Summer time presents challenges of all kinds to horse owners. Especially owners of horses that are dark and have a need for their coats to be kept in show shape. Black horses tend to draw eyes anywhere you go, but a supposed to be black horse that is turned bleached after weeks in the summer sun just isn’t as attractive. So how do you go about keeping your horse black? All over the internet are forums of people discussing what works for their horse, from feeding paprika, to supplements, to blankets, and no sun the possible cures to the coat problem of fading are endless. After some research I have found the only way to really prevent a horse’s coat from fading is to keep them out of the sun. Supplements may help and paprika may help if a copper deficiency is the cause of coat discoloration but it won’t stop the fact that the sun bleaches out the color. Also, paprika may show up in a drug test and since paprika is an ingredient in most color enhancing supplements check to see how long you need to pull the horse off the supplement before showing. Sunscreen as well as sheets that block UVB rays will help but it is said that they can leave lines where the sheet doesn’t cover. There are some horse dyes available to turn coats colors but before use check the rules of the association to make sure that this is allowed. Keeping coats nice and dark is a challenge and a full time job it seems but well worth the effort.
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