the horse to shed. That’s why shedding can happen at different times each year.
Your horse's coat goes through three different phases: the anagen phase, the catagen phase, and the telogen phase. It's only during the first two phases that the hair receives a blood supply. Therefore, you won't see any changes due to a diet change until your horse has been through all three phases.
Growing a new coat can be tough on a horse. Many owners find their horses become more tired during this time, and it's important to provide the right food. Make sure your horse has plenty of hay or grass and a balanced diet to meet its needs for vitamins, protein, and minerals.
If you want to give your horse a helping hand, you can supplement its feed with extra trace elements, B vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids. The horse produces B vitamins itself, but during a coat change, the need can be so great that the horse's own production cannot keep up. This can result in a dull coat and a tired horse. The body's cells depend on fatty acids, and B vitamins can help strengthen the cells in the hair and increase blood flow.
The minerals zinc and copper can affect the color and structure of the coat, as they influence some of the enzymes that give both skin and hair pigment.
Protein is essential for your horse's health. Along with vitamins and minerals, protein helps support hair growth, ensuring a healthy and shiny coat. Since horses can't produce protein on their own, it must be provided in their diet.
Furthermore, roughage and its nutrient content are crucial. The fibers in roughage are easily digestible, making it essential for both digestion and a healthy gut flora. It influences the horse's production of B vitamins and biotin, which can help increase blood flow to the skin around the hair follicles, thus facilitating the shedding process.
Brushing and massaging your horse can help increase blood flow to its skin and give its hair follicles a nutrient boost.
As a horse owner, it can be difficult to assess whether or not to clip your horse. It depends on both the horse's breed, age, and not least its use. There are advantages and disadvantages to both, but ultimately, your horse's well-being should always weigh the most. It's just important to know that even a small clip can be categorized as a coat change, which is a resource-intensive process for the horse. Therefore, it is important that you ensure that your horse has filled its stores with both trace elements, vitamins, and minerals when you clip it.
If you decide to clip your horse, it's recommended to do it 2-4 times throughout the winter months. The new coat that grows in may have a slightly different feel or appearance, but this is a normal part of the process and nothing to be concerned about. To help your horse during this time, you might consider adding extra nutritional supplements to their diet, especially around clipping periods.
READ ALSO: Help your horse with 3 of nature's own oils
It's a good idea to reduce the amount of exercise slightly during coat shedding. Make sure your horse's diet is supplemented with vitamins and minerals.
