[babyruth]

Leila has been spending all her days in the sun and her coat is showing it. She went from being black as a bowling ball after she first slicked off to now having a burnish looking red/mahogany shade.

I have been reading that the paprika does help some horses but that it will not change the existing hair only effect the hair yet to come in. At 3 1/2 months, do you think she will shed this coat now again before growing her winter coat? She is pretty slick right now, but definitely could be slicker with some elbow grease and currying.

We weaned her today and she will be in the stall during the days now and turned out at night (unless something goes awry with that plan). So that will help a whole lot. And I will probably add a tablespoon of paprika to her feedings to help when her next coat does emerge...whenever that may be. I am just wondering if she will be all smutty/bleached out looking til next spring or if there is a chance I can act now and get back to the shiny bowling ball shade she was sporting.

And here is something I find odd, but maybe there is a good reason and I am just too color ignorant to know what it is...but...although her whole body has taken on that burnt reddish highlighted looking sheen, the only place that she is REALLY bleached out is her butt. Isn't that an odd, random place for the sun to be hitting her the most and the hardest? LOL...unless she just always rotates to keep the sun at her back (which might explain why that white face never got blistered) I do not understand the intensity of the bleaching in this area:



Any thoughts?

[Heavenly Jumper]

Her next coat change will likely just be into her winter coat. The days will be getting shorter in just 2 months....



So I wouldn't worry about it until February...when the spring coat will be coming.

[Zypheir's Ring]

Check out this coat enhancer
http://www.chevalinternational.com/page2.html

[Heavenly Jumper]

Originally Posted by Zypheir's Ring

Check out this coat enhancer
http://www.chevalinternational.com/page2.html

The main ingredient in that is paprika, and it takes weeks to work because it protects the NEW hair from bleaching.

[babyruth]

Yeah, that's what I was afraid of...lol...I know it is no big deal, but I am mad at myself for not taking measures earlier to protect her from harmful UV rays.

[Heavenly Jumper]

Originally Posted by babyruth

Yeah, that's what I was afraid of...lol...I know it is no big deal, but I am mad at myself for not taking measures earlier to protect her from harmful UV rays.

It's fine, most baby coats are ratty looking anyway until they get their first spring shed

Can we see a full body shot of her?

[babyruth]

Originally Posted by Heavenly Jumper

It's fine, most baby coats are ratty looking anyway until they get their first spring shed

Can we see a full body shot of her?

Yeah - I just posted a thread with some in horse chat of her and Shiloh from yesterday evening. But here is one of them in case you don't want to search for that thread:

[Heavenly Jumper]

Oh she makes me get all googly. I love her! She's BEAUTIFUL!

You sure she's not a really dark bay maybe?

[babyruth]

Originally Posted by Heavenly Jumper

Oh she makes me get all googly. I love her! She's BEAUTIFUL!

You sure she's not a really dark bay maybe?

That wasn't a possibility from the breeding she is from. Here is a succession of how her color has progressed:

Day 1:



Week 2



Week 3



Month 1



Month 2



Month 3

[Heavenly Jumper]

Great pictures!

She's beautiful and just a combination of weird baby shedding and some sun bleaching.

You lucky duck you!