My guy’s hair seems so dry. He’s cushings and sometimes struggles to sweat. While both were managed this year, his winter coat just seems so dry and really hangs onto the dust. Bathing time is pretty much over here, especially at a barn with no hot water. What’s the best spray conditioner that might help with this?
Healthy HairCare (aka “the pink stuff”) is a commercial product. You can also use neem oil in a spray bottle, which is also great for itchy skin, though it smells. Either way, the trick is in the application. Curry the horse so his coat stands on end, spray against the grain of the hair (aim for the skin,) and towel in. Be mindful of currying him with extra vigor to help spread the skin oils through his coat. Do not add product on a daily basis- adding oils to the top layer of the coat can also attract dust. If the dust is the biggest problem, static cling is also an issue, but a damp rag will take that off. Bring water in a thermos or use an electric tea kettle.
Two things to add to this, and in true COTH fashion, this isn’t the question you asked. 
One is that a good hair coat comes from good nutrition and good grooming, and the nutrition can be tough with these metabolic kids. You might talk to your vet about adding omega-3 fatty acids to your horse’s diet in the form of flax, linseed oil, marine DHA, etc. The other is that their hair coats do change with age and metabolism and if he’s getting more guard-hairy than he used to, that type of hair is naturally rougher.
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I’d want to know the diet first. I’d rather add, or increase, the Omega 3 to see if that addresses the actual issue, before just using topicals to cover up a symptom
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I also really like “the pink stuff” as a regular component of my grooming routine (approx 1-2 times a week). I curry and use a dandy/medium brush to remove obvious dirt. Similarly to @Renn_aissance, I spray the pink stuff, curry it in, then use a different (cleaner brush) to finish.
In addition to diet, a daily curry does a world of work. Not just a “saddle area and obvious dirt” but all over. I do this about 5 times a week, unless in a mega rush. I am also fond of horsehair or horsehair/synthetic brushes over plastic bristles. I think they help develop a better shine…but that is just my opinion.
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During warmer months I use a 50-50 solution of avon skin so soft and apple cider vinegar that I spray on to condition my itchy horse.
In the winter, I use asborine’s miracle groom bath in a bottle to get out dirt and it tends to condition the coat very well.
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Rice bran puts a shine on them fast
Any fat can put a quick shine on, even a few ounces of an oil
If a horse is eating all/mostly hay, then I’d want most or all of that fat to come from omega 3, as opposed to omega 6
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Thanks for the replies.
My guy gets hay (grass and alfalfa) and this summer had the most grass in his pasture in a long time. He also gets 7 lbs Tribute Resolve and 1.5 lbs alfalfa pellets. I do not have him on any omega supplements. I can look into that.
