We’ve all been there. It’s a spring day of good weather, perfect for a ride. As you amble to the barn to saddle up, you hear coughing. Turning the corner, you see the coughing culprit is your horse.

In another barn, a rider grabs the grooming kit to brush her horse in preparation for the saddle. As she runs her hand over his neck, she feels, and then sees, numerous bumps, some of which have merged to form large bumps.

What is going on with these horses? Allergies.

A Teeming World of Horse Allergies

Unseen by the naked eye, the world is abundant in proteins and substances that can incite an allergic response. These allergens may be inhaled, ingested, or may affect a horse through topical contact. You’ll be tipped off to signs of trouble when you notice your horse has itching, hives, or breathing problems.

Allergies are common throughout the human and animal world, and horses are no exception. Usually, horses manage in their environment just fine without developing obvious signs that microscopic compounds are affecting them. Horse allergies happen when a horse’s immune system overreacts to a foreign protein, goes on the offense and becomes over-sensitized.

Sometimes it takes months or years of accumulated exposure for a horse to become hypersensitive; sometimes the response is more immediate and acute. Whatever specific protein causes the reaction, it sets up a cascade of inflammatory events that release prostaglandins and histamines to create obvious skin or respiratory allergic signs.

Skin Allergies in Horses

Horse allergies that manifest in the skin may result from topical contact, but also may develop from oral ingestion or inhaled particles. Aerosolized dust, mold, pollen, bedding, and insect bites are just a few of the sources that can cause itching and/or hives.

A major cause of itching starts with the bite of insects called Culicoides, also known as midges or no-see-ums. While the midges tend to feed on the abdomen, a horse displays an allergic response to the midge saliva by aggressively rubbing his tail, hindquarters, neck and mane due to intense itching. Those areas become raw, crusty, and inflamed, with substantial hair loss.

Some breeds and lines of horses tend to be particularly allergic to midges, such as Morgans, Icelandics and Arabians. The solution relies on moving the horse away from areas favorable to midge breeding, like ponds, wetlands and slow-moving streams.

Fly sheets are important, but they should have belly bands of netting material. Bringing a horse inside at dusk and dawn also helps to reduce midge exposure, as that is their preferred feeding time.

In contrast to an itching reaction (pruritus), hives aren’t typically itchy but herald a definite sign of exposure to some kind of allergen. Hives tend to be soft swellings that indent when you push in with your finger, called pitting edema.

They may be variable in size, sometimes coalescing into one big welt when several are close together. Inhaled allergens also can cause hives, referred to as atopic dermatitis.
Contact dermatitis is also not unusual. One example that occurs fairly commonly is hives from contact with pine bedding. If there is a suspicion that bedding is a problem, substitute paper bedding or a different source of pine bedding to see if the hives resolve.

Some shampoos or fly sprays can cause skin irritation and hives, as can laundry detergent residue or dirt on a saddle pad. On rare occasions, a horse with a fungal infection called ringworm may develop hive-like reactions around a fungal lesion.

Hives can develop acutely and disappear just as quickly. Sometimes they persist long after the allergen is removed from the environment. In difficult cases, it may be necessary to medicate the horse with a short course of a corticosteroid like dexamethasone or prednisolone, which are effective anti-inflammatory medications.

Certain feedstuffs can set off a skin reaction, although food allergies are not that common. If it is a food allergy, however, it’s often a challenge to determine the exact food or oral substance that is the culprit.

This may need to be done through a process of elimination: eliminate all food and supplements and start by feeding only grass hay, although diet changes may need to be done slowly. Check with your vet. After a couple of weeks with no signs of hive lesions, add in one more food element and wait a week or two before adding in another. This may help pinpoint the cause.

Supplements tend to be the likeliest culprit, far more than hay or feed materials, although alfalfa has been known to cause allergic reactions.

Respiratory Allergies in Horses

Respiratory allergies can affect horse performance by impacting breathing and comfort, especially during exercise. A horse with a respiratory allergy often has a dry cough or wheezing that amplifies when he is eating or exercising. There may be a chronic or intermittent nasal discharge, as well.

