Got Dapples? How To Make Your Horse’s Coat Truly Shine

There’s nothing like a good dappled bay or shiny chestnut coat. A radiant coat is a sure sign of healthy skin and a healthy horse. But it takes some work on the horse owner’s part to encourage dapples and to maintain that shine.

So what are dapples? They’re a pattern of round areas of hair that appear in the coat, and usually “bloom” when a horse is in between a winter or spring coat. They are most commonly seen in grey horses, but can be seen on horses of other coat colors, too. The presence of dapples is tied to genetics, according to Kentucky Equine Research, but good grooming habits and maintaining a well-balanced diet can improve seasonal dappling in any horse.

Heels Down talked to grooming and nutrition experts to come up with some tried-and-true tips to make your horse’s coat truly shine.

Feeding For Shine

Maintaining a well-balanced diet is key to seeing positive improvements in your horse’s coat. A horse’s diet begins with forage, and horse owners should be providing the highest quality forage available to their horses.

Specifically, protein and amino acids like lysine and methionine will help improve shine on a coat, in addition to omega fatty acids. Trace minerals like zinc and copper also contribute to a healthy glean and coat color.

Most commercial feeds are fortified, which means they include selected additives like trace minerals to provide a balanced diet (as in, it includes proper levels of nutrients and does not necessarily require any supplemental feeds or minerals).

But like anything else, too much of a good thing could create other issues for your horse, so it’s important not to overfeed protein-rich feeds or hay or add too much omegas, which can lead to itching and other problems. If you need help or have questions about determining a balanced diet for your horse, reaching out to your local veterinarian is a great place to start.

Grooming For Health

Outside of proper nutrition, grooming is key to creating and maintaining a healthy coat year-round. Vigorous and frequent currying of the coat helps stimulate hair growth and remove impurities, creating the right environment for hair to grow.

It helps to be aggressive against environmental factors, from insects and allergies to rain and snow, which can lead to fungus and bacterial growth on the coat.

Just like dietary supplements that promise a shiny coat, there are over-the-counter topical products, from sprays and shampoos/conditioners that promise to improve a horse’s coat. Again, a conversation with your vet may be helpful in eliminating unnecessary products to try. A good rule of thumb is sticking to the basics – good grooming and a good diet go a long way.