Coat

The coat protects your horse from injuries, heat, sunrays or cold.
The sebum, an oily secretion of the sebaceous gland, which helps to preserve the flexibility of the hair, makes the coat water-repellant.

The skin of the horse has 3 layers: epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous fat.
The follicles, placed in the epidermis, form the hairs and thus the whole coat. Every follicle contains only one hair and is placed in the epidermis at an angle. The capillaries are attached to small muscles that are able to contract, for instance when a horse is cold. During cold temperatures, these pilo erector muscles make the hair stand up which increases the coat's insulating potential. Wind separates the hairs, thereby breaking the heat seal, which results in a great loss of body warmth.

I want my horse to shed his winter coat better or faster

Horses that have a hard time shedding their winter coat in the spring (time of shedding) may profit from a short-term special diet. An optimum shedding requires energy, building blocks and an extra vitamins and minerals for the hairs.

What can I do?

During the time of shedding (about 4 to 6 weeks) you can give your horse extra vitamins and minerals. If he is on a small daily ration already and has a tendency to gain weight easily, we recommend cutting down his daily ration with about ½ kg.

My horse is allergic or hyper sensitive

The defense system, also called the immune system, is able to recognize and dispose of harmful agents. When the immune system is put into action against agents that are not in itself harmful, we talk about an allergy. There are numerous allergies, such as contact allergy (from small spots to swellings), fly- and insect allergy (irritation on tail and mane), skin allergy (different kinds of irritation), mucous membrane allergy (watery leaking from nose and eyes) and food allergy (red hives and pimples). Consult your veterinarian for the proper treatment.

What can I do?

Don’t give your horse too much energy feed. We also advise to choose low-protein products with a limited amount of starch. For a good resistance and an optimal removal of waste matter we recommend a complete vitamin and mineral supplement. Vitamin E and C help to get rid of harmful agents, and minerals are necessary to create new skin.

Skin disorders

There are several skin disorders that can affect horses. We can divide them in two categories: contagious and non-contagious. Contagious skin disorders can be caused by a virus (i.e. sarcoids, warts), bacteria (scabies, greasy heel), a fungus or parasites (itch-mite, lice).
Non-contagious skin disorders are nettle rash, tail- and mane eczema and sunburn.

What can I do ?

For an accurate diagnosis consult your veterinarian.