by Erika Love

Created on: June 20, 2008   Last Updated: June 25, 2009

The trick behind getting your horse's coat to shine is simple! Good nutrition and a good grooming routine.

The first thing you want to do is make sure your horse is getting the proper hay and grain, along with plenty of fresh drinking water. Making sure that your horse's diet is optimal for him or her is paramount. Always check with your vet regarding nutrition concerns before you start self diagnosing, or taking the advice or other horse owners regarding supplements. No matter how well-meaning they may be, it's important to remember that horses are individuals and a diet which may be great for someone else's horse may very well not be good for your horse. The boarder in the stall next to you may have a gorgeous horse with an incredibly shiny coat; but then when you inquire about it you find out they are feeding their horse French fries to promote those dapples you are positively green over.

That being said, there are a few simple things that you can do to aid in getting a shiny coat to bloom without breaking the bank, risking your horse's health or incurring the wrath or your vet with a French fry impaction...

Flax seed is a wonderful additive to your horse's diet and can be fed in small amounts to produce a fantastic shine, and yes, even dapples! Flax seed is a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids, oil and protein. Flax seed will not only improve your horse's coat and produce a gorgeous bloom and shine, (and yes, even dapples!) but it can also help with skin problems which may lead to a dull coat. Dry skin, Sweet Itch, and other allergic skin conditions will diminish, if not go away completely when feeding flax seed as a part of your horse's daily feed regimen. This is one user-friendly supplement which is both affordable and simple to feed.

There are scores of commercial skin and coat supplements for horses available on the market today. While many of them contain flax seed, a good amount of them may or may not. Many of these products contain other ingredients which have been proven to be beneficial in bringing about a shiny coat.

Before purchasing one of these products, read the label. Understand what the ingredients do, and how they will work in conjunction with your horse's existing diet. Check with your vet before you make any changes to your horse's daily feeding regimen.

Once you've established that your horse is receiving the best possible nutritional plan for him or her, there are a few other things you can do to help promote that shiny, glossy coat which

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