# Shiny secrets?? :)



## Cinnys Whinny (Apr 10, 2010)

Groom Groom Groom Groom, and skip extra un-needed baths. The complete constant grooming will stimulate the hair and oil glands so that the natural oils come out leaving healthy skin and coat, which over time will shine even when dirty. Constant bathing strips the oils, dries the skin and coat and though at the time makes the horse pretty, over time will wreck the coat. Don't get me wrong, rinsing the salt and sweat out is a good thing, but constant shampooing is bad for the coat.

When you do shampoo, unless you are showing, opt for more gentle body washes and the such (my favorite is Oil of Olay moisturizing body wash), they are less stripping of the oils. Save the heavy duty stuff for show days.

This is Cinny, ungroomed and faded last summer.... he still shines!


----------



## BarrelracingArabian (Mar 31, 2010)

healthy diet and as above lots of grooming! :]


----------



## Tianimalz (Jan 6, 2009)

(Ignore miss grumpy butt, she hates baths LOL)










I personally love to have a shiny horse when I got trail riding- mostly because I go out with friends and it's nice to really make my little bay "stand out" against their paints and beautiful Qh's :lol:The above picture was after the bath, the last one was a picture taken after Indie had dried (on a different day).

I feed a cup of corn/vegetable oil every day... it works for Indie, but her fur just gets an extra kick of shine during the summer when the coat is short. I bathe probably once a week; a lot of people are against that but it's what has worked for us in the past. Another factor is that she is on green grass 6 hours a day, which serves as her breakfast and lunch, and then just good ol grass hay during the evening. 

Now as for her grooming; I like to use the shampoo that comes from the dollar store, the really big bottle :lol: I dump it out until it's only 1/3 full, and fill it back up with water and mix it up. You then get a "foam" sort of shampoo. Spray that all over and scrub the horse, rinse and repeat. You use less shampoo, but get better results. I ALWAYS condition, same stuff from the dollar store (sometimes from my moms bathroom if I can sneak it :lol: nothing like Herbal Essence for the mane. :lol. I make sure the mane and tail is soaked really well in the conditioner, and usually wait 15 minutes before I rinse it back out (sometimes wetting the hair so that the conditioner doesn't dry).

After all this, this is what she looks like on any given day;








(SHINYYYYYY)

But if you want the pazazz that was in the first two pictures, I got that by putting a tiny dime size of baby oil on a soft face brush, and massaged it into the hair. Not a whole lot, you don't want it to be greasy, but just enough there was an extra kick to the shine. Really gotta experiment with the amount of baby oil you use, one time I used too much and her mane was a greasy mess :? So start small and work your way into it, you don't want to be able to feel the baby oil in the hair, just enough to give a glisten. 

Hope that helps :-D


----------



## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Like Cinny said, a well balanced diet and avoiding baths are a huge part of it. Of course, a lot of grooming helps too, but it's less of a necessity than the first 2 things.

These horses are fed well, never bathed with shampoo, and seldom groomed (some of them before being ridden only, others are hardly ever even brushed past shedding season because they are turned out for retirement).

Forgive John's gaunt appearance, he had just been gelded....


----------



## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Allowing horses to roll in sand will keep them shiney and they love it.


----------



## xXSerendipityXx (Jan 26, 2012)

I hope nobody else mentioned this stuff<3
















I don't know where I would be without it


----------



## sierrams1123 (Jul 8, 2011)

A good diet and healthy horse.

I also feed my mare a supplement for her skin and coat all year long from smartpak. It is called SmartShine.


----------



## xXSerendipityXx (Jan 26, 2012)

I also use Mane and Tail &Bumble and Bumble Coconut Oil shampoo &conditioners.
















Also, you probably want to stay away frow dish soap, because they are designed to get of good oils, which are what you want to have a shinier coat. I admit I use it alot myself, tho.


----------



## Rascaholic (Oct 4, 2010)

Grooming, grooming, grooming, and I never use a hard metal curry on Rascal. I only use my rubber one  I do own a metal one, it's just used to clean brushes with lol


----------



## Jessabel (Mar 19, 2009)

Good nutrition is number one. A healthy horse has a natural glow that no product can put on. Flax seed and roasted soybeans are good coat supplements. 

