Bloomin' Marvellous

Feeding for Healthy Skin and a Shiny Coat

Whilst there’s a plethora of grooming products available to add gloss and finishing touches, you really can’t beat that “shine from within” that comes from a healthy balanced diet. 

A Balance of Nutrients

Soft supple skin and a shiny coat are both external signs that the horse is receiving all the nutrients he needs for good health and well-being, with no one nutrient being more responsible than another.  It is rare for modern pasture or forage to supply all these necessary nutrients which is why supplementary feeding is recommended, be it in the form of a broad-spectrum supplement, a balancer or compound feed.  Your horse’s energy requirements will dictate your choice but, whatever you elect to feed alongside forage, you should feed it at the manufacturer’s recommended levels in order to achieve a fully balanced diet.

Important Individuals

One of the most important nutrients in a horse’s diet is protein, not because he needs lots of it, but because it supplies the building blocks of all body tissues, including skin, muscles, hair and horn.  All proteins are made of components called amino acids, some of which the body can make from other elements in the diet, whilst others must be provided in the diet and are called “essential”.  This means that protein sources in your chosen feed or balancer must be of good enough quality to provide a range of amino acids, including essential ones, in order for the horse to build strong healthy muscles, skin, hooves and other tissues.

Vitamins and Minerals

The significance of these to the maintenance of good health, and in supporting performance, is frequently overlooked.  Vitamins and minerals are involved in all manner of body functions, from hormone and enzyme production to acting as antioxidants to counteract free radicals produced during metabolism and other processes.  Minerals are also integral to strong bone, horn and hair formation, are involved with the transmission of nerve impulses and, as electrolytes, with the hydration levels of all body tissues.  A deficiency of any one, or a combination of vitamins and minerals, may not lead to obvious external symptoms although poor hoof growth, a dry scurfy coat and lacklustre performance, are all signs that something may be lacking.

Fatty Acids

These are the components of dietary fat and oils which may be digested and used as an energy source or be combined with other molecules involved in body structure and function.  Just like amino acids, some fatty acids are essential and must be provided in the diet, the most widely known ones being Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids.  Omega 3 fatty acids are directly incorporated into cell walls, including those of the skin, whilst other fatty acids are involved in the production of natural oily substances which lubricate the skin and hair and give it a healthy shine.

Achieving the Balance

So, a lot goes into a healthy coat and supplementing with one nutrient without heed to the overall nutritional balance, may not bring the desired results.  For horses whose energy (calorie) requirements are met by forage alone, a good quality feed balancer, like Lo-Cal or Performance Balancer, is the perfect way to supply all the essential nutrients a horse needs without the additional calories associated with a mix or cube. 

Preferable to a vitamin and mineral supplement, because they also supply quality protein, balancers often contain a digestive enhancer, like a yeast or prebiotic, which encourages gut efficiency so the horse is able to obtain more of the nutrients from his forage too.  Horses who require calories in addition to those supplied by forage, are best fed the recommended amount of a suitably formulated mix or cube to achieve a fully balanced diet. 

The Right Feed

The higher the horse’s workload or need to improve top line, muscle tone, coat shine, condition or performance, the higher his requirement for essential nutrients.  This is why feeds formulated to promote weight gain or support performance have, not only an increased calorie content but also higher levels of other important nutrients, like essential amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. 

Production techniques, like micronising, are employed to make the feed as digestible as possible, whilst specially developed chelated minerals may be included as they are more easily absorbed and used by the horse’s body.  These kinds of advantages may seem to come at a premium but, since the horse is getting more per mouthful, the feeds are more cost effective than cheaper or “lower spec” alternatives which, at best, would need feeding in greater quantities to meet demand.

Added Extras

Once the “base diet” is fully balanced we can then consider “added extras” to make doubly sure the horse has all he needs to produce healthy skin and hair.  Extra help may be particularly beneficial when the coat is changing in the spring and autumn and the most obvious addition is oil, commonly fed as straight vegetable oil or cooked linseed.  50ml to 100ml of a vegetable oil per day should be sufficient to provide extra fatty acids to support a shiny coat but, as the body can also use it as a calorie source, care should be taken with good-doers as any more could go to the horse’s waistline, unless burned off with exercise. 

Omegas

Not all oils are equal with, for example, soya oil being rich in Omega 6 fatty acids and linseed in Omega 3s, and research has shown that an optimum balance is necessary for them to work beneficially in the body.  There are several high oil supplements on the market, a small number of which provide a blend of oils from different sources and therefore a mix of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids.  Outshine aims to provide a more precise balance of fatty acids and also contains additional antioxidant vitamins and minerals to support the efficient metabolism of the oil. 

Anecdotally, some horses’ prone to dry itchy skin, or who are sensitive to insect bites, have been found to have softer, more supple skin, when fed Outshine.  Those who are particularly sensitive may benefit from additional antioxidant support, to counter the free radicals produced as a result of the body’s stress and inflammatory response.  A quality feed or balancer will supply a good level of antioxidants, when fed in recommended quantities, however, consultation with a veterinary surgeon and/or nutritionist is advisable for problem horses.

Final Polish

High oil supplements do have an advantage over straight oil, which can be messy and unpalatable but, whatever method you choose to increase your horse’s oil intake, it’s important to ensure the main diet is fully balanced first.  Like all changes to the diet, adding oil should be done gradually to give the horse’s system time to adapt then, with a full balance of nutrients plus a little oil, you’ll simply need to polish with a soft cloth!