09/20/2023
Lately Iāve been getting a lot of questions about my horseās hair care routine, so I thought Iād go ahead and make a post with my top recommendations for developing and maintaining a brilliant, healthy hair coat.
Nutrition is always priority 1, which is something that surprises a lot of people. Hair is one of the last things that the body prioritizes in terms of nutrient distribution, so if the horse is lacking nutritional factors or is struggling with other health concerns, their hair will always look a bit dull no matter how well you care for it. This is one of the reasons that horses who are unthrifty tend to be very prone to skin maladies such as rain rot.
When you have determined that basic nutritional needs are being met - either by a commercial feed or ration balancer - there are a few key elements that go into stronger and healthier hair. Biotin, copper, and zinc are very beneficial and will actually reduce sun bleaching if given in adequate quantities. These are also very important for hoof growth, as both hoof and hair are made from keratin. Additionally, some horses benefit from immune support that helps bolster their defenses against common skin infections.
Now to the actual hair care portion of hair care!
š“ Wash frequently but with the right shampoo. A lot of shampoos are actually too harsh and will strip oil from the coat/mane/tail. Orvus, Mane and Tail, Dawn, and other shampoos are great for a good stain-removing bath for special occasions, but they can be very drying when used too frequently. My go-to is Vetrolin bath, itās good for moisturizing and it wonāt strip out the good oils. I bathe my horse close to daily in the summertime because water alone doesnāt do enough to cleanse out all the sweat and dirt.
š“ When you bathe and/or groom, donāt neglect the crest. I see so many horses with just loads of built up scurf (dandruff, dead skin cells, and dirt) at the base of their mane and that definitely inhibits good, healthy hair growth. Scrubbing it really well with your fingers when you bathe and parting dry hair to use a soft brush on the crest will help it stay clean and also encourage hair growth. If you see a lot of dust and dandruff at the base of your horseās mane when grooming, thatās your sign to pay a little more attention to it. The crest should look like any other skin on the horse, clean, clear and healthy.
š“ For conditioners, I actually highly recommend cholesterol based human products, like the kind you see for textured hair. Making a good hair mask out of that once a month or so and letting it soak in before rinsing will give you some amazing results. Hot oil treatments are also great for extra conditioning. Regular horse products such as Mane and Tail are also just fine, I just donāt recommend doing a full conditioning more than about once a week.
š“ Never ever brush wet hair, it breaks much easier. Iām serious, donāt do it š
šThis next one is a big one and slightly controversial but trust me!š
š“ Avoid using silicone based detangling sprays (laser sheen and show sheen are 2 big ones). They are fine for occasional use at a show or if you need to get rid of a bunch of burrs, but silicone is very drying and regular/daily use will damage the hair over time. I also use Vetrolin shine as my daily product (I swear Iām not sponsored by them š) to spray in the mane/tail. Let it dry a bit before careful bushing.
š“ And lastly, but perhaps most importantlyā¦.if you are braiding your horseās mane and tail or having someone do it for youā¦ DO give it a really good wash first, paying particular attention to the base of the mane. Skipping this step can really bring down the overall look of your finished braids if there is dandruff and dirt showing in between the braids.
Just whatever you do, donāt spray it with detangler before braiding šš