For some extra "oomph", I love Miracle Groom. It's especially handy in the winter because it cleans and deodorizes along with making them shiny. I like to brush them first, run a soft brush all over to smooth it out, then use a towel and a light misting of Miracle groom to polish the coat. I like my horses so sleek that they shine in the _dark_. :wink:









^^^ Clean, shiny ponies make me a happy girl.


----------



## MomoMozyyy (Jan 3, 2012)

I wash my horse at least once a month in the summer/later spring. When I wash him I usually use Mane n' Tail mixed with a special tick shampoo. I use a sponge and lather it really good, and then I let it sit for about 1-2 minutes. Next I rinse the shampoo off, and am sure to get all of it! Then when I am done rinsing, I tie him up and brush him for about 15-30 minutes until dry. I do this so that when I let him go the chances of him rolling are lessened. If you let them go while their still wet they are more likely to roll.

I also brush and groom him everyday, even on days when I don't wash him. And sometimes whenever I ride, I hose him off afterwords and am sure to get all the sweat removed from his coat. And remember that if it is hot out, or your horse has been worked that you always want to start with their legs.

I spend a lot of time grooming, but it pays off. Everywhere I go I get comments on how shiny he is!


----------



## cooperandsandy717 (Oct 15, 2011)

Lots of grooming and in the summer i will only bathe my horse about once or twice a month and when i do bathe him i use pantene and it makes him really shiny for show season!


----------



## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

I am not a fanatical groomer. I usually just make sure they are clean where the saddle/girth go. 

But one of my horses is an easy keeper and the other can use a few extra calories. I was giving the one that needs calories a drizzle of vegetable oil over her grain and wow, her coat is very shiny, even in winter! So I started doing that with the easy keeper too because his coat is dull in comparison. I am hoping that when he sheds he will shine like she does. 

PS. They get a bath once a year if they are lucky!


----------



## caseymyhorserocks (Apr 5, 2010)

Here is Casey! The second photo shows how thin her coat gets in summer!

I LOVE rice bran, thats what adds a lot of the shine, as well as hour longs groomings almost every day. And... She is just amazing with her white colorings, I don't know how they stay this clean (only in summer).


----------



## QHriderKE (Aug 3, 2011)

My ponies get free range over food in the summer, and only groomed before and after being rode. They've only been hosed down, I don't do baths.

Even my light dun gets shiny!


----------



## tlvmiller (Oct 13, 2011)

I agree with everybody about good nutrietion and i also use a supplement called Grand Coat the first ingredient is flax seed and it works wonders


----------



## Horsel02 (Jan 6, 2010)

Ok, how do you use the cocnut oil. I do not understand what you would use it for when you groom a horse.


----------



## AnnaB264 (Jan 2, 2011)

You can also bathe with just a cheap human conditioner, like suave or white rain, rather than using soap or shampoo. The reason being, even conditioner has a bit of surfectant in it, which is what lifts the dirt. Just rub it in really well and let it sit for a little bit before rinsing.


----------



## Jacksmama (Jan 27, 2010)

I typically bathe about once a month in the summer with Mane and Tail, also I hose him off after a sweaty ride. When we were showing I would put a little corn oil and a little apple cider vinegar in his feed, the combination had him shed out and suuuper shiny for the first show! This is after he's been rolling and he still gleams


----------



## cincojumper8 (Sep 17, 2009)

After a really good bath I use BioSilk or Argan oil, kind of expensive but makes the hair very soft and shiny so very worth it.


----------



## Rachelconley (Feb 9, 2012)

I have an OTTB that I am showing in hunter jumper this month. I live in Ohio and I want to full body clip him. Would this effect the shine of his coat? Also would I HAVE to pull his mane? I would hate to be because it's so beautiful! Also any grooming tips you have please share!


----------



## WesternBella (Jan 7, 2012)

Start a new thread  You'll most likely get more answers.

Buuuuut, I will bump this one for you.

When we clip the horses, I do find they look a lot less shiny but I'm sure if you tried to make them shiny..it will work


----------



## VanillaBean (Oct 19, 2008)

Apple cider vinegar after a bath is AMAZING!


