How to Manage Coarse Types of Horse Hair

When you think of a horse's hair you tend to think of the soft coat along the body and legs, and then the longer hair in the mane and tail. However, horse hair needs to be taken care of properly if the coat is going to be kept healthy, even if the horse's hair is coarse.

  1. Brushing

    • One of the keys to keeping coarse hair healthy and managed is to brush it regularly. At least once a day; certainly after riding, the horse's hair should be brushed out. Use a coat brush on the body, and a longer brush on the mane and tail to help brush out kinks and tangles.

    Shampoo

    • Just as with human hair, a horse's hair needs to be washed regularly. Once a week, or more if the horse is out and it gets dirty, the horse should be washed down and all the sweat, dirt and grit cleaned from the hair. Shampoo the coat, the mane and the tail, scrubbing vigorously to make sure you get out as much as you can.

    Conditioning

    • If you want to help manage the coarse hair on a horse, use a small amount of conditioner. Conditioner helps, in small amounts, to keep the coarse hair slick and tangle-free. Too much, though, will make the hair greasy and slippery rather than clean and manageable.

    Cutting

    • If a horse's hair gets too tangled, or just too long, it's important that you cut the hair. Regular trimming helps shear away old coats, especially winter coats, and ensures that new hair keeps growing in fresh and strong. You can groom your horse yourself, but if you're not familiar with the process you should have the horse's coat professionally trimmed.