A shiny coat is an eye-catching trait sought-after by horse owners as it can give insight into the animal’s overall health. When you think of optimal coat health, chances are you picture beautiful dapples, a glistening appearance and deep colour.
Coat colour and the presence of dapples are dictated by the horse’s genetics, but non-genetic factors such as nutrition, grooming habits and living conditions can enhance their appearance. It is, however, important to understand that you cannot groom your way out of poor nutrition. Nutritional deficiencies and health issues such as gastric ulcers or a high parasite load will negatively impact coat health. If you want optimal coat health, a quality, balanced diet is key.
Quality Forage
Horses have evolved to consume fibrous forage-based diets, which is why starting their balanced nutrition plan with a quality forage is recommended. This supports the microbial population in the horse’s hindgut. Generally, for horses in light or even moderate work, this is a great option for meeting their energy requirements.
Defining ‘quality’ hay includes considering a number of factors including colour, type (grass or legume), moisture balance, digestible energy, crude protein, carbohydrates and minerals. If you are not sure your hay is providing optimum nutrition, consider getting an analysis done.
Protein
Protein is critical to support coat health as hair is largely comprised of keratin. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, so to support coat health, horses need to be provided with sources that are rich in essential amino acids. In many situations when a quality forage is being fed, it will meet a horse’s protein requirement. If the hay has not been tested and you are unaware of the protein content, it is recommended to feed the horse a ration balancer that includes supplemental protein.
Amino acids supplements can also be implemented when the goal is to improve coat health. Lysine, threonine, and methionine are the first three limiting essential amino acids for horses, meaning that they are typically the first to be deficient. Adding a supplement that supplies these can boost your horse’s coat health as it will support protein synthesis in the body. For example, lysine directly impacts coat health as it plays a role in the synthesis of both collagen and elastin, which are proteins found in the skin.
Vitamins & Minerals
Although a good quality hay can meet your horse’s energy and protein requirements, it will not meet their vitamin and mineral requirements. A horse on a hay-only diet will have nutritional deficiencies which contribute to dry and dull coats. For supplementation, a ration balancer or vitamin/mineral premix would be used for horses that easily maintain their weight. For harder keepers and actively working horses a fortified feed may be required instead of a ration balancer. The key is ensuring that the product is fed at the manufacturer’s recommended weight for your horse’s size and workload.
Zinc and copper are two minerals that are commonly deficient in forage. These minerals are required for the synthesis of keratin and melanin which are both critical to coat health. Melanin is responsible for the pigment in coats, so when zinc and copper are deficient, or supplied in an unbalanced ratio, the horse’s coat may be dull, faded and more susceptible to severe sun bleaching.
If your horse is fed a ration balancer or a fortified commercial feed product at the manufacturer’s recommended rate, it is likely that their vitamin and mineral requirements will be being adequately met. The gold standard would be to test your hay and have a nutritionist balance your horse’s diet; however, commercial products are formulated by nutritionists to meet a horses’ nutritional requirements when the feeding directions are followed.
Fats
Fats are frequently supplemented to horses for their caloric content and the promotion of coat shine as they support the production of natural skin oils. These oils contribute to the shine and texture of the hair coat.
Bile is required for the digestion of fat; most vertebrates have a gallbladder that stores bile in the body. Despite not having a gallbladder, horses can still utilize fats quite well, as bile is secreted directly into the small intestine. For this reason it is important to introduce fats into the diet slowly.
There are a variety of supplemental fat options available on the market: oils, ground flax, rice bran, sunflower seeds, etc. The list is quite extensive. Choosing a fat source for your horse will depend on their individual needs, but it is widely recommended to feed a source that is higher in omega-3s than omega-6s.
Prior to adding a fat source to your horse’s diet, their current body condition should be evaluated. If a horse is struggling with over-conditioning and carrying excess weight, it is important to ensure that you are not adding calorically dense fats to their diet program, as that will increase the caloric content of their ration. A simple ration balancer and adequate forage will support coat health in these horses.
Take Home Message
There are a multitude of factors that influence coat health, but nutrition does have a significant impact. Always start with a quality forage and a balanced diet as many coat health issues stem from nutritional deficiencies. You can then further promote optimal coat health by adding a fat source to improve texture and shine.
If you have specific questions about your horse’s nutrition program, reach out to a qualified equine nutritionist.