Respiratory health is at risk when horses are placed inside barns, especially those with poor ventilation, and/or are exercised in indoor arenas. Many toxic compounds are aerosolized to circulate in the air in those environments: endotoxin (part of the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria) in manure, ammonia vapor from urine-soaked bedding, mold spores from hay, or hay dust filtering down when stored in lofts above the stalls or arena. Arena footing can also contribute to respiratory irritation.

The best solution is to minimize a horse’s time indoors and instead turn him out as much as possible. Better yet, arrange full-time outdoor living with run-in sheds to protect against inclement weather. Soaking or steaming hay before feeding helps tamp down dust and mold.

If barn living is all you have available, then implementing good ventilation is very important. Use appropriately placed fans, open windows, and open barn doors to keep fresh air circulating. Store hay in a building separate from horse housing.

Another important strategy for respiratory health is to keep your horse on a regular immunization schedule, especially against respiratory viruses. Equine influenza virus is known for causing long-term respiratory damage, including development of equine asthma. Discuss an appropriate vaccine schedule with your veterinarian.

Once a horse develops equine asthma, a variety of medications, including inhaled and/or oral bronchodilators, can help improve his comfort and ease of breathing. It is much easier and more effective to apply an ounce of preventive strategies for respiratory health than a pound of cure to treat after the fact.

Equine Anaphylaxis

In an instance where a horse’s immune system develops a profound and severe reaction, a horse can experience life-threatening anaphylaxis. With that in mind, it’s important to contact your vet immediately when seeing signs of an allergic response, particularly if your horse is having difficulty breathing and/or there is swelling of his face and muzzle or limbs and belly.

If your horse has a known allergy to a medication, such as penicillin or a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) like phenylbutazone or flunixin meglumine, it’s critical to place caution signs on the horse’s stall door and paddock to prevent accidental administration of potentially deadly drugs.

People with allergies wear neck tags or bracelets to convey this critical information, but for horses, it’s necessary to post signs in obvious places. Advise your barn manager and staff, friends and veterinarians who may deal with your horse.

Allergies can be troublesome to resolve, so observe and monitor every facet of your horse’s environment. With knowledge about potential problems, you can deter allergic problems before they begin.

The post Horse Allergies: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Supporting a brilliant shine from the inside

Nothing is more fun than having a spa day and giving your horse a bath, but too much bathing with shampoo can strip the natural oils away from your horse’s healthy coat and make it look dull.

To help ensure your horse’s coat shines and is healthy for the rest of the season, consider adding a skin and coat supplement to your horse’s diet. Skin and coat supplements can help by adding fat to your horse’s diet, which is a great way to support your horse’s skin and coat health. But when it comes to adding fats, it’s important to consider the source.

For a long time, riders fed corn oil for a hearty serving of fat. However, we now know it’s not just about feeding more fat, it’s about feeding the right kind of fat. Omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids are both important to your horse’s well-being, but maintaining the correct balance between the two is critical. You want to provide your horse with two to four times more omega 3s than 6s.

Corn oil is very high in omega 6 fatty acids, which can put the body in a chronic state of inflammation, essentially doing more harm than good. Instead, look for a supplement that uses fat sources that are rich in omega 3s, such as flaxseed and chia seeds.

Thumbs down on horse coat health:

Thinking that spraying on the shine is enough

Your horse’s coat is a master multi-tasker. It’s his first line of defense against injury, insects, and more, so it is important to keep your horse’s coat healthy. It helps with thermoregulation by activating the sweat glands when it gets too hot and puffing up the coat to seal out the cold. It turns sunlight into Vitamin D and is loaded with nerve endings that keep the brain up to date on changes in the surrounding environment.

Clearly, healthy skin and coat is vital to a healthy horse—but how do you know if your horse’s skin is in good shape? Your horse’s coat can serve as a report card for his skin health. A soft, shiny coat is an indicator of stellar skin condition, while a dull, rough, or patchy coat likely suggests there’s room for improvement. That’s why if your horse has a dull coat, it’s important to do more than go through countless bottles of coat shine spray.

To learn more about how to support healthy skin and a shiny coat from the inside and out, check out the tip above and visit SmartPak’s blog to read more.

