The skin is the largest organ of the horse's body; besides enclosing the body, it protects against injury and harmful organisms and serves as a sense organ. Besides providing beauty, the hair coat protects and insulates the skin.
As we all know the hairs are the slender threadlike outgrowth that is made up of an outer shaft, the cuticle and an inner core, and the cortex. While hair is the formation of flake-like particles on the skin of the surface of the skin, as of dandruff, its also the thick soft hair that covers the horse's body.
Horses have several different types of hair-
The permanent hair
The temporary hair
The tactile hair
The Permanent Hair The permanent hair is what we call the mane, tail, feathers and eyelashes. The mane makes the horse look beautiful and radiant. The eyelashes protect the eyes from injury and the tail chases flies away from landing on the body.
The Temporary Hair The coat of the horse is classed as temporary hair, because twice a year the horse goes through coat change. First in the spring and second in autumn. The temporary hair also works as a regulator for temperature, keeping the horse warmer in winter and cooler in summer.
The Tactile Hair The tactile hair can be found on the muzzle and inside the horse's ears. Both areas of hair are a sense organ should be left in place.
Taking care of the horse's coat
It can take years for a horse to have a beautiful mane and tail, so it is advisable not to brush those areas too regularly. Horse's have soft hair which is similar to human hair. It is long and soft and continues to grow, so using good quality products would help to maintain a healthy coat growth.
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