Feeding for Skin and Coat
You can probably pick out the healthiest horses from the herd based on their external appearance alone. A shiny coat, thick and healthy mane and tail, and strong hooves all indicate a healthy animal. This is because these are some of the last things to be served by the body, meaning that if the horse needs nutrients for an organ, energy, or other bodily function, these will be served first. Whatever is leftover will make it to the hooves and hair.
Healthy skin and coat can help combat seasonal allergy symptoms, patchiness, shedding, coat rusting (sun bleached appearance), dry skin, and more. Of course, it can also leave your horse with a glowing appearance.
There are three things to consider when developing a diet for healthy skin and coat.
Protein
High quality protein is critical for healthy skin and coat. In fact, hair is made up of protein, so no protein, no hair growth. However, it is important to know what kind of protein you are feeding—alfalfa alone won’t cut it.
Protein is made up of amino acids, which are like tiny building blocks. There are 22 different amino acids in the world. While horses can actually make 12 of these on their own, 9 of them must come from the diet. Of the 9, three are considered limiting, meaning that they must be fed in higher quantities in order for the rest to be absorbed. These are lysine, threonine, and methionine.
Chia is a great source of all three of these amino acids. In addition, copra (coconut meal), hemp seeds, flax seeds, and pumpkin seeds can all offer a strong variety of amino acids. Feeding one to three of these in addition to a high quality grass hay can ensure that your horse is getting enough of each of the amino acids.
2. Fat
Fats are the component that gives your horse’s coat shine. There are three types of fats that you should be aware of in your horse’s diet: omega 3’s, 6’s, and 9’s. Omega 3’s reduce inflammation, and should be fed in the largest quantities. Omega 6’s can promote healthy inflammation. Omega 9’s have been linked to lower diabetes rates in mice, though there isn’t much research on this in horses. Horses can manufacture their own omega 9’s, making them less important to focus on.
Omega 6’s are common in hay and grains, and therefore do not need to be supplemented in the diet. Additionally, an excess of omega 6’s can block the absorption of omega 3’s. Consequently, omega 3’s need to be supplemented to balance the omega 6 rich diet of our horses.
It just so happens that the same foods that can supplement amino acids can supplement omega 3’s. Chia, flax, and pumpkin seeds are all great options for omega 3 supplementation. Just make sure that if you use flax, you grind it before feeding as whole flax seeds can’t be digested.
3. Minerals
The final piece of the recipe is a high quality, chelated mineral supplement. Have you ever seen a bay or black horse that looked like it had red tips on it’s mane or tail? Or maybe red eyelids? This is likely from a copper deficiency. Minerals can impact a horse’s coat health and color.
Feeding a chelated mineral supplement is key, as it is the most absorbable form of mineral supplement and least likely to cause toxicity. It is also important that you check the mineral content in all of your horse’s feed because you can overdose your horse on some minerals.
If you follow all three of these steps you will put your horse on the road to a glowing coat.