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  Discussion on Palomino and sun
Author Message
Member:
Jojo15

Posted on Friday, Jun 25, 2004 - 3:18 am:

I have a very light palomino mare. 20 years old. She is not a cremello since i see dark skin underneath. And she is wormed regularily and is given supplements (source). She is healthy and happy. I have her out 24/7 pasture and all the hay she wants plus feed equine senior. So i don't think its a nutritional problem.

Our problem is that i can't get her shiny like she used to be. That beautiful dappling is just gone. I know that part of the problem is that she loves the sun, but i have another mare (dk bay) who is totally out to pasture and never gets groomed yet always looks amazing. Clean coat, dappling, shiny coat. hair is always clean. But my palomino is just dull looking. I have bathed her with various products. Used show sheen and light hair specific products. Nothing seems to be working.

Is there something about palominos that i should be doing specifically for their light coat? I am getting a little frustrated since i groom her and still can't get that gorgeous coat she used to have. Do you think it could be her age? And maybe she needs different supplements? Any body go thru this with their palomino?
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Jun 25, 2004 - 7:22 am:

Hello joj,
I suspect your palamino's coat is more sun sensitive than your bay, then once faded you washed away the horses natural oils out trying to get them back. The temporary fixes are just that and in the long run probably further damage the hair. You don't wash a horse to shininess, you brush it in.

My oldest horse (a 25 year old dark chestnut) dapples and shine and we feed grass, hay, and Senior without supplementation of any kind. The reason is my wife has several black horses that she hates to see faded, so everyone comes in during the day. I think one other thing contributes to this: we only use soap on our horses just before the christmas parade every year. This strips the oils out of the horse's hair which is what causes shine.

Our horses are groomed prior to tacking. They are rinsed thoroughly with plain cool water when dirty or sweaty and they all shine, at least when the dirt is knocked off.
DrO
Member:
Jojo15

Posted on Friday, Jun 25, 2004 - 11:45 am:

i know what you mean about washing. I have tried to only do a shampoo periodically and only on parts where she might have muck, or in her mane, etc. But usually i do just hose with water on a weekly basis. But the dirt specks never seem to come out. and if i don't bathe they become almost muck like. Stcky and hard to remove. I was trying show sheen to help keep the dirt away, but it didn't really work well.

It's true though i don't brush as much as i used to. which probably explains some of that shine loss. But what about the dappling she used to have?

I can't bring her in, i don't have a barn yet. and i put up a shade area for her and she chooses the sun. I have a horse that is a sun worshipper...

anything out there with a sun screen product for light haired horses? or has anyone mixed one up homemade?
Member:
Beasley

Posted on Friday, Jun 25, 2004 - 4:59 pm:

Hi joj, I have used oil (about 1/4 cup) added to feed which seems to help their coats shine and be healthy. Depending on my budget, I have used plain corn oil to a wheat germ blend. Obviously, can't give to a fat horse!
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