How do I get a nice gloss on my horse's coat?

Question

I was at a horse show this past weekend and I would spray Show Sheen on my horse's coat but the finished product just didn't look right. His fur sort of stood up and got ruffly. Is there any suggestions on how to get a nice, flat, polished gloss look on your horse's coat before a show?

Answer 1

For your horse to be truly shiny, you need to feed them right. He needs oil in his diet by the sounds of his coat. Corn oil(not veggie), flaxseed oil. They both are good. Put high end feeds in him for you next show. Big show people with horses get their shine from the inside out.

Answer 2

there are many products out there but I haven't ever tried any of them... I would suggest going to a local tack store...

Answer 3

If you aren't wanting to spend a whole lot of money you can pour vinegar onto a rag and wipe it gently onto your horse's coat. It's an old trick my grandfather taught me. Really works!

Answer 4

Keep your horses coat clipped short so it can't get very dusty or dirty and groom regularly. Make sure your horse is healthy and it will have a natural shine.

Answer 5

Properly groom your horse on a regular basis, especially prior to a show.  Using all the different appropriate brushes will bring out the natural oils in your horse's skin.  There is not an artificial product on the market that can make your horse look as beautiful as good grooming.  And his natural oils won't allow your saddle to slip like show sheen and all that other chemical junk.

Answer 6

The best thing to do, although it takes regularity, is to fully groom your horse at least once a day, maybe more. Look at some books or websites that have how to properly groom your horse, and it will start to shine, in a pretty short amount of time.

If you don't have the time to groom your horse every day, then you can feed them supplements. Faram's Super 14 supplement is what I use during the show season, it works very well. I noticed a difference in just about a week. You can also feed them vegtable oil, but this can make him gain weight too.

If your show is comming in a few days, you can give your horse a bath, washing and conditioning his whole coat. Or you can use spray on glossers, found at your local farm store, Tractor Supply, State Line Tack, or Dover Saddlery. Hope this helps.

Answer 7

my horse had the same troubles.  i did a trial and error period and tried new coat feed dressing toppers and switched my horse to different feeds with more nutrients.  coat dressing was what seemed to work the best for me.  after a few days it gives your horse a nice glossy shine and makes the fur very soft and pretty.  it also prevents the coat from feeling kind of "gunky" like sprays and soaps cause.  it is also very affordable and it also helped with my horses hooves.

Answer 8

Johnsons baby oil....Especially good if you have a black bay or chestnut horse. I use it and i think its better than show sheen etc and its alot cheeper aswell.

Answer 9

Add Calf Manna to his feed.  Groom him daily.  Then use something like Show Sheen sparingly.

Answer 10

You can add 2 tablespoons of corn oil to his grain or linseed meal in his feed.  Lots of brushing shines the coat and it is best not to bath a horse before a show it does dull their coat, vacuuming works better.

Answer 11

what i do for my mare is i give her 1/2 a cup of flax seed everyday, and before shows (like the night before) i show sheen her and put her blanket and sleezy on.

in my opinion the first step to a glossy looking coat is getting your horses hair shorter so it lays down and doesnt stick up. it really helps to blanket and sleezy you horse at night. just be sure that you take it off the next morning so that your horse doesnt bake in the hot sun. and you do this every night unless its a warn night, then what i do it put a fly sheet on her.

hope this helps. :]

Answer 12

There is no better way to get a shine on any horses coat then to make sure they get quality feed and a good brush down every day, especially after a sweaty ride. The day before a show I like to bathe my horses with some sort of shampoo (make sure it all gets rinsed out) and blanket them with a sheet or turnout coat. If I am banding or braiding the mane I put on a neck sleezy too. To get that extra shine at a show I lightly mist Show sheen on a sponge and rub it on. I always put a bit on my horse's nose and ears as well as their chest and knees to define their points. Avoid spraying directly onto your horse becouse that is always to much and it dries crunchy looking! Also if you have a grey with black points like I do it never hurts to give that black and extra shine for a pop-out look.

Answer 13

Feed you horse flax seed cookies- they work wonders ;)

Answer 14

Pryana has a nice every day glossy sheen. I also use the special color enhancer shampoo that works really nice, makes my horse look a beautiful red. I have always used Show Sheen it works fine for me so I can't help you with other sprays.

Answer 15

I bathe my horse the night before the show with all his coloring shampoos. Then I apply conditioner to his mane and tail. Then I apply a bath oil to his coat. I use a great product by the maker "Carr & Day & Martin", www.toklat.com, it is the coat conditioner and it comes in a oil in a bottle. The spray also works good to to spray in the mane/tail for any detangling or also as a spray (like ShowSheen) to mist over your horses body just before your showmanship class.

After all the excess water has been slicked off his body, I spray the ShowSheen all over. Especially on his "topline", hindquarters and legs.

Then i put a hood (a Slinky) on him and a flysheet or lightweight stable sheet, on him, band/brain his mane, braid his tail and pull it up so that it is just over his hocks, and wrap his legs in polo wraps.

Answer 16

Show Sheen is an artificial product.  If you want a truly beautiful coat you need to feed the products that will create a healthy horse and give the glossy, silky coat.  I feed HP1, a natural supplement from Blueridge. My horses' coats are so dappled, shiny and soft and they even show shiny when they are dusty!

Answer 17

I agree, your nutrition program is the most important, and I agree with American but to me your question describes a horse that does not have a tight short coat. No matter what topical stuff you use its gonna look like c**p. At this point you have 2 solutions, blanket up your horse, feed good and groom the p**s out of him with a curry, vacuum, brushes and wipe down with a cloth, now this will take 6 weeks to get a super coat, or you can body clip him, use a slicker and blankets, hot oil treatments and rub with cloths to bring out natural oils.this process takes only a few weeks.  I would also have a vet check for cushings if your horse is not letting go of his coat.

Answer 18

I started with flax seed in the feed, but have changed to a product called glanzen.  It doesn't cost that much more than what I was paying, and it has some other good stuff in it as well.  I don't show, but both guys are really glossy and look great!

http://horsetech.com/glanzen.htm#Quick%2...

Answer 19

I can tell you that feeding the right nutrients is essential to your horses outlook. If it was winter time or fall your horse probably still had his thick coat. I use a wire curry comb in the winter show season. Also there is another product like show sheen it is called ultra. most of the arabian riders use it on their show horses and swear by it. I tried it and you have to be very careful because it can make your horse look oily if you over apply it just put barely any on a rag and very lightly run it along your horses coat. Another thing is legacy is a hoof joint and coat supplement and it changed my horses coat in a month.

Answer 20

while this might take a while if you can leave him outside at night and groom him a lot and make sure it is throw it could take a while put it works try not to leave him outside when it is really sunny.... it will bleach him out

Answer 21

you could always use this stuff called show pepi. i use that for my horses every time i got go to a show. and btw wat show did u go to last week