Loosing winter coat ???

[Jay.o]

Tim and Bow have a fluffy winter coat.
Tim is a shetland Bow is a hackney x cob.
Tim is really loosing his coat fast. you only have to stoke him and it comes out really easily ! Bow doesnt as easy but a fair amount is coming out !
Should tim be loosing his coat this soon ?
He hasnt ever lost his coat so early.
Its normally start falling out about 20th of feb and by te 1st march with grooming each day [to stop the itch, i like to help him]. but i dont want [and not going] to start getting it out yet as its only january !!!
any ideas of why he is loosing it this soon when he normally doesnt until the end of february ?

[AJB]

Hi you dont say if they are rugged or not ?if they are if could be you are over rugging him, if not could just be that dispite the frost lately overall the weather has been pretty mild (well in the South anyway) especially as he is Shetland and bred for harsh weather??? just two thoughts

[Jay.o]

no ont rugged or clipped in spring.

[Murphs]

i noticed a couple of days ago that Ebs is starting to lose her coat (not loads just yet) but i too was surprised - she's cobx not rugged or clipped - she knows what she's doing and, if the weather turns again she'll stop shedding - she's still gotplenty of weight onher so i'm not unduly worried

[western]

well are they rugged or not? that might be the problem if the horse is rugged and you dont take it off reguraly. i rugg my horse and i put it on 4pm to 6am or 10am. then in the day if it is farily warm i let him have time off without it.

[Jay.o]

well are they rugged or not ?

i did say hes not rugged or clipped !
:)

[Rakeli]

If it's got warmer Timmys probably feeling too hot, while as Bow isn't a shetland he's hanging on a while longer! As long as he's still warm and dosn't loose weight he'll be fine (and judging by some of your other threads there's no worry of that! He's loved too much for anything to happen!)