Your horse has a lot of hair. Like, a lot. However, did you know that the hairs found throughout your horse's body are fundamentally different? In fact, your horse has several different types of hair that each have unique functions.
While this may seem obvious to some, understanding more about the hair your horse possesses will help you have a greater appreciation for just how incredible these animals are. Your horse's hairs can be grouped into three main categories: permanent hair, temporary hair, and tactile hair.
Permanent Hair
Our favorite kind of hair. Permanent hair is what makes up your horse's mane, tail, feathers, and eyelashes. These permanent hairs do an incredible job of making your horse appear prettier, healthier, and more valuable. We are obsessed with good-looking horses, and our BioMane Equine Pellets are proven to drastically increase equine mane and tail growth for under $1 per day.
In addition to making your horse look awesome, these permanent hairs also have some amazing functions. They are perfectly located to provide your horse with protection in a variety of ways. First, the eyelashes help to protect your horse from vision-related injuries. Second, the tail does a great job of keeping flies and other bugs away from your horse's body, especially as the tail grows longer.
Perhaps the most valuable of all permanent hair is your horse's mane. In addition to shedding rainwater, your horse uses its mane to insulate its head and major blood vessels. These blood vessels carry essential blood to the brain. Therefore, the longer, healthier, and thicker your horse's mane is, the more valuable that mane will be and the more protected your horse will be. If only there was a nutritional supplement that helped with that...
Temporary Hair
Your horse's coat primarily consists of hair that can be classified as temporary hair. Can you guess why it's called temporary hair? Typically, this hair is shed twice a year, based on the season; once in the spring and once in the fall. One of the main functions of this temporary hair is regulating your horse's body temperature. Further, it provides your horse with a protective barrier from its environment. This is evident in the fact that your horse will have thicker hair in those regions in which the skin is most exposed to direct sunlight. Horse breeds come in all sizes and colors, and the color of your horse's temporary hairs, or coat, has an impact on its ability to regulate body temperature. For instance, a lighter-colored coat is more effective in hot and sunny regions.
In addition to coat color, coat glossiness also has an impact on your horse's ability to regulate its body temperature. This is great news for BioMane customers because BioMane Equine Pellets are proven to improve the health, glossiness, and shine of your horse's coat.
Tactile Hair
The hair that grows on your horse's muzzle, inside of your horse's ears, and around your horse's eyes are considered tactile hairs. These hairs are generally much stiffer and thicker than any other hairs you may find on your horse's body. Nerve endings, which are associated with these hairs, help them play an important sensory role for your horse.
As previously described, our horses are incredible animals. The anatomical placement and diversity of their hair is evidence of this. The permanent, temporary, and tactile hairs that your horse possess are invaluable assets to that animal, and it wouldn't be the same without it. From protecting vital blood vessels to regulating body temperature, it is essential that your horse has healthy hair. BioMane Equine Pellets were formulated to provide your horse with the nutrients and amino acids necessary to achieve optimal equine hair health. Plus, they'll help your horses look pretty dang beautiful in the meantime.
Source: "The Diagnostic Potential of Equine Hair..." by Mark Dunnett