It’s that time of year again! Every year June 1st is my cutoff for shedding in our area. By June 1st every horse should be “Slick as a Whistle”.
What I mean by “Slick as a Whistle” is that the hair should be so short that it is nearly impossible to grab the hairs between your fingertips. The entire hair coat from nose to tail, ears to hooves short be short, sleek and free from long or unshed winter hairs.
When you can grab the hairs with your fingertips the haircoat is too long or inappropriate for the season. This is true for all horses above 4 months of age regardless of breed.
So why would this matter? In horses there is a condition known as Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction or PPID for short. In this condition a growth develops on the part of the pituitary gland. The growth is a benign tumor that puts out chemical signals that alters the cortisol levels in the horse’s body. The elevated levels of cortisol in the horses’ body results in many problems. One of the outward signs of this condition is delayed shedding and hypertrichosis or a hair coat that is too long.
Retained guard hairs on the throatlatch and lower legs also occurs. Some horses keep their winter hair coats over the summer and appears to change colors. Some horses only shed over part of the body.
PPID is the leading cause of laminitis (founder) in horses. We see a large number of laminitis cases in the fall as the days shorten. Many of these cases have an abnormal haircoat. If these horses had been identified earlier in the year and placed on medication, the laminitis could have been avoided.
I urge horse owners to take a good look at your horses during the month of June. If you can pinch and roll the hair you should be suspicious of a problem. Testing is simple with just a blood test. Medication is available and easily given.