# summer coats?



## mumiinek (Aug 4, 2010)

Here in central Europe horses change their coats approximately in April, but in April it's already 20°C if not more. The first photo of my horse in my profile is taken in April this year and you can see he still has his fuzzy winter fur on while I was sweating my bum off in my t-shirt.


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## Lonestar22 (May 22, 2009)

The length of light influences the growing and shedding of a horses coat. 

The longer the days get the more hair your horse will shed. It has nothing to do with the tempeture.


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## mumiinek (Aug 4, 2010)

Lonestar22 said:


> The length of light influences the growing and shedding of a horses coat.
> 
> The longer the days get the more hair your horse will shed. It has nothing to do with the tempeture.


Never heard about this before, good to know. Does that mean some horses lose the winter coat when it's 10°C and some when it's 30°C? Poor horses... lol


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## Lonestar22 (May 22, 2009)

Yep. Daylight hours are responsible for winter hair growth. Here's a couple articles on it. 

http://animalscience.tamu.edu/images/pdf/equine/equine-controlling-hair-length.pdf

Blanketing Your Horse - Does Blanketing Prevent Horse's Winter Coat Growth?


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## mooney (Sep 20, 2010)

they're right, it is when the days start getting longer again. Like where I live the 22 of december is the longest night of the year, after that my mare will start shedding lightly in a week or two. I blanket her because she'll lose her winter coat before feburary and march which tends to be really cold here.


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## Sarahandlola (Dec 16, 2010)

She has a rug on now and a cooler rug because it is so cold. So if I leave the rug on longer she will shed quicker?


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## Lonestar22 (May 22, 2009)

No, she'll shed the same. It has nothing to do with how warm she is. It's the hours of daylight.


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## mooney (Sep 20, 2010)

I am not totally sure about that, but I think so. My own horse doesn't get a winter coat just another short coat that stands on ends. By the end of April my mare's coat is pretty much ready for summer. Someone elsee probably can give a better answer.


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## Sarahandlola (Dec 16, 2010)

So they do not shed if they are too warm but they grow hair when they are too cold ?! My mare was clipped a few weeks ago. It has been extremely cold this past month and nearly all of her hair grew back in two weeks. Why would they do that in the cold then not shed it if they are too hot?


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## Lonestar22 (May 22, 2009)

It is how long the sun stays up. It is winter, therefore the sun is out for a shorter amount of time, hence SHORTER DAYLIGHT HOURS. That means that her coat will grow FASTER because of the SHORTER days. 

Now that we are past the winter solstice the day light hours will INCREASE and soon your horse will start to shed out her winter coat. It's not gonna happen tomorrow. But in a month or 2 it will be noticeable.


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## Sarahandlola (Dec 16, 2010)

Ok thanks =) I cannot wait to see her summer coat


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