The surest way to tell spring has sprung is by the amount of horsehair circulating through the barn!

But horse spring shedding can also tell you about their health.

If you missed our earlier blog,
“Your Horse’s Spring Shedding: What you Need to Know,”
click here to read it now.


According to veterinarian Carol Shwetz, “the shedding of a horse’s winter coat is a complex physiological process that can reveal information about the horse’s general health.” In other words, horse spring shedding can also shed a light on certain equine health conditions.

What can you learn through your horse’s shedding in the springtime?

Horse Spring Shedding: A Quick Review

Woman brushing a gray and white horse with an EquiGroomer Shedding Tool
Courtesy: EquiGroomer.com
  • Spring shedding is triggered by the increasing hours of daylight with the spring solstice (not warmer weather). The increase of daylight hours causes the production of hormones triggering spring shedding and new hair growth.
  • The shedding period typically occurs over 6-8 weeks.
  • Regular grooming, brushing and exercise will expedite the shedding process. (Thought to be due to increased blood flow to the skin and the stimulation of hair follicles.)
  • Shedding patterns usually remain consistent year-to-year including:
    • The rate of shedding; and
    • The order of shedding.

Use our 20-Piece Equine Tack Shop Start Kit to make spring grooming easier, faster and more comfortable for your horse!

Next, let’s take a closer look at the specific equine health issues that may be revealed by spring shedding.

Horses in stalls with artificial lighting to trigger spring shedding
Courtesy: PublicDomainPictures / Pixabay

Equine Spring Shedding & Potential Health Issues

Itchiness or Patchy Shedding

If the shedding horse is displaying unusual itching (known as pruritus) along with patchy shedding, this may be due to external parasites like lice or ticks that chew and/or bite the horse. Reach out to your regular veterinarian for proper diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible.

Spring Shedding that is Later than Normal

Shedding that is later than normal could mean:

  • Equine Cushing’s Disease or PPID. Also known as low thyroid function.
  • The need for deworming.
  • Dark barn interiors. Ensure your horse receives a consistent 16 hours of daylight each day (both natural and artificial). NOTE: this is not a “quick fix.” It may take up to 60 days for shedding to begin or increase.

Incomplete or Failure to Properly Shed

If a horse is not shedding normally, it could be an indication of:

Poor horse nutrition can lead to long cat hairs under the chin
Courtesy: Rihaij / Pixabay
  • Equine Cushing’s Disease (especially in older horses).
  • Poor nutrition (along with long “cat” or guard hairs under the belly and chin); or
  • Parasites.

For healthy and effective horse spring shedding, they must have proper nutrition before the shedding season with:

  • Proper vitamins (A and B) and trace minerals (copper and zinc).
  • Enough protein and amino acids.

With the proper nutrition in place, the formulation of the necessary hormones for shedding will be triggered as nature intended.

Your Horse’s Coat Can Tell You More than Just About His Nutrition

If you’ve eliminated potential medical issues that may be affecting your horse’s spring shedding, try increasing your grooming, brushing and exercising to jumpstart your horse’s natural processes.

Shiny Brown Horse Running in a Green Spring Pasture
Courtesy: Alexas Fotos / Pixabay

Learn more about how to protect your horse from spring mud and the abundance of moisture everywhere!

Courtesy: EquiGroomer.com

Spring means shedding and a LOT of it! Maintaining your grooming routine will help ensure proper shedding and new hair growth for your horse!

Stock up on our EquiGroomer tools in your tack room and retail store today!

For individual or bulk orders, call 860-573-0604
or click here to send us an email.

It’s the annual winter horse coat blow-out! Barns everywhere are overwhelmed with old winter coat hair. While wild horses naturally lose their winter coats, our domesticated equines need our attention to enhance their overall coat condition for the warmer weather.

See how much you know when it comes to your horse’s coat condition below!

Horse Winter Coats 101Wild Horses in the Pasture

Our animals depend upon their guardians for their overall health, well-being, comfort and happiness. Test your knowledge below when it comes to horse winter coats 101.

What triggers a horse’s winter coat to shed?

Horse Outside Wearing a BlanketIf you think it’s the warmer spring temperatures, think again! It is actually the amount of daylight that causes a winter coat to shed (longer daylight hours equals shedding). The same before winter, shorter daylight hours cause a natural reaction in growing a warmer winter coat in preparation for winter. According to The Horse, increased body temperature (from blanketing) does not help a horse shed faster.

Can fat supplements help your horse’s coat after winter?

Absolutely! Especially after a cold, dry winter. According to The Horse Journals, “fat supplements such as vegetable oil or stabilized rice bran is much more energy dense than cereal grains … and will also help improve skin and coat conditions.” Fat supplementation also helps reduce dandruff and flakiness.

Some horse owners swear by feeding flax or black oil sunflower seeds because of the oils they contain. However, this is no scientific evidence behind these claims.

Why is my horse shedding their winter coat so slowly?

There are a few reasons why your horse may be shedding slower than its barn mates.

  1. Not enough rigorous grooming.
  2. Not enough exercise.
  3. Too much time in the barn and less light.
  4. Additional nutrition is needed.
  5. Potential Cushing’s (or PPID). (Work with your vet to get bloodwork done.)

Woman Brushing Out Horse's Winter Coat

Click here to see how the EquiGroomer tools

make easy work of removing

your horse’s winter coat!


Never clip a horse’s winter coat! This one is not true. According to Pro Equine GroomsHorse Eating a Mouthful of Hay, you should clip a horse that’s uncomfortable with its winter coat when the temperatures warm up.

Feeding older hay? Your horse may need this nutrient!

Other vitamins and minerals can help improve your horse’s coat condition including Vitamin E, biotin, silicon, zinc and copper explains VetLineEquine.com. These nutrients can often be missing from older or store-bought hay.


Did You Know?

Shedding by our smaller companion animals – cats and dogs – creates another health issue … hairballs!

Yes, your dog can get hairballs too! Help both your feline and canine avoid hairballs with daily grooming along with increased fiber and water intake!



Your horse’s coat condition says nothing about his overall health.

This is a falsehood. Yes, it is not the sole indicator of your equine’s health, but it is an important marker of health!  HorseIllustrated.com offers some potential reasons (like nutrition, stress, endocrine issues and even worms for a lackluster coat condition along with suggested remedies.


The EquiGroomer Grooming ProductsDuring the COVID slowdown, we made some significant changes to our grooming product line based on comments and recommendations from customers like you!

Changes included:

  • The shape of the handle making it more comfortable to hold.
  • A new name, EasyGroomer for our 5″ version; and
  • Better packaging to reflect the customers who purchase this smaller size.

Our EquiGroomer tools make grooming your pets easier, stress-free AND pain-free!

To order individual EquiGroomer tools or professional kits for your pet shop, tack shop or barn, call 860-573-0604, send us an email or visit our website today!


Image Credits (In Order of Appearance):

InspiredImages from Pixabay 

Rebekka D from Pixabay 

Pezibear from Pixabay 

Courtesy of YouTube Video

Rihaij from Pixabay 

Product Image Courtesy of EquiGroomer

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