----------



## Rachelconley (Feb 9, 2012)

I tried and I got no answers lol! So I posted everywhere cause I really wanted to know lol. What would be my best bet you think? Full body clipping his winter shag or just intense brushing
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## WesternBella (Jan 7, 2012)

I personally hate the hassle of clipping but it depends how furry your horse is..

I'd prefer brushing but that's just because my horse doesn't even grow that thick of a winter coat. 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Rachelconley (Feb 9, 2012)

My TB has a reay thick coat and he's huge too. So all the brushing & shedding would take me hours lol!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Lexiie (Nov 14, 2011)

Use Skin So Soft oil body wash!!
It keeps the flies away too!!


----------



## jody111 (May 14, 2008)

Baby oil baths, rice bran oil in the feed, daily brushing, good nutrition


----------



## Rachelconley (Feb 9, 2012)

I've never heard of that! I'm deffineatly gonna try those 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## MysticL (Sep 5, 2011)

I feed an all natural supplement called Fenu Shine. It helps to increase weight, enriche the coat with a deep and lustrous gloss and encourages dappling. It also strengthens and stimulates healthy hoof growth. It contains: Fenugreek seed, Garlic, Deep Sea Kelp, Rosehip and Nettle. The photos below were taken before he started getting it, his dapples are now starting to come out  someone actually commented on him having dapples and being shiny on the weekend! 

I use a shampoo called Glo Bay. It's a show shampoo so I dont use it too often but it brings out the shine in Bay coats. They do one called Glo Chestnut and Glo White too. 

BUT! If you want to pick up any extra dirt and get that shine (especially around the eyes) use SHEEPSKIN! the natural oils help and it collects excess dirt. Or if you dont have sheepskin use a soft cloth and rub it all over your horses body to collect extra dirt. Your tack shops should keep a glove/cloth for this. 

This is my boy after his first bath since I owned him (which is only a month!)


----------



## myQHpaul (Jun 25, 2009)

I have a friend who buys regular bath oil and mixes it with warm water and baths her horses with that and she has horses that are so shiny, you have to wear shades  That and she said she curry's them until her arms fall off LOL


----------



## Rachelconley (Feb 9, 2012)

Omg he is gorgeous!!! Do you clip him or let him shed natural? That shine is amazing!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## DejaVu (Jul 6, 2011)

Nutrition and grooming. I'm not shy to throw a sheet on them for a little while during the winter either.

Nutrition is the most important thing. Make sure everything is balanced. If your horse doesn't have a natural shine of some sort, he may be lacking something in his feed.

Grooming, make a currycomb, and coconut oil for manes and tails your best friend.

Sheeting, I never leave sheets on for any period of time, but in the winter, when they're all fuzzy, after a good curry/brushing, a good nylon sheet really slicks their coat down for momentary cleanliness. I just leave it on for thirty minutes or so, while I get all my stuff together, before I tack up or whatever.

I'm just a passionate hater of winter coats though, so I do that for my own sanity. 

My own show horse is fed Safe Choice, paprika, on full turnout, pastures are kept watered green, as well as full choice hay.
Tons of grooming, and coconut oil on the tail, and he's nice and shiny, even in the winter.


----------



## MysticL (Sep 5, 2011)

Rachelconley said:


> Omg he is gorgeous!!! Do you clip him or let him shed natural? That shine is amazing!
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I presume you are talking about my horse?! Sorry if that sounds vain! :lol: That is his natural summer coat. Our summers temperatures average 30 degrees celcius and up.


----------



## Rachelconley (Feb 9, 2012)

He is so Beautiful! Hope I can get my boy that shiny 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## MysticL (Sep 5, 2011)

Thanks


----------



## Lockwood (Nov 8, 2011)

DejaVu said:


> Nutrition and grooming. I'm not shy to throw a sheet on them for a little while during the winter either.
> 
> Nutrition is the most important thing. Make sure everything is balanced. If your horse doesn't have a natural shine of some sort, he may be lacking something in his feed.
> 
> Grooming, make a currycomb, and coconut oil for manes and tails your best friend.


