# Wanting a shiny horse



## roro (Aug 14, 2009)

I've met some horses that just don't seem to shine as much as others, I think it is a combination of the hair type and color I suppose. For example, my darker chestnut shines like a penny without me doing much while another person who owns a red dun has to work her tail off to get as much shine on him. Horses with tight, short, "seal-like" coats are shinier than horses with thicker, shaggier coats. I'd recommend a nice, thorough, shampoo-included bath before you take any other steps. If that doesn't work, go heavier on the soft brush and consider feeding an oil such as CocoSoya. There are also special sprays and conditioners out on the market to make horses shinier, but my horse has sensitive skin so I try to steer clear of any unnecessary chemicals on his coat.


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## Deerly (Apr 18, 2010)

You can try using leave-in spray conditioner on her coat and use a soft brush to get the extra dust off and distribute the spray. Any of the mane/tail/coat stuff works great. I love using that on m boy, he looks so shiny and clean! 

There are also supplements and shampoos that work to improve mane/coat/feet that might help make her coat more lustrous. Unfortunately I don't know a specific one just for that off hand but I'm sure someone else will!


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## HorseRLife (Apr 21, 2010)

My pony is shiny all year round. Some times it depends on the breed, TB's for instace are mostly ALWAYS shiny. Try mixing sunflower seeds or sunflower oil in to you horses feed.


Some heavery breed sometime dont get shiny. What breed is you horse? Picture would be good of your horse.


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## HorseRLife (Apr 21, 2010)

Here is a picture(not a great one) on my pony Milly you cant really see the shine in pictures but you can see it a little bit it might not work though. So lets see how it goes.


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## Gidji (Dec 19, 2008)

There are a few things that can help improve your horse's shine. A well fitting rug is one. Using a shine enhanced shampoo/conditioner and not excessively brushing your horse. I know it seems like the smart thing to do, but really it helps the horse. It keeps in the natural oils that help make their coat shiny.
But if she is completely dirty then brush her of course .

Feeding a balanced diet can also help. My boy is shiny just on chaff, pellets, soy and hay. But he is naturally shiny. For horses that need that little bit extra shine, try feeding stuff like Copra, Omega3 Oil (its good for the joints too), Groom, Livermol. They're just a few products, but there are literally hundreds available on the market.


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## PumpkinzMyBaby22 (Jul 5, 2009)

I've also heard that feeding flax seed can help with the shinyness in you pets coat. I have a friend who uses it for both her dogs and horses. Not sure on how much you would want to feed a week, you should find it on the internet though.


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## Jacksmama (Jan 27, 2010)

A few weeks before a show a friend swears by a capful of apple cider vinegar and a capful of corn/flax oil in the grain every day. Tried it one year and my boy shone like a mirror.


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## sarahver (Apr 9, 2010)

It's almost 100% diet related. Black sunflower seeds are a great addition to help with shine, they will also make dapples stronger in brown and grey horses. There are also a variety of supplements you can add that work also, anything with biotin in it is good for hooves and hair.


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## kmacdougall (Feb 12, 2010)

I used to buy jugs of canola oil at Costco and throw in about 4-6 tablespoons in their feed (never measured, just splashed it in) and I noticed a big improvement within about a week or so.
Most oils in feed will reflect in coat oils!


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## kchfuller (Feb 1, 2008)

flax seed


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## corinowalk (Apr 26, 2010)

It is definantly all diet related. My horse was as dull as they get and once we changed his feed...he shines like a mirror. We switched from regular sweetfeed to a pelleted low starch, high fat feed. Here he is pretty dirty still


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

I do use canola oil. I don't measure it...put a good splash in it as well. I also give her some sweet feed..i had some LMF that you feed only 1 lb a day but she coliced and I'm scared to put her on it again. It's like $25 a bag. I give her alfalfa and she is eating some grass but need to build her up slowly.
I even have a shine block that I use. She doesn't shed very much. She is prone to sunburn as well so I have to sunblock on her face.

