We’re saying farewell to the longer and thicker winter woollies that help keep our horses warm through winter, and welcoming in a shorter and finer summer wardrobe. This smooth coat lies flat and helps the horse’s cooling mechanisms by allowing air flow across the skin, and is shinier, helping to reflect heat from the summer sun.
Longer daylight hours trigger the production of hormones responsible for hair growth and shedding, but there are a few things that we can do to ensure this new hair growth is nice and healthy.
Providing a balanced diet is essential. Making sure you horse is receiving a diet that provides the correct protein (containing the amino acid methionine), fats (including omega 3 and 6 fatty acids), vitamins (particularly vitamin A) and minerals (like copper and zinc) is vital to getting a healthy coat.
Follow a good worming schedule. The hair and skin are normally the first to show signs of a parasite burden. Best practice worming regimes include rotation of wormers and having faecal egg counts carried out.
Exercise for your horse and for you! Exercising your horse will help increase blood flow to the skin, which can stimulate the hair follicles. And for us, it’s good old elbow grease! Grooming regularly will remove excess (dead) hair and skin and stimulate the sebaceous glands that release oils that help make the hair shiny, lie flat and protects the skin from excessive moisture loss and drying out.
Feeds in the Johnson’s Natural Formula range have been formulated to provide a balanced diet, with all the essential nutrients for healthy skin and a shiny coat.