I agree. Shiny starts from the inside of a healthy horse and works it's way out. Plus good grooming. 
It is not to say that a dull unshiny coat means a horse is really unhealthy, maybe just not as completely and fully healthy as he or she could be, and that kind of glow can take a some time to reach. 

My new buckskin (not known for being a very shiny coat color) had been coated with show sheen when I first bought him to make his fall fuzz look good. 
Now, clean of all the enhancers and well fed, his super soft coat is starting to show much better coat condition and glows in the sun, even in his full winter fuzzies.
Can't wait to see what is under all that fuzz when it sheds out by summer.


----------



## Rachelconley (Feb 9, 2012)

what do you use to get a good healthy coat nutrition wise?


----------



## Lockwood (Nov 8, 2011)

Rachelconley said:


> what do you use to get a good healthy coat nutrition wise?


I'm not sure if that question is directed at the beautiful horse pictured above or me, but here goes...

He is an easy keeper so right now I'm feeding Nutrena SafeChoice pellets for a base, which I think has some good nutritional qualities for a horse like mine- 

In the morning I give 1 & 1/2 cups of feed, about a 1/4 cup of Calf Manna (until I decide which horse specific vitamin/mineral additive I want to go with,) 1/2 teaspoon of organic kelp meal for trace micro-nutrients, 1 teaspoon of flax seeds, and free access to a horse vitamin/mineral/salt block. Evening feed is just 3/4 cup SafeChoice to keep him happy.

Beyond the flax seeds, kelp, and whatever is already in the SafeChoice feed, I don't add fats, oils, or special shine/color boosting premade mixes/additives. Nor am I against them.
He came from a large farm and was on mostly pasture without much quality supplements of any kind. He did not have a good vitamin/mineral block available to him there and when I first got him he nearly inhaled mine. Although it was one of the smaller brick ones I still had to break it into much smaller chunks and dole it out slowly lest he O.D. on it. Now he's proplerly balanced and licks on one like a normal horse.

I plan to switch him over to a well made ration balancer after my bag of current feed gets a little more used, but since he gets less than a pound a day (and is a butterball at that) it will take about another month or so before I switch. Personally, I believe in the importance of having micro-vitamins, micro-minerals and micro-nutrients as part of a well rounded diet.

As an aside... I buy flax seeds and organic kelp from a well run mill in 50 lb bags for extremely reasonable prices. Even though I give all my farm critters flax and kelp, and sprinkle kelp over the garden beds before planting veggies in the spring, my flax and kelp last a loooong time.


----------



## Rachelconley (Feb 9, 2012)

Im gonna have to try some of those! I'm looking into different supplements for my OTTB
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## lkjhorse927 (Feb 27, 2012)

I use coconut or almond oil on a soft brush. Keeping them clean is important, too. I know all about that with my white horse (not palomino but not grey)
I think you can get coconut and almond oil at the grocery store. Also, ShowSheen is great, but don't put alot in the saddle area because the saddle could slip right off!


----------



## Rachelconley (Feb 9, 2012)

Does that make your brush oily?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## BarrelRacingLvr (Feb 26, 2012)

My horses get corn oil, rice bran (with other grains), Biotin, and Quality Hay along with a good brushing before and after each ride. 

Scrat (Taken with Cell)









JJ (not a very good picture as he was kinda dirty so it dulled his shine. But he is usually super shiny.)


----------



## Rachelconley (Feb 9, 2012)

He's GORGEOUS


----------



## lkjhorse927 (Feb 27, 2012)

*Oily brush?*

Well, The brush I use is one that's used only for that purpose, but I don't think it would make the brush super oily because if you really brush it in, the oil will rub off on your horse. It helps to put some on your hands for the face. Also, I spread it on my hands before I put it on the brush so it spreads evenly and that prevents it from sinking down in the brush. 









You can't really tell in this picture that he's shiny but he is. 
I hope this pic works......


----------



## lkjhorse927 (Feb 27, 2012)

I don't think that pic worked.. Need the other computer to post it.


----------



## Rachelconley (Feb 9, 2012)

That's a great idea  coconut oil you said?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## lkjhorse927 (Feb 27, 2012)

Yeah and Almond oil. Either works. If you can't find that, Baby oil works too.


