Make your horse’s mane and tail lustrous again with advice from Chloe Casalis de Pury, a nutritional team manager and veterinary surgeon at Dodson & Horrell.

Q: My mare has a short mane and tail and her hair snaps off easily. Is there anything I can feed her to help it grow and make it stronger?

A: Just like us, horses all have different coat and hair characteristics. Some variation is normal, but if your mare’s coat, mane and tail are noticeably more brittle than normal, it’s possible that she’s not receiving the nutrients she needs to manufacture healthy hair.

A balancer will help to provide minerals and vitamins, as certain minerals – such as zinc, sulphur and copper – are involved in the manufacture of healthy hair.

Vitamins, such as biotin, are also essential for producing new cells, including the ones that form hair.

Alternatively, you could try switching to a complete feed that contains high quality protein, though this will depend on your mare’s calorie requirements, and may not be suitable if she’s a good doer.

If you do this, add 75ml of linseed oil per day. You should see an improvement within three to four weeks.

If not, it’s worth giving your nutritionist or feed company a call, as they can do a complete diet check.