The post July SmartTip of the Month Presented by SmartPak: Healthy Coat and Skin appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Nutrition

True beauty comes from the inside out! Before anything else, you should check that your horse is in good health and gets his annual vaccinations and exam from the vet. A good nutritional program is also super important. If your horse is lacking any nutrients, it could show up in a dull, lifeless coat.

To give you’r horse’s shine an extra boost, try adding some fat to your horse’s diet. Wherever you buy your feed and supplements probably has a wide array of products for this purpose, including liquid or powdered high-fat supplements. These may be advertised as weight builders, shiny coat supplements, or hoof and coat. Look for one that has a blend of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, both of which the body needs for different purposes. Follow feeding instructions so as not to overdo it—horses take longer to adjust to fat in their diet than people.

Grooming

It’s easy to skip thorough grooming if you’re always in a hurry to saddle up and get riding.Think about really taking your time to groom for at least 20 minutes. Thoroughly curry your horse and follow with a stiff brush before moving to a soft brush. The curry comb brings dirt and oils up through the hair to the surface. You can use a nubby mitt on sensitive areas like the face and legs. Stiff brushes are great for getting tough areas of dirt or dried mud off, and a soft brush brings out the final shine when your horse is nice and clean.

If you like to bathe your horse, always use shampoo designed for horses to avoid drying out the skin and coat. Add a conditioner for next-level shine. Conditioners make hair stronger and smoother so that it looks shinier.

Coat-Shine Products

As a final step to keep your horse looking shiny, add a coat polish spray. These also do double-duty to detangle manes and tails, leaving them super shiny too.

Coat polish sprays work on both wet and dry coats. Apply right after a bath for mega-watt shine, or try using as part of your grooming routine once a week. Regular use can help cut down your grooming time because the ingredients that produce a sleek shine also help dirt and dust slide off the coat!

While sprays with silicone help repel dirt, they also make the hair slick—so take care not to use on the saddle area, which could make your saddle slip backward or to the side. For extra benefits, choose a spray containing nourishing conditioners that improve hair health.

Putting your new care and grooming superpowers to work will get your pony looking his best in no time.

This article originally appeared in the May/June 2019 issue of Young Rider magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Shiny Horse Secrets appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

There’s nothing else quite like it: We’ve all done a double-take when a horse goes by with a blindingly shiny coat. Whether or not you show your horse, you’d probably rather he have a shiny coat than a dull one. So what makes a horse coat shiny? Read on to find out.

Is There a Doctor in the House?

The first step is to keep up with your horse’s regular veterinary maintenance. A sick horse, one with a heavy parasite load, or one who can’t chew his food optimally will suffer ill health, and his coat will show it.

If your horse is well-maintained and you still have concerns, talk to your vet about screening him for ulcers or metabolic problems that can result in the symptom of a dull coat.

Complete Nutrition

We all want to feed our horses beautiful hay and/or pasture, but it can be easy to miss out on certain vitamin and mineral requirements if you’re not careful. Even one deficiency could result in a less-than-glowing coat.

Good pasture grass is full of vitamins and omega 3 fatty acids during the growing season. Mineral content, however, depends on the soil in your location. Hay starts to lose health-enhancing omega 3s and certain vitamins after it’s cut and dried, and maturity at time of harvest can affect protein and other nutrients.

To make sure your horse is getting everything he needs, always provide a salt block and either concentrate (grain) formulated for your horse’s needs or a ration balancer.

If you feed a concentrate, you must feed the amount recommended on the label for your horse’s body weight to meet his vitamin and mineral needs. If he’s an easy keeper who can do without the calories, use a ration balancer instead. These contain complete vitamins and minerals in a much smaller serving size.

Adding Fat to the Diet

Horses have a very low fat content in their natural diet, but over the years, horsekeepers have noticed that adding oils or high-fat products in small amounts adds an undeniable luster to the coat.

Flax seed, stabilized rice bran or vegetable oil can be used to boost shine. Many people swear by black oil sunflower seeds (BOSS) as well. Adding a quarter cup of high-fat product twice a day is enough to improve coat quality.

