Dull summer coat

[JagWife06]

So … my 3 yr old TB/APHA cross came to me as a yearling. He’s a super easy keeper. Happy as can be on 24 hour turnout, and not too finicky about food. I have a wonderful barefoot trim farrier who swears that he’s on the perfect diet and has lovely feet. However, his coat is dull and off color from his true bright bay. Here’s the diet:

*24 hour turnout on 2 acres of St. Augustine grass (it’s getting quite tall as of late and is in good health as far as grass goes)
*1/2 lb of Purina Strategy Healthy Edge daily
*2 oz of ElectroDex electrolytes daily
*2 oz of Petrus Redi-Pak Equine from Animal Science Products (hoof supplement recommended by my farrier)

• De-wormed every 6 weeks using this package from Valley Vet Supply: https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=584eb085-1ac4-4111-b25c-a5e25af4b8c7

I suppose it should be noted that I live on the western gulf coast, where the heat index regularly reaches above 110 degrees F. Just about every afternoon (if it is not already raining), he gets hosed off with cold well water to help with the heat.

He is not being ridden either - long story short he allowed me to get on and walk/trot around several times within a 2 week period with zero complaint (first time being ridden ever, and he couldn’t have cared less!) and then my husband’s work schedule changed. I’m too scared to ride while my husband is at work, just in case of an accident, and the poor man often works more than 90 hours in a week.

Should the very dull coat be a concern for me? He seems quite fat and happy. Has plenty of “get up and go” on the lunge line when I find a rare evening under 90 degrees. Is it maybe just the merciless sun?

[Simkie]

Dewormed every SIX weeks? Why? And why that pack? A good number of those are totally ineffective in single doses due to resistance, IIRC. How about a fecal and targeted deworming, or a more reasonable schedule with effective drugs?

With regard to his coat, the sun surely plays a large role, along with any sweat. Flax or similar should help with his next coat, and you might try a spray with sunscreen (several fly sprays also have sun screen) but it could be that he needs to be inside during the day to really maintain a nice coat. I can’t imagine a fly sheet would work in that heat! That’s toasty!

[starrunner]

Sun probably isn’t helping.

To add more shine and gloss, I would increase fat content in his daily diet. 1/2 a pound of Strategy isn’t really doing anything any which way, I would think. Have you considered a ration balancer to add in the vit/mins/amino acids?

[Simba27]

Agree with getting a fecal egg count and discussing deworming wth your vet. Also you could try adding a coat supplement to his diet. I use omega horseshine and it is fantastic and very inexpensive. My horse looks incredible on it

[Debbie]

Is he sweating? My TB with anhidrosis has a really dull, flaky coat despite a cup of flax and 1/2 cup of Healthy Coat daily. My other TB also gets flax and he has some bleaching from the sun, but still shines like a mirror.

[JagWife06]

He’s been on that pack and schedule since before I bought him. I’m not sure I understand your surprise/outrage at the 6 week mark though? Also, aside from the fecal and targeted deworming, what exactly do you consider a reasonable schedule and effective drugs?

[JagWife06]

Definitely a sweaty mess on a daily basis. He gets scrubbed down with cowboy magic at least twice a month.

[JagWife06]

I’ve tried only turning him out at night, but even on a dirt floor with extra shavings and a 14x16 stall he stocks up after a few hours. Had that examined by a trusted vet at least twice, and both times the answer was, “Eh, some horses just stock up easily. Turn him out.”

[Simba27]

[QUOTE=JagWife06;8246879]
He’s been on that pack and schedule since before I bought him. I’m not sure I understand your surprise/outrage at the 6 week mark though? Also, aside from the fecal and targeted deworming, what exactly do you consider a reasonable schedule and effective drugs?[/QUOTE]

Deworming at frequent intervals can contribute to drug resistance, similar to prescribing antibiotics in humans when there is not a bacterial infection (ie. People wanting a z pack for a cold). Most vets that I know of recommend deworming only a few times per year, using a different specific drug each time as to target different species of worms. My undergraduate degree is in equine science and biology and we learned to stop the trend of deworming frequently also. Works for me, it saves money!

[blueribbonpaint]

Are you using a fly spray that is drying out the coat? I used to use pyranha fly spray at shows because the mosquitos were so bad at night but in the morning my horses nice soft coat after her bath was dry and brittle.

I make sure to stay on top of grooming in the summer because of all the fly spray, sweat and sun. I also add lots of that pink healthy hair moisturizer spray.

[Mukluk]

Mine are super shiny this year-I’m feeding 1 cup of flax seed (cheaper than omega horse shine) and 1 cup of black oil sunflower seeds and platinum performance and all the hay they can eat.

[fordtraktor]

Are you using Ultrashield fly spray in the black bottle? It ruins my horses’ coats. I switched to Tritec and they look great this year.

[Flash44]

The Healthy Edge is meant to be fed at around 3+ pounds a day for a horse, so you may want to consider switching to a ration balancer, which is meant to be fed at a lower amount per day while still providing all of the recommended daily allowances of vit/min. Agree that the sun/heat can really do a number on a coat.

[SaratogaTB]

Agree with as much turnout as you can do, even if it means sun, as long as there is a run-in option for shade. My OTTB has a run in with a fan and he goes in and out as he pleases. Mine is also bay and he wears a flysheet with UV protection and mask every day. But I saw a huge difference when I added one cup of ultimate finish 25%. Wow, his coat is shiny and just gorgeous.

If you have seen a sudden dulling of coat that isn’t typical for him, that could be a sign of something else going on and I recommend getting the vet involved.

