Diet for the Black Show horse :)

[minihorsecwgrl]

Hey all! My Black gelding has the worst time not getting sun bleached! I hate turning him out in the summer in the day time but I cant turn them out at night because of the coyotes

I turn him out for a few hours in the morning and few hours during the evening until dark. But yet, he still gets sun bleached! I had him on smart dark and handsome from smartpak and that did WONDERS! But it had paprika in it and I heard that comes up in drug tests?? wondering what I could feed in his diet that will help his color....

 

[lkblazin]

I don't know about diet. But you could do a fly sheet. There are blackening shampoos. Also don't add anything to his coat cause oils will intensify sun rays. when you go in the ring, flip the mane over so its on the non bleached side. Hope this helps a little

 

[JMS Miniatures]

I second the fly sheets. They won't be 100% effective but it's better than nothing.

A lot of your color supplements will have paprika in it and yes it can show up on a drug test. However, with that being said I have not witnessed any drug testing in AMHR shows besides nationals and that is very random. A lot of trainers will use paprika.

 

[Rocklone Miniature Horses]

I use a light sheet or a fly sheet and use black sunflower seeds.

 

[amysue]

I have been using spray on sunscreen on my black mare for years with much success. I got the idea after I had to help my friend re color her hair after it turned orange in the sun after a day at the beach. The box of hair dye recommended using hair spray with uva blocking agents to preserve the color. I buy the spf 30 spray on sunscreen in a can and apply it after I spray her down with fly spray. I also do this for my horses with white faces as they often burn without it. After using sunscreen, velvet has never turned orange on me in the sun again.

 

[Miniv]

Sunscreen does help.......but "turn-out" time does also. We had a black stallion we showed and would let him out of the barn after 3 p.m. for the night, then bring him indoors when we went out to do morning feeding. Back then we also had a covered arena, so he could still run around during the day, but not everyone has that.

 

[amysue]

You can put up shade cloth for a very reasonable cost. I used zip ties to secure poles to my fence rails and tied shade cloth up to shield my guys from the sun in all of the pens that do not have trees for shade. I love nighttime turnout but I do understand the threat of coyotes though. I have tall mesh wire fence up, but I understand that not everyone has that.

 

[Casey0Lee]

Fly sheet and fly spray with sunscreen. Maybe the black as knight supplement.

 

[MiniNHF]

we just put my solid black gelding on a color enhancer by SmartPak. The barn used it on a black pinto show horse and just in a month or so saw a significant difference in the color of her coat.

 

[Yankee Doodle Dandy]

I have a solid black mini gelding. I use "Smart, Dark, and Handsome" by Smartpak and it made a huge difference! He too would get sunbleached on his leg and his mane and tail, but now he is a dark, solid black! Love it!

 

[lkblazin]

Does anyone have before and after pics?

 

[MiniNHF]

I have a solid black mini gelding. I use "Smart, Dark, and Handsome" by Smartpak and it made a huge difference! He too would get sunbleached on his leg and his mane and tail, but now he is a dark, solid black! Love it!

Thats the name of it, I couldnt remember what it was called. I will see if I can find some before and after pics of the one pinto mare.

 

[lkblazin]

Thanks mininhf, that would be cool

. I have a black mare I may want to try this on.