Everything You Need To Know About Horses

Horse With Shiny Coat

Every horseowner wants their horse to look it’s best.

A shiny coat is a big part in that not only does it look good, but a shiny coat is an indication that a horse is in good health. To achieve a glossy coat that’s full of lustre it takes a bit of elbow grease and tune up of your horse, health wise. A horse who has a dull coat probably isn’t 100% healthy and might be lacking in minerals, or even have worms.

Nutrition plays a large part in the health of your horse’s coat. Ensuring that your horse is eating enough quality feeds, and carefully balancing his vitamins and mineral intake will boost his health and his coat shine. Feeding should always be taken seriously.

If you horse is vitamin or mineral deficient, supplement can help to balance everything out. There are many on the market that claim to do this and that, so do your research, ask around and try a few to see what works for you. A supplement containing biotin will improve the condition of your horse’s coat and hooves, as will a herbal cocktail designed specifically for horses with a less than luxurious coat. When purchasing a vitamin or mineral supplement, make sure you check the ingredients, and watch your calcium to phosphorous ratio, which should always be balanced at 1.5 parts calcium to 1 part phosphorous.

Take into account all the feeds you are feeding your horse when looking for deficiences, every feed contains proteins, vitamins and minerals in different amounts, so look at each feed label individually, and then add together quantities to see how much of what your horse is getting per feed. Once you’ve got your totals, you’ll be able to see just how much of everything he’s getting, and you can adjust the mineral content if necessary.

Oils also assist in your horse having a shiny coat.  Every horse needs a bit of fat in his diet, but be careful not to overload a horse on oil or fatty feeds. One cup of oil in a daily feed is more than enough for a large 50kg horse. Vegetable oil is the best to use, although you can use other oils, or even something like soybean meal, which is high in fat. This should also be fed in small quanities.

Grooming also plays a large part in a healthly coat. Regular grooming is a wonderful thing, it stimulates blood flow and makes your horse look pretty, and with a bit of elbow grease your horse will be shining like a diamond. Over washing your horse can damage the coat depending on the types of shampoo and conditioners you use, and will also strip away the natural oils in your horse’s coat. Be careful as to which chemicals you use on your horse..

Have your horse on a regular worming program. Work every 6-8 weeks without fail.

Give your horse a good brush every couple of days and don’t wash him too regularly.

Mineral balance his diet and make sure that he’s getting everything he needs from his feed.