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From St. Hippolyt's feeding advice
The coat change and shedding season is just around the corner, and depending on the type of coat, it can stretch from August to November. Some horses start early, while others take a long time to grow a thick and warm winter coat. How long it takes for a horse to grow its winter coat depends on the horse’s breed, health status, quality of nutrition, and age. Older horses may experience difficulties with both shedding and growing a new coat due to various factors, including hormonal imbalances that can cause delayed or premature coat change. However, horses of all ages can be affected by the coat change, as it is a resource-intensive process. Therefore, supportive supplements are often necessary during this period.
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A horse's coat is composed of a strong structural protein called keratin. Each hair consists of three parts: the medulla, cortex, and cuticle. The medulla is the innermost layer, consisting of a mass of tightly packed cells. The second layer, the cortex, consists of 85% keratin but also contains water, fats, minerals, and melanin (pigment). The cortex is responsible for the hair's texture, color, and strength. The third and outermost layer is the cuticle, which is colorless and thin. The cuticle provides a protective outer coating for the cortex and plays a significant role in the hair's quality and appearance. The hair root, which is enclosed in the hair follicle, lies just beneath the skin's surface. The base of the hair follicle contains the dermal papilla, which is directly embedded in the bloodstream. This part is responsible for delivering essential nutrients from the blood to the hair, which is crucial for healthy hair growth.
A horse's coat grows in three different phases: the anagen phase, the catagen phase, and the telogen phase. The first phase is the active hair growth phase, where the hair shaft itself is formed. A small hair forms in the hair root and grows longer. How quickly this process occurs depends on various factors, including genetics. The next phase is a short phase where hair growth ceases.
In the last phase, the hair stops growing, and the blood supply to the hair stops. The hair remains attached until it is pushed out by the new hair that is on its way out. Since the hair loses its blood supply after some time, the horse must go through a full coat change before any changes in diet can be seen in the horse's coat, or the horse must receive extra skin and coat-supporting supplements during the period when it is changing coats.
The number of light and dark hours in a day affects the horse's hormones. The hormone melatonin is primarily produced when it is dark and is also known as the "hormone of darkness." Melatonin has a significant impact on when a horse begins to grow a winter coat. The horse's shedding is controlled by photoperiods, meaning the number of daylight hours in a day. Light receptors in the horse's eyes detect changes in day length and send signals to the pineal gland, which is responsible for melatonin production. When the daylight hours decrease in the autumn months, melatonin production increases, triggering hair growth. These changes take time, but studies have shown that coat change begins approximately 5-8 weeks after the solstice.
Since the days already begin to shorten in June, the horse will start to grow its winter coat in mid-August, while it is still summer and warm. The opposite occurs in the winter months when the horse begins shedding in January and February, when it is often still very cold with a risk of snow and sleet. In the spring months, the production of the hormone prolactin increases as the days get longer. Prolactin has its receptors in the skin and is directly affected by daylight. Prolactin is involved in many processes in the body, including reproductive processes. Additionally, prolactin has an inhibitory effect on melatonin production, so the winter coat is now shed, and a fine new summer coat can grow.
Horses naturally shed their coats and it's common to see some dandruff during this process. This doesn't always mean there's a health problem; it's simply dead skin cells being shed as new hair grows in. Bathing too often can actually dry out a horse's skin and disrupt their natural skin flora. However, regular grooming, like brushing and massaging, can improve blood circulation and promote hair growth by delivering essential nutrients to the hair follicles.
A healthy and well-nourished horse, often goes hand-in-hand with a beautiful, shiny coat. Therefore, a horse's coat is often seen as an indicator of its overall health. There are no shortcuts to a beautiful and shiny coat, as it must come from within through a high level of health and a correctly balanced diet. All nutrients have a direct or indirect influence on the coat, but fats, minerals, and especially B vitamins have been shown to have a clearly visible effect. The coat's color and structure are largely influenced by trace elements, and especially the minerals zinc and copper play a significant role. Zinc and copper influence some of the enzymes that produce pigment in the skin and hair.
With a deficiency of these minerals, fading of the coat and mane hair is seen, especially in the summer. In black horses, mane hair and coat can fade to a rusty color, and in red horses, mane hair and coat become more yellow. Fats such as omega-3 have a significant impact on coat quality, and B vitamins have an indirect influence as they strengthen the cells in the skin from which hair grows. At the same time, they increase blood flow in the skin and around the hair roots, so the skin is constantly supplied with new blood.
Coat change occurs twice a year in a healthy horse. As mentioned above, it is controlled by day length and not temperature, so it is sometimes observed that the horse starts to grow its winter coat in August, when the days are gradually getting shorter. It takes a lot of nutrients and energy to grow a thick winter coat. For some horses, this resource-intensive process may mean that they take longer to shed their coat or that they change behavior during the coat change period. The horse may become sluggish and tired, as there is an increased need for nutrients and energy during this period. The horse may even be so affected that its blood count drops, which can take a long time to correct. To avoid injuries, it may be a good idea to reduce the horse's training during the coat change period while ensuring that the increased needs are met through feeding.
