Sun bleached or mineral defficient?

[TicTac]

Some of the horses at work seem to have gone a rather odd colour lately and almost look orange and I was wondering if it was possibly due to a mineral defficiency or that their coats have been bleached by the sun. ( allthough we haven't seen much of the sun here lately )The grazing has dropped off now and they are not getting any short feed or hay at the moment. The 3 horses that come in at night and have feed and hay do not look the same.

Both my horses live out during the summer get fed twice a day with chaff and a vit/min supplement added to the morning feed and both of them have gleaming coats. Is it possible that a mineral defficiency can cause the coat to change colour?

 

[highlandponygirl]

used to work with 3 pure black shetland ponies when i was younger. all developed reddish brown through their coats and it has also happened to the black freisian i ride so i think it is just sun bleached.

 

[treacle_beastie]

mines a fading black and goes orange in the sun - particularly where her saddle goes. she is fed a very good vit/min supplement so I dont think its due to that- think its just the sun bleaching the hair.

 

[Peanot]

The sun usually can bleach them a little. Horses sometimes go gingery in their saddle patches as its where they sweat. They look quite funny with faded saddle patches. Some people put the reflective fly rugs on dark horses for this reason.

 

[treacle_beastie]

The sun usually can bleach them a little. Horses sometimes go gingery in their saddle patches as its where they sweat. They look quite funny with faded saddle patches. Some people put the reflective fly rugs on dark horses for this reason.

yep mine hasnt had hers on this year and has faded

 

[amandap]

This might be relevant. http://www.performancebarefoot.co.uk/page132a.html

 

[TicTac]

This might be relevant. http://www.performancebarefoot.co.uk/page132a.html

Hmmm interesting, thank you