Here is a picture of her in her blanket and another one when she wasn't shedding what hair she had.










and








http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2706/4312862798_78b867b787_b.jpg


The last one she had a bath and this is pretty much what she looks like but she has lost some weight...she had a fat neck as you can see.


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## kchfuller (Feb 1, 2008)

All i use is flax seed

1st one is last year

2nd one is this year in April


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## windspeed (Feb 25, 2008)

*Get your horse to shine without chemicals*

I used to use chemical sprays to make my horse shine. After this, his coat dulled more and more and I needed to shampoo him more and more. It was a vicious cycle. Then I met someone who never shampoos his horse and shows in a regular basis. His black mare was shiny and beautiful. He also did not use any sprays.
Here's what he told me and that's what I do ever since:
-curry all over with rubber curry to bring up dirt
-use 'flicking' brush to bring up dirt from the skin to the top of the hair and distribute oils (that's where the shine comes from)
-use coat brush to brush off the dirt that you brought up with the flicking brush, clean the face with it
-use a soft brush all over the horse to remove fine dust
-use a cloth diaper or car wash mitten (lamb skin) to get the horse to really shine

The most important thing: you can't get these results with synthetic brushes. As long as you use synthetic brushes, you need to use these chemical sprays and shampoo a lot. 

Use good natural horse grooming brushes. I've been very happy with the results and my horse looks great.


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## aforred (May 12, 2010)

It's hard to make a white coat shiny, mostly because there are more hairs in the white portion of the coat, so it doesn't lay down as neatly as the colored part. I would agree with the diet suggestions. There are many things you can use, but I would add rice bran or wheat germ oil. There are many commercial products, such as Nu-Image or the color enhancers made by Cheval International. These work very well, but would probably cost more than some other things.
The only other thing I could recommend is daily grooming (twice a day is better) if you really want a shine. Nothing beats elbow grease.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

sarahver said:


> It's almost 100% diet related.


Hmm. I have to disagree. Or you have to explain why all 30 some horses at our barn do not shine the same.

Some hair is more coarse and dense. It simply cannot transfer the light back the way a more smooth folicile can.


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## FlitterBug (May 28, 2009)

Also, besides diet and coat types, I have found a lot of horses with duller coats contributing to poor circulation and tight muscles. Whenever I bring in a horse for physical rehab, their diet doesn't have to change to have their coat shine up nicely as muscles loosen and stretch. I also do not groom as often as some of the owners that bring them in. Grooming is important, but the best way to a shiny coat is from the inside out, and not just what you put into the body, but how you put the body to use.


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## CharliGirl (Nov 16, 2009)

I mix about 1/8 of a cup of soybean oil in with each of my horses feed once a day to help their coat quality (it also helps to keep the powder supplements from blowing away).

My pinto arab Patches doesn't get very shiney either--the oil helps a bit, especially on his non-white areas. Nothing can beat a good, hard, daily rubber curry session though.


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## windspeed (Feb 25, 2008)

*Agree with Flitterbug*

Increase the horses circulation by using a rubber massage curry (never plastic or metal, imo) and do bodywork with your horse as much as possible.


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## sarahver (Apr 9, 2010)

mls said:


> Hmm. I have to disagree. Or you have to explain why all 30 some horses at our barn do not shine the same.
> 
> Some hair is more coarse and dense. It simply cannot transfer the light back the way a more smooth folicile can.


And that is why I said ALMOST 100%, which you quoted, so I assume you read it.


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## danastark (Jul 17, 2008)

I'm a firm believer in flax seed. I buy it at the local health food store and give them about 2/3 cup a day along with their Strategy pellets and all the bermuda/orchard hay they can eat. My leopard spot is not shiny except his mane and tail, but my other two are looking really good


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## horseholidays (May 13, 2010)

I feed my horse Copra (watered) and he hasn't been shampooed in over 12 months!


