Winter coats, and how to avoid them!
Hello equestrians!
Winter coat season is almost upon us in the US, and this year I would prefer to keep my horse a shiny, pretty horse instead of having him transform into a woolly mammoth that is impossible to groom and cool down after exercise, and then have to deal with enough hair to stuff a quilt coming off again in the springtime.
Is there any way to keep him looking nice and shiny and smooth through the winter, without making him suffer under too many blankets or not letting him go outside?
Body clipping doesn't really seem like an option, since we do reining and western people don't really body clip or do trace clips, so I would feel awfully silly-looking.
I have a nice waterproof turnout for him with a neck attachment, but it doesn't cover a large portion of his body, such as the bottom of his belly, his throatlatch area, and his face. I am worried that he will get "blanket tan-lines" like he did last year when he had a blanket with no neck rug and his neck grew all the hair meant for the rest of his body. He hates wearing full face hoods because they are so heavy and don't move with him, but he doesn't mind sleazy hoods.
I was interested in this product at Schneider's:
http://www.sstack.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=7168&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=91&iSubCat=98&iProductID=7168
It seems like a good idea, but I'm not sure it would do what I want it to, meaning keep him slick and shiny. I am also worried it will rub off all of his poor mane, as he already has so little, being half-Arabian.
Here are some unrelated pics from the county fair this summer, just because! :3
This one turned out blurry, but I love it anyway!
The silly orange vest is because we were doing outriding shift at the fair.
To sum it all up:
What do you do to keep your horse shiny and sleek through the winter?
Do you keep lights on them, dress them up in every layer you can find, etc.?
I would love to hear all of your stories about battling winter coats.
Thanks in advance!
Winter coat season is almost upon us in the US, and this year I would prefer to keep my horse a shiny, pretty horse instead of having him transform into a woolly mammoth that is impossible to groom and cool down after exercise, and then have to deal with enough hair to stuff a quilt coming off again in the springtime.
Is there any way to keep him looking nice and shiny and smooth through the winter, without making him suffer under too many blankets or not letting him go outside?
Body clipping doesn't really seem like an option, since we do reining and western people don't really body clip or do trace clips, so I would feel awfully silly-looking.
I have a nice waterproof turnout for him with a neck attachment, but it doesn't cover a large portion of his body, such as the bottom of his belly, his throatlatch area, and his face. I am worried that he will get "blanket tan-lines" like he did last year when he had a blanket with no neck rug and his neck grew all the hair meant for the rest of his body. He hates wearing full face hoods because they are so heavy and don't move with him, but he doesn't mind sleazy hoods.
I was interested in this product at Schneider's:
http://www.sstack.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=7168&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=91&iSubCat=98&iProductID=7168
It seems like a good idea, but I'm not sure it would do what I want it to, meaning keep him slick and shiny. I am also worried it will rub off all of his poor mane, as he already has so little, being half-Arabian.
Here are some unrelated pics from the county fair this summer, just because! :3
This one turned out blurry, but I love it anyway!
The silly orange vest is because we were doing outriding shift at the fair.
To sum it all up:
What do you do to keep your horse shiny and sleek through the winter?
Do you keep lights on them, dress them up in every layer you can find, etc.?
I would love to hear all of your stories about battling winter coats.
Thanks in advance!