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Discussion on VERY Short & Rough Summer Coat
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Member:
Canter
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Posted on Wednesday, May 18, 2005 - 8:36 am:
Hi All,
My mare has always been a very fuzzy beast. In the winter, she has a heavy and fluffy winter coat and past summers she has shed out to a still fairly heavy summer coat. This spring, she shed out into a very coarse, rough, thin and shorter than normal coat. Should I be concerned?
Currently, she is on 24 hour turnout, lush spring pasture and her condition is what I would call chubby--ribs are difficult to see but can be felt. I just had her moved this week to a grazed down pasture. She receives 6 lbs /day Buckeye Premium, supplemented with HB15 and Cosequin. The hay is OK quality (leftover from last fall) and she gets several flakes/day.
She is groomed at least 4 times per week and her mane, tail and hooves all seem normal. Because she is a gray (and a dirty one right now), it's difficult to judge the "shine" of her coat until I have a warm enough evening to give her a bath. The other mares with her (chestnut paints) are in full shine and don't receive near the TLC that my mare gets.
Also, her energy level seems fine and she is working well.
What could be causing this unusual coat? Although she is in a different barn this spring vs. the past 2 years, her diet is basically the same, as is my routine. Is it unusual for a coat "growth pattern" to change? Am I being neurotic (as usual? )
Any insight would be appreciated!
Thanks,
Fran
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Member:
Suzeb
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Posted on Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 12:36 pm:
Hi Fran,
I'll take a stab at offering some insight  .
Perhaps the winter hay supply wasn't as good as the previous year and the proof of the pudding is now in her spring/summer coat.
Another theory is; your mare is like a barometer and telling you what kind of summer you are in for  .
That's my 2ยข worth  .
Susan B.
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Member:
Canter
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Posted on Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 1:16 pm:
Hi Susan,
Hmmm...you may have something there with the winter hay supply. This past winter, those big round bales where part of the hay source (and they didn't look great to me), but they were supplemented with better quality. I'm sure my mare ate plenty of the lesser quality hay.
I would like to think your second "theory" is correct...after a cool spring, I'd love to have a long hot summer!!
Thanks for your input!
Fran
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Member:
Sunny66
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Posted on Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 5:06 pm:
Hi Fran,
My guy's hair is very short...I too would like to know if we're in for a heat wave.
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Member:
Canter
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Posted on Friday, May 20, 2005 - 8:44 am:
Dr. O,
In thinking more about Susan's suggestion r.e the quality of the winter hay: if the quality of the round bales was as poor as I thought it might be, than wouldn't it be likely that all or most of the other horses would now have a poor hair coat?
There is a wide range of ages at this barn from 2 year olds to 28+, with my mare right in the middle at 15. Most of the other horses are Paints, my mare is a Holsteiner and there is only one other horse that is in regular (hard) work/training. The older horses are all mostly retired and look absolutely beautiful for their age. My mare is the only horse on the Buckeye Supreme (which she's thrived on for several years). I'm not sure what everyone else is fed...looks like some type of sweet feed.
So I guess I'm wondering if my mare needs to be supplemented with a multi-vitamin because the hay quality is likely not as good as a year ago?
Thanks,
Fran
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Saturday, May 21, 2005 - 6:53 am:
The first thing that catches my eye is that your horse receives more care than the better looking coats: How often do you bath and shampoo your horse Fran and have you done any clipping this Spring?
DrO
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Member:
Canter
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Posted on Monday, May 23, 2005 - 8:07 am:
Hi DrO.,
Since the weather has started to warm up, my horse has received 3 "full" bathes, i.e. shampooed and scrubbed, coat, mane & tail. When it's warm enough, I routinely hose her down after a workout, but without any soap. The weather hasn't been consistent since early April, so aside from the shampoos, I think I've hosed her down maybe 6 times. There's been no need to clip her body since the hair is so short, but I have shaved her muzzle and bridle path. I hate turning a horse back out with any sweat marks, so after a ride and cool down, I do scrub at the sweat marks until they are gone, either with a soft brush or with Coyboy Magic if she's really dirty. But none of this is any different than what I've ever done--that's why I'm a bit puzzled and concerned.
Thanks!
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, May 24, 2005 - 7:49 am:
I don't know Fran, 3 shampoos, frequent hosing, Cowboy Magic. Coat condition is the result of many factors and perhaps the diet in combination with the removal of much of the natural oils leaving a dry coat.
Really the question is where to go from here, of course improved diet (see overview). I would put my shampoo away. I don't think cold hosing is harmful but hot water will remove substantial amounts of oil. Lastly frequent brushing with a soft brush to stimulate the oil glands should help straighten things out but if the hair was damaged from a deficient diet it may not be right until shed out for the next winter coat.
DrO
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Member:
Canter
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Posted on Tuesday, May 24, 2005 - 8:09 am:
Thanks, Dr. O.
I don't think her diet is likely to be too deficient, particularly with the spring grass, but I will review the articles again, more carefully. Although I'm not doing anything differently in the grooming department, I do tend to get nuts when my white horse is no longer white, so I will lay off the urge to scrub every bit of dirt out of her. Perhaps my normal efforts to keep her clean in conjunction with last winter's not so great hay is the culprit here.
I appreciate the help...as always.
Fran
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