How to Give a Horse a Shiny Coat

Groomed horse

As with any animal, a shiny coat is indicative of good health and care. It is expected in the show ring, but many people try to accomplish it with expensive sprays. The process of making a shiny coat starts at home with good nutrition and a lot of daily grooming. It is a long-term commitment and not one that comes from a bottle. A bottle can enhance a horse’s shine, but cannot give it the kind of intense gloss that comes from good food and grooming. Read on to learn how to give a horse a shiny coat.

Things You'll Need

• High quality hay and grain
• Ground flax seed
• Rubber curry
• Medium body brush
• Soft body brush
• Healthy hair care moisturizer
• Soft cloth

Instructions

1. Feed your horse high quality hay and grain. Purina Strategy has a lot of vitamins and minerals.

2. Give your horse a half cup of ground flax seed per day. It is great for making the coat shiny.

3. Curry the horse firmly, making circles with the curry.

4. Brush the horse firmly with a medium body brush and then a soft body brush.

5. Spray the horse with healthy hair care moisturizer and rub it in with a soft cloth.

Tips & Warnings

• When feeding your horse flax seed, only grind enough for two to three days at a time or keep it in the refrigerator, because it can go rancid. Stabilized, pre-ground flax seed can also be purchased but is more expensive.

• The horse should be groomed thoroughly before and after each workout and never left sweaty.

• If possible, keep the horse inside during the day and turn them out at night to minimize sunburn.

• Do not give baths with soap more often than necessary, because the soap can dry the coat. However, the mane and tail should be washed and conditioned regularly.