Grooming the Horse’s Coat

Daily grooming will maximize your horse’s natural shine. Always start with a deep curry. For best results, use the classic black rubber curry comb. Make sure to replace it when teeth start to dull—getting down to the skin is crucial. Use some arm strength and go in a circular motion over the large, muscled areas of your horse’s body. This will bring dead skin and hair to the surface while distributing natural oils throughout the coat.

Use a hard brush for dried mud or extreme dust, a medium brush for normal post-curry brushing, and a soft brush as the final step to remove small dust particles. Brushes made of natural instead of synthetic bristles are great for bringing out shine.

To save time, curry with one hand while brushing with the other. Flick the brush to remove dirt and hair, and run the brush across the curry frequently to clean dust off of it as you go.

It’s important to clean your brushes regularly. Soak them in hot water with diluted dish soap or use a splash of Lysol to disinfect them; rinse well and dry them in the sun.

Aim to groom your horse for at least 30 minutes a day. It’s great exercise for you and will keep your horse looking his best.
If you really love to groom and want to maximize your results, grab a rub rag as a final step to dust and polish the hair.

Grooming Sprays

There are plenty of great products on the market that you can use to enhance your horse’s glow.

Most coat polish sprays contain conditioners to moisturize and protect the hair, much like our own hair conditioner. Sprays containing silicone add shine and repel dirt, but take care not to apply to the saddle area. They are slippery! For maximum shine, apply immediately after bathing. Re-apply once a week to keep up the effects.

Don’t Fade Away

There are no two ways around it: Keeping your horse turned out in the daytime during the summer dries and fades the coat hair. Going to a nighttime turnout schedule or using a fly sheet with UV protection during the day will prevent this.

Better Bathing

Excessive shampooing or harsh detergents can strip natural oils and dry the coat. Use shampoo formulated for horses, and be sure to rinse well. Leftover soap in the coat dries the skin and dulls the coat.

If you bathe frequently, use an equine body wash. These are gentle and designed for frequent use. Finish with a conditioner to strengthen and smooth the hair. The smoother the hair’s cuticle, the more shiny the horse will look.

A simple rinse with the hose will do the trick if your horse works up a sweat while exercising. Thoroughly removing all the salt from the coat is a very important step to keep it from drying out, fading and looking dull.

Are you ready to go for the glow? Armed with these tips, you can go forth and conquer the quest for a shiny coat.

This article about creating shiny horse coat appeared in the May 2016 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Secrets to a Horse’s Shiny Coat appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Horse Grooming Secret #1: Get a Shiny Coat

To get your horse shining like a superstar, regular grooming is essential. A few tips and tricks will help you get the most megawatts out of your grooming sessions.

If you’re going for the gleam, make good use of your curry comb. Currying removes deep-down dirt, promotes circulation and helps distribute the natural oils in your horse’s coat. Plus, it’s like a mini-massage for your horse.

Rubber curry combs come in a variety of firm or flexible textures. Select one that your horse finds comfortable, and curry in small circles over your horse’s body. Follow with a medium-stiff brush, using short, brisk strokes with an upward flick to lift the dirt and loose hair you’ve brought up with your curry session. Finish with a soft brush to bring up the shine in your horse’s coat.

Although it’s not a replacement for currying and brushing, coat polish spray can also play a role in Project Shine. Beyond adding the final touch on show days, regular use can cut your grooming time and keep your horse looking fabulous. Used once or twice a week, it will make your grooming job last longer by repelling dust and can also help prevent stains on light-colored coats. Avoid spraying the saddle area though—these products make the coat slick and can cause your saddle to slip.

To achieve a truly healthy shine, your horse needs quality nutrition. Talk to your vet or an equine nutritionist to make sure your horse is on an optimal feeding plan. Supplements for skin and coat health can also help a challenging case with a blend of ingredients including fats, vitamins and biotin to support hair growth and shine. Or, simply adding a little vegetable oil to your horse’s feed—gradually working up to 1 cup—can help boost the bloom in your horse’s coat.

Horse Grooming Secret #2: Unravel a Tangled Mane or Tail

The gentlest way to detangle is to do it by hand, although you can also use a wide-tooth plastic comb. A mane and tail detangler makes the job easier so that the strands of hair slip apart without snagging and breaking. Many coat polish spray products also double as detanglers.

