i can not get a soft and shiny coat out of my mare. its like petting fine hay i have tried giving her more bathes and grooming more often to try to loosen it up but it doesn't work. her main and tail are the same way but i use main n tail detangler and it works pretty good for while.
Her mane and tail are always going to feel coarser than her body hair.
As for her coat, a couple of things to consider:
1. Are you feeding the manufacturers recommending feeding amount by weight? The nutrient balance of a complete feed is only truly effective if fed in the appropriate amount.
2. Are you feeding with grass hay or alfalfa? The Blue Seal (this is what I'm assuming is the brand name of the feed, although it appears the name has changed to Sentinel Senior) website says this feed is meant to be fed with a grass hay base.
3. Between the senior feed and your hay/pasture, the diet may still be deficient in something, so testing the hay/pasture, or getting a blood test done to determine if there is a deficiency may help.
4. If you like how your horse is doing otherwise, an addition of flaxseed to the horses ration may help.
5. ETA, one last thing, some horses may just have a coarser feeling coat than others, just like some humans have coarse hair, while others have fine hair.
I wouldn't wash it to much because that washes away the oils that are in the hair originally. I use Show sheen and it works awesome! Otherwise daily brushing ( Not bathing) is time consuming yes, but will help in the long run. You can also feed her some oils. I know its not good for them but the coat needs to be helped from the inside out. Me and my friend feed our horses Canola oil and we have never had any coat issues. But like Kenda said, it could just be your horse.
That said, I adore Healthy HairCare Hair Moisturizer and started using it on my personal and training horses back in the 90's. My current 2 year old was covered in dandruff and constantly rubbed his mane & tail when I got him, but he stays soft, shiny and itch free when I use this moisturizer a few times a week after grooming.
It's a little more spendy, but my gelding is on Seabuck..It's a liquid supplement that makes their coat look AMAZING...along with regulating pH to help with ulcers. (I use it for the ulcers, but the coat quality is a bonus!) It runs about $70 for a gallon, which lasts about 2 months, and has all sorts of health benefits.
I use German handmade brushes on my pony which are natural and really make my pony shine. I would not give many baths, as it strips oils from the coat, but when you do, I like to use the Man O' War shampoo brand which really brings out a shine. I also spray on Cowboy Magic Extreme Shine or LaserSheen to a microfiber towel and apply it after I groom. Feed your horse a balanced diet and try Smartpak's shine supplement.
A shiny coat comes from the inside out. Good nutrition (hay, grain ect) will make the outside glow. Do not give baths all the time, you are taking away all the natural oils on your horses hair that it needs to repel water.
The shiney coat isn't always from the inside. Two little gals groomed their pasture pony daily until their arms felt like they'd fall off. Ten days later we went off to a show and the pony's red coat gleamed. She was on pasture and a small oat ration.
My horse doesn't get anything fancy either but if her horses coat is very dull, giving it a bath all the time isn't the answer. Grooming more and good nutrition would be better
When ours are on Alfalfa they always look better..We have recently gone to pellets and so far have been fine.. We also feed Rice Bran.. along with a 14 % pellet and coastal.. ours stay fat and shiny..
I agree with those that say it comes from the inside. Good hay and a good overall supplement should do the trick. If needed, feed 1 cup of oats and a rice bran product like ADM Healthy Glow.
Then don't use plastic brushes!!! Yikes! They damage the hair (no shine) and reapply dirt to the horse's coat (no shine) and also remove and trap the natural oils (again no shine).
What you need are some good natural horse brushes. Then your horse will shine without chemicals.
As most of the others have said, a good, healthy, shiny coat starts from the inside out.
1) have your vet run a fecal to see if your horse needs to be dewormed. IME, that's the leading cause of a crappy looking coat.
2) evaluate what you're feeding and how much. If the diet isn't balanced or proper, then the horse won't be healthy and the coat will be dull and listless.
3) DO NOT BATHE. Washing a horse frequently with any sort of shampoo will strip all the natural oils from their coat and make them dull and coarse. If you must rinse a horse off after a workout or something, just use plain water and only do it when necessary. If you need the horse to be clean/shiny...brush and brush and brush and brush and brush and then wipe them down with a damp clean cloth.
There is only one of my horses that gets a bath with shampoo and it only happens once a year. He's gray and I like him to be really white when I carry the flag in the local parade. In spite of the lack of bathing and, often, the lack of grooming in general (several of mine are retirees turned out to pasture so they just get a look-over once a day and groomed maybe once a month), all of mine sparkle like newly minted coins in the summer. They are fed nothing but good quality hay and a mineral block; no grains, no "complete feeds", no special supplements, nothing.
Use natural bristle brushes not nylon bristle.
Corn oil is inexpensive and shines the coat up.
Black oil sunflower seed (just a cup or so per day).
If you bath your horse just use water and your fingers to get dirt out. No soap.
Just what works for me. Right now our 250# underweight gelding has the nicest coat on the property. He gets 1/2 cup of corn oil each day. Can't believe how good his coat looks.
I second the corn oil.. That really helps Posted via Mobile Device
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