|
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 911
 
Location: Durango CO | I have what I consider a black mare. But this winter she has a brown muzzle and flank. I have pics of her from last year where she does not have a brown mpuzzle. Can nuyrition and stress cause a horse to change color? |
|
| |
|
 Take a Picture
Posts: 12838
  
| Nutrition definitely plays a part in conditon of the coat and color is a part of condition. So many horses are rgistered as black when they are actually brown to begin with. I had a black horse that was registered as brown because the breeder, who had been breeding horses for about 40 years knew the difference. Even if he stayed out in the sun all summer he was black but he really was brown especially because of his brown nose and flank. |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | Nutrition can for sure change the saturation of color. However, like Streakysox said, most "black" horses are really brown.
How old is this horse? |
|
| |
|
 Georgia Peach
Posts: 8338
Location: Georgia |
I had a true black mare that would fade out. In her case it had nothing to do with nutrition but more it is exposure to the elements. Ill show you a comparison. First picture was taken while being stalled 24/7. The second picture is what she would look like after a year of living in the pasture.
 |
|
| |
|
  Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | a lot of it can be mineral. I bought a bay last spring sight unseen. Went to pick her up and she was anything but bay. Light orange color, almost sorrel and her mane and tail were yellow. She came home and licked up loose mineral like it was grain. Her coat changed tremendously in that first 30 days. Also powerpacked her, treated her for ulcers and put her on a good nutrition program. She is a different horse today. Sweat and the sun are maybe one of the hardest things on a horse's coat. If you want one to stay nice, always rinse with water after a ride. I use shampoo maybe twice a year, usually before a show. One in the spring and one later in the fall.
|
|
| |
|
The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I was told a few years ago that a true black will not fade in the summer.
I actually have 4 that don't fade and they are turned out 24/7
I have been told that leaving sweat on a black horse will cause them to face.
I have been told that if a black horse fades, they have a cream gene and are considered a smokey black. I have one of these too.
I don't know if any of the above are true, just what I heard
|
|
| |
|
I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| If you live in the southern states where you have high humidity and high temperatures for the greater part of the year, any color horse outside during the day is going to fade, especially if you ride them. Nothing is going to keep the sweat and sun from fading their coat. However, if you are on a good feed program and you religiously hose the sweat off every day, there won't be as much fading.
If you keep them up during the day under fans and don't let them sweat, then they shouldn't fade. |
|
| |
|
Take a Picture
Posts: 12838
| cheryl makofka - 2017-02-23 11:13 AM
I was told a few years ago that a true black will not fade in the summer.
I actually have 4 that don't fade and they are turned out 24/7
I have been told that leaving sweat on a black horse will cause them to face.
I have been told that if a black horse fades, they have a cream gene and are considered a smokey black. I have one of these too.
I don't know if any of the above are true, just what I heard
Had a neighbor who had a black horse and she never faded in extreme Texas heat. Bllack and shiny all the time. Really who cares. Mine faded out to the color of coffee with milk in it. |
|
| |
|
The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| streakysox - 2017-02-23 11:35 AM
cheryl makofka - 2017-02-23 11:13 AM
I was told a few years ago that a true black will not fade in the summer.
I actually have 4 that don't fade and they are turned out 24/7
I have been told that leaving sweat on a black horse will cause them to face.
I have been told that if a black horse fades, they have a cream gene and are considered a smokey black. I have one of these too.
I don't know if any of the above are true, just what I heard
Had a neighbor who had a black horse and she never faded in extreme Texas heat. Bllack and shiny all the time. Really who cares. Mine faded out to the color of coffee with milk in it.
That is what my smokey black does.
About 4 years ago this color was all the rage as supposedly you are more likely to get color with the smokey black versus the black due to the cream gene.
|
|
| |
|
 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| Yes, I have a brown/black gelding who faded in the summer. He was retired on pasture, fat and happy but faded coat. I decided to leg him up to run poles at a big race. I started him on renew gold and in the middle of summer he changed to a dark black coat still out 24/7. |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 364
| Has anyone on here ever fed the coat enhancer supplements from Cheval International? They have formulas for all colors. Black-As-Knight, Gold-As-Sun, Red-D-Vinity, Silver-Horse and White-As-Snow. I've always wondered if they work. The key ingredient seems to be paprika. |
|
| |
|
 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 520
Location: Lone Star State | Copper deficiency is one reason why a horse's coat could change. Blacks will have a reddish tint...I've seen this in cattle.
Edited by River 2017-02-23 9:54 PM
|
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 889
Location: on the fine line between insanity and geniusness | I have a weirdo that stays jet black year round, but his muzzle is brown?!? He's as coal black in July as he is in December... but his nose is brown?! We joke and call him the black mamba because he never fades. |
|
| |
|
 Straight Shooter
Posts: 5725
Location: SW North Dakota | River - 2017-02-23 8:33 PM Copper deficiency is one reason why a horse's coat could change. Blacks will have a reddish tint...I've seen this in cattle.
This is exactly true, but like others have said, if the coat is going to bleach, it won't be limited to muzzle and flank on a true black horse.
My true black would bleach out where the saddle would sweat her- I didn't rinse her, stall her or use a sheet. Her muzzle was always blue-black. |
|
| |
Folks on-line