Healthy Skin Healthy Horse

Learn how to give your horse a healthy glow with a back-to-basics skin-care routine.

- Barb Crabbe, DVM

Did you know that the skin is the largest organ in your horse’s body? In fact, the skin of an average 1,000-pound horse is likely to weigh 60 pounds, or 6% of his body weight. This amazing organ stays healthy by constantly replacing itself to perform its vital role of protecting your horse’s body. Dead skin cells on the surface slough away and are replaced with new, young cells in a cycle that takes about 17 days.

Why is it so important for your horse to have healthy skin? A sleek, shiny haircoat and luxurious mane and tail might be things of beauty, but the benefits of healthy skin go much deeper.

His skin not only protects his sensitive underlying tissues but also has immune functions that help him ward off disease. This amazing organ also provides a mechanism to repel insects and detects outside stimuli, such as heat, cold, pain, and touch. Simply put, healthy skin means a healthy horse.

Here, I’ll start with an in-depth look at your horse’s skin. Then, I’ll give you a rundown of three challenges you and your horse must overcome to keep his skin healthy. Finally, I’ll outline a basic, seven-step skin-care routine designed to give your horse that healthy glow.

SKIN BASICS

Your horse’s skin is composed of two primary layers: the epidermis (outer layer) and the dermis (inner layer). The epidermis, just 0.05 millimeters thick, is composed of four important cell types: keratinocytes, Langerhans cells, melanocytes, and Merkel cells.

Keratinocytes are protective cells on the skin’s surface that are constantly being renewed. Newly created keratinocytes migrate from the lower layers to the skin’s surface. These cells become tougher through a process called keratinization.

Langerhans cells are part of the immune system. They recognize unknown invaders to help your horse fight off infection and destroy foreign substances.