Shedding

Hey, I am thinking of putting slinkies/mane tamers and really light blankets on my two Arabs around the beginning of April. This should help them shed out faster right? Also with lots and lots of grooming?

I tried out a new horse last year who came with a slinky and light weight blanket and he shed out way faster before my other horses! He wasn't clipped either, just a winter coat. Same as mine. The weather here is getting warmer, it's from 0 °C to plus 10. So they won't get very cold right?

I'm taking them both in a parade this summer in June, and I wanted to blanket them with slinkies, (to protect their manes because I don't want them rubbing them off) and then I want to do a full body clip. I would like to get them into that super shiny stage, where their coats look like silk. Do you have any suggestions? I was thinking of Cowboy Magic/Show Sheen/Baby Oil??

Any advice you have would be awesome, thanks!

What acutally encourages shedding is light. If you stall your horses at night leave the lights on in the barn.

Vetrolin is a really good shiner and conditioner. What better than Show Sheer. I still use baby oil (lightly) around the eyes and mouth. Vetrolin is great for shining hair but not skin.

Are you sure you want your horses to shed out quicker? I had been considering clipping my main riding horse to make it easier on him and myself without having to spend so much time cooling down.

The only issue is that if he is clipped (or sheds out quicker than normal) then you have to start thinking about blanketing which is a pain if he/she is with other horses who like to play and rip them to shreds.

If you want them to be all nice and shiny for the parade in June. I would full body clip them in April then but a sleezy on and what ever blanket is necessary for the temperature. That way they have time to grow in their normal coat.

Great idea. I did my first clip about a week ago or so because of the fact it would give the horse time to grow his coat back by spring if I had done a horrible job.

I think its great advice given.

Awesome, thanks so much for your guy's help! I'll probably just blanket them with the slinkies in April and May, and body clip in the middle of May possibly, because I don't want them to have a coat by June. I would love it if I could get them to look like the horse pictured below:)

Pretty shiny lol! It doesn't look like he has much of a coat.

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Well that takes years to develop

I have heard horses shed to the length of the day. As the days get longer, I.e spring time, they start to shed. Some horses are late to shed due to their own personal health but for the most part blanketing and such have nothing to do with it.

There's a lot of debate whether blankets help or not, but here's my two cents.
My show horse is blanketed, and usually he doesn't start really shedding until the end of April, but he's shedding now. :) I know that horses blanketed during the winter have smaller winter coats (It also makes it lay flat so it looks thinner, too). And I know that when horses sweat, it helps encourage their body to go, 'hey, the light ain't right but it's getting hot! SHED THE COAT!' so if it's hot and my horse is drinking, I leave his blanket on to encourage it. (I'm not taking about his entire body sweated up, lol! Just a tiny bit under the blanket.)
Good luck! I'm in the same boat as you lol

Idk but all I can say is I hate shedding time!! Omg I snezze so much and it drives me crazy with all that hair goes around and comes off but I have always been told that light gets them to shed :)