Supplements for Horses That Make Their Hair Grow

The best way to promote hair growth in horses is to make certain your horse has a well-balanced diet by following the feeding guidelines provided on your horse's feed bag or by an equine nutritionist, and to spend time daily grooming your horse. However, if your horse already has such a diet and is groomed daily and needs a little extra help, there are a few supplements to consider.

  1. Fat

    • Based on experiences of other horse owners, fat supplementation can sometimes be beneficial to your horse's coat. Fat can be supplemented through the addition of rice bran, made from rice hulls, or through vegetable oils, such as corn or soybean oil. However, Doug Herthel, D.V.M., believes corn oil (not all vegetable oils) can disrupt the balance of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids in your horse's body and cause other problems such as allergies. So be sure to consult your veterinarian before introducing any new element into your horse's diet.

    Vitamin and Mineral Supplements

    • Horses need vitamins A and E for proper hair growth. The minerals iron, zinc, selenium and copper are also necessary. Adding these vitamins and minerals in individual supplements may completely alter your horse's nutritional balance and cause health problems, so you should consult your veterinarian or an equine nutritionist before adding these supplements to your horse's diet.

    All-in-One Supplements

    • If you believe your horse may not be receiving adequate overall nutrition and that is what's causing the poor coat, you can add one of the many supplement products on the market that provide all essential vitamins and minerals. In this situation, it is better to switch to another type of feed. If that is not possible, due to market availability or the fact that your horse is not even given grain meals and hay quality is poor, then the all-in-one supplement may be what you need.

    Protein

    • The amino acids provided by protein are what build your horse's hair coat, so lack in this area may result in a poor coat. You can supplement protein, but it is best to choose an equine feed that has a higher percentage of protein in it than what your horse currently receives.