When Does a Horse Shed?

The sleek horses seen in summer fields often resemble wooly mammoths during the winter. During the shedding process, horses lose most of their longer, thicker winter coats. Horses shed their winter coats when they no longer have need for them. This is determined by weather and exposure to light, so it can differ between horses and especially between different parts of the country. In the fall, horses shed their sleek summer hair in preparation for growing their winter coats.

  1. Why Winter Coats?

    • Horses develop winter coats to shelter them from harsh winter weather. The coat begins to thicken and lengthen in the fall, and stays thick and full throughout the winter. During the fall the horse sheds its shorter summer hair, which is then replaced by a short, thick layer of hair, and also by a longer, fluffier coat. The thick winter coat helps a horse stay warm, but the layers of hair also keep cold rain and snow from reaching a horse's skin, along with keeping warm body heat against the horse's skin. A horse with a winter coat heats up more quickly when exercising because of the extra warmth. It also takes a horse longer to cool down and dry off with a winter coat.

    When the Weather Warms

    • Horses typically begin to shed their winter coats in the spring as the weather warms. The actual date when shedding begins differs throughout the country, as it is largely determined by the particular climate a horse is exposed to. Shedding is determined by the length of sunlight per day that a horse is exposed to, so the shedding pattern of a horse in Alaska will be different from that of a horse in Florida. Even once horses start shedding, they can stop for a period of time if the weather gets cold again.

    With Human Help

    • Humans can hurry the process of shedding through a number of ways. Vigorous currying, in which a soft pronged comb is rubbed in circles all over the horse's body, helps to loosen and remove dead hair. A shedding blade -- a long piece of metal with small teeth on one side -- run over the horse's body pulls dead hair to the surface. Additionally, some riders clip their horses, removing the longer hair and leaving a shorter, lighter coat in place of the winter coat.

    When Horses Don't Shed

    • If all of the other horses in a particular stable have shed their coats, but one horse has not, it can be a sign of an underlying problem. Horses with high worm counts sometimes hold on to their winter coats. Additionally, Cushings, a fairly common disease in horses, can cause horses to not shed on their own. If your horse is not shedding naturally, consult with your veterinarian.