Sunbleached

[Vodkagirly]

My youngster who is passported black, is very sunbleached at the moment. He looks like he has highlights. I've read that this could be a sign of copper deficiency, is this true and if so what would people recommend to resolve?
He hasn't been getting hard feed as weight wise he looks right but if he needs something I'm happy to.
Also would this mark him down in a show ring?

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Just put him on a supplement with copper most of the basic ones have it added.

 

[nutjob]

My coloured used to bleach out until I started with a barefoot diet that included copper in the supplement in conjunction with low iron.

 

[PurBee]

I have a black mare and her coat used to have a red tint when the light hit st a certain angle - and the tips of her mane looked bleached red. The iron is high in the land here and most foods/supplements contain extra iron - also the spring water supply here has iron….so she was getting too much iron.

I balance it out by adding extra copper/zinc etc - also allow the water to stand a few hours so the soluble iron sinks in the water, i added minerals to the land, and cut out all feeds with iron added, wherever i could. That resulted in her looking her blackest.

It’s worth remembering that this time of year when they’re shedding their winter coat - and new summer coat hairs are also growing - the winter coat stops receiving nutrition as it’s loosening from the hair follicle, and will change colour due to sun bleaching as its about to drop out - my mare has a few longer winter coat hairs on her body still and they’ve been bleaching with her sunny turn-out hours these past few weeks. The new summer coat is black underneath.
During winter her long winter coat was black all through the winter months until shedding started….then it starts bleaching as the hairs die and fall out.

If the ‘living coat’ is red tinted - try to lessen the iron in the diet and increase the copper/zinc and general other minerals.

Black horses are easiest to see this mineral imbalance in, due to copper requirements to produce pigment in the hair, yet chestnuts too can show it - as they tend to look a light ginger, rather than a deep gleaming red tone.

 

[spotty_pony]

Purbee - really interesting! What did you use to supplement the diet with added cooper? Can you buy it as a straight in its purest form?

 

[SEL]

Purbee - really interesting! What did you use to supplement the diet with added cooper? Can you buy it as a straight in its purest form?

Progressive Earth do a powder supplement with copper / zinc / selenium which is use because my land is v low in copper & selenium.

 

[winnie]

It can be genetic too. There is "true black" and "fading black". Of my 3 black Dales Ponies, 2 were true black and never faded with sun or sweat. The other is fading black and has a reddish tinge in the summer but very black in the winter. All 3 are passported black. I don't think it should mark him down in the show ring.