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Can You Judge a Horse by His Coat?

© Patricia Celley

Hooray spring shedding is over! There is nothing finer than running your hands over your horse's sleek, shining summer coat. All those long hours of grooming with hair flying in your face have finally paid off. But don't abandon your grooming tools for the hose sprayer this summer. Grooming has many benefits.

When you groom your horse you have the opportunity to improve his well being and develop a strong bond. While you groom your horse you improve circulation and relax and massage muscles. Working with a soft, round, rubber curry in a circular motion has the effect of a massage. When you use a brush on your horse, brush vigorously and flick your wrist to send the dust up and out of the coat. Many beginners brush so lightly they never move the dirt at all, or they simply move it from one spot to another. Vigorous brushing in this manner has the effect of "buffing" the muscles as described by Linda Tellington-Jones. I will talk more about her in next month's issue.

Have you ever seen two pasture buddies nibbling on each other's back while standing in the pasture? Sometimes they will also stand side by side facing in opposite directions so that their tails help keep the flies off each other's face. Grooming is a universal bonding behavior in many species, including the horse.

Grooming is also a good time to practice your horse's ground manners. He should be expected to stand quietly, and not step into your space. Do not allow head rubbing or bumping you, or getting so close that you have to move away. A horse that is respectful of you when you are handling him from the ground will be more respectful and responsive when you are riding him too. He will be a lot less likely to step on your toes also! Your horse should also allow you to pick out his hooves without pulling away, kicking, or leaning on you.

Yes, many times you can judge a horse by its coat. A healthy horse will have some luster to their coat with very little grooming. A horse that has a very dull coat is probably suffering from more than lack of attention.

We expect our pampered and well groomed horses to have a nice shiny coat, but we may also notice that other horses with much less "elbow grease" on them have a nice shine to their coats as well. Given the right time and conditions, even horses in the wild, which never get brushed at all, have some luster to their coats. They may not look that way directly after taking a mud bath, but it is a sure sign that the herd is generally healthy and is getting plenty of food and water if their coats look well conditioned.

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