Shedding Yet?

[Cayuse]

Anyone have horses who are shedding their winter coats? I have one in particular that is shedding heavily, like it is late March instead of Feb 1. The fur is flying!

 

[chandab]

I haven't really paid that much attention, I don't brush much in winter, just leave them to be furry beasts and stay warm.

Which horse of yours is shedding?

seems they tend to go in the following order: pregnant mares, stallions, non-pregnant mares and geldings about the same, and yearlings last.

My exposed mare is starting to get a few loose hairs, but not enough to call it shedding.

 

[Cayuse]

It is my gelding Cappy that is shedding handfuls of hair. He is the youngest at age 8. He was sick in December with anaplasmosis and he started to shed lightly a couple of weeks after that. I was wondering if he is dumping his coat because he had been sick, but that makes no sense to me because I have always found that when they are under the weather, they DON'T shed. I dunno. Maybe I'll just take it as a sign Spring will be early and be happy with that! I hope it will be for his sake, lol. If he keeps shedding at this rate he's gonna be "nekkid" pretty soon.

 

[Minimor]

I have at least 2 that are shedding--no great amounts of hair coming off but it is coming off.

 

[KLJcowgirl]

It's been warm enough here that my QH sweats under his winter coat... I kinda wish they would shed a little... But I'm sure as soon as they did it would dump snow on us!

 

[Magic Marker Miniatures]

No shedding here in MO.

Even the one mare that is due the beginning of next month is not releasing the hair.

It has been colder than usual here so that is probably why.

On the other hand, my Paint stallion didn't get as wooly as I would expect for this weather.

Few times I was worried he would get to cold but its my roommates wooly cremello that starts shivering. Have had to put him in the barn with a blanket when it gets 20 or below.

He is probably not happy with me right now. Weather said lows in the 30's but the temp outside right now is 16 degrees. He is in the barn, but no blanket.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

No shedding here. Full yak coats with not a hair falling out yet even with the curry comb.

It is strange that Cappy is shedding, especially since your spring is several months away.

 

[Cayuse]

I really don't know what to think! It almost does not seem normal. The vet is coming Monday to start vaccinations. I'll ask her, too. I spent 30 minutes brushing him yesterday. The curry comb and the tail brush that I use as a curry (the plastic kind with the nozzle on the end) could not keep up with the hair so I got the cat's "furminator" and did better with that.

I do keep the barn lights on until mid evening, maybe that has promoted this molting. He seems quite happy, I guess that's what counts.

 

[chandab]

Lights on for more hours than natural daylight could be the cause, as horses grow and shed coats based on day length. This is why many show people put their horses under lights in the winter or at least part of the winter to help keep their coat short or encourage early shedding.

 

[Cayuse]

Lights on for more hours than natural daylight could be the cause, as horses grow and shed coats based on day length. This is why many show people put their horses under lights in the winter or at least part of the winter to help keep their coat short or encourage early shedding.

I have heard that but never thought it would work. I guess I though it it wouldn't mimic natural light enough to make a!difference.

 

[chandab]

I have heard that but never thought it would work. I guess I though it it wouldn't mimic natural light enough to make a!difference.

I've never tried it, but heard it works. And, if you search it, you'll find all kind of information, although there is more research into adding light to bring mares into earlier estrous for earlier breeding.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

No im not ready for shedding . Only because when its shedding there , Its growing here and Im just not ready to part with summer, Just yet

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Dapper Dan is shedding a little. Buckly not at all. Can hardly wait to clip. I know there are horses under all that hair somewhere. You should see the farrier trying to find those little feet...

 

[Magic Marker Miniatures]

Our soon to be moms are shedding like crazy. As well as the stallions including my Paint stallion. Rest of the herd is shedding a little.

Our weather has been bouncing up and down for the last 6 weeks. Sunny and 70 one day, the next in the 30's with snow flurries. Crazy weather.

 

[madmax]

We had a hot spell but now it has dropped to the low 30's so I stopped using the grooming rake until it warms up again. My horses usually begin losing their winter coats in February and I have a particular genetic line that sheds heavily before the rest and keep really slick coats.

 

[Debby - LB]

Shedding like crazy here. Our weather is weird my poor horses are either soaked in sweat or have frost on them, mornings being like 26 and this afternoon 75.

 

[Miniv]

Ditto to crazy weather.......Fortunately not a bunch of shedding yet. We've had 60 degree weather and this morning several inches of snow......Go figure.

 

[Cayuse]

The weather here is just awful, one snow storm after another. I like winter but I am over this one. It has been long.

Cappy never finished the shedding that he started. He lost tons of hair, then quit. So I will have to clip soon. Peanut is shedding. I won't clip him, he always looks so much worse when clipped than with a little fuzz. He grows in all patchy and bristley no matter what I do. He does not have a heavy coat at all so Mother Nature can deal with him.

It sure would be nice to be able to give them all a bath!

 

[MCS Miniatures]

My mare who was pregnant at the time started shedding in December! I also have two other geldings that are shedding heavily now. I'm in MI.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Shedding begins. But we just had a dip into the low 20's, so I'm glad I did not clip yet. Hopefully next week. When I brush, I can see they have been sweating a little.