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

I heard it's better not to shampoo them. I did give my horse a bath. She had oil all over her since the vet pumped oil into her cause impaction colic. It was VERY messy so a bath was needed IMO.
She cant have grain any longer...I do give her a small amount of rice bran though with her probiotics and the canola oil..of course I wet it down. I thought about getting ultra guard vitamins...is there any other vitamins people recommend? Oh and she also has a salt block and I give her a good dash of salt in her bran to make sure she is getting the salt she needs.

I worry about sunburn also....do fly sheets really help? The mesh looking ones.


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## aforred (May 12, 2010)

Shampooing your horse should be fine, unless your horse has a skin issue. In any case, choose a shampoo that does not strip the oil from the hair. I have used EQ Solutions, Mane & Tail, the Cowboy Magic shampoo, Clear Choice, various Quic branded shampoos, and various whitening shampoos. My favorite is a Healthy Haircare shampoo, and I love their conditioner. If you don't wash too often, there shouldn't be any issue. If your horse does have a skin condition, you should figure out what it is and choose products accordingly.

As far as sunburn, are you worried about sun damage to the hair or the skin?


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## Deerly (Apr 18, 2010)

Flax seed is good but it's better to get it pre-ground because they might not chew it well enough to get all the benefits from the full seeds. This was advice I'm passing along from the fabulous feed-store!

I love Mane and Tail!


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## JTranch (May 11, 2010)

The absolute BEST product for a shiny horse is the "slick grooming block." I order my online, but I've seen them at the feed store, they cost around $2 and look just like a pumice stone. Work great for short haired dogs too!! 

** Also, try supplementing rice bran. We used to use the brand name product call "Sho Glo" about a month before shows for a great shine, but you can buy generic rice bran for a lot less $.


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## Gidget (Jan 19, 2010)

As far as sunburn, are you worried about sun damage to the hair or the skin?[/QUOTE]



I am worried about sun damage. I put sunblock on her face and a fly mask. Not too worried about the hair bleaching..i prefer it not too but I rather have that than a sunburned horse. The vet said she will be prone to cancer...especially around the eye.


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## aforred (May 12, 2010)

The fly mask does help shade the face. If there is any way you can, I would suggest keeping her inside during the day, or some place that is completely shaded. Another thing you can try is spraying sunscreen on her and brushing it in. It protects the hair, and if you brush in thoroughly, it also protects the skin. The kind I use is Quic Screen. It lasts a few days as long as the horse is not washed/rinsed/exposed to a long rain. 

Fly sheets help protect from sun damage. Here is just one example
Amigo Mio Fly Sheet - Dover Saddlery.
If you want to be sure that a fly sheet gives enough sun protection, look for one that lists UV protection as one of the product features.

Hope this helps


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

Show Sheen. Give her a bath with some nice brightening shampoo and scrub, then condition everything visible. When she's dry, spray her down with the sheen. 

But be careful, it'll make her coat real slippery. Don't spray it on the saddle area. Actually, if you're going to ride I would spray it on a brush and apply it AFTER the horse is saddled.

You could also try putting Super 14 in her feed. It'll shine him up in a hurry.

And as for the sunburn, I get some of that Banana Boat sunscreen that is used on children, ya know, the baby stuff? I rub that on Jester's face twice a day, morning and late afternoon. I have a schedule for my white-face horses. Once at 7:00 in the morning, and then again at 4:00 in the afternoon for Jester and ******. They are both very sensitive in the nose and eye area. And maybe get her a full-face fly mask. I have two that go over the nose and ears for those two.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

sarahver said:


> And that is why I said ALMOST 100%, which you quoted, so I assume you read it.


Please quote the rest of my response.


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## Ktibb (Mar 24, 2010)

Gidget said:


> I do give her a small amount of rice bran though with her probiotics and the canola oil..of course I wet it down. I thought about getting ultra guard vitamins...is there any other vitamins people recommend? Oh and she also has a salt block and I give her a good dash of salt in her bran to make sure she is getting the salt she needs.