Apply the product evenly through the hair. Then start detangling from the bottom of the hair, working your way up. Work in small, manageable sections. To remove burrs, foxtails and large knots, apply detangler directly to the problem areas.

Once you can easily run your fingers through the hair, you can use a brush or comb if you wish. Many people believe that brushing is the worst thing for a tail, while others feel that brushing helps promote circulation at the roots, therefore promoting growth. If you opt to brush, choose a flat-backed brush with widely spaced, soft-tipped pin bristles. Hold the hair in one hand close to the top in order to avoid pulling on the root, and then brush below—again, working from the bottom up.

Horse Grooming Secret #3: Long, Luxe Locks

If you want your horse to have a long, glorious mane or tail, your goal is to minimize breakage. Avoid excessive brushing or combing. This is one case where less can be more: the less you handle the hair, the more precious strands you’ll preserve.

Remove debris, such as shavings and hay, from the hair daily. You can do this by hand, or a quick shake may be all that’s needed. Regular detangling (Tip #2) will keep major dreadlocks from forming and make the hair easier to maintain.

Keeping the mane and tail clean encourages growth as well. Shampoo weekly, scrubbing down to the roots. Be sure to rinse thoroughly. Follow with conditioner, focusing on the ends of the hair. Let the hair dry completely before combing or working with it.

To protect a long, full mane from snags and tangles, braid it in thick sections. Keep the braids loose at the crest so they don’t itch and encourage your horse to rub his mane. Redo the braids as needed, or once a week after shampooing and conditioning. A long mane requires regular care to look good and encourage growth, but the results can be spectacular.

Horse Grooming Secret #4: A Terrific Tail

The length and thickness of your horse’s tail is largely genetic, but a little pampering can help it reach its full potential.

A popular tail-maintenance technique is to braid the hair or put it in a protective tail bag to keep it clean and tangle free. Braid in a single loose plait below the tailbone. A tail bag attaches through the braid. Never fasten a tail bag over or around the tailbone, where it could cut off circulation. At the height of fly season, keep in mind that braiding and bagging will diminish your horse’s defense against bugs. This may prove problematic for pastured horses but be less of an issue for horses that live in a stall.

Tail rubbing is a major equine beauty buster that drives horse owners crazy. Possible causes include dry, itchy skin; parasites (pinworms); and the allergic reaction known as “sweet itch,” caused by hypersensitivity to insects. Soothing shampoo, targeted deworming and ramping up fly control measures are simple solutions to start with in these cases. Other types of skin and contact allergies can cause horses to turn to tail rubbing as well. Severe cases will likely require diagnosis and medication prescribed by your vet.

A dirty sheath or udder can also result in tail rubbing. Since horses can’t scratch these places, they’ll rub their hind end for relief instead. Click here for sheath cleaning instructions.

Horse Grooming Secret #5: A Tidy Trim

Some light cleanup work with the clippers will take your horse’s look from shaggy to sleek. Trimming the long hairs under his jawline, the shaggy feathers at his ankles and the tufts of hair sticking out of his ears creates a well-groomed appearance. High-level competition often calls for a more stringent standard of trimming, but this isn’t necessary for most horses.

Small clippers with a No. 10 blade are sufficient for this simple trimming job. Make sure your horse will tolerate the sound and feel of the clippers before you start. You’ll be mainly clipping with the direction of the hair growth to remove just the longest hairs for a blended appearance. (Clipping against the growth gives a closer shave.) However, when trimming your horse, you may find that you need to turn the clippers and brush over the top of the hair at an angle in order to blend it.

To trim the billy-goat beard under your horse’s jaw, run the clippers underneath in the direction of the hair growth from between his jowls to the groove in front of his chin. Angle the clippers as needed to get all the hair and blend it at the edge of the jawline.

Clean up shaggy fetlocks and long, wispy hairs on the back of your horse’s legs using the clippers with the direction of the hair. Turn the clippers to scoop out all the shag underneath the fetlock joint and behind the pastern.

