How to care for your horse's coat?

A horse with a well-groomed coat looks beautiful, but this is not the only reason to care for your horse's coat. A clean, brushed coat protects the animal against cold, wind and rain, among other things. So how should you care for your horse's coat to keep the animal healthy, happy and beautiful?

The horse's coat - basic information

The horse's coat performs several very important functions:

• regulates body temperature - protects against cold, wind and rain;
• distributes pheromones over the body;
• protects against insects.

Horses are sometimes clipped for aesthetic reasons, but this is not always a good idea. A clipped horse has less protection against the cold, so remember to cover it with a rug while walking to warm up before riding and cool down afterwards, as well as in the stable. Clipping is certainly worthwhile for sport horses that compete frequently, train a lot and sweat heavily.

Like many other animals, horses shed their coats. The coat changes as winter turns to spring and autumn turns to winter. Brushing, bathing and appropriate, well-balanced nutrition help with the change of coat.

How to care for your horse's coat? Start with nutrition

For a horse's coat to be strong and shiny, the animal must receive nutritious, well-balanced feed. If its feed does not provide all the essential nutrients in the right amounts, its health will suffer, including the appearance of its coat. For example, a vitamin A deficiency will make the coat rough and weak. A protein deficiency will have a similar effect - the coat will be dry, weak and rough.

Sometimes, however, despite high-quality feed and a proper diet, the animal has vitamin deficiencies and its coat does not look its best. This does not necessarily result from illness; intense training, for example, may be the reason. In such a situation, it is worth using supplements to make up for deficiencies and improve the appearance of the coat. Products containing the vitamin A mentioned earlier will have this effect, as will supplements containing biotin, or vitamin B7, feed yeast or linseed oil. Supplements to strengthen your horse's coat are available in our shop.

Caring for your horse's coat

Even the healthiest horse will not have a shiny, strong coat unless it is groomed regularly. Brushing the coat before riding is the most basic and simplest way to care for your horse's coat. This is particularly important during shedding - brushing helps remove the old coat, making it easier for the new coat to replace it.

Use suitable brushes to care for your horse's coat:

• stiff brushes are intended for surface cleaning, removing the worst dirt and mud as well as loose hair,
• shedding tools are stiff brushes designed specifically to remove hair during shedding,
• plastic bristle brushes clean hair matted with sweat and are used to groom the horse after riding,
• curry combs remove dirt and loosen the coat, but also help remove loose hair,
• pumice grooming stones remove old hair as well as dead skin, dust, insects and stains,
• soft brushes are used for grooming, leaving the coat shiny and healthy-looking.

All accessories used to care for your horse's coat should be clean and well maintained.