Anyone else's horse changing coat ALREADY??

soulfull

soulfull

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Couldn't believe it when I started grooming Micah yesterday. His coat has just started to change!!

Was bad enough last year it started in August but we only just hit July

He isn't even a hairy sort

Is it me or is it ridiculously early?
 
actually now you mention it yes, when I untacked yesterday there was a lot of summer coat left on the numnah! didn't think anything of it at the time until I read your post.......
 
firstponyMinto said:
actually now you mention it yes, when I untacked yesterday there was a lot of summer coat left on the numnah! didn't think anything of it at the time until I read your post.......
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I think it might have been going on a few days or so too, and I didn't really notice until yesterday
 
Yep :(

Isn't them casting their coats related to hours of sunshine rather than the weather? Or have I got that wrong?
 
One of mine has currently got the finest summer coat I've ever seen on him. The other is still at the post winter fluffy stage which has just started to come out in the last week with the walmer weather. Great fun last night plucking his coat out.
 
Yep, I noticed my old girl is shedding some summer coat - she still has a hairy winter belly fringe!! Its normal for her though to start losing as soon as we pass the longest day and the retained hair is simply because I stopped stripping it when it turned so cold again. I've known her have a full winter woolly by the end of August and then had to clip her for the October shows when it warmed up again.
 
Just a little bit on my native hes become mega greasy too! my thinner skinned tbx hasnt shown any change! thank god for my furminator comb, its removing all the moulting hair with one stroke...how I do love it!!!
 
fatpiggy said:
Yep, I noticed my old girl is shedding some summer coat - she still has a hairy winter belly fringe!! Its normal for her though to start losing as soon as we pass the longest day and the retained hair is simply because I stopped stripping it when it turned so cold again. I've known her have a full winter woolly by the end of August and then had to clip her for the October shows when it warmed up again.
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I've got the same situation. Only just lost the last of the winter guard hairs a week or two ago, and the summer coat is now beginning to shed. I usually do the first clip in August, but if we have much more heat, I can see it being this month.
 
jesstickle said:
Yep :(

Isn't them casting their coats related to hours of sunshine rather than the weather? Or have I got that wrong?
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Yep thats correct. It's all to do with hours of daylight, which change at each solstice. The light shines through the horse's retina and affects the pineal gland in the brain. This sets up chemical changes which in turn adjusts the horse's body to photoperiod (when the days start to lengthen or shorten.) I read some research that found that it affects all horses, and in an experiment it even affected a blind horse, bang on the solstice his coat started to change.

I wonder if it affects us too? *rushes off to inspect leg hair...*
 
Ugh, I also noticed that there was more hair on the numnah and girth than there was a couple if weeks ago, I just did the ostrich syndrome!! :)
 
my forester has started and he only lost his clip lines at the end of May so he has had one month of full lovely summer coat.

I wonder why some seem to be more in tune with nature than others as not all shed so early. You would think with the thicker skinned natives they would not start shedding till later to prevent being too hot!

gala said:
Yep thats correct. It's all to do with hours of daylight, which change at each solstice. The light shines through the horse's retina and affects the pineal gland in the brain. This sets up chemical changes which in turn adjusts the horse's body to photoperiod (when the days start to lengthen or shorten.) I read some research that found that it affects all horses, and in an experiment it even affected a blind horse, bang on the solstice his coat started to change.

I wonder if it affects us too? *rushes off to inspect leg hair...*
Click to expand...
 
Star's white bits are still hairy from the winter, whereas the black bits have a lovely summer coat. ????? There are white hairs coming away though. I've had to clip in August previously.
 
Yep mine has someone even commented today who hasnt seen him in a while saying they couldnt belive he had his winter coat already! Hes not the hairy sort at all but he malted early this year and appears to be growing his winter coat early too :)
 
I normally have to clip mine this time every year as he always starts a fuzzy coat. Hes connie x TB and basically only has a lovely shiney 'normal' coat in May/June and then it starts to get a dull look, he gets too hot and can get a bit lethargic. Then I clip him and have a much happier, cooler horse! I've been doing it years now. Am hoping iwill get away with doing a ODE this weekend but I think he's going to get very hot so will probablty need clipping before next week. Boooo!!! (i hate clipping!)
 
Yes minute we passed the longest day his summer coat started coming out and like others have said I was only just really enjoying his sleek easy to groom summer look and now in a matter of weeks it will be hairy happening with extra grease :) Though I do like his mammoth look for the winter too...
 
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