The hair in your horse’s ears provides protection from bugs and gnats in summer and offers warmth in winter, so it’s best to not remove too much if your horse lives out on pasture. Hold the ear in your hand, gently press the sides together and remove the long hairs that protrude beyond the edge of the ear with your clippers. This levels off the hair inside the ear with the outer edge.

Trimming a bridle path will also give your horse a neater look by removing a little mane behind the ears, where the crownpiece of the bridle sits. You can use either clippers or small scissors for the job. Be careful not to get carried away and cut into the forelock or go too far down the neck, unless that’s the preferred style for your breed or sport. Otherwise, the bridle path is usually just a few inches long to easily accommodate the width of your bridle.

The whiskers on your horse’s muzzle have some sensory function, so many horse owners opt to leave these little feelers. Other horse owners find them untidy and clip them off. For the show-ring, a clean-cut look is expected in most arenas. A happy medium is to leave the whiskers but trim them for shows or special occasions.

Horse Grooming Secret #6: Bathing Beauty

Keep your horse’s comfort in mind and make bath time as easy as possible on him. Warm water will be appreciated by your horse if it’s available, and also opens the hair shaft to make your cleaning efforts more effective. An adjustable spray nozzle lets you dial the water pressure down for your horse’s sensitivity level as needed, and increase it for more efficient rinsing.

Diluting the shampoo in a bucket makes it easier to rinse from your horse’s coat. Some equine shampoos are concentrated and designed to be diluted before use, so read the directions on the product you are using. Also realize that more shampoo doesn’t necessarily result in a cleaner horse. Start with a small amount, and create more suds as needed. Work the shampoo down to the skin with a curry mitt or your fingers for a deep clean—that’s the secret. You can apply shampoo full-strength directly to the mane and tail.

It’s usually not necessary to use shampoo on the face and head. You don’t want to get soap in your horse’s eyes, and it can be difficult to rinse out completely. A damp towel or sponge should be sufficient to clean your horse’s face. For light-colored heads or white markings that need deeper cleaning, dip a sponge in diluted shampoo and follow up with a clean, damp rag to rinse.

Never use dish soap or other harsh detergents to bathe your horse. These will strip the oils from the coat and possibly irritate his sensitive skin. Equine shampoos and conditioners are formulated with a gentle pH while also being equipped to handle horses’ coarser haircoats and the tough dirt they get into.

It’s crucial to rinse well. Soap left in the coat dries it out, can cause itching and dandruff, and leaves a dull finish instead of the bright and shiny glow you want. To make sure your horse’s coat is soap-free, rinse and then use a sweat scraper to squeegee excess water from the coat. If you see soap bubbles, rinse and repeat until the water runs clear.

Hand graze your horse in the sun or leave him tied until he dries. If you put a wet horse back in his stall or field, the first thing he will naturally want to do is have a good roll, undoing all of your hard work. To repel stains from your horse’s clean coat and add extra shine, apply coat polish spray while he’s still damp.

Horses don’t require a full bath that often. A rinse with plain water will usually suffice to remove dirt and sweat after a workout. If you bathe your horse frequently, use a gentle shampoo designed specifically for horses, and follow with a conditioner as well. Conditioners strengthen the hair, restore moisture and smooth the coat to increase shine.

Horse Grooming Secret #7: Whiter Whites

Keeping your white or light-colored horse clean is a major grooming challenge. White socks and markings also require extra effort to stay sparkling. To keep stains from setting into the coat, keep up on regular grooming. Use waterless shampoos and spot removal products when bathing isn’t possible. Just spray on and use a towel to lift the stain. Simple spot cleaning with a bucket and sponge works too.

A specially formulated whitening shampoo will be your best friend in the wash rack. These shampoos usually have a blue or purplish tint to counteract the yellow cast a stained white coat often takes. Read the product directions carefully. Some whitening shampoos need to be left on, while others could leave a purple tint behind if too much is used or if they are left in the coat too long. Apply the shampoo as directed and scrub well for best results. Stubborn tail stains may require several sessions with a whitening shampoo to come clean. If your pony does turn purple, don’t panic. The excess color should scrub out with regular equine shampoo.

The post Horse Grooming Secrets appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.