[JB]

Why 1/2lb of a feed meant to be fed at probably 4lb minimally? Switch to the Enrich Plus ration balancer.

Bleached coats - which happens - should still be shiny. Dull coats are, IME, the result of insufficient copper and zinc. A ration balancer will help with that, but you might still need to add more.

As for the deworming - I don’t have time right now to go into my usual, but if you’ll search for my name and “resistance” you’ll find several of my replies to this sort of thing. I’ll add that I absolutely ABHOR the fact that these catalog companies sell these deworming packs :mad:

For your further education, I’d strongly suggest making a free account with www.thehorse.com and looking under webinars and Strategic Deworming, and learning about the parasite issues.

[joiedevie99]

1. It sounds like you are not feeding the minimum amount of grain required by the manufacturer to meet his nutritional needs. Unless you have had your grass/hay tested to know what it provides, and know that it provides enough to fill that hole - I’d switch him to a ration balancer so you can feed a smaller amount and still have him getting 100% of his daily vitamins/minerals.

2. Talk to your vet about a more up-to-date worming program. It will depend on your area. In CT, I de-worm twice per year - and do at least two fecals in between to make sure that the dewormer was effective. I make sure to de-worm for tapes, because those cannot be seen on a fecal.

3. If #1 doesn’t help him coat, consider adding flax seed or something like Omega Horseshine.

4. It sounds like your climate is too hot for a UV rated fly sheet, but you can consider spraying him with a UV fly spray to help shield his coat.

[Simkie]

[QUOTE=JB;8247299]
As for the deworming - I don’t have time right now to go into my usual, but if you’ll search for my name and “resistance” you’ll find several of my replies to this sort of thing. I’ll add that I absolutely ABHOR the fact that these catalog companies sell these deworming packs :mad:

For your further education, I’d strongly suggest making a free account with www.thehorse.com and looking under webinars and Strategic Deworming, and learning about the parasite issues.[/QUOTE]

JB, I will say–it is TOUGH to search for your posts with your two letter user name! I went looking around a little while ago to try to find your recommendations for doing a FEC after Quest Plus, and COTH search wasn’t any help You’ve written such useful, informative things and I wish there was an easier way to find them.

OP, I also deworm twice per year–generally in the spring with Quest Plus and in the fall with Equimax. Given that you’re somewhere that doesn’t freeze, 3-4 times a year might be appropriate, maybe, but 8+ probably isn’t, in any scenario. Single doses of Strongid, Panacur or Anthelcide are likely ineffective for much. Why are you deworming so often?

[JB]

I know! Grrrrr You can’t even do a 2-letter name anymore.

LA might be an area that is like much of the S and SE - hot enough that Summer deworming can be minimal to none, BUT, it does depend on how much rainfall there is and whether manure gets dragged around in the heat of the Summer.

[newhorsemommy]

I would talk to your vet about changing up the worming program. I only worm my horses 3-4 times per year and even that’s probably excessive given their living situation.

As far as feed, I would either switch to a ration balancer (I like LMF Super Supplement) so he is getting all of his vitamin/minerals in a small amount of feed, or switch to plain grass or alfalfa pellets (I soak them) and then add a vitamin/mineral supplement (most of which can easily replace your hoof supplement). HorseTech’s High Point for Grass is an excellent product.

I didn’t know very young horses stock up like that, especially when out 24/7. Interesting I also live where it’s very hot, and my mare’s hind legs will stock up because they just stand around a lot when it’s hot out, but she’s a lot older. I have found that MSM completely prevents it, even at a pretty low dose.

And while not related to the coat issues, I don’t feed electrolytes, I just add a tablespoon of table salt to their “lunch” each day. It’s definitely cheaper and something you could consider. I use iodized salt unless the RB or supplements contain iodine, in which case I use plain salt. Something else you could discuss with your vet.

[JagWife06]

I’ve reached the 1/2 lb of feed after over a year of balancing weight. The grass here is lush, green, and he has PLENTY of grazing space. He came to me eating 2 lbs per day, and was so fat his hooves were starting to suffer. I’ve been gradually cutting him back until he’s reached an agreeable weight with the vet. Even on the 1/2 lb, because he’s out with the grass 24/7, he’s still a bit chubby. I tried a lower fat/higher protein feed, and it didn’t really serve him well. He lost a little weight, but just seemed wired during workouts. On the Strategy Healthy Edge, he seems confident and energetic enough, but not goofy. I’m going to have a look into ration balancers, and see if that doesn’t do some good, as well as seriously reevaluate his worming schedule with his vet. He can come into the shaded barn as he pleases, but for whatever reason seems happy to bake in the sun and get rinsed off regularly. I also had a friend suggest that my iron rich well water might not be helping with his weird coat. This past winter, he got blanketed when it got below 45 degrees, but otherwise was allowed to fluff up as nature intended. His winter coat was lovely - thick, but shiny and soft. He didn’t get rinsed at all as he wasn’t sweating, didn’t roll around and get muddy, and wasn’t ridden.

Hopefully a new worming schedule and some feed changes will see an improvement. I couldn’t really care less about him being “pretty” at the moment as we’re certainly not showing anytime soon, I just want him in good health. It might be the fly spray too - I’ve found a concentrate that works WONDERS against the Deer and Horse flies around here, but it doesnt appear to have UV protection A fly sheet is out of the question - it’s too dang hot here. I borrowed one from a friend to try it out, watched him closely, and within 30 minutes he had a serious sweat worked up from just standing around and grazing. Thanks for all the suggestions!