----------



## Rachelconley (Feb 9, 2012)

I'm gonna have to try that on my boy 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## lkjhorse927 (Feb 27, 2012)

I'm glad I could help. 
What breed of horse do you have?


----------



## Rachelconley (Feb 9, 2012)

I have an OTTB. 16.2 hands 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## lkjhorse927 (Feb 27, 2012)

Cool. I have a foxtrotter gelding, 16 hh. 
How do you add a horse to your profile. I'm new here.


----------



## mudpie (Jul 15, 2011)

Nutrition is everything


----------



## Rachelconley (Feb 9, 2012)

I love those! Ummm I just clicked around until I found out lol! I'm new too!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## lkjhorse927 (Feb 27, 2012)

mudpie, 
Do you know how to add a horse to your profile? 
I've always thought OTTBs were super cool and pretty.


----------



## lkjhorse927 (Feb 27, 2012)

the ottb part was to you, rachelconley


----------



## mudpie (Jul 15, 2011)

lkjhorse927 said:


> mudpie,
> Do you know how to add a horse to your profile?
> I've always thought OTTBs were super cool and pretty.


Yes. Yes I do. I'll PM you

An "OTTB" is not a breed. It's an off the track Thoroughbred.


----------



## lkjhorse927 (Feb 27, 2012)

ok thanks


----------



## DressageDreamer (Feb 29, 2012)

When I do shampoo my horse, which isn't terribly often as others have mentioned, I use a Betadine solution in water. It helps kill off the stuff growing at the base of the mane and tail (which makes them itch) plus it makes them silky soft and SHINY! It is great for all my horses and helps to make the white areas whiter and my grey flea bitten mare is more "speckled" looking because it gets the light grey/white base white looking against the dark grey/black specks.


----------



## Rachelconley (Feb 9, 2012)

I know it's not. But it's more specific than saying TB cause he is off the track
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## SageBush (Sep 14, 2010)

So what is the best oil to add to thier feed? Corn or Veg and how much? 1/4 cup? Thanks!


----------



## DressageDreamer (Feb 29, 2012)

I have heard that coconut oil or cocosoya oil is the best. I believe you start out with an 1/8 cup and can build up to 1/2 cup for hard keepers.


----------



## alexislauzon (Mar 7, 2012)

I feed my boy flax! it works wonders. grooming and bathing with the oils work as well! i'd say try anything if it's natural! see what works, i am sure it varies

good luck!


----------



## StellaIW (Feb 5, 2012)

My pony hates grooming... so I go for a good balanced diet.

Good quality hay, that's high in protein, low in sugar.
And if needed, a feed from Dodson & Horrell.
And I aso give her some linseed oil. (I think that is the correct word for it...)

And only use color shampoos.


----------



## lkjhorse927 (Feb 27, 2012)

*Vinegar?*



VanillaBean said:


> Apple cider vinegar after a bath is AMAZING!


Do you mean you put it on the horses or feed it to them? I assume its in the feed, but you never know, all the crazy stuff people do to their horses(no offense) ?????


----------



## HowClever (Feb 16, 2010)

Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition! None of mine are "regularly" groomed. They very rarely get a bath. There coats are purely the product of a diet that meets all of their needs. 




























Even Rexy shines, which is not an easy thing for a grey horse to do!


----------



## tlkng1 (Dec 14, 2011)

Rice bran pellets. I originally added this to the horse's diet to help with wieght gain but the change from his winter to summer coat is amazing. He is super smooth and shiny. This is a top dress additive but is limited to 8 cups per day, and, you would want to do a gradual buildup over a period of 4 weeks.


----------



## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

Rub rags and elbow grease. If horse is healthy and fed right, that is all that is needed.


----------



## BoldComic (Feb 26, 2012)

It's been said a million times already but brush, brush, brush. Use a rubber curry (look up zoom groom) or a natural bristle brush. If you do bathe use a shampoo with natural based cleaners like coconut. Not harsh chemical cleaners. An oatmeal shampoo will keep the skin from getting dried out.


----------

