We probably don’t think too much about our horse’s hair coat until a.) it’s the middle of shedding season or b.) they’re covered in mud before a ride. But the equine hair coat is truly a work of wonder that serves many important functions. In fact, there may be several things you don’t know about it!
Ten Facts About the Horse’s Hair Coat
1.) Horses have three basic types of hair: permanent (forelock, mane, tail, eyelashes, and “feathers” on drafts), temporary (most of the body hair), and tactile (on muzzle, around eyes, and inside ears).
2.) Horses’ hair coats are made up of millions of hairs with distinct layers: an outer cuticle, a cortex containing pigmentation, an inner medulla, and a root/ bulb.
3.) Horses’ hair growth is cyclic (as is all mammals) with three distinct periods: active growth (anagen), transition stage where the hair bulb narrows and then separates from hair (catagen), and resting stage (telogen).
4.) Equine diets low in lysine, minerals, or vitamins will result in a lackluster coat.* A dull coat is also common in horses with high parasite loads. *
5.) Although many people associate an especially shiny coat with good health, this isn’t necessarily true. In fact, feeding corn oil will often make a horse shiny, but it won’t make the horse healthy. *
6.) Horses kept blanketed on a regular basis will not develop a thick winter coat.
7.) It’s not the outside temperature, but rather the length of daylight that triggers both hair growth and shedding. This means that horses kept under lights at night will not grow a winter coat.
8.) A horse’s hair coat helps him stay warm by ‘fluffing’ up and trapping air close to the body for insulation. This is known as piloerection. However, when the hair is flattened by rain or a blanket, piloerection will not occur.
9.) Oils produced in the horse’s hair coat help the skin to repel water. Bathing or brushing horses during cold weather will distribute these oils throughout the coat and prevent the horse from using them as a protective barrier.
10.) The tactile hairs on the muzzle, around the eyes, and in the ears are specialized types of hair which help the horse sense his surroundings and judge the distance away from an object. Therefore, trimming them is not advisable!
Keeping Your Horse’s Hair Coat Healthy
*As noted in fact #4, a lack of minerals and vitamins can lead to a lackluster hair coat. To prevent this problem, we recommend our Organic Icelandic Kelp for Horses and Livestock, which is the highest quality kelp available. This natural product contains 60 trace minerals, micronutrients, and amino acids, as well as many vitamins.
*Also noted in fact #4, keeping your horse’s parasite load in check is also important not only for their overall health, but the health and appearance of their hair coat. We recommend either Wormguard Plus SC for Horses or Omni-Wormguard Plus for Horses.
*And finally, regarding fact #5, rather than feed an unhealthy oil such as corn or vegetable oil, there’s a better way to provide fatty acids—ground flaxseed, which is high in healthy omega 3’s. We recommend our Stone Ground Organic Flaxseed for Horses.