Sweat marks under saddle bleaching hair?

Nickles1973

Nickles1973

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My saddle has been checked by a saddle fitter who was happy with the fit but I have noticed recently with all this sun we are having that my horse is developing lighter hair in the exact same area as he sweats under his saddle. Am I right in thinking that this is down to the sweat bleaching his hair?? I have a black sheepskin saddle pad which is also loosing its colour in the exact same place (where the panels are in contact with his back) I was quite happy with this explaination untill my farrier commented today that it looks like his saddle has been rubbing him. I should add that the farrier didn't see the saddle in place, he was just commenting about the marks.
 
I've never heard of sweat bleaching the coat before so are you sure the saddles not rubbing or putting too much pressure in those places?

I have posted recently about my mare developing patches of white hair after the saddle has recently been checked/flocked. To me it's a fault with the saddle fit and I'm having mine checked again.

I'm not saying yours is the same problem but sweat marks causing white hair does seem a bit odd.
 
The hairs are not white. He's dark bay and the hair under his saddle has just gone a sort of brighter colour. As if it has been bleached. Obviously if it was white I would immediately question the saddle fit.
 
I know what you mean. Used to happen to my last horse. Can't remember for sure but think I put it down to the fact that he was hot there so lost hair, ie not so thick, so not so dark. Always happened more when coat was changing, recently changed too
 
Nickles1973 said:
The hairs are not white. He's dark bay and the hair under his saddle has just gone a sort of brighter colour. As if it has been bleached. Obviously if it was white I would immediately question the saddle fit.
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Ah ok, I misread your post. Maybe I'm so paranoid about my horse developing white patches I'm imagining them everywhere!!
 
Nickles1973 said:
The hairs are not white. He's dark bay and the hair under his saddle has just gone a sort of brighter colour. As if it has been bleached. Obviously if it was white I would immediately question the saddle fit.
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This is happening to my boy at the moment, but where the girth goes, it looks like it is bleached. His coat is shedding at the moment and he has the bleached look in other places too.
 
Sweat is a nightmare for bleaching the coat. I am very careful to wash all the sweat off my Friesian every time he is worked, otherwise he bleaches to brown under the saddle and round the girth area.
 
Happened to my boy. He had nerve problems on his shoulder which resulted in an odd sweat patch coming up. The sweat patch doesn't come up anymore but he has a lighter coloured patch there.

Will it ever go back to normal?
 
Kokopelli said:
Happened to my boy. He had nerve problems on his shoulder which resulted in an odd sweat patch coming up. The sweat patch doesn't come up anymore but he has a lighter coloured patch there.

Will it ever go back to normal?
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This is very interesting - my boy always sweats first in a line on his shoulder, about 6inches long, and always bleaches blonde in the sun every year - although i'm sure i would have noticed by now if he had nerve damage there.

Yes, it when your horse changes coat in the autumn, it should go back to normal :)
 
Woodykat said:
This is very interesting - my boy always sweats first in a line on his shoulder, about 6inches long, and always bleaches blonde in the sun every year - although i'm sure i would have noticed by now if he had nerve damage there.

Yes, it when your horse changes coat in the autumn, it should go back to normal :)
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Its nerve damage which is causing the sweat. My boy had no other symptoms it just sweated up, my vet said there is something wrong with the nerve in his neck/ shoulder.

He said it's nothing to worry about unless your horse goes lame or the skin starts to become damaged. :)
 
This is all very comforting as I was feeling that my farrier was questioning the fit of my saddle as he didn't seem to buy my explaination. I do seem to remember that this has happened before but maybe not so early as this.
 
dark horses will bleach out on sweaty areas in the sun if not washed off properly. you really need to wash off with soapy water and rinse well to reduce the bleaching. a cotton sheet or a UV rug will stop the sunlight fading them. that is often why you see show horses always covered up to keep the coat dark, uniform in color and shiny flat hair. some are more prone to bleaching than others.
 
If you don't want to wash and rinse every time, Absorbine Vetrolin or old fashioned Calgon washing additive in the rinse water will work. We used to sponge off the horses that showed in hand with either one to prevent them bleaching.
 
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