keeping pony's coat black?

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lainy

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Hi, I have a black connemara filly and im planning on taking her to a couple of in hand shows during summer. Would it be advisable to put her in a summer sheet to keep her coat black? Always assuming we get a sunny summer.....
 
I think that would be really mean! she will be boiling hot! my 2 are connie x tb and they are soooo warm, let alone being black and attracting the sun!

I would just use a dark horse shampoo!
 
I am not keen on rugging unless it for a reason, for example sweet itch. In Australia they use reflective sun rugs to protect coat from UV so perhaps don't get so hot. You could consider bringing them in to avoid the strongest midday sun
 
even a light weight would be too warm! my gelding was too hot last summer in a white fly sheet, he was sweating so much he ripped the front of it where he was itching!
 
I dont know if its at all relevant but thought worth mentioning - my black goat has got a brown tinge to her coat so we are adding a copper supplement to her feed to ensure that her summer coat comes through black and that she stays black
 
Paprika (or one of the 'black horse' products which are mostly nicely packaged paprika) and a coat spray with sunscreen.
 
In Australia those that "have" to rug, use 'flag' rugs. Think of the material flags are made of, but a lot are cotton. For that reason they can be quite $$ and tend to rip easily!

I have black horses and they tend to stay out of the sun on hot days so I don't get much bleaching! Would rather a bleached horse that I have to wash in a dark shampoo than a hot and uncomfortable horse whose coat is bleached by sweat under it's rugs anyway ;)
 
My black pony has a beautifully black and shiny coat now she's getting a ForagePlus balancer with enough copper in it. She's always been brown tinged, before. Her mane and tail are starting to grow black instead of brown, too.
 
Thanks for great advice. Shes kept at home and I would never allow her to be uncomfortable. Will check out the uv sunscreen and thank you for link highlands. Her copper levels are good just now, but will keep an eye on that. Wont be an issue any time soon-its raining buckets.....
 
As a note to those who wouldn't put a sheet on, my black horses coat absorbs the suns heat, he's like a furnace, if I stick a light colour sheet on him he is much cooler to touch underneath and less sweaty. I assume it's therefore more comfortable. (We don't have great shade in summer or I wouldn't bother)
 
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