If you're going to feed bran I HIGHLY recomend using the stabilized rice bran pellets. I was using a traditional bran mash to add supplements to and since switching to the stabilized pellets (which are much much safer and more benificial) my horse's shine level has at least doubled what it used to be. As for supplements I use Accell. My mare also has a salt block with trace minerals should she want it, but I never add salt to her feed. I believe (could be wrong, if so someone please correct me here) that the readon for addng salt is to increase their water intake. I accomplish added water intake by using a trick my trainer showed me. I make whas she calles a Slurpee which consists of about 2 cups A&M or other similar feed, 1 cup stabilized rice bran pellets, Accell supplements and at least a gallon of water. It took my mare a couple of days to get used to the very watery consistancy, but now she slurps down every last bit. 

Here (hopefully) are some pictures of my mare after having a good roll in her very dirty pasture.


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## Ktibb (Mar 24, 2010)

Some reading material on Stabilized Rice Bran: Rice Bran for Horses

This is the brand I use, but you can buy a genreic version for much less $$: Natural Glo - Stabilized Rice Bran


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## coastal123 (Apr 25, 2009)

Flax Seed and Alfalfa(real hay, not pellets) improves any horses coat, no matter what else you have tried. Just make sure it fits in with the rest of your feeding regimine-you may need to accept that some just shine more than others. But the flax is generally safe to add to most feed programs-makes some horses look like they are wet all the time.


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## coastal123 (Apr 25, 2009)

Oh yeah, and less water is better for a shiny coat. The best coats I ever worked with was with AQHA world halter contenders and they NEVER washed except just before show. Let sweat and dirt dry, they curry hard, then vacuum-really brings out the oils. They looked like winning photos all the time, with no shine products. And fed alfalfa.


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## Count Jackula (Aug 28, 2009)

HorseRLife said:


> My pony is shiny all year round. Some times it depends on the breed, TB's for instace are mostly ALWAYS shiny. Try mixing sunflower seeds or sunflower oil in to you horses feed.
> 
> 
> Some heavery breed sometime dont get shiny.


Really? That's news to me and Jack! All these have been taken in the last couple of weeks as we come into spring 



















and this one is after hacking...










Good quality food and sensible regular exercise is far more important than lots of grooming (Jack's too big to groom too much, I get bored easily :lol and I definitely wouldn't bother putting anything on the surface, it would cost me a fortune to do his whole body :wink: Darker colours do tend to shine better than paler colours though...


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## Ktibb (Mar 24, 2010)

^^^Nice looking horse!!!


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## sarahver (Apr 9, 2010)

mls said:


> Hmm. I have to disagree. Or you have to explain why all 30 some horses at our barn do not shine the same.
> 
> Some hair is more coarse and dense. It simply cannot transfer the light back the way a more smooth folicile can.


Entire response.


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## CloudsMystique (Mar 3, 2009)

Good grass, good feed, good hay, plenty of vitamins and minerals, daily grooming, regular exercise, and UV protection can all help : ]


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## cloudismyhorse (Dec 14, 2020)

aforred said:


> It's hard to make a white coat shiny, mostly because there are more hairs in the white portion of the coat, so it doesn't lay down as neatly as the colored part. I would agree with the diet suggestions. There are many things you can use, but I would add rice bran or wheat germ oil. There are many commercial products, such as Nu-Image or the color enhancers made by Cheval International. These work very well, but would probably cost more than some other things.
> The only other thing I could recommend is daily grooming (twice a day is better) if you really want a shine. Nothing beats elbow grease.


clipping also helps to make the white and colored part of the horse shiny


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

It's hard to see the shine in the white coats. Try a flysheet in the summer to protect the coat from fading in the sun. I use show glow. It's not very expensive but it seems to help.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

MOD NOTE: This thread is 10 years old. Commonly known as a zombie thread. Most likely the persons discussing this topic have either resolved it, or moved on. 

If members want to discuss healthy coats, I request you start a new thread. This one is closed.


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