How to Avoid the Blotchy Look as Your Horse Sheds

When you think about it, the clipped horse sheds and grows a summer coat just like the unclipped horse does. Winter hair coats fall out, summer hair coats grow in. I’m pretty sure those aren’t the official terms, but you know what I’m saying. The process takes time, and you might find that your horse gets patchy or uneven. You might see it more in a clipped horse. You might notice it more in a dark horse as well.

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Avoiding the splotchy look

A good diet! Hair growth and skin condition have their start in a balanced diet, complete with omega 3 fatty acids. Pasture is a good source of that, as is fish oil or ground, stabilized flaxseed.

Avoid shampooing your horse to excess. It’s very tempting as shedding starts and days are warmer to make up for a winter without baths with ALL OF THE SHAMPOO. Every shampoo can strip your horse’s skin of sebum – his natural shine maker. A dull coat will look patchier than an oily coat. BUT…

You can use some color-correcting shampoos to even your horse out. New hair growth will be a more natural color, whereas the winter coat can be dull and even bleached a bit in some cases.

These special shampoos are for golden colored like palomino, and grays/whites.

Groom your horse morning, noon, night, and then some. Nothing is better than elbow grease to shed and create shine.

Supplement your grooming with a specialized oil. Wiping your horse down with a grooming oil will add shine and remove yet another layer of shedding hair.

This was one tiny swipe after much currycombing and brushing.

Let your horse roll to his heart’s content without a sheet or blanket! Not only with the extra dirt help to take your mind away from uneven shedding, but it might also camouflage some things.

Also, consider that your horse might have some sort of skin issue. Blankets, sweat, and winter coats can create the perfect environment for skin issues – like a bacterial infection! This might alter your horse’s appearance while shedding.

Can I clip my shedding horse?

That’s fine – if you are prepared for the chance that you are also clipping the beginnings of a summer coat. Which will increase your chance of a patchy coat, but will eventually even out.

There’s a window of time between your horse starting to shed and your horse actively growing a summer coat. For many horses, the shedding process takes weeks or longer. So adding in another clip at the beginning of the shedding cycle might work. If you wait too long, you are chopping off all sorts of growth.

If you can’t really decide what to do, that’s fine also. If your horse is uncomfortable with a fuzzy shedding coat as days get longer, do him a solid and clip. I’d rather have a horse in transition than a sweating miserable horse.

If you suspect a skin irritation or infection, get the Vet out for a peek. Also, if the blotchy and patchy coat stays that way through summer, you might also have the Vet out for a peek.

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How to Avoid the Blotchy Look as Your Horse Sheds

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Avoiding the splotchy look

Can I clip my shedding horse?

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Liv G.