Smooth and Shiny

So this year, I noticed that TC's coat was real shit. His coat has always been pretty smooth, not shiny, but soft to the touch. He's gray, so I understand that it's going to be hard to get him really shiny, but I do like petting him without him feeling like he's one of those wire-haired terriers, you know?

I thought it had to do with the fact that he was clipped for the first time this winter. The clipped coat didn't look great, but Rico always turned a nasty mousey brown color when he was clipped and never remained very velvety for the duration of his clip. His coat always grew back nice and shiny though. TC's did not. 

Not a shiny creature

I tried brushing him and bathing him with conditioner, but while I was scrubbing him, I also remembered that for most of his time with me, he's been on California Trace. It's a hoof (and trace mineral) supplement, relatively cheap, but a bit annoying to get a hold of (aka it's not in smartpaks). Unfortunately I ran out early into quarantine and just ignored it. Quarantine, after all. That was right when TC was shedding out, so his coat came back real ugly.

It took me a couple of months to realize this, but in early to mid May I figured it out and put him back on it. I also put him on Omega Horse Shine for good measure.

I wanted it to work immediately and it didn't, obviously. The first day I noticed it was working was the day that chirovet came, on Memorial Day. I had given him a bath the day before and he'd rolled because of course he did. I didn't want him to be disgusting for her, so I brushed the hell out of him to flick off the dust. Then I pet him and I was shocked at how smooth and soft his coat was. Sure, a lot of that was the bath the night before, but it was just shampoo and he didn't feel like this after his last bath. 

He loves rolling in his paddock, boo TC

So as much as times are crazy right now and I'm still working on getting TC's topline to look like he's actually working as hard as he is, I can at least pet him and not be grossed out by his coat! He's staying on Omega Horse Shine and California Trace indefinitely I think. I didn't realize how much I liked his soft coat until it was gone!