What makes a horses coat shine??

I was asked to blog on why my horses have shiney coats. At shows it is something that people comment on every time. My horses are just super shiney. And yes, I will use a little show sheen at a show, but that isn’t they reason they are shiney. There are several reasons:

1. Good nutrition. My horses get local grass hay with a grain supplement. Precious gets a high fat grain which contributes to her shineyness. But they don’t all get that, so that isn’t entirely it.
2. Blankets. Blankets keep them from getting dirty so it is easier to see the gleem on a coat, but I only blanket Oct-April (at the most). My horses are shiney all year long, so blankets are not the entire reason either.
3. Brushing. I do a little brushing every time I ride. When they are blanketed, sometimes I just run my hands down their coats and don’t even brush. And I’m not fanatical about it at all, so that’s not the reason.
4. Work. All my horses get work. They get work all year long and consistently. I ride with its cold/wet/dark/hot/sunny, you name it. I board where there is a covered arena and I work each horse 3-4 times a week. Maybe 1 session will only be groundwork, but they get a good solid workout at least 3 times a week. THAT is why I think my horses are always shiney. They work up a sweat, drink lots of water, dead hairs come off and after a quick brush I am left with a shiney gleaming coat. I may take off a week here or there, but the overall pattern is work, work, work.

I will try and take a picture sometime that really captures how shiney they are, but maybe someone can comment on that below. Not everyone works their horses as much as I do, and that is why I think I get the coats. Maybe someday I will research this and see if there is science to it. But right now I am enjoying an epidose of Law and Order. It